“You made it clear this morning that you don’t want me. Which makes no difference. I still want you.”

She realized too late that she had nowhere to go. Lucas had backed her up against the bed, the edge of which fitted nicely behind her knees. If he moved only a fraction, she would fall. She shivered as she pictured all too vividly what might come next.

“Just a kiss, Emily,” he whispered. “As thanks for the flowers, or good-night, or whatever reason suits you best—”

At the first touch of his lips on hers, Emily’s legs buckled. She sat abruptly on the bed, and Lucas fell to his knees beside her, hauling her against his chest to kiss her with such force and hunger she yielded to him, powerless to control her response.

“You see what you reduce me to?” he demanded roughly, raising his head a fraction. “Does it give you a kick to see me on my knees?”

CATHERINE GEORGE was born in Wales and early in life developed a passion for reading that eventually fueled her compulsion to write. Marriage to an engineer led to nine years in Brazil, but on his later travels the education of her son and daughter kept her in the U.K. And instead of constant reading to pass her lonely evenings, she began to write the first of her romantic novels. When not writing and reading she loves to cook, listen to opera, browse in antique shops and walk the Labrador.

City Cinderella
Catherine George

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER ONE

THE wind from the Thames came whistling up the cobbled street as he paid off the taxi. Aching in every bone, he hurried into the building and leaned against the wall in the lift, cursing the virus that had finally caught up with him. On the top floor he heaved himself upright when the doors opened, and with a groan of relief at the prospect of warmth let himself into the loft apartment he called home. He shrugged off his overcoat, dumped his briefcase on the pile of mail on the military chest in the hall, and, desperate for hot coffee with a slug of Scotch in it, opened the kitchen door. And stood rooted to the spot.

The kitchen’s stainless steel and granite was immaculate, as expected. But it was occupied. A young woman he’d never seen in his life sat on one of the retro-style stools at his breakfast bar, tapping away at a laptop, her concentration so intense she had no idea he was there.

Before he could demand an explanation his sudden, hacking cough brought the stranger’s head swivelling round, her eyes wide in utter dismay as she slid to her feet to face him.

‘Mr Tennent?’ she said at last, in a surprisingly deep, husky voice for someone only an inch or so over five feet. ‘I do apologise. This is the very first time, I swear.’

Lucas Tennent remained standing in the doorway, staring at her blankly, his thought processes blunted by the dull pounding in his head. ‘The first time for what? Who the devil are you?’

‘I’m your cleaner.’

He blinked. ‘My cleaner?’

She nodded, flushing. ‘Thank you for the cheque you left for me today—unless you’d like it back now.’

‘Why the hell should I want it back?’ he said irritably, grappling with the fact that this was the E Warner who kept his flat in mint condition. Not elderly and aproned, but young, in jeans and skimpy sweatshirt, with soot-black curling hair skewered up in an untidy knot.

‘Mr Tennent,’ she said after a moment, eyeing him closely. ‘You don’t look at all well.’

‘I feel bloody awful,’ he snapped. ‘But keep to the point. Explain about the laptop.’

‘I was using my batteries, not your electricity,’ she said defensively.

‘My sole interest, of course,’ he said with blighting sarcasm. ‘Tell me what you were doing.’

Her jaw set. ‘I’d rather not do that.’

‘Tell me just the same,’ he said relentlessly.

‘Nothing criminal, Mr Tennent,’ she said with hauteur. ‘I’m—doing a correspondence course.’

‘So where do you normally work on it?’

‘In my room. But this week it’s half-term. At the moment peace and quiet are in short supply where I live. So I did some work here today. But only after I finished your cleaning,’ she assured him.

‘Sorry I came home early to spoil your fun—’ he began, the rest of his words engulfed in a sudden spasm of coughing. To his surprise, he was gently taken by the arm and led towards the breakfast bar.

‘Sit there for a moment, Mr Tennent,’ she said with sympathy. ‘Do you have any medication?’

He shook his head, gasping for breath as he subsided on a stool. ‘No. I just need coffee. Make me some and I’ll double your money.’

She gave him a withering look and turned on her heel, presenting a back view rigid with offence while she dealt with the machine guaranteed to turn beans into coffee at top speed. Lucas sat silent, chin on hands, diverted from the thumping in his head by the sight of E Warner tugging her sweatshirt down to cover an inch of bare midriff as she put her laptop to sleep and closed it before pouring the coffee.

‘When I came in I thought I was hallucinating, Ms Warner,’ he remarked eventually, as the scent of his best Blue Mountain filled the air. ‘But a laptop seemed an unlikely accessory for housebreaking.’ He took a relishing gulp of the strong, steaming liquid she set in front of him. ‘Thank you. I think you just saved my life.’

She shook her head, frowning. ‘Not really, Mr Tennent. You should be in bed.’

‘I will be shortly.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Aren’t you having any coffee?’

Her smile activated a dimple near the corner of her mouth. Which was a very enticing feature, he noticed—unpainted, full-lipped, and eminently kissable. The curves outlined by the sweatshirt were equally enticing… And the fever was obviously affecting his brain, he thought in swift disgust, hoping she couldn’t read his mind.

‘It seemed best to wait until invited,’ she said ruefully.

Lucas nodded, then winced when the movement made his headache worse. ‘Do please join me, Ms Warner,’ he said formally. ‘Or are you Mrs?’

‘Miss.’

‘What does the E stand for?’

‘Emily.’ She eyed him, frowning. ‘Mr Tennent, do you mind if I touch your forehead?’

‘Not at all.’ He submitted to a cool hand laid briefly on his brow, and sat back. ‘Diagnosis?’

‘High temperature. You’ve got flu, hopefully.’

