First, however, she went and got ready for her day. That done, she again picked up the phone and found, in actual fact, that it took less time than she would have thought to track down the correct garage. Prompt Motor Services sounded a very efficient companyand expensive. She asked for a rough estimate of how much it would cost to repair her carand was quoted a figure that made her eyes water.
Ercould you give me an estimate for just making it mechanically sound, without dealing with theerdents.
Dents! Youll need a whole new wingplus. Arent you claiming on your insurance?
Ierhavent decided yet, Elyss repliedand felt just as winded by the lesser and very approximate estimate the garage man gave her. Even that figure seemed impossible to find!
But she would have to accept. To have a car was essential, if she was to get to the area where she worked. Also she had promised her father she would go down to Devon in five weeks time for his birthday. Her father would meet her at the station, if need be, but train fares were not cheap.
Would you go ahead with just the essential repairs, please? she requested, and ended the call. Then she rang Howard Butler to tell him that she would be very late in.
Her next assignment was to present herself at an insurance company where she personally saw to it that her vehicle was insured. Of necessity, she took out the cheaper third party insurance in preference to her normal fully comprehensive cover. But at least she was legally insured to drive. It was a pity that for the moment she did not have a vehicle to drive. Then she visited Prompt Motor Servicesand was horrified at the damage to her car! No wonder Nikki had been in shock. It was a miracle she had got out of it alive!
Elyss was still feeling shaken herself when, by a most circuitous route, involving changing transport several times, she made her way to her place of employment. At the end of her working day, she took a similarly tortuous route back home again.
She was late getting in, but was pleased to see that Nikki, though still puffy-eyed, seemed a lot calmer. Elyss saw no point in causing her to get into a state again by revealing that she was shortly going to see Mr Saul Pendleton.
Truth to tell, Elyss was feeling in something of a state herself as she hurriedly showered and changed into an elegant dress of deep blue. As rain was pouring down outside, she topped it with her full-length raincoat.
She was certain it must be the wettest May on record, and it was cold with it. She did not want to arrive at Saul Pendletons house looking like a drowned rat, and left her room seriously considering the expense of a taxi when Victoria chirruped that she was going out herself. Want a lift? she volunteered.
Louise had already told Victoria about her appointment with Saul Pendleton, Elyss discovered, and they discussed the accident and the state Nikki was in on the way.
If it goes on like this much longer, were going to have to persuade her to see Dr. Lowe. Perhaps hell prescribe something to calm her down, Victoria said. Id like to get my hands on that Dave! She pulled up at the smart address Elyss had given her. How the other half live! she exclaimed admiringly as Elyss got out. Best of luck!
Thanks. And thanks, too, for the lift.
Elyss squared her shoulders and pushed a smart, glass-panelled door openand discovered she was going nowhere until she had given the uniformed security man behind a desk in the foyer her name and that of the person she was there to see.
She told him she was Elyss Harvey, and she had come to see Mr Saul Pendleton, and waited while he went to the phone and relayed the information. Then he put the phone down to tell her pleasantly, Mr Pendleton is expecting you, Miss Harvey. If youd like to...
He saw her over to the lift and was already on the way back to his post as the lift doors closed. Saul Pendleton knew she had arrived!
Elyss had eaten very little that day, a fact she was now glad of as her insides churned, and she wished the next fifteen minutes over. The lift stopped. She got out and at once found the door she was looking for.
She swallowed hard, squared her shoulders again and rang the bell. After a short while the door opened and a dark-haired, grey-eyed bachelor in his mid-thirties stood there.
Elyss was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, like Nikki, and it had been dark when that crash had happened. They were about the same height, and both slender. So why, as the grey-eyed man silently studied her, did it not now seem so simple to make it appear that she and Nikki were one and the same person?
Good evening, Mr Pendleton. Elyss did her best, realising that she was supposed to know him, while she kept her fingers crossed that he was Saul Pendletonif he wasnt, she had fallen at the first hurdle.
Miss Harvey, he replied, with a look of toughness there in his eyes that suggested Dont tangle with me unless youre up to it. Come in, he invited.
