Page 100 of The Importance of Being Emma
He scowled. ‘Just answer the question, please.’
His abrupt tone got under my skin. ‘Work it out for yourself,’ I said sullenly. ‘They met in Weymouth shortly before she started at Highbury Foods.’
‘Three months, say. And howwelldo you think they know each other?’
I shrugged. ‘As Flynn said to me when I asked him that very same question, he knows her as well as he ever wants to.’ I added, with a frosty smile, ‘I think it’s safe to assume that means hardly at all.’
‘I think it’s safe to assume nothing of the sort,’ he said, frowning. ‘There was something funny about their behaviour tonight. With each other, I mean. Especially him, he was provoking her, making her upset.’
So that was it. Poor little Jane always managed to get the sympathy vote, didn’t she? My lips tightened.
He went on, ‘Somehow it made me think that they were—’ he hesitated, as though searching for the right words ‘—more intimate than they’ve led any of us to believe.’
That sounded uncomfortably like him and me. I shifted in my seat and forced a laugh. ‘Flynn and Saint Jane — intimate, as you so delicately put it? That’s absolute bollocks.’
‘How do you know?’
Funny, I could have sworn there was a catch in his voice. Typical Mark, he may not fancy the woman, but he was obviously concerned about her well-being. I looked him straight in the eye and smiled broadly, to give him all the reassurance I could.
‘Because Flynn’s in love with someone else. I can’t say who just yet, for various reasons, but it’s definitely not Jane Fairfax.’
He closed his eyes, as if in relief, and leaned back against the headrest. I took the opportunity to study his profile. How many times over the years had I looked at him without really seeing him? Except for that unfortunate teenage crush, I’d always taken his physical appeal completely for granted — the deep brow, the strong straight nose, the unbelievably sensual mouth and determined chin. With a strange sort of hunger, my gaze returned to his mouth. I watched his lips move, the words just audible above the noise of the heater.
‘By the way, I’m going back to India.’
‘I know, when your father gets home,’ I said, absently. That would be some time in February, which gave me at least a month, perhaps six weeks, to see if we could . . .
He opened his eyes and I hurriedly averted my gaze. ‘My father’s coming home in two days. John and I told the others tonight, before you arrived. And my flight’s on Sunday.’
I blinked rapidly at my reflection in the passenger window. ‘Wh-what did you say?’
‘I’m leaving on Sunday.’
‘So soon?’ I sounded amazingly calm, almost dismissive.
‘There’s nothing to keep me here,’ he said, and there was an air of finality in his tone. Thank God I hadn’t allowed myself to hope . . .
When his warm hand covered mine, I nearly jumped out of my skin; but I kept my face turned away.
‘Emma, if there’s ever anything troubling you, just call me.’ His voice was low and grave. ‘You know I’ve always been there for you, don’t you? And that won’t change, wherever you are, whoever you’re with.’
It was as if the words had been in my head for years, but jumbled up. Now, at last, they made perfect sense: ‘I want to be with you, wherever you are.’
I didn’t say them, of course. I couldn’t trust myself to speak. I had to get out of that car with some semblance of dignity before I gave everything away. So I took a deep breath, pulled my hand from under his and opened the door with as much composure as I could manage.
‘Goodnight, Mark.’
And I ran from the car without a backward glance. As I reached the porch, I heard his tyres crunching down the frosty drive.
In a week he’d be gone. The dream was over before it had even begun.
* * *
~~MARK~~
Thank God the holiday period was over. I’d gone to the office most days in an attempt to distract my thoughts; not easy when the place was empty. But now, on the first working day of the new year, there was a welcome buzz of activity which I drew on to boost my own flagging energy levels. I’d also made progress on the personal front; even though I couldn’t be happy myself, I’d decided that I could make someone else happy.
So I started to put my plans into action. At nine sharp, I called the Executive together and told them that my father would be home the next day and back at work by the end of the week. From then on, there would be no need for an acting MD and I would return to India.
