Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford Read Free Book Online

She was dressed entirely in red: T-shirt, tights and cowboy boots.
    ‘Hi!’ she exclaimed, craning her neck, staring up at M. ‘You’re the appointment, right? The friend of Geo’s?’
    ‘Yes, I am.’
    Opening the door wider, the girl said, ‘Come on in then, don’t stand there. What’s your name again? I’ve forgotten it.’
    M laughed. ‘It’s very simple…I’m called M, as in a capital M.’
    ‘I see. What’s it stand for? The M, I mean.’
    ‘Marie.’
    ‘So why don’t you call yourself Marie?’
    ‘I prefer to be called M.’
    ‘I guess a lot of girls are calling themselves by an initial these days. So it must be the “in” thing. My brother saw it on YouTube, or some such thing. Maybe it was on Facebook. Or MySpace.’
    ‘Actually, it’s not something that’s particularly new. The Duchess of Devonshire, who lived long ago, was called G. That was G for Georgiana, by the way.’
    ‘Who?’ The girl stared at her, a look of puzzlement flashing across her delicately boned face.
    ‘Never mind, it’s not important. And may I know your name?’
    ‘Caresse.’
    ‘It’s pretty, very unusual. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that name before.’
    ‘I hope not, because I invented it. I didn’t like my own name, so I came up with my… invention. ’
    ‘What was your real name before you changed it?’
    ‘Helen. Ugh. So dull.’ She made a face.
    ‘ Helen, ’ M repeated softly. ‘The face that launched a thousand ships. A very famous name, in fact.’
    ‘What do you mean?’ The red-headed pixie gave her a hard stare.
    ‘Helen of Troy…she was so beautiful her husband and her lover fought a terrible and ultimately tragic battle over her…it was known as the battle of a thousand ships.’
    ‘When was that then?’
    ‘Twelve hundred years before the birth of Jesus.’
    Caresse gaped at her, slowly shaking her head. ‘How do you know that?’
    ‘I learned it at school.’ Clearing her throat, M went on quickly, ‘Anyway, here I am to see Mr Farantino.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘And I’m on time. It’s exactly noon.’
    ‘I’ll go and get him,’ Caresse announced, and hurried away.
    M watched her go, frowning to herself. Caresse had seemed very young at first glance, but now she thought this pretty, pixie-like creature was nearer to thirty than twenty. But she seemed so nice, and M had taken an instant liking to her.

S IX
    F rank Farantino was one of the best-known and most successful photographers in New York. In the world, in point of fact. And as he walked out into the entrance foyer of his large studio, he stopped dead in his tracks when the tall young woman wearing a white cotton shirt and black trousers turned around to face him.
    He held his breath for a split second as he took in her dark, exotic beauty, her unique looks. Thank you, Geo, thank you very much, he thought. He knew at once that his old friend had sent him a winner, and he was extremely pleased— thrilled, if he was honest with himself—that this extraordinary girl was standing here.
    A wide smile enlivened his saturnine face, made it come alive, and then he strode across the floor, his hand outstretched as he stopped in front of the young woman.
    ‘Frankie Farantino,’ he said, shaking her hand.
    ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Mr Farantino,’ M answered politely, as was her way, smiling back. ‘Thank you for seeing me today.’
    ‘My pleasure, and drop the Mr Farantino, would you, please?The whole world calls me Frankie. And your name is…M?’ He threw her a questioning look. ‘I am correct about that?’
    ‘Yes, you are. And before you ask me, my full name is Marie Marsden. My nickname at school was M and M, and I decided it might be better, wiser, to drop one M when I started my modelling career.’ She grinned.
    He grinned back at her. ‘English, eh? Geo didn’t tell me that. So, how long have you been in New York?’
    ‘I came here in June, and I’ve been looking for work ever since.