A Perfect Obsession by Caro Fraser Read Free Book Online Page B

had picked up again since the divorce. But who on earth would be so blatant as to send him a huge basket of flowers on St Valentine’s Day? Very uncool.
    ‘Don’t you have any idea who sent them?’
    ‘Not really. It would take a bit of pondering and deduction, and I’m afraid I haven’t really got time for that.’ They reached the top of Middle Temple Lane and crossed the Strand to the Law Courts. ‘Now,’ said Leo, ‘forget about my secret admirer and turn your mind to the Hague-Visby rules and the question of whether or not they’re incorporated in our client’s charter party by virtue of a clause paramount.’

    In her office high over Bishopsgate, Leo’s ex-wife, Rachel, sat drinking her first coffee of the morning. She was in her late twenties, slender, with long, dark hair, and dressed in the cool, business-like fashion of a City solicitor. Her appearance was as meticulous as her professional dealings, giving the impression that little could ruffle that composed exterior. This morning, however, she felt distinctly discomposed. On her desk sat the latest bundle of statements in the Lloyd’s case. The documentation was unbelievable. Two years ago Fred Fenton, a fellow partner, had handled the first stage of this litigation, and he had hoped then that he had seen the last of the Lloyd’s Names. That case, in which Leo had figured prominently, had resulted in a settlement for the Names, who felt aggrieved by the losses they had suffered through their membership of Lloyd’s. But in the end there remained certain individuals, a somewhat eccentric and desperate band, who refused to accept the settlement and were now pressing ahead with a fraud claim against Lloyd’s. Rachel and Fred had spent the last six months in the preparation of this last-ditch stand.Now the paperwork had reached a point where Rachel and Fred, together with their team of assistants, felt they could hardly cope.
    Fred came into Rachel’s office and eyed the stack of statements on Rachel’s desk. ‘Have you spent the weekend with that lot?’
    She nodded and sipped her coffee. ‘I got through as much as I could. Charles is in Los Angeles at the moment, and Oliver was a real handful at the weekend. I’ll have to try to get some more done tonight. It’s got to the point where I’m skimming them. I don’t know how on earth Grimley is coping.’ Conor Grimley, QC, a veteran of the commercial bar, was their leader in the Lloyd’s case.
    ‘That’s what I came to see you about’ Fred, fair-haired and lanky, settled himself in one of Rachel’s office chairs. ‘The grant’s finally come through from the Legal Aid Board. So all we have to do now is decide on a leader on behalf of the legally aided Names.’
    ‘It’s taken them long enough. Did you have anyone special in mind?’
    ‘Well, a few people occurred to me. Edward Fellows, Bob Coulthard, Tim Young … The thing is, we need someone who’s really sharp when it comes to cross-examination. It’s vital to this case.’ Fred glanced hesitantly at Rachel and added, ‘I thought Leo Davies would be the ideal man, if he’s free.’
    Rachel said nothing for a moment. She set her coffee cup on her desk. It was only a few months since her divorce from Leo had become final. It had been one of the most painful episodes of her life. She was lucky – she had madea new relationship with Charles, something stable and affectionate, and she and Leo had parted on good terms and reached a decent arrangement concerning Oliver. But the fact remained that Leo was the first man she had ever truly loved, and that wasn’t something Rachel thought she would ever get over. There had been a brief time last autumn when, if someone had asked her to choose between Charles and Leo, she would have chosen to return to Leo. But it wasn’t what he wanted, and she knew that such a move would have been fatally destructive. Fatal. That was the word you could apply to Leo.
    Still, that was personal, and this