after calling goodnight to her father, for which she received an absentminded grunt in response.
Usually she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, but not that night. A note of dissension had entered her hitherto peaceful existence. She had predicted Alain's reaction to Ray, but she had not foreseen the outright, barely concealed hostility he had shown that evening.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE following morning when Ray entered her office, Megan glanced up at him anxiously. She could see no signs of a fight. She almost gave a sigh of relief as her gave her his usual cheery, 'Good morning, Megan.' She longed to know what the result of the confrontation had been, but couldn't very well ask.
After a few desultory remarks, Ray brought up the subject himself. 'I have a feeling Sir Galahad will try and persuade you to leave,' he said with a grin.
Megan's brows raised and she shot him a look of comic exasperation. 'I'm way ahead of you,' she replied. 'Knowing Alain, I guessed that would be his move. Was it very bad last night? He went for you afterwards, didn't he?'
His smile widened. 'He didn't exactly have things all his own way,' he said. 'He was extremely vocal. I won't bore you with the details, but I was, as you might say, well and truly warned off.'
Megan's eyes sparkled. 'Isn't he the pink limit !' she exclaimed.
Ray's expression sobered for a moment. 'You know, in his position I'd have done the same thing.'
Megan stared at him.
`Look at it this way,' he explained. 'He doesn't know me from Adam. I could be a second Bluebeard; being a success doesn't automatically make me a pillar of society, does it ? In some cases it works out quite the opposite. Then he has this thing about you.'
Megan interrupted quickly. 'Only because he still thinks of me as his kid sister,' she assured him.
He gave her a considering look, then continued. `Well, as I was saying, in his shoes I'd have done the same thing. In fact I would most probably have knocked the fellow down, and he almost did. I could see he was itching to plant me one. However, I managed to keep my temper and swallow the extremely cutting remarks calculated to make me take a swing at him.' He smiled. `I'm sure he's now convinced I'm a coward as well as a lady-killer !'
Megan looked contrite. 'It must have been hateful for you. I know Alain when he gets on his high horse. He didn't give you a chance, did he?'
`I don't think he's anything against me personally,' Ray replied. 'Any male would have come within fire in those circumstances.' He shot her a quick, bemused look. 'Can I take it you will stand by me ?' he asked, half seriously.
Megan looked surprised at the question. 'Of course !' she said indignantly, then grinned. 'Besides, I need the money, remember ?'
Later, as she sat typing, Ray's words came back to her; not only what he had said but what he had implied. He really did think there was more to Alain's protective attitude towards her. She sighed. Like Iris, he didn't know the background, although she thought she had explained that to him. Iris. ... Her eyes widened. Of course ! It explained the whole thing ! Alain's aggressive approach ... everything. Her lips straightened. Iris must have laid it on with a trowel ! She did it purposely, Megan thought, just to make Alain jealous, and it had worked. It wasn't Megan he was warning Ray off, but Iris, using Megan as an excuse to have a go at Ray.
In a way she felt sorry for Alain, and was absolutely furious with Iris. Alain was too nice a person to be put through those kind of hoops. She was a little sad too, for she had not thought Alain would fall for such obvious tactics, and she sighed. That was love. The most rational of men were apt to behave in a most irrational way.
When Megan reached home that day, she found her father pottering in the garden. She frowned, for that was a sure sign he was worried. The garden, such as it was, was mostly lawn and shrubs, the easiest arrangement for a busy man with
Usually she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, but not that night. A note of dissension had entered her hitherto peaceful existence. She had predicted Alain's reaction to Ray, but she had not foreseen the outright, barely concealed hostility he had shown that evening.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE following morning when Ray entered her office, Megan glanced up at him anxiously. She could see no signs of a fight. She almost gave a sigh of relief as her gave her his usual cheery, 'Good morning, Megan.' She longed to know what the result of the confrontation had been, but couldn't very well ask.
After a few desultory remarks, Ray brought up the subject himself. 'I have a feeling Sir Galahad will try and persuade you to leave,' he said with a grin.
Megan's brows raised and she shot him a look of comic exasperation. 'I'm way ahead of you,' she replied. 'Knowing Alain, I guessed that would be his move. Was it very bad last night? He went for you afterwards, didn't he?'
His smile widened. 'He didn't exactly have things all his own way,' he said. 'He was extremely vocal. I won't bore you with the details, but I was, as you might say, well and truly warned off.'
Megan's eyes sparkled. 'Isn't he the pink limit !' she exclaimed.
Ray's expression sobered for a moment. 'You know, in his position I'd have done the same thing.'
Megan stared at him.
`Look at it this way,' he explained. 'He doesn't know me from Adam. I could be a second Bluebeard; being a success doesn't automatically make me a pillar of society, does it ? In some cases it works out quite the opposite. Then he has this thing about you.'
Megan interrupted quickly. 'Only because he still thinks of me as his kid sister,' she assured him.
He gave her a considering look, then continued. `Well, as I was saying, in his shoes I'd have done the same thing. In fact I would most probably have knocked the fellow down, and he almost did. I could see he was itching to plant me one. However, I managed to keep my temper and swallow the extremely cutting remarks calculated to make me take a swing at him.' He smiled. `I'm sure he's now convinced I'm a coward as well as a lady-killer !'
Megan looked contrite. 'It must have been hateful for you. I know Alain when he gets on his high horse. He didn't give you a chance, did he?'
`I don't think he's anything against me personally,' Ray replied. 'Any male would have come within fire in those circumstances.' He shot her a quick, bemused look. 'Can I take it you will stand by me ?' he asked, half seriously.
Megan looked surprised at the question. 'Of course !' she said indignantly, then grinned. 'Besides, I need the money, remember ?'
Later, as she sat typing, Ray's words came back to her; not only what he had said but what he had implied. He really did think there was more to Alain's protective attitude towards her. She sighed. Like Iris, he didn't know the background, although she thought she had explained that to him. Iris. ... Her eyes widened. Of course ! It explained the whole thing ! Alain's aggressive approach ... everything. Her lips straightened. Iris must have laid it on with a trowel ! She did it purposely, Megan thought, just to make Alain jealous, and it had worked. It wasn't Megan he was warning Ray off, but Iris, using Megan as an excuse to have a go at Ray.
In a way she felt sorry for Alain, and was absolutely furious with Iris. Alain was too nice a person to be put through those kind of hoops. She was a little sad too, for she had not thought Alain would fall for such obvious tactics, and she sighed. That was love. The most rational of men were apt to behave in a most irrational way.
When Megan reached home that day, she found her father pottering in the garden. She frowned, for that was a sure sign he was worried. The garden, such as it was, was mostly lawn and shrubs, the easiest arrangement for a busy man with
Similar Books