‘Hopefully?’

‘I meant rather than anything worse.’ She hesitated, then bent to search in a backpack on the floor and came up with a packet of paracetamol. ‘Will you take these? Two now and two tonight, and drink plenty of fluids.’

He stared at her in surprise. ‘That’s very kind of you, Emily, or do you prefer Ms Warner?’

‘You pay my wages, Mr Tennent. Your choice.’ She looked at her watch, then stowed her laptop in the backpack. ‘I won’t have any coffee, thank you. Time I was off. I’m taking the twins to the cinema.’

His eyebrows rose. ‘Twins?’

‘The children on half-term. Their father’s my landlord, and I’m taking them off his hands for a couple of hours,’ she explained. ‘I did your shopping on the way in, so there’s plenty of orange juice and fruit. Goodbye, Mr Tennent. I’ll be in on Monday as usual.’ She eyed him with concern. ‘Is there someone who can look after you?’

‘I wouldn’t ask my worst enemy to risk this blasted bug. Which you could be doing right now,’ he added suddenly.

Her shake of the head dislodged another hank of hair. ‘I’ve already had flu this winter.’

‘What did you do to get over it?’

‘Went home to my parents to be cosseted.’

‘My mother’s asthmatic, so that’s out of the question.’ He shrugged. ‘And otherwise I prefer to wallow alone in my misery.’

She pulled on her jacket and thrust her arms through the straps of her backpack. ‘There’s no point in calling a doctor if it’s flu, of course. Not unless you develop something else, like bronchitis. But please take the pills—eight a day max—and drink lots of water. A good thing it’s Friday, Mr Tennent. You’ll have the weekend to get over it.’

‘If I live that long,’ he said morosely, and saw her to the door.

‘Mr Tennent,’ she said diffidently as he opened it.

‘Yes?’

‘I’m sorry.’

His bloodshot eyes narrowed to an unsettling gleam. ‘Because I feel like death, or because you were caught in the act?’

Her chin lifted. ‘Both. Please accept the coffee-making for free by way of recompense,’ she added, and stepped into the lift.

Her mind occupied with Lucas Tennent, for once Emily Warner had no eyes for the view of the Thames as she crossed Tower Bridge. Up to now, the man she worked for had just been one of her four employers. He left a cheque every week for her wages, and owned a flat she’d give her eye-teeth to live in. But now she could put a face and body to the name the situation was different. He’d given her the shock of her life by catching her redhanded, of course. But her first startled glimpse of Lucas Tennent was rubber-stamped on her brain, partly because he’d looked so ghastly she’d been afraid he was about to pass out on her.

Oblivious of traffic noise and passers-by, Emily hurried back to Spitalfields, her mind busy with the physical details of the employer she’d never actually met before. There were no photographs of him in his apartment, but because he did something in the banking world she’d visualised brains as well as brawn. In the flesh, Lucas Tennent was well over six feet tall, his windblown hair black as her own, possibly eyes to match, when they weren’t too bloodshot to tell. His intelligence was self-evident, but it came combined with dark, smouldering good looks undiminished by even his current deathly pallor. And his Savile Row suit was no disguise for the musculature she would have expected, since it was part of her job to dust the rowing machine and treadmill up in the gallery. Emily sighed enviously. All that space for just one man. If she lived there she could work on her laptop to her heart’s content under the gallery’s pitched glass roof, which not only boasted sunblinds controlled electronically by temperature, but led on to a roof terrace overlooking the Thames. Perfect. And in total contrast to her solitary room on the second floor of a house owned by one of her brother’s friends.

But it was a pretty room, and she was lucky to have it, she reminded herself as she reached the familiar cobbled street. Built originally for refugee Huguenot silk weavers in the seventeen hundreds, most of the houses in this part of Spitalfields had been painstakingly restored, including the one owned by her landlord. Nat Sedley was an architect with a London firm and a home in the Cotswolds. Originally he had bought the house in Spitalfields as a city base. But he now lived in it permanently, with only his two tenants for company, while his children remained with his estranged wife in the house in the country.

When Emily reached the railings which flanked the front door it flew open to reveal two excited six-year-olds lying in wait in the hall, ready and raring to go.

‘They’ve been dressed for ages,’ said their father, grinning in apology. ‘I warned them you might want tea first but it fell on deaf ears.’

‘I’ll just dump my things and we’re away,’ Emily assured them, rewarded at once by beams from two faces so unalike it was hard to believe that Thomas and Lucy were brother and sister, let alone twins.

‘I’ll have supper waiting when you get back,’ said Nat, as he saw them into a taxi. ‘Now be good, you two, and maybe we can coax Emily to share it with us.’

By the time she’d brought the jubilant twins back to Spitalfields Nat Sedley had the promised supper waiting, and Emily not only enjoyed a family meal, but surrendered to pleas to stay afterwards until the twins were ready for bed.

‘Thanks a lot, Em,’ said Nat gratefully, as she made for the stairs later. ‘You’re a life-saver.’

She chuckled. ‘That’s the second time I’ve heard that today.’

Nat demanded details, amused when he heard she’d been caught red-handed at her laptop. ‘But I’m sorry you were driven out to find quiet to work. I should have put your room out of bounds to the twins from the first. By way of a peace offering, fancy coming down later this evening for a drink?’

She smiled. ‘Thanks, I’d like that very much.’

