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She flung herself down on the bed and sobbed until she was exhausted. When her door slowly opened she half expected it to be Vane come to demand his pound of flesh.

To her relief it was Liz. The girl looked scared. I heard you crying. What’s the matter? Have you and Vane argued?’

Debra nodded sadly. ‘I’ve done it altogether— we'll have to go now, there’s no way that we can stay on.’

This time it was Liz’s turn to comfort Debra. ‘What have you done that’s so bad? It wasn’t because of me?’

‘No.’ Debra managed a weak smile, 'I got mad at him because he was being unreasonable and I threw a vase. Unfortunately it hit that lovely mirror—you know, the one in the drawing room. They both smashed to pieces. Oh, Liz, I’m frightened! I bet he’ll make me pay for them, and goodness knows how I’ll afford it.’

‘I’ll help,’ said Liz at once. ‘I’ll get a job instead of going to college. We’ll manage, you’ll see.’

It helped, the other girl taking her side like this, and Debra was glad they were friends once again. But she couldn’t let Liz give up her career. She had set her heart on becoming a doctor.

‘No,’ she said. ‘This is something I have to sort out myself.’ She lifted her chin stubbornly. ‘I’ll go and see Mr Oliver now, maybe if I apologise he won’t be too harsh on me.’ She knew she would never sleep, not knowing what he was going to do about it.

But Liz thought differently. ‘Why don't you wait until he’s calmed down? You might make matters worse.’

Debra was adamant. ‘I can't,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I’m going now, while I still have the courage.’

Resolutely she washed her face and made her way back to the drawing room. All evidence of the accident had been cleaned away, all that remained to tell her of what had once been was the lighter patch on the wall where the mirror had hung.

Of Vane himself there was no sign.

She knew she had to see him tonight and guessed he would be in his room. She knocked, but did not wait for a reply, but pushed open the door and marched inside.

It contained Chinese furniture, as did the other rooms, but this was quite clearly a man’s room, more spartan in appearance than hers and Liz’s, no bottles decorating the top of the dresser, merely a comb and brush neatly placed, a folded handkerchief. His clothes were put away out of sight, only his leather mules stood by the bed.

He had clearly just emerged from the shower and was dressed only in pyjama trousers, the dark hairs on his chest springing back to life as they dried, some still pressed flat against his deeply tanned skin.

Debra felt her pulses race before she determinedly clamped down on her feelings. ‘Mr Oliver,’ she said, when he looked at her questioningly, 'I've come to apologise. I’m sorry for breaking that vase and your mirror. If you let me know how much I’ll pay for them.’

An eyebrow quirked. ‘You realise their value?’

She shrugged. ‘I know they must have cost a great deal, but if I haven’t all the money now then I’ll pay in instalments.’

‘For the rest of your life?’

'If necessary.’ She was as determined as he not to give an inch.

‘Then it looks as though I’ll have to keep you on. Only that way will I make sure of getting my due.’

'I wouldn’t shirk my responsibilities,’ she said with a toss of her head, her shining dark hair quivering with indignation.

‘I’m not saying that you would.’

‘But you prefer to play safe?’

‘Wouldn’t you?’ he mocked, ‘under the circumstances? You now owe me a great deal, Miss Delaney. In fact I would say that I doubt you’ll ever be out of my debt.’

There was a terrifying glint in his eyes as he spoke, and Debra felt her courage begin to desert her. She began to think that Liz was right and she ought to have waited until morning, when he might not have been so merciless.

It took all her self-control to look him straight in the eye. ‘That’s as may be, Mr Oliver. But I’ll stay until my debt’s paid, in full. I shall begin by looking for somewhere cheaper to live, and then whatever it’s costing you to keep me here can go as part payment.’

‘My dear Miss Delaney, that will only pay what it’s cost me to keep Liz. I thought you understood that. I have no objection to you remaining, though, it’s convenient, especially if I want you to do some extra work in the evenings, which might be a good idea now that you’re so heavily committed.’

Debra’s temper reached boiling point yet again. ‘You’re detestable, Mr Oliver! You’re the most hateful, dictatorial, overbearing, pompous man I’ve ever met!’

