Escape Me Never by Sara Craven Read Free Book Online Page B

'Ready?' she asked smilingly.
    As they moved back to their seats, Lloyd shook his head, expelling his breath in a silent whistle.
    'What an evening,' he muttered incredulously. 'What an evening.'
    And for very different reasons, Cass could only agree.

CHAPTER FOUR

     
    Cass got up the next morning, ruefully aware that she hadn't slept very well, and glad, under the circumstances, that it was the weekend which faced her, and not the office.
    It was a sunny morning—Spring taking a firm hold on London at last, perhaps, after the cool showery weather of the past few weeks, and Cass, looking restlessly round the flat as she and Jodie ate breakfast, and Jodie investigated the remains of her box of chocolates, decided it was a good a time as any to remove the outward signs of a year's wear and tear.
    'I think I'll get some paint and start on these walls,' she said. 'What colour shall I get?'
    'Yellow,' said Jodie, as she always did. 'Like the sun,' she added unexpectedly, and Cass who'd been about to propose mushroom or caramel, paused, arrested.
    Perhaps Jodie was right, she thought wrily. Maybe they needed some sunshine in their lives, even of the artificial variety.
    'All right,' she agreed. 'We'll go and get it after breakfast.'
    This accomplished, she began to transfer the movables, and as much of the furniture as she could manage, out of the living room, and cover up the rest, Jodie helping, although basically more interested in a picture she'd started of how the room would look when it was finished. An interior designer in the makings Cass wondered with a smile as she cleared bookshelves.
    They ate a quick lunch of soup and scrambled eggs, then Cass began to wash down the existing paintwork. She considered herself competent at housework without being in love with it, and it was always shaming to discover how much accumulated grime lurked in little seen corners and along ledges.
    She was rubbing vigorously at a length of skirting board when the front door buzzer sounded. She paused, puzzled, tempted not to answer it. It might be Lloyd, she thought with vague annoyance. He'd wanted to see her this weekend, and she'd made the excuse of prior commitments. He'd accepted this, albeit reluctantly, or she thought that he had, but all the same he might have decided against taking 'no' for an answer, which would be a problem.
    She got up from her knees, stripping off her rubber gloves, and looking wrily down at her grey dungarees. They were old and baggy, and together with the scarf she'd wrapped round her head, were hardly the outfit she'd have chosen in which to receive callers.
    She opened the door, her lips curving into a reluctant smile, already forming words of excuse which died on her lips when she saw Rohan confronting her.
    'You?' Her voice was bitter. 'Your guarantees don't last long, Mr Grant. I hope Barney's had his lawyers go over our contract with you.'
    His brows rose. 'I'm not breaking any agreements, Ms Linton.' His drawl emphasised with mockery the last two words. 'It isn't you that I've come to see,' he added, strolling past her, as Jodie with a squeal of pleasure ran to meet him. 'Hello, sweetheart.' He didn't stoop, he went down on his haunches in front of her. 'I've got my young nephews in the car outside. We're going to the zoo, and I thought you might like to come with us—if your mother permits, of course,' he added, his eyes meeting Cass's with cool irony.
    'Oh, Mummy, may I?' Jodie's pleading gaze was fixed on her, and Cass suppressed an inner groan.
    'But you'd need to change,' she began. 'And Mr Grant is obviously in a hurry.'
    'Not in the slightest,' he corrected levelly. 'Take as long as you need, my pet.'
    Jodie whooped with delight, and fled to her room, leaving them facing each other.
    Cass said angrily, 'How dare you? Do you realise you made it impossible for me to refuse to let her go with you?'
    'I do,' he said. 'It was quite deliberate, Cass. Why should your daughter be deprived of an