In the quiet of her room, Emily collapsed into a chair, suddenly weary. The outing with the twins had been great fun, but after a morning spent cleaning two apartments, followed by a couple of hours’ solid slog on her laptop, the confrontation with Lucas Tennent had rather knocked the stuffing out of her. He’d had every right to sack her on the spot, too, which would have done serious damage to her finances. Lucky for her he’d been feeling so rough, otherwise he might not have taken her trespass nearly so well. She’d felt like Goldilocks caught by the bear. Emily chuckled. Wrong hair, wrong fairy tale. There were no fireplaces in Lucas Tennent’s flat, but her role was Cinderella just the same. And she’d done no harm, other than just being there in his kitchen, where she wasn’t supposed to be on a Friday afternoon.

But from now on her activities in Mr Lucas Tennent’s flat would be restricted to the cleaning duties he paid her for. Emily frowned, wondering how he was feeling. He’d looked so ill she’d been a bit reluctant to leave him to fend for himself. Which was nonsense. If she hadn’t stayed on for an extra hour or two she wouldn’t have met him, nor known about his flu.

Emily took a reviving shower, dried her hair and treated her hands and face to some extra care, grateful to Nat for asking her down for a drink. Much as she despised herself for it, Friday evenings were still hard to get used to on her own. And to add to her pleasure, when she arrived in Nat’s small, panelled drawing-room her fellow tenant, Mark Cooper, gave her a hug and shepherded her to the sofa to join his girlfriend, Bryony Talbot.

‘Hi, Emily.’ Bryony patted the place beside her. ‘Come and sit down. Are you exhausted? Nat said you’ve been entertaining the twins.’

‘And enjoying it. Evening all. How are you feeling now, Mark?’ asked Emily. ‘Recovered from your cold?’

He nodded, smiling smugly. ‘Bryony kissed me better.’

Nat shook his head as he handed Emily a glass of wine. ‘His own private nurse, lucky beggar.’

‘But my medical skills don’t come cheap,’ said Bryony promptly. ‘He’s buying me a very expensive dinner tomorrow night.’

Emily chuckled. ‘Demand Claridges, at the very least.’

Mark winked at her. ‘Flash your dimple at me like that, Emily, and I’ll bring you back a doggy bag.’

‘Gee, thanks!’

‘Lots of strange bugs about where I earn my crust, though,’ he commented, squeezing between his beloved and Emily on the sofa. ‘Move up, you two.’

‘Can’t you sit on a chair?’ complained Bryony affectionately.

‘Much more fun like this, darling.’

Emily felt a stab of concern at Mark’s mention of bugs. But Lucas Tennent was big enough and old enough to look after himself. And he could call on professional medical help if he became really ill; a thought which allowed her to relax in the stimulating company of people she liked very much. Mark rented the floor below hers in Nat’s house, and along with Bryony had been a good friend when Emily, in urgent need of somewhere in London to live, had taken Nat up on his offer of a room. With two homes to keep up, her landlord insisted he could do with all the extra money he could get. Emily had scoffed at his idea of rent, which was ridiculously low for London. But Nat was a close friend of her brother, Andrew, and remained adamant. In the end she had pocketed the pride she couldn’t afford, grateful for his help and generosity.

After a place to live, a new job had been the next priority on the agenda. When Emily moved into the room in Nat’s house he had been trying for some time to find a suitable replacement for his cleaner, who wanted to retire. Because the elegant house was very old, and correspondingly fragile, he needed someone who would treat it with the care and respect it deserved. But when Emily proposed herself as substitute, at the same rate of pay, Nat thought she was joking at first. At last, when he realised she was in deadly earnest, he agreed with enthusiasm, and the moment Mark heard about it he begged Emily to take on his rooms as well. When it became obvious that Emily actually enjoyed cleaning, Nat asked permission to recommend her to one of his married female colleagues who’d just acquired a new flat in Bermondsey. The added job proved such a happy arrangement that Liz Donaldson soon suggested Emily kill two birds with one stone and also take on a friend’s loft apartment in the converted warehouse across the street. And so what had been intended as a stop-gap before finding another secretarial job suddenly snowballed into a whole new career.

Emily’s parents disapproved strongly, and friends thought she was raving mad. But in secret she was working to plan. The new job left her mind and imagination free to function separately from her busy, careful hands, and at the same time paid enough to provide financial backing while she tried her hand at writing a novel. Taken on the hop, she’d had to fib to Lucas Tennent, because not even her nearest and dearest had any idea what she was really up to in her spare time.

The plot of her novel was already mapped out, with some of the main characters automatically cast: villain and wicked witch no problem at all. But she’d had difficulty in conjuring up a charismatic central male. Nat was outrageously handsome, and Mark boyish-faced and charming. But, despite covert observation of both men as a possible role model, her hero had stubbornly refused to come to life. Then Lucas Tennent had caught her in flagrante with her laptop today, and wham, her main character had materialised right before her startled, guilty eyes.

After a couple of hours, much as she was enjoying herself in such convivial company, Emily resisted pleas to stay longer and went up early to her room. She sat down at her desk, booted up the laptop, and set to work on her novel. By the time she went to bed she felt tired, but very pleased with herself. Adding Lucas Tennent’s physical assets to the previously bare bones of her central male character had provided her with exactly the charismatic hero she needed for her plot.

The moment Emily was dressed next morning the twins came knocking on her door. ‘Hi, you two,’ she said affectionately.

‘Dad said we mustn’t bother you if you’re busy,’ said Thomas in one breath, then smiled cajolingly. ‘But please come down for coffee. We’ve got to go after lunch.’

‘We’ll miss you,’ said Lucy, giving Emily a hug.

‘But you’ll be seeing Mummy today, sweetheart, so you won’t need me. I bet she’s missed you a lot,’ said Emily, deliberately cheerful. ‘Give her my love.’

Lucy’s big blue eyes filled with tears. ‘Emily, will you ask Mummy to be friends with Daddy again?’

