In Separate Bedrooms (17 page)

‘Coffee,’ Jack bit out determinedly. ‘In ten minutes,’ he added firmly before walking away.

Yes, sir. No, sir. Right away, sir, Mattie fumed at his retreating back.

‘Was that Jack I heard just now?’ her mother questioned interestedly as she came out of the kennel she had been cleaning.

Mattie nodded, turning away from glaring in the direction Jack had so recently disappeared. ‘He’s leaving shortly,’ she confirmed.

Her mother gave her a rueful glance. ‘Cheer up, Mattie.’ She gave an encouraging squeeze of her daughter’s arm. ‘I’m sure you’ll be seeing him again soon.’

Mattie drew in a sharp breath before giving a shake
of her head. ‘Mum, I hate to disappoint you, but, after the awful weekend I’ve just spent with him, I really don’t care if I never set eyes on Jack Beauchamp ever again,’ she admitted.

She didn’t want to see Jack again! Soon or otherwise! Seeing him just made the ache in her heart all the more unbearable!

But why did her mother look so stricken? Surely she was the one who—

‘That’s rather a pity, Mattie,’ Jack spoke icily from just behind her. ‘Because I know for a fact my mother has every intention of sending you an invitation to Sandy and Thom’s wedding.’

Mattie gave a pained grimace, unable to look at her mother, even as she sensed Diana’s sympathy. But how could she possibly have guessed that Jack would return so quickly from collecting Harry and overhear her last, scathing remark?

A Harry who was even now jumping around her feet, the attentive Sophie at his side.

But even if Mattie had seen the two dogs, she still couldn’t have known that Jack was close enough to overhear her last statement. Her last damning statement!

She turned slowly, feeling her face pale slightly at the unmistakable disappointment she could see on Jack’s face. Well, what had he expected—a Mattie as totally besotted with him as the overwhelming Sharon Keswick? No way would she ever make such a public fool of herself over Jack, or any other man, in the way that the other woman had all weekend. In fact, Jack was the one who had said it was Sharon Keswick’s clinginess that had put him off the other woman in the first place!

She shrugged dismissively. ‘I’m sure that I can come
up with a feasible excuse for not being there,’ she answered evenly. ‘After all, your mother will only be sending the invitation because she believes the two of us are friends.’ And Jack couldn’t really want her there, either!

Jack’s mouth tightened, his expression grim. ‘Something we obviously aren’t,’ he rasped.

‘Of course we’re friends, Jack,’ she said impatiently, furious with herself and Jack, she for having made that reckless statement in the first place about never wanting to see him again, and Jack, because he had overheard it. Not very logical, she knew, but then logic just didn’t come into her feelings where Jack was concerned. ‘Just not the sort of friends your mother believes we are,’ she added reasoningly.

Jack looked at her silently for several long seconds, his enigmatic gaze giving away none of what he was thinking.

Perhaps it was as well not to know exactly what that was, Mattie consoled herself; she had no doubt that, charming as he was, Jack could have a rapier tongue if he chose to use it. And, after her damning statement of a few minutes ago, he no doubt thought Mattie deserved it!

He gave an abrupt inclination of his head before turning towards her mother. ‘Time I was going, I think, Diana,’ he said. ‘I’ve imposed on your hospitality quite long enough.’ His voice hardened perceptibly.

‘Not at all,’ her mother hastened to reassure him, shooting Mattie a reproving look as she walked past her to join Jack at the door. ‘Come and have a cup of coffee before you go,’ she encouraged warmly.

‘Thanks for the offer, Diana, but I really think it’s best if I go now,’ Jack refused.

So much for the cup of coffee he had suggested—ordered!—Mattie to have with him a few minutes ago. Not that she wanted to sit and have coffee with him, but now that it was actually time for him to go she didn’t want him to.

Jack turned slightly in her direction. ‘Goodbye, Mattie,’ he added with hard finality.

Mattie drew in a deeply controlling breath before answering him, determined not to show how devastated she felt at the thought of him leaving, of him walking out of her life for ever. ‘‘Bye, Jack,’ she returned with a lightness she was far from feeling. ‘Take care,’ she added impulsively, wishing there were something she could say to stop him leaving, but inwardly knowing she had already said enough—more than enough!

