in love?’ he whispered.
The colour flooded to her face. She could have said that she was in love with him. Instead, she said flippantly,
‘Unmarried girls are in love all the time with someone. I must disappoint you, though. I’ve had no affairs. For one thing I haven’t had the time and for another I prefer to wait until the right man comes along.’
‘But you’ve no time for him at the moment? You’ve found time to have a meal out today.’
She shrugged. ‘I had a reason for eating out. Normally we have our lunch in the shop and cook a proper meal in the evening.’
‘What happened, or shouldn’t I ask?’
‘I left Cheryl in the shop talking to Rex. They had a quarrel and I’m wondering now whether they’re making it up again.’
‘That was very generous of you. Tell me, don’t you feel a little out of things when you see your younger sister enjoying the company of a boyfriend?’
‘Sometimes. But I have dates, you know. My accountant takes me out sometimes. I’m also invited out for the evening by satisfied customers like your sister-in-law Juleen.’
‘Ah yes, that reminds me. Her husband Jocelyn, a surgeon, who is also my brother, is coming home from a conference in the States soon. By then the parents will also be back, so we can have a get-together. I don’t know if Juleen has told you, but they’re living in Paris at the moment.’
‘That will be nice for you.’
His look at her was guarded. ‘I’m hoping that you and I will know each other better by then.’
Davina’s heart gave a lurch. ‘In what way?’
‘We shall be going steady by then.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. I’ve far too much to do at the shop to form any permanent attachments.’
‘You can dine with me occasionally, go to a show or for a run in the car. We might even get together at Juleen’s place or Lila’s. Rex’s aunt and uncle are friends of mine.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He jabbed out the cigar on the ash tray. ‘Don’t be such a little coward,’ he said quietly. ‘You’re obviously frightened to death of me, aren’t you?’
‘No, I’m not. I’m not going to be pushed around, that’s all, and I do have responsibilities.’
‘Cheryl and Darren? What if Cheryl marries her Rex? Then you only have Darren. That’s where I come in. He’ll have a big elder brother who will listen to all his problems.’
‘No, Nick, it wouldn’t work. You and I are better parting here and now. I’m going to see this thing through if it kills me.’
He stared at her for several moments with narrowed eyes.
‘If that’s the way you want it, my sweet, then so be it.’
He had taken his dismissal so calmly that she felt piqued in spite of herself. It seemed at first from the expression in his grey eyes that he could not believe it. Probably no woman had ever refused his friendship before. It was certainly a blow to his ego, but Davina felt it was a hollow victory.
He drove her back to the shop and dropped her off without a word. Then with a lift of a hand he had gone.
Cheryl had not returned from lunch, which presumably she too had eaten out. With Rex? It was more than likely. Had she also given him the brush-off? If Cheryl had then she would not tell her sister about it—Davina was sure of that.
Something was eating Cheryl. If it wasn’t Rex then who or what was it? Nick?
Cheryl came in around two-thirty. ‘Hello there,’ she said.
‘Why did you go out for lunch on your own? You could have gone with Rex and me.’
Davina raised pretty arched brows. ‘And played gooseberry?’ she cried derisively. ‘Why did you think I left you alone?’
Cheryl slipped out of her jacket and hung it on a coat hanger behind the beaded curtain.
‘We’ve made up. Rex wants me to get engaged,’ she said quietly.
Davina stared at the sober expression. ‘Really, I can’t see you dancing around the room in glee. Where’s the ring?’
Cheryl shrugged. ‘There isn’t one yet. I told him I’d
The colour flooded to her face. She could have said that she was in love with him. Instead, she said flippantly,
‘Unmarried girls are in love all the time with someone. I must disappoint you, though. I’ve had no affairs. For one thing I haven’t had the time and for another I prefer to wait until the right man comes along.’
‘But you’ve no time for him at the moment? You’ve found time to have a meal out today.’
She shrugged. ‘I had a reason for eating out. Normally we have our lunch in the shop and cook a proper meal in the evening.’
‘What happened, or shouldn’t I ask?’
‘I left Cheryl in the shop talking to Rex. They had a quarrel and I’m wondering now whether they’re making it up again.’
‘That was very generous of you. Tell me, don’t you feel a little out of things when you see your younger sister enjoying the company of a boyfriend?’
‘Sometimes. But I have dates, you know. My accountant takes me out sometimes. I’m also invited out for the evening by satisfied customers like your sister-in-law Juleen.’
‘Ah yes, that reminds me. Her husband Jocelyn, a surgeon, who is also my brother, is coming home from a conference in the States soon. By then the parents will also be back, so we can have a get-together. I don’t know if Juleen has told you, but they’re living in Paris at the moment.’
‘That will be nice for you.’
His look at her was guarded. ‘I’m hoping that you and I will know each other better by then.’
Davina’s heart gave a lurch. ‘In what way?’
‘We shall be going steady by then.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. I’ve far too much to do at the shop to form any permanent attachments.’
‘You can dine with me occasionally, go to a show or for a run in the car. We might even get together at Juleen’s place or Lila’s. Rex’s aunt and uncle are friends of mine.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He jabbed out the cigar on the ash tray. ‘Don’t be such a little coward,’ he said quietly. ‘You’re obviously frightened to death of me, aren’t you?’
‘No, I’m not. I’m not going to be pushed around, that’s all, and I do have responsibilities.’
‘Cheryl and Darren? What if Cheryl marries her Rex? Then you only have Darren. That’s where I come in. He’ll have a big elder brother who will listen to all his problems.’
‘No, Nick, it wouldn’t work. You and I are better parting here and now. I’m going to see this thing through if it kills me.’
He stared at her for several moments with narrowed eyes.
‘If that’s the way you want it, my sweet, then so be it.’
He had taken his dismissal so calmly that she felt piqued in spite of herself. It seemed at first from the expression in his grey eyes that he could not believe it. Probably no woman had ever refused his friendship before. It was certainly a blow to his ego, but Davina felt it was a hollow victory.
He drove her back to the shop and dropped her off without a word. Then with a lift of a hand he had gone.
Cheryl had not returned from lunch, which presumably she too had eaten out. With Rex? It was more than likely. Had she also given him the brush-off? If Cheryl had then she would not tell her sister about it—Davina was sure of that.
Something was eating Cheryl. If it wasn’t Rex then who or what was it? Nick?
Cheryl came in around two-thirty. ‘Hello there,’ she said.
‘Why did you go out for lunch on your own? You could have gone with Rex and me.’
Davina raised pretty arched brows. ‘And played gooseberry?’ she cried derisively. ‘Why did you think I left you alone?’
Cheryl slipped out of her jacket and hung it on a coat hanger behind the beaded curtain.
‘We’ve made up. Rex wants me to get engaged,’ she said quietly.
Davina stared at the sober expression. ‘Really, I can’t see you dancing around the room in glee. Where’s the ring?’
Cheryl shrugged. ‘There isn’t one yet. I told him I’d
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