‘You can’t ask Emily to do that!’ said her twin gruffly.

Emily went downstairs with the children, wishing she could do something to help. But the Sedleys’ private affairs were none of her business. She’d known them both a long time, it was true, but had no idea what sin Nat had committed that Thea found impossible to forgive. Nor did she want to know. Sorting out her own personal life was more than enough.

Emily enjoyed a lively half-hour with the twins, but when they were settled in front of Saturday morning television Nat beckoned her into his kitchen and shut the door.

‘Why has Lucy been crying?’

Emily looked at him squarely. ‘She wanted me to ask Thea to be friends with you again, and Tom told her that wasn’t on.’

His handsome face went blank. ‘Are you going to do that?’

‘Do you want me to?’

Nat was silent for a moment, then gave her a smile just like his son’s. ‘If I thought it would do any good, yes. But it won’t.’ He shivered a little. ‘Forget it, love. Don’t get involved.’

Emily eyed him with suspicion. ‘Are you all right, Nat? Not coming down with something, too, are you?’

‘Too?’

‘Like Mark,’ she said hastily.

He shook his head. ‘I’m just dandy, other than taking my children back to the love of my life, who won’t let me over the doorstep.’ He forced a smile. ‘You’ve had enough upset in your life lately without worrying about me, Emily. Enjoy your weekend.’

But before getting ready to go out Emily gave in to her prodding conscience and rang Lucas Tennent, who growled a response so hoarse it was obvious he was worse than the day before.

‘Good morning,’ she said briskly, ‘this is Emily Warner.’

‘Who?’

She bristled. ‘Your cleaner, Mr Tennent. I wondered how you were feeling today.’

‘Oh, right.’ There was a pause. ‘Actually, I feel bloody awful.’

‘Have you eaten anything?’

A spasm of coughing blasted her ear before he spoke again. ‘No,’ he rasped. ‘Not hungry.’

‘Is your temperature still high?’

‘Probably.’ He gulped audibly. ‘Oh, hell—’

Emily seethed for a moment after he disconnected, then told herself it was idiotic to feel offended. Even more so to worry about a perfect stranger. Especially one who couldn’t remember who she was.

Mindful of Ginny, who always looked effortlessly right, Emily took time over her appearance, then went downstairs for a last hug from the twins before she set off for Knightsbridge to meet her friend.

‘I say, darling, you look rather gorgeous today,’ exclaimed Ginny Hart, when Emily joined her in the Harvey Nichols coffee shop.

‘I like the “today” bit,’ chuckled Emily, shedding the amber wool coat bought in the days when she still had a high-salary job. ‘I try my best every day.’

‘A bargain, that coat—matches your eyes,’ commented Ginny, and eyed the clinging black knit dress with approval. ‘Don’t tell me you wear that kind of thing to scrub floors!’

‘I don’t scrub floors. My clients provide labour-saving devices. Like mops.’

Ginny sniffed. ‘The tyrant who cleans for us demands extraordinary things. A new three-inch paintbrush to dust the skirtings, would you believe?’

Saturday morning coffee had been a treat enjoyed together in the days of flat-sharing, and a ritual kept to whenever possible since, despite marriage for Ginny and a relationship of a less binding nature for Emily.

‘So what’s new?’ asked Ginny, after their order arrived.

‘I met the man I clean for at last,’ said Emily, raising her voice slightly.

‘The mystery man on the top floor?’ said Ginny, and bent her blonde head nearer. ‘What’s he like? Tall, dark and gorgeous?’

‘Yes,’ said Emily, giggling when Ginny’s jaw dropped.

‘Really? Not sinister after all, then. Frankly, I always thought it a bit iffy that he took you on without an interview.’

‘You know perfectly well he took me on trust because Liz Donaldson gave me such a glowing reference.’

‘As well she might,’ Ginny frowned. ‘But you’re not going to do this kind of thing forever, surely?’

‘Of course not. But for the time being I’m enjoying it. I work at my own speed in very pleasant surroundings. Especially Lucas Tennent’s loft.’ Emily looked her friend in the eye. ‘Right now the work is good therapy for me.’

Ginny sniffed. ‘And at least you’re being paid to do it, unlike—’ She held up a hand. ‘All right, I’ll shut up. Tell me about this sexy banker, then, now you’ve finally met up with him.’

Emily described the meeting in graphic detail, winning peals of laughter from her friend. ‘Actually, he was very nice about it, Ginny. I can’t help thinking about him, to be honest.’

‘Because he’s gorgeous?’

‘No—because the poor man’s ill with no one to look after him.’

Ginny ordered more coffee, then turned to Emily with a militant light in her eye. ‘You say this man’s no turnoff in the looks department, probably earns pots of money, and lives in a loft apartment overlooking the Thames. Come on, Em! There must be hordes of females panting to mop his fevered brow.’

‘Bound to be. But apparently he’d rather wallow in misery alone.’ Emily stirred her fresh coffee, frowning. ‘Which he’ll have to all weekend. I’m not due at his place again until Monday morning.’

‘Good. See you keep it that way.’ Ginny reached to touch Emily’s hand. ‘You’re just beginning to get your life back together, so for pity’s sake stop worrying about a man you hardly know.’

To change the subject Emily suggested some leisurely window shopping rather than spending another afternoon in the cinema, and as usual the time flew in company with Ginny, with no opportunity for introspection. But later, during the journey on the Tube and the walk to Nat’s house, no matter how hard she tried to block him out, Emily couldn’t help worrying about Lucas Tennent.