He nodded abruptly. ‘You, too.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged breathlessly, unable to look at him any more, turning away to studiously start filling water bowls as the tears stung her eyes, threatening to fall and betray how she really felt about Jack leaving.

‘Mattie? Mattie, aren’t you coming to see Jack off?’ her mother prompted in sharp rebuke.

A well-deserved rebuke, Mattie knew; her behaviour must seem incredibly rude to her mother when she and Jack had just spent the weekend in Paris together. But there was no way Mattie could stand beside her mother in the driveway and wave Jack a fond farewell without making that public fool of herself she so much wanted to avoid!

She blinked back the tears, stiffening her shoulders in resolve; she would not behave like an idiot and begin to cry. Not until after Jack had gone, at any rate!

‘I’m sure it doesn’t take two of us to wave Jack goodbye,’ she derided.

Her mother looked absolutely horrified at this continuing display of bad manners, Mattie easily able to feel the sharp sting of her mother’s disappointment. But if she backed down now then her mother might be even more disappointed in her behaviour; Mattie would look most undignified clinging to Jack’s ankles as she begged him not to leave!

‘Don’t worry about it, Diana.’ Jack was the one to speak harshly as her mother would have spoken. ‘Mattie assures me she is very busy today.’ Too busy to even take the time to properly say goodbye, his tone implied.

‘I’ll be in tomorrow evening as usual to see to the plants.’ The awkwardness of the situation compelled Mattie to say something.

Jack gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘I’m sure the plants will appreciate that,’ he replied. ‘Come on, Harry,’ he called to his dog as he turned away.

‘What on earth is wrong with you, Mattie?’ her mother lingered long enough to hiss.

Mattie shook her head wordlessly, staring miserably after Jack as he walked off with long, measured strides. There was simply nothing she could say, nothing she could do, to alter the fact that Jack was walking out of her life for good.

‘I think you and I need to talk when I come back,’ her mother told her quickly before hurrying off to join Jack.

All the talk in the world couldn’t change the fact that Mattie was in love with a man who didn’t love her, who would never love her.

Nothing could change that.

But as she heard the slam of Jack’s car door, quickly followed by the start of the car engine, Mattie knew she couldn’t just stand here after all, her feet moving automatically as she began to run towards the front of the house, knowing that she had to at least have one last glance at Jack as he drove away.

She arrived on the driveway just in time to see Jack accelerate the car down the driveway, lifting her hand in wan salute, even as she knew he probably couldn’t even see her there, the prick of tears burning her eyes now.

‘I’m glad you changed your mind.’ Her mother linked her arm with Mattie’s as she moved to stand beside her, squeezing reassuringly.

Mattie couldn’t speak, completely choked with the tears she knew were going to fall. There was no way she could stop them a moment longer—

‘Mum, there are two dogs in the back of Jack’s car!’ she suddenly realized, two canine faces against the back window, two healthy pink tongues pressed against the glass.

Her mother nodded, smiling warmly. ‘Jack has taken Sophie with him.’

Mattie shook her head dazedly. ‘But—’

‘He asked if he could have her that morning he came to see me,’ her mother explained happily.

Mattie blinked. ‘He did?’ Had that been the subject of Jack’s discussion with her mother that morning? Besides assuring her mother that he didn’t have designs on her baby’s body!

Her mother confirmed it. ‘Apparently you had told him Sophie’s sad story, and, after thinking about it for a few days, he knew he couldn’t bear the thought of her being abandoned in that way. That’s the reason Sophie
and Harry have spent so much time together these last few days, to see if they would get on together.’

Mattie could only stare after the fast-disappearing car.

Jack had taken Sophie home with him.

How Mattie wished that she could have been the one he took home with him!

‘C
OME
on, Mattie,’ her mother encouraged once the red sports car had disappeared completely from view. ‘You and I are going to have a chat over a cup of coffee.’

Mattie grimaced her reluctance. ‘If the conversation is going to have anything concerning Jack in it—’

‘It’s all going to have Jack in it,’ her mother cut in firmly.

‘Then I would like to postpone it for a while,’ Mattie answered determinedly, knowing she really did need some time alone. ‘Only until this afternoon, Mum,’ she encouraged as her mother would have protested. ‘You still have some work to do here, and I—I would just like to go and check that everything is okay at the shop.’ She used the same excuse as she had with Jack minutes ago.