He walked towards her, propelled her to the door. ‘I think you'd better leave before you throw something else. You can’t afford any more bad luck.’

‘Oh,
you
—’ she began, but before she could finish found herself outside the room with the door firmly closed in her face.

Perhaps as well, she decided angrily. The words that had come to mind had certainly been far from ladylike!

Debra spent an unsettled night wondering whether she would have the staying power to complete the task she had set herself. Vane Oliver was a daunting character, harder than she had ever imagined. Goodness knows why she had fallen in love with him.

To her surprise the next morning Lin Dai told her that he had suddenly been called to London. A reprieve, thought Debra thankfully, and she and Liz spent the next two days quite happily, almost able to forget the huge shadow that hung over their heads, although at first Liz had been quite horrified by what had gone on.

They comforted each other and their friendship deepened, and Debra wondered why they had ever fallen out. Trust it to be Vane Oliver who had come between them!

When he arrived back at the villa he did not look in a good mood and dismissed Liz with no compunction at all. ‘I have something I want to say to Miss Delaney,’ he said abruptly. ‘Please leave us.’

Liz looked worried, hesitated, and then left. Debra wished she hadn’t. If possible Vane was looking even angrier than he had the day she’d broken the mirror. She felt uneasy and could not even begin to imagine what he wanted to discuss.

‘You remember that trouble we had at Yam Ling Kee?’ he said, as soon as they were alone. ‘The trouble that
you
sorted out?’

She nodded. ‘Of course. They were most apologetic. Why, what have they done now—not the same thing again, surely?’

He took a deep breath and his eyes flashed like two balls of fire. ‘The market’s flooded with those dresses,’ he bellowed. ‘The ones we returned. Don’t you know what this will do to my reputation? They’re not me at all.

‘You’re sacked, Miss Delaney, fired, from this moment. Forget your debts, forget everything. Pack your bags and get out. I never want to set eyes on you again!’

Debra
stared at Vane aghast. She could not imagine how this had happened. The manager at Yam Ling Kee had been most apologetic about the mistake, had assured her that the Vanoli labels would be cut out before they sold them elsewhere.

‘You must be mistaken,’ she said. ‘They confirmed that they would do nothing with those dresses, not with your label in. I’ll go over straight away and find out what’s happened.’ She looked quickly at her watch; she might just catch them before they finished for the day.

Vane’s eyes narrowed in his hard face. ‘You will not. You’re not working for me any longer. I shall go myself, and when I return I want you gone.’

He swung round and left the room, disapproval in every line of his body.

Debra was devastated. Vane was being unfair. It was not her fault that these dresses had got on to the market. So far as she was concerned the matter had been settled satisfactorily. If it was anyone’s fault it was the Yam Ling Kee Company’s.

She compressed her lips tightly. No way was she going to take the blame. Without stopping to think she raced after her employer, only to see his car disappearing round the bend.

Undaunted, she fetched her keys and got out her own vehicle. She arrived at the firm only minutes after Vane.

He was talking animatedly, gesticulating freely, his face an angry red, although it was quite clear by the manager’s expression that he had no idea what Vane Oliver was talking about.

When he saw Debra Vane snapped, ‘For Pete’s sake explain to this man what’s wrong. He’s looking at me as though I’m some kind of moron!’

Quickly and precisely Debra outlined the situation. Mr Ho shook his head, puzzled. ‘The dresses were never returned to me. I presumed they were still being held by Vanoli.’

When Debra translated Vane said angrily, ‘I intend getting to the bottom of this. There’s something funny going on here. Ask if I can use his telephone.’

But when he got through to London it was the middle of the night. There was nothing he could do until tomorrow.

They left the factory together. ‘Do I take it,’ questioned Debra, pausing beside her car, ‘that I’m to get a reprieve until this thing’s sorted out?’

He stared at her absentmindedly. ‘What? Oh, yes, it looks as though you weren’t to blame after all.’

When Debra returned Liz was anxiously waiting. ‘What’s going on? Why did you both rush away? Where’s Vane now?’