The feeling persisted during the evening. Emily worked for a while on her laptop, but because she’d based her main male character on Lucas Tennent the procedure was a washout as a way to stop thinking about him. At one point she even picked up the phone to ring him. But in the end she put it back without dialling and settled down to work instead. And eventually achieved such fierce concentration it was long after midnight before she closed the laptop and fell into bed.

Emily woke with a start next morning, hoping Lucas Tennent hadn’t developed pneumonia in the night just because she hadn’t troubled to check. And when he answered the phone she felt totally justified, because he sounded even worse than the time before. Before she could even ask how he was, he gasped something incoherent and rang off.

A couple of hours later, feeling like Red Riding Hood off to visit the wolf, Emily turned down the cobbled street towards Lucas Tennent’s building, bag of shopping in hand. Cursing the nagging conscience which had driven her there, she rang his bell first then unlocked the door.

‘It’s Emily Warner, Mr Tennent,’ she called. ‘Your cleaner. May I come in?’

There was silence for so long Emily was sure he must be lying unconscious somewhere. But eventually Lucas Tennent materialised in the doorway to his bedroom. He’d looked ill enough at their first encounter, but now he looked ghastly, his ashen pallor accentuated by streaks of unhealthy colour along his cheekbones. His bloodshot eyes were underscored by marks like bruises, his jaw black with stubble, and his tousled hair lank with sweat.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ he grated through chattering teeth, and wrapped his dressing-gown closer.

Emily flushed. ‘You sounded so ill I was worried. I thought you might need—’

‘For God’s sake go away. I don’t need anything—’ He gave a frantic gulp and raced off, kicking the bedroom door shut behind him.

Emily glared at it, incensed. So much for her Good Samaritan act. Seething, she slapped the newspaper down on the chest, added a carton of fresh milk, and was halfway through the door with the rest of her unwanted shopping when a hoarse, repentant voice halted her.

‘Miss Warner—Emily. I was bloody rude. My apologies.’

She turned to look at him. ‘Accepted,’ she said coldly. ‘Goodbye.’

‘Don’t go for a minute. Please.’ He leaned in the bedroom doorway, shivering. ‘Though Lord knows you should run like hell, in case you catch this hellish bug. Sorry I snapped.’ His mouth twisted in distaste. ‘I took off because I had to throw up again.’

Emily thawed slightly and closed the door. ‘In that case please get back into bed.’

‘Not a very tempting prospect right now.’

‘Did you perspire much overnight?’

His mouth twisted in distaste. ‘Could we talk about something else?’

She hesitated, then took the plunge. ‘Look, Mr Tennent, why don’t you have a hot shower while I change your bed?’

He looked appalled. ‘I can’t possibly let you do that!’

‘Why not? I would have done it tomorrow, anyway. It’s one of the things you pay me for.’ She smiled encouragingly. ‘You’ll feel much better afterwards—but don’t get your hair wet.’

He eyed her in brooding indecision for a moment, then shrugged, went into his bedroom, took a T-shirt and boxers from a drawer, and shut himself in his bathroom. Emily stripped the crumpled linen from the bed, replaced it with fresh, fetched more pillows from the spare room, and did some quick tidying up. When Lucas emerged his face was still haggard, but it was free of stubble and he’d run a comb through his hair.

When Emily turned back the quilt invitingly Lucas shed his dressing gown and slid into bed to lean back against the stacked pillows with a heartfelt sigh of relief.

‘Thank you so much,’ he said formally.

She smiled in acknowledgement. ‘I’ll dispose of this lot, then I’ll make you something to eat.’

‘Please—no food!’ he said with a shudder, eyes closed.

‘Just some toast,’ she coaxed, in the tone she used with the twins. ‘How many pills have you taken today?’

He opened a morose eye. ‘None. With my present problem it seemed a bit pointless.’

‘If you eat something you’ll be able to keep them down.’

‘I doubt it,’ he said despondently.

In the kitchen Emily made tea, toasted a slice of bread she’d brought, scraped a minimum of butter on it, cut it in triangles, then put plate and beaker on a tray and took it into the master bedroom.

‘If you make friends with the toast I could scramble some eggs,’ she offered.

‘I’m not up to that,’ he said with a shudder. He bit into the toast and chewed slowly, then took a second piece and ate it more quickly.

‘Steady,’ warned Emily. ‘Not too fast.’

‘It’s my first sustenance for days!’ But he ate the rest with more care. ‘Toast never tasted so good,’ he informed her, then inspected the steaming contents of the mug with suspicion. ‘What’s this?’

‘Weak tea—kinder to your digestion than coffee,’ she said firmly, and took two paracetamol tablets from the packet on his bedside table. ‘Take these with it, and I’ll make you some coffee later.’

Lucas swallowed the tablets obediently, then sipped the tea, frowning at her over the mug. ‘You know, Miss Warner, this is extraordinarily good of you, but why are you here? You must have better things to do with your time on a Sunday?’

She shrugged. ‘I had my very first dose of flu fairly recently, so I can appreciate how ghastly you feel. But I had my mother to look after me. I couldn’t help feeling worried about you here on your own.’

He shook his head in wonder. ‘You’re pretty amazing to worry about a complete stranger. But now you are here, there is something you can do for me.’

‘Certainly. What is it?’

‘Indulge my curiosity. What made someone like you take to cleaning as a career?’

‘Someone like me?’ she said, raising an eyebrow.

‘I’m damned sure you haven’t always been a cleaner, so why do you do it?’

‘I enjoy it,’ she said simply.

‘Fair enough.’ He put the empty cup down and slid further under the covers. ‘But what did you do before that?’

‘Office work.’ She got up. ‘Right. I’ll take those things. Try to sleep if you can. I’ll stay for a while to see how you get on, then I must get back.’