She crossed over his threshold and he closed the door. She waited and then followed him from a most elegant hall into his drawing room, which was the last word in eleganceand shed thought the apartment she shared was smart!
Do you want to take your raincoat off? he enquired. She didnt want to stay that longbut suddenly she was feeling hot.
Thank you, she said, and shrugged out of her coat, handing it to him. He draped it over a nearby chair.
Take a seat, he suggested when she stood in the middle of his plush carpet wishing she could remember just one sentence from any of the dozen or so she had been rehearsing for most of the day.
Thank you, she murmured again.
How did you get hereby taxi? he enquired as she settled herself on one sofa and he did likewise on one opposite.
A friend gave me a lift.
Boyfriend? he enquired, but she could tell from the stern look of him that he wasnt particularly interested in her answer.
No, she replied, and left it at that. She could see no reason to waste further time. Im very sorry about the accident, she began for starters.
He observed her silently for a few moments. Then coolly remarked, Its something that you admit liability, I suppose.
Oh, heckwas she not supposed to do that? Not that it mattered; Nikki had said that it was all her fault. Elyss hesitated. The state Nikki was in, perhaps shed got it a little wrong.
Are you saying that youre a little to blame? Elyss enquired hopefully. Even if she had to pay only half it would be a tremendous relief.
Im not saying anything of the sort! Saul Pendleton replied sharply. As well you knowif you remember that right turn I endeavoured to make at the traffic lights last night.
So much for tremendous relief, Elyss mused unhappily, not liking to have her head bitten off for her trouble. Though she took heart that, by the sound of it, he believed that she was the blonde who had crashed into him.
Who could forget a thing like that? she murmured. For some unknown reason she was feeling in need of an excuse. You know how it is; when the lights changed to green, all I could think of was getting over them before they went to red again. Eryou werent hurt? she thought to enquire of this man who was fully in charge and didnt appear to have a thing wrong with him.
I fared better than my car, he answered drily.
Im sorry about that, Elyss said. About your car, I mean. And, getting a bit fed up with having to continually apologiseespecially for something which she had not doneshe enquired politely, Have you been able to get an estimate for repairs? At last they were getting down to the nub of the whole issue.
Im sorry about that, Elyss said. About your car, I mean. And, getting a bit fed up with having to continually apologiseespecially for something which she had not doneshe enquired politely, Have you been able to get an estimate for repairs? At last they were getting down to the nub of the whole issue.
Not yet, he replied, his eyes on her richly blue ones. Though, as youd expect, it will be in the region of at least two thousand pounds.
Oh, no! Elyss wasnt sure that she didnt lose some of her colour. As much as two? she asked faintly.
A minimum of two thousand, Id say, he replied confidently.
The words trembled on her lips to ask him to get it done somewhere cheaper, but she realised from his clothes, his home, the very manner of him, that he never had anything done on the cheap. When is it likely to be finishedrepaired? she made herself enquire. With luck it would take all of a year to get the spare parts.
The car has been transferred to a specialised garage today. But it will depend on whether parts are available here or whether the garage will have to send to Italy for them. Then theyll be fitting, paintingsorting out the electronics...
Oh, heck, it was, she saw, going to cost all of two thousand pounds. By the sound of it, though, it could take quite a whilebut nowhere near long enough for her to be able to scrape the money together.
Meanwhile, Ive been able to hire a car until
Youve hired a car? she cut in in a rush, a note of strain in her voice. This was something she just hadnt thought of. Oh, her stars! The cost of hiring a car would be down to hershe just knew it! She prayed he had hired a small, everyday run-about. But, even as she asked, Era Ferrari, I suppose? she knew the answer.
You suppose correctly, Miss Harvey.
She started to feel light-headed. Her mind just would not cope with how much it must cost to hire a Ferrariand the length of time Saul Pendleton was going to need to keep it.
She fought to pull herself together and to hide that she was in panic mode. The th-thing is, she began stiltedly. She was here now; there was no point in going away and worrying herself silly. She must try to get something said, sorted out, and settled here and now.
Yes? he enquired politely when she had got no further.
