To Tell the Truth by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online

face.
    "Yes," he said in answer to a question put to him by the caller. "Who's calling please?"
    There was a fraction of a second's pause before his gaze, darkening to black, swung slowly to Andrea, piercingly intent and terrifyingly cold. His lean, handsome features turned to impenetrable granite as he held the receiver to her.
    "It's your husband." His statement seethed with icy, satirical arrogance.
    Her hand clutched the opening of her robe, trying to check the nausea rising within. Despair clouded her eyes as her trembling fingers accepted the receiver. Her lashes fluttered tightly down when Tell spun away, rigid strides carrying him to the window of her room.
    Twice Andrea opened her mouth before any sound came out. "Hello."
    "Andrea? Is that you? Are you all right?" John's anxious puzzled voice answered her immediately.
    "Yes, yes, I'm fine," she responded, wishing the floor would open and swallow her up.
    "I phoned yesterday and left a message. When you didn't call I became worried."
    "I…I was out…most of the day," she faltered. Her tongue nervously moistened her tips; her tear-filled gaze turned toward the ceiling as she tried to breathe through the pain in her chest. "It was too late to phone when I came in last night."
    "You were out last night?" he repeated.
    "Yes."
    "With the…uh…man who answered the phone?"
    "Yes." Her voice broke. She closed her eyes tightly. A tear slipped from her lashes and she roughly brushed it from her cheek.
    There was hesitation on the other end before John spoke. "Did you…Andrea, did you tell him about me yet?"
    "No," Andrea swallowed.
    "Oh, Andrea," John sighed heavily. "What have you done to yourself this time?"
    "I don't know." A brittle, soft laugh accompanied her words. It was either that or cry.
    "It's my fault. It's all my fault," he murmured.
    "Don't…don't say that," she protested.
    John breathed in deeply. "Call me…when you can. I'm sorry, Andie, I didn't mean to spoil anything…"
    "Yes, I am, too. Goodbye."
    A deadly quiet filled the room after the receiver clicked on the hook. Cowardly wishing she could run rather than face Tell's coldly accusing eyes, Andrea slowly turned to the rigidly erect figure staring out of the window. There was no sound but the beating of her heart.
    The distance between them was more than just physical, but her hesitant steps tried to bridge it. The outline of his tightly clenched jaw stopped her a foot or so behind him.
    "That's what I wanted to explain to you, Tell," she began nervously. "I…I know it was a terrible shock for you to find out that way and I know I deceived you by not telling you the truth before, but, Tell, I was going to. I know how it must look, but…" Her voice cracked with a checked sob. "Darling, I love you," she pleaded for his understanding. "I love you."
    He whirled around, the flat of his hand slashing across her cheek. The force of it sent her reeling backward, the impetus stopped by the hands that reached out to catch her. Remorse flashed instantly across his face before it again became sternly harsh and forbidding. Tell immediately jerked his hands from her shoulders.
    "What a fool I am!" he muttered savagely.
    Automatically, her hand had covered the smarting pain of her cheek. Now Andrea drew it away, her chin lifting with faint proudness.
    "I was the fool, Tell, not you," she said softly but firmly. "All I can do now is ask that you let me explain."
    His eyes bored into her and she met them unflinchingly. "Answer me this," Tell commanded arrogantly, "was that man on the phone your husband or not?"
    "I am legally married to him," Andrea admitted, "but…"
    "Are you separated?"
    "Tell, please!" Hopelessly, she tried to stop his questions so she could explain in her own way.
    "Are you separated?" he repeated forcefully, black fury blazing in his eyes, letting her see that his temper was held by a very thin thread.
    "No!" she acknowledged in frustration.
    "And I don't suppose you love him," Tell