‘No laptop today?’

‘Certainly not. Friday was a one-off, Mr Tennent.’ She picked up the tray. ‘Try to sleep.’

‘Thanks, I will,’ he murmured drowsily. ‘What can I do for you in return?’

‘Get better, please.’

Back in the kitchen Emily emptied the carton of soup she’d bought into a mug and put it in the microwave. She left the loaf in a prominent place on a board, placed the breadknife beside it and a dish of butter close at hand, then made herself some tea and sat on one of the smart stools at the bar, yawning. The late night was catching up on her. From now on, definitely no more writing after midnight.

She wrote instructions on the memo pad about the food she’d left ready, and after a moment’s hesitation added her new, unlisted phone number. She tiptoed in with her note to find that Lucas Tennent, obviously feeling the effect of his disturbed nights, was out for the count. But he looked a lot better than the wild-eyed apparition of earlier on.

The house in Spitalfields was ablaze with lights in Nat’s ground-floor section when Emily got back. Not brave enough to ask how things had gone with the trip to Chastlecombe, she let herself in and toiled up the two flights of steep stairs to her room, then put on speed when she heard her phone ringing. She unlocked her door and made a dash across the room, worried it was Lucas feeling worse. Then she stopped dead, every hackle erect, when a different, all too familiar voice began leaving a message.

‘Pick up, Emily. I know you’re there. We need to talk. Pick up.’ There was a pause, then a soft chuckle. ‘Don’t be childish. Ring me.’

CHAPTER TWO

EMILY glared at the machine. The mere sound of Miles Denny’s voice still tied her stomach in knots. But with cold animosity now. Once upon a time she’d been attracted to the sexy drawl he cultivated. Just as, according to Miles, her own husky voice had been an instant turn-on for him. But that had been in the beginning when he’d been moving heaven and earth to get her to live with him. Emily clenched her fists. With hindsight she found it hard to believe she could have been such a fool.

She had been working in a firm of commercial property consultants when Miles joined the company, and almost from the day they met he’d pursued her relentlessly. Firmly against inter-office relationships, Emily had held him off at first. But his persistence had been flattering, she’d been lonely without Ginny, and eventually, after wearing her down with months of persuasion, he’d won. But, once they were actually sharing a home, Miles’ contribution to the running of it was minimal. In the evenings, while Emily cooked their meal and dealt with housework and laundry, he spent his time on the sofa, recharging his batteries in front of the television. Her only break had been on Friday nights, when Miles took her out for a meal.

How could she have been so stupid? she thought in disgust. Living together had soon shown her how little they had in common, and when Miles had taken to spending regular time with male friends after work Emily had thoroughly enjoyed the evenings with no dinner to cook and the television firmly turned off. Early to bed with a book had meant she was always asleep, or pretending to be, by the time Miles came home.

When it had become obvious that a good night’s sleep was infinitely preferable to the lovemaking she’d found so disappointing with Miles, Emily had known it was time to move on. Deciding to tell him straight away, she’d waited up until he got home from one of his men-only evenings. And discovered why Miles had always been so meticulous about showering before sharing their bed. He’d reeked of musky, alien perfume and other scents Emily had identified with furious distaste.

The phone rang, bringing her back to the present with a bump. She tensed, eyeing the phone belligerently, but this time the message was from Lucas Tennent.

Emily seized the receiver. ‘I’m here,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Is something wrong? How do you feel?’

‘Not marvellous, but thanks to you, Miss Warner, there’s an outside chance I’ll live. Now I can string two words together without barking like a hound, I’m ringing to thank you.’

‘Only too happy to help,’ she assured him, eyebrows raised at the change in his attitude.

‘I heated the soup, as per your instructions,’ he went on. ‘And even cut some bread, but I was too damn feeble to wrestle with the coffee machine so I made some tea. I didn’t know I had any tea—’

‘I bought it for you.’

‘Then I owe you, Miss Warner.’

‘You can pay me tomorrow, Mr Tennent. Is there anything else you need?’

‘Just a morning paper as you come in, if you would. How do you get here?’

‘I walk.’

‘Where do you live?’

‘Spitalfields. Would you like me to make lunch for you?’

‘Don’t bother about that. Just the sound of a human voice will do. Wallowing alone with my bug soon lost its appeal.’

Emily frowned. ‘The Donaldsons are away, of course, but surely you have other friends who could call round?’

‘The two most likely succumbed to the bug before I did—’ He broke off to cough, and Emily waited until he was quiet before asking if there was anything else he needed.

‘I can get it on my way in, Mr Tennent.’

‘Call me Lucas.’

‘Not suitable,’ she said firmly.

‘Why the hell not?’

‘For obvious reasons.’

‘If you mean because you work for me, that’s rubbish,’ he said with scorn. ‘According to the great and good we live in a classless society these days.’

‘It’s nothing to do with class,’ she said indignantly.

‘You said choice of name was up to me,’ he reminded her.

‘I meant my name—’ She stopped, wondering why she was making a fuss. ‘Oh, all right, whatever you say.’

‘Bravo. Now I can go happy to bed.’

‘You should be in bed right now.’

‘I was speaking figuratively. Apart from staggering out to the kitchen to make my supper, I haven’t left my bed all day.’ He coughed again. ‘I trust you feel suitably sympathetic?’

‘Of course I do. I was a fellow sufferer not so long ago, remember. Goodnight. I hope you sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Emily had barely put the phone down when it rang again.

‘At last, darling,’ said Claire Warner. ‘I’ve been trying to get you for the past ten minutes.’

‘Hi, Mother. What’s wrong?’

‘Miles rang here half an hour ago, demanding your address.’