Debra shook her head, sighing unhappily. ‘There’s trouble. Seems like some dresses have got on to the market with Vanoli’s label in them, only they weren’t Vane’s designs. He’s furious, and I don’t blame him.’

‘He was shouting at you,’ persisted Liz. ‘What have you got to do with it?’

Debra shrugged. ‘He thought it was my fault. A good job I went along or he'd still be arguing now.’ She smiled wanly. ‘He sacked me, did you know?

Just like that, without even waiting to get the true picture. He said he’d forget about my debt so long as I got out of his life.’

The swine!’ said Liz angrily.

‘It’s all right now,’ Debra assured her quickly. ‘He’s found out it had nothing to do with me. Mind you, if I hadn’t been angry enough to follow him we’d both have been out on the streets. How do you fancy a shack on the hillside?’

Liz said, ‘It might have been better than living with
him.
I can’t see why I ever thought I was in love with him—he’s a pig!’

Debra smiled. At least some good had come out of the situation. Liz had got over Vane far quicker than she had thought possible.

She was woken in the early hours by the sound of his voice raised in anger. She went to her door and listened. He was on the telephone and judging by the way he shouted was not getting any satisfaction.

Should she offer him her support? she asked herself. But considering the foul mood he was in she knew very well that he might once again heap the blame on her shoulders.

Back in bed, she strained her ears until the sounds of his voice ceased, and then she fell back into a deep sleep.

By morning Vane had gone. A short note on the breakfast table told her that he had left for London, undoubtedly deciding that the matter could best be resolved in person.

Debra phoned the airport, discovered that the London plane did not leave until ten, and decided to try and catch it herself.

She felt as guilty as if she really had been the one to cause all this trouble, and considered the least she could do was help Vane sort out his problems.

Not stopping to think that he might not want her, she flung a few clothes into her case, and leaving a message with Lin Dai for the still sleeping Liz, went racing out of the villa.

Never before had she driven so fast through the streets of Hong Kong, blaring her horn almost continuously. Once she reached the tunnel she made better time and boarded the plane only minutes before it took off.

Vane was not pleased to see her. ‘What the devil are you doing here?’ he demanded, when she planted herself in the seat next to him.

‘I want to help.’

‘I’ve had all the help I want from you,’ he growled, and ignored her for the rest of the flight.

Sixteen hours is a long time to be ignored. At first Debra told herself she did not care, but as the hours lengthened she began to feel angry, and by the time they reached Gatwick she was furious.

Nevertheless, all through Customs she tagged along behind him, and when he climbed into a taxi she stepped in as well, ready with her answer if he said anything. But he merely glared and then pretended that she was not there.

She had thought he would take her to a hotel, and was amazed and a little afraid when the taxi stopped outside an impressive block of flats.

‘Is this where you live?’ she dared to ask.

He nodded curtly. ‘If you persist in following me around then you can stay here as well.’

For the first time Debra wavered, but she realised that if she didn’t stay she would lose track of him. She lifted her chin in characteristic determination. ‘That’s all right with me.’

His apartment was as luxurious as his villa, modern and antique furniture blending beautifully. The first thing he did was pour himself a tot of whisky.

‘If you want anything to eat or drink, help yourself,’ he said. ‘The kitchen’s through there and you can use this bedroom,’ indicating a door next to the one he had just opened. ‘I’m going to get some sleep.’

Debra made herself a cup of chocolate and then went to bed herself. It was still only shortly after nine, but with no one to talk to what was the use of staying up?

She slept only fitfully, aware of Vane in the next room. She was not afraid, he probably hated her after all that had happened, but even so her own love still grew and it was difficult to erase him from her mind.

To her chagrin Vane had already left when she got up the next morning. She had been so tired in the end that she had overslept, and now she was annoyed with herself for letting him go without her.

She assumed he would go to his fashion house and without even stopping for anything to eat, she hopped on to a bus and was there within a half hour of waking.

But in answer to her queries no one knew where Vane Oliver was. He had been in, she was told, but had gone tearing off again in a great hurry and in a flaming temper.