Her mother, however, didn’t look convinced; in fact she looked as if she would like to argue this last point. But one look at Mattie’s face and she seemed to change her mind. ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘This afternoon it is, then. But no longer than that,’ she warned. ‘I wasn’t at all sure when the two of you got back yesterday, couldn’t tell—’ She shook her head. ‘You’re simply making yourself miserable for nothing, Mattie.’ She sighed frustratedly.

Mattie wouldn’t exactly call falling in love with Jack nothing. But her mother was probably right; she should never have fallen in love with him in the first place.

She gave another grimace. ‘I’ll get over it.’

Her mother raised blonde brows. ‘Somehow I doubt that,’ she murmured.

So did Mattie, but hearing her mother echo those sentiments certainly didn’t help!

‘I’ll be back in time for lunch,’ Mattie assured Diana, turning towards the bungalow to go and collect her bag and car keys.

‘Make sure you are,’ her mother warned. ‘Oh, and Mattie …’

She turned back with a frown. ‘Yes?’

Her mother looked slightly embarrassed now, her gaze not quite meeting Mattie’s. ‘I—er—I won’t be in for dinner this evening.’ The words came out in a rush. ‘I—er—I’m going out,’ she concluded flatly.

Mattie looked searchingly at her mother. Her beautiful mother, she acknowledged slowly, Diana’s eyes sparkling brightly, attractive colour in her cheeks as she still looked embarrassed.

Ah.

But whom—? ‘Michael Vaughan looks a very nice man,’ she said casually, knowing she had made the right guess as her mother’s cheeks became even redder.

‘Er—yes,’ Diana conceded awkwardly. ‘He’s a widower. His wife died two years ago. And we have our love of animals in common. He’s asked me out several times before, but I—’

‘Always said no,’ Mattie realized. ‘It’s all right, Mum,’ she said laughingly as her mother looked more and more uncomfortable by the second. ‘As I said, he looks nice. And you’re certainly beautiful enough.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ her mother dismissed, although her eyes shone with pleasure now at Mattie’s positive reaction.
‘You know, I’ve been dreading telling you,’ she admitted.

‘I can’t imagine why,’ Mattie returned, moving to kiss her mother warmly on the cheek. ‘It’s about time the male population woke up and realized how beautiful you are!’

Her mother shook her head. ‘I think you may be biased, Mattie.’

‘Well, if I can’t be biased, who can?’ She hugged her mother. ‘I can’t wait to hear all the details later,’ she encouraged.

‘There aren’t any details,’ her mother called after her in protest.

‘Yet,’ Mattie turned briefly to tease.

‘Oh, go on with you,’ her mother said crossly, although the smile on her face contradicted the emotion.

Mattie kept herself busy at the shop for the rest of the morning, checking her mail and the orders for tomorrow, and generally tidying up. It didn’t stop her from thinking of Jack, from missing him, but it helped to keep the tears at bay. There was—

She frowned at the telephone as it began to ring; she shouldn’t even be here today, let alone expect any orders to come in. Oh, well, she was here, and an order was an order.

‘Green and Beautiful,’ she announced into the receiver. ‘How may I help you?’

‘The last sentiment I agree with, although I don’t think the first one suits you at all,’ Jack came back sardonically. ‘But there is a way you can help me, Mattie.’

Mattie froze, her hand tightly gripping the receiver. Jack. It was Jack. The very last person she had expected to hear from ever again.

‘Mattie?’ he pressed concernedly several seconds later at her lack of a reply.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, her face pale as she tried to make sense of this unexpected call. She had told Jack she was going to the shop, but she certainly hadn’t thought he would get in touch with her here!

‘Mattie, are you still there? Mattie? Damn it, the line’s gone dead,’ Jack muttered to himself impatiently.

‘No, it hasn’t!’ Mattie burst out forcefully before he could break the connection. ‘I just—I wasn’t expecting you to call, that’s all.’ That was all!

She had spent most of the morning quietly grieving for the man she loved, expecting never to see or hear from him again, and a few hours later he telephoned her! She was in shock, that was what she was.

‘No. Well. I probably wouldn’t have called you today if—well, I have something of an emergency, Mattie,’ he admitted.

‘Is there something wrong with Sophie?’ She instantly panicked. ‘And why didn’t you tell me you were taking her?’ she continued disgruntledly. ‘We were together for three days, and you never mentioned a word. I—’