‘No!’ Emily groaned. ‘You didn’t tell him?’

‘Of course not,’ said her mother scornfully. ‘I didn’t even speak to him. Your father answered the phone and wiped the floor with him; told him to leave you alone.’

‘Way to go, Dad,’ crowed Emily, then sobered. ‘Actually, Miles left a message here just now, too. He’s got hold of my new number somehow.’

‘Oh, Emily. Have you given it to someone he knows?’

‘Only Ginny. But she wouldn’t tell him.’

‘I’m sure she wouldn’t. How is she?’

‘Fine. We had our usual little jolly together yesterday. Though she spent most of it lecturing me.’ Emily explained about Lucas Tennent’s flu.

Because Claire Warner failed to see why her daughter had to do the man’s cleaning in the first place, let alone look after him now he was ill, she expressed wholehearted agreement with Ginny. ‘For heaven’s sake, child. It’s not all that long since you were down with flu yourself. Amongst other things.’

‘Temper, mainly.’

‘You’re certainly well shot of Miles Denny. I hope Nat hasn’t put your name on his door!’

‘Of course he hasn’t. Nat lets me know if my presence is required when he’s around, and Ginny rings me as she’s coming down the street and I go down and let her in.’

‘Terribly cloak and dagger—like living in a safe house.’

‘Nat’s house is safe.’

‘You know what I mean!’

‘You read too many crime novels, Mother. I just needed a place in London to get myself together for a bit. And Nat has provided it. I’m very grateful to him.’

‘Darling,’ said her mother, after a pause. ‘Nat’s a charming man, but—’

‘Oh, Mother! Nat is Andrew’s friend, not mine at all, really. And he’s married to Thea and father to the twins. What on earth do you take me for?’

‘At the moment, a very vulnerable girl,’ said Claire Warner bluntly.

‘I’ve learned my lesson, believe me.’

‘No more men, you mean?’

‘Certainly not. I’m off Miles, Mother dear, not men in general.’

But afterwards Emily felt deeply uneasy. If Miles had her phone number maybe he could track down her address, too—even have it already. Though if he was brass-faced enough to turn up in person he’d have to get past Nat, and possibly Mark as well, to get hold of her.

Emily had just got down to work on her book when the phone rang for a third time. She groaned in frustration, but at the sound of Ginny’s familiar tones she cut through the message to answer.

‘Hold it, I’m here.’

‘Emily, thank heavens. You’ve been engaged forever. You’ll never guess who came round here this evening!’

Emily sighed. ‘I bet I can—Miles.’

‘Yes. How did you work that out?’

‘He rang my parents earlier, but my father gave him a very un-Christian ticking off, according to Mother.’

‘Brilliant! That must have been before he came here, then. I was in the shower when he turned up, so Charlie left him cooling his heels in the hall until I deigned to appear.’

‘Well done. What did he want?’

‘Your phone number and address, of course.’

‘You didn’t—’

‘Of course not. Even though he kept hammering away that it was a matter of life and death that he got in touch with you.’

Emily snorted. ‘Not a hope.’

‘My words exactly. He didn’t like it one bit,’ Ginny informed her with satisfaction. ‘Took umbrage, big-time.’

‘What happened then?’

‘Charlie showed him the door.’

Emily giggled. Ginny’s large husband was by nature imperturbable, unless someone was foolish enough to upset his wife. ‘I don’t suppose he physically threw Miles out?’ she asked hopefully.

Ginny laughed. ‘Next best thing. I doubt Miles will pay us a repeat visit. Let’s hope he doesn’t try to visit you, either. Has he ever met Nat?’

‘No. Hopefully he never will, either.’

The idea of Miles tracking her down kept Emily awake for a while, but in the end she slept well enough, and woke with a feeling of anticipation she eventually identified—with alarm—as pleasure at seeing Lucas Tennent again. None of that, she warned herself, and went off to take a shower.

When Emily went downstairs later Nat was in the hall, about to leave for the day. He looked tired and pale, but not, she saw with relief, as depressed as he usually did after parting with the twins.

‘How did it go?’ she asked warily. ‘I didn’t like to barge in on you yesterday to ask.’

‘The twins flew at Thea, and before she could say a word demanded that I stay for tea.’ He smiled crookedly. ‘To my amazement, their wish was granted. And the occasion went off surprisingly well, mainly because the twins dominated the entire occasion over the tea and cakes.’ He shrugged. ‘Who knows? Next time maybe Thea will ask me to supper.’

‘Oh, Nat, I do hope so. By the way,’ she added, ‘my ex left a message on my phone last night.’

Nat’s eyes narrowed. ‘How the hell did he get hold of the number?’

‘No idea. I just hope he doesn’t ferret out the address, too.’

‘Don’t worry, Em. I’ll deal with him if he does. Give me a photograph.’

‘No can do. I burned them all.’

‘Description, then.’

‘About your height, but heavier, dark eyes and hair, toothpaste ad smile, and so full of himself you’ll recognise him on sight.’

Nat grinned. ‘You’re still angry with him, then.’

‘Livid!’ She looked at her watch. ‘Must go.’

‘You look rather special this morning,’ he said, giving her the once-over.

‘Things to do after my morning cleaning session,’ she fibbed. ‘But I’ll see to your place this afternoon.’

‘Right, I must be off, too.’ Nat gave her an evil grin. ‘And don’t worry, if Mr Denny comes knocking I’ll throw him out, neck and crop.’

Emily set off for her normal working day with anticipation she firmly dismissed as utter nonsense. Lucas Tennent was feeling rough and needed company; she was merely the person willing to brave his germs. And to brighten him up she was wearing a newish yellow sweater with her jeans, and a touch of make-up. No big deal.

