Hostile engagement by Jessica Steele Read Free Book Online Page B

answer, and had now left her not knowing whether or not she had his word that he would keep their engagement a secret, or if he had plans to announce it to anyone who might be interested.
    On thinking about it, Lucy decided he wouldn't tell anyone else. Why should he? All he was concerned with was getting rid of Carol-no, he wouldn't be telling anyone because in three months' time he would only have to make it known that the engagement was off. Lucy took the ring box up from the table and opened it, then took the ring from its velvet couch, handling it lovingly. A wave of emotion gripped her as she gazed at the exquisite setting of the knot of emeralds and diamonds, and Jud Hemming
     
    was forgotten as bittersweet memories of her mother took all other thoughts from her mind.
    Sometime during the afternoon Lucy answered the phone to hear her brother telling her he would not be home that night. To ask him where he was going and with whom would get her nowhere, she was beginning to learn, and she longed for the days before her parents had died when Rupert's life had been an open book.
    `I'm going to the races with Archie,' Rupert volunteered when Lucy had shown only mild interest in his comings and goings. Her heart dipped-Archie Proctor again ! `Archie has a nag running—if it wins, and Arch ie. is sure it's going to, we'll be - celebrating afterwards, so we've booked rooms at one of the hotels just in case.'
    Well, it was a weight off her mind to know Rupert wasn't going to drive home after celebrating, Lucy thought, as she put down the phone. And as the afternoon wore on she wished for the umpteenth time that Rupert had never taken up with Archie Proctor. Their father had gambled away most of Rupert's heritage; she just prayed that as well as inheriting Brook House from his father, Rupert had not inherited his gambling streak as well. She shook the thought away, but it came back to haunt her again and again as afternoon gave way to early evening, she couldn't quite see Rupert at the races, and with Archie Proctor, and not having a bet on one of the horses.
    She set about making herself a salad with the long evening stretching before her. There were plenty of people she knew in Priors Channing, but she had no wish to call any of them, though she knew most of the evening would be spent in worrying what Rupert, with Archie Proctor as ringleader, would be up to.
    In the act of giving a lettuce close scrutiny as she washed it, Lucy turned off the kitchen tap to hear the sound of a vehicle coming up the drive. Hastily she dried her hands and hurried into the hall. Rupert had decided not to stay
     
    away overnight after all, was her first heartening thought as she reached the front door and flung it open. But it was not Rupert's two-seater sports car that came to a standstill in front of the house. It was a sports car, admitted, but a larger, more expensive model than the one Rupert owned, and the man who was now swinging himself on to the shingled drive was not Rupert at all, but none other than her mock-fiancé-Jud Hemming. What he could want she had no idea, but as she waited for him to join her at the front door, the smile of welcome that had been for Rupert disappeared.
    `I wondered if you'd be in,' said Jud, as he came up to her. 'I meant to mention this morning that I would prefer it if you didn't date anybody while you're engaged to me.'
    The problem of whether to accept invitations from any of the men of her acquaintance hadn't struck her before, and now that he mentioned it she could see it was certainly something she would have to think about, but for him to call at her home and calmly announce that part of their bargain was that she declined any invitations from the opposite sex during the next three months had small sparks of anger spitting within her.
    "That's what you've come to tell me, is it?' she asked, her voice becoming heated. 'Well, let me tell you, Mr Hemming
    `Jud,' he broke in. 'The name's Jud, remember?'