At that point Elyss started to actively dislike this man. She had a feeling that he knew she was in one very big messbut was he saying one word to try and help? Was he, blazes!
She swallowed hard. Be fair. He had been driving along minding his business before her car had sideswiped him. The thing is, she got started again. I waserwondering if you wouldumconsider She broke off. He must have the central heating onshe was all of a lather. Consider giving me time to pay. Hells bells, at thirty pounds a monththe very maximum she could scrape togetherit would take seven years plus to reimburse him.
He smiled. She liked his smile. It made her feel better. It seemed he might be prepared to consider her request anyhow. She smiled back. His dark eyes went from her blue eyes down to her gently curving mouth.
Then his eyes were back to holding hers, when he remarked pleasantly, Oh, theres no need for that, Miss Harvey. Her smile widenedhe must have come up with some answer. She was still smiling when, smoothly, he added, Your insurance company will settle everything, Im sure. Abruptly her smile faded, and she started to dislike him again. You are insured? he enquired silkily.
Elyss knew then that he knew that she was not insured. She didnt know how he knew, she just instinctively felt it. The knowledge that he was just playing with her rattled her. You know damn well Im not! she flew. She instantly wanted those words back. Oh, grief, this man missed not a thing. His eyes were on her, taking in, reading. She lowered her gaze to her lap. I thought I was, she felt compelled to confess, her tone quieter, not angry. I gave She broke off, took a shaky breath and raised her head to look at him once more. She found his eyes were still steady on her. He was waiting. From where she was sitting Elyss realised that she couldnt get into any more trouble, having owned up to not being insured. A friend was going to drop my cheque into my insurance company a couple of months agoonly she forgot. Oh, dammit, that sounded so unlikely she was sure he wouldnt believe her.
You should have checked! Saul Pendleton stated curtlyand that annoyed her. She knew she should have checked! She didnt need him to remind her.
You obviously did! she snappedand got a very grim, unsmiling look for her trouble.
You think I shouldnt have? After your phone call this morning... He let that go to change tack, to abruptly question, This friendthe one who forgot to drop your cheque offis she the same friend who was driving your car last night?
It was unexpected. You know? she gasped. You know it wasnt me?
Of course I know! he rapped. The woman I spoke with on the phone this morning sounded nothing like the hysterical female I had to deal with last night.
She could have calmed down by this morning, Elyss argued, even though she realised she might fare better if she were placatory rather than argumentative. Yet she didnt seem able to act in a way in which she did not feel. This man, she realised, effortlessly rattled her normally even temperament.
Not to that extent, she couldnt, Saul Pendleton gritted concisely. He was right, of course. Nikki had still been in a state this morning. Though she might well have remembered that neither car was anywhere near a set of traffic lights when she attempted to demolish my car.
Elyss gasped in astonishment. Talk about Walk into my parlour! Not minutes ago she had agreed their vehicles had been in collision at some traffic lights!
You tricked me! she exploded angrily.
Dont get on your high horse that I tricked you! he rapped. No one does me down, Miss Harvey! From the way I was hearing it, you were out to have a damned good try.
She hadnt a leg to stand on. It hurt to back down, but... She drew a shaky breath. It wasnt like... she halted. To tell him how it really was she would have to tell him all about Nikki, and she wasnt ready to do that. Soerafter my phone call, you checked with the insurance company. Nikki She broke off. She hadnt been going to mention Nikkis name! And they told you I wasnt insured.
Not with them you werent. Nor did they know you at the address I was given. You do live there? he demanded.
I moved in five months agoI forgot to give the insurers my change of address.
She received a grunt for her oversight. There was no point in her explaining that shed been so busy at work she hadnt had time to think much about anything elsemuch less to remember to tell people she dealt with only once a year that she had moved.
You forgot a lot of things by the sound of it. I wish I could forget you! she thought. The gloves, it seemed, were off. You are Elyss Harvey? he questioned toughly. Should I decide to sue, will I be confronted by yet another blonde-haired, blue-eyed Elyss Harvey in court?
Court! Oh, heavens, her parents would be most perturbed. Why couldnt he drive a Metro? My name is Elyss Harvey, she confirmed unhappily.