By the time the lift doors opened on the top floor of Lucas Tennent’s building Emily had herself well in hand. She was the cleaner. Lucas Tennent paid her wages. For the moment he was feeling so rotten he needed a helping hand. So she would be brisk and efficient, hand over the paper, complete her usual cleaning routine, make lunch for him, then go straight home again.

Emily pressed the buzzer, unlocked the door and called her name. And this time Lucas appeared at once, haggard, the bloodshot eyes dark-ringed, but with a smile of greeting so different from the hostility of the day before it did serious damage to her resolutions.

‘Good morning, Emily Warner. Good of you to come.’

‘I’m always here on Mondays.’ She handed him the paper.

‘Thank you just the same. But be of good cheer,’ he said, leaning in the doorway. ‘No need to change sheets and force pills down my throat. I’ve performed both duties myself, already.’

‘Well done.’ She took off her jacket and put it on the chest. ‘How do you feel?’

‘Not wonderful. But better than yesterday.’

Which was obvious from the interest he was taking in her appearance.

‘Back to bed now,’ she said briskly. ‘Read the paper while I tidy up.’

‘Forget that. I need conversation. Come and talk to me for a while—’ Lucas broke off to cough, and Emily gestured towards his bedroom.

‘Please go back to bed.’ She went ahead of him to stack the pillows and turn down the newly changed covers. ‘You should have waited for me to do this,’ she said severely. ‘Because you don’t feel so marvellous now, do you?’

‘No,’ he admitted, and slid into bed with a groan of relief.

‘Have you had anything to eat today?’

‘I drank some milk.’

‘Better than nothing, I suppose,’ said Emily, and smiled her approval.

‘Cute dimple,’ he commented.

‘What would you like to eat?’ she asked, ignoring him. ‘Eggs in some form would be best. Something light to start you off.’

‘At the moment I feel too feeble to lift a fork. Later, maybe. When I’ve got over my exertions.’ He eyed her irritably. ‘For the moment just sit down and talk to me, woman.’

Objecting hotly to this form of address, Emily stood her ground for a moment, then sat down on the chair beside the bed. ‘Oh, very well. What shall I talk about?’

‘You.’

She grimaced. ‘Boring subject.’

‘I disagree.’ He slid further down in the bed. ‘Tell me what you did before the domestic engineering.’

‘I worked in a commercial retail agency—I told you it was boring.’

‘Emily, that sexy voice of yours could recite the phone book without boring me.’ He threw up a hand at her scowl. ‘Sorry, sorry. Go on. Tell me why you switched careers.’

She shrugged. ‘I lived for a while with a man who worked in the same agency. When we broke up I moved out and packed in my job.’

Lucas lay watching her, his shadowed eyes alert with interest. ‘Non-amicable parting, obviously. When was this?’

‘Fairly recently. Now, how about that breakfast?’

His mouth twisted. ‘I’m a bit wary of eating. It’s bloody mortifying to keep dashing away to throw up.’

She nodded sympathetically. ‘My mother got a leaflet about flu when I was ill. It said one must try to eat if possible. So will you try?’

‘On one condition—that you keep me company while I do.’

‘If you insist.’

‘Not at all. I’m asking you nicely!’

Emily laughed and went off to the kitchen. When she returned to the bedroom with a laden tray she found Lucas waiting with barely concealed impatience, the daily paper unopened beside him. ‘Sorry I was so long,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I’m used to cleaning your kitchen, but not cooking in it.’

‘Which you shouldn’t be doing at all,’ he said irritably.

‘Of course I should.’ She laid a clean towel across his chest. ‘Better use this now you’ve made the effort to change your bed.’ She handed him a fork and a plate of scrambled eggs on toast, then feeling a little awkward sat down again. ‘Salt, pepper?’ she asked. ‘I seasoned the eggs a bit, but you might want more.’

‘They’re perfect,’ he said, tasting them. ‘Now, entertain me while I eat. I can tell you’re not a Londoner. Where do you come from?’

‘Chastlecombe, in Gloucestershire.’

‘Snap—same county,’ he informed her with a grin. ‘We’re both country bumpkins, then.’

Anything less like a country bumpkin than Lucas Tennent was hard to imagine. Even lying in bed, haggard and feverish. ‘Speak for yourself,’ she said pertly, then bit her lip.

‘What now?’ he demanded.

‘I keep forgetting.’

‘Forgetting what?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Oh, right. Me boss, you slave.’

Emily glared at him. ‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that!’

‘I should bloody well hope not,’ he said forcibly, and eyed his empty plate in surprise. ‘That was good. Thank you.’

Emily took his plate to the kitchen, then returned shortly afterwards with two mugs of coffee. She handed one to Lucas, then resumed her place in the chair. ‘You look a little better now,’ she said with approval.

‘I feel it.’ He drank with relish, then settled back against his pillows. ‘So tell me more, Emily. What course are you doing?’

She winced. ‘I lied about that.’

‘Did you now?’ he said, eyeing her flushed face with amusement. ‘So what exactly are you doing on that laptop of yours? Hacking into state secrets?’

‘Nothing so exciting. I’m trying my hand at a novel. I make a sort of rough draft of the next bit in my head while I’m cleaning, then get it down on my laptop later. But if I hadn’t been stupid enough to lie to you when you caught me,’ she added bluntly, ‘I wouldn’t be telling you this. No one else knows, not even my family.’

‘My lips are sealed,’ he assured her, hand on heart. ‘But why the secrecy?’

Her chin jutted. ‘I experienced a pretty humiliating form of rejection recently. If—or more likely when—the manuscript’s rejected, too, I’d rather no one knew about it.’

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