Whooh! Very shaky ground, Marcus conceded, but at that point, glancing in the huge mirror in front, Elexa saw that her friend had arrived and was being directed her way.
Elexa might not have given the overheard conversation another moments thoughtafter all she knew neither of the men. But her friend Lois hadat least she knew one of them. Tall and attractive, she obviously recognised one of the men in the adjoining booth, and paused in passing.
Bon appetit, Marcus, she greeted with the grin of an old friend.
Marcus was already on his feet. You still slaying them at that financial institution? he enquired, kissing her cheek, referring to the finance house she worked for.
Earning a crust, she acknowledged, the outfit she was wearing suggesting it was a well-buttered crust.
You dont know Noah Peverelle?
The tall dark-haired man was on his feet too, and Elexa took more note of this man who wanted a son but didnt want a wife. She quickly dropped her gaze, however, when, having replied to his friends introduction, Noah Peverelle seemed to become aware that someone was watching him. Fleetingly, before she looked down, her large brown eyes made contact with a pair of grey eyes.
Then Lois was joining her, apologising profusely for being late, explaining that she hadnt been able to get away from her client. Dont give it another thought, Elexa excused her, but, aware how easily she had overheard the conversation in the next booth, for all neither man had been speaking loudly, she was careful to keep her chat with Lois light.
The two men were the first to leave. Hows your mother? Lois was asking. Still trying to get you married off?
Youre about the only one I know who isnt trying, Elexa replied, her thoughts on her aunt Celia and her cousin.
Ah, but Ive been there, done thatand wouldnt recommend it, Lois answered, newly divorced and happy to be out of a bad marriage.
Erwhos Marcus? Elexa asked. She and Lois had been at school together and could ask each other anythingand Lois, either through her personality or her work, seemed to know practically everybody.
Marcusas in Marcus just now, having lunch with no less a personage than Noah Peverelle?
You know Noah Peverelle too?
Until today had never met him. But knew of his reputation, Lois answered, speaking in the shorthand of old friends. Hes the big noise over at the Samara Groupyou know them; theyre that international communications company, theyve offshoots all over the place.
Elexa had never got to hear more about Marcus, because a cursory glance at her watch had made her exclaim in a hurry, Ive got to dash! Ive a meeting Im going to be late for if I dont get my skates on.
She had seen Lois since. They had shopped together a couple of weeks ago, and had lunch together only last week. But neither the name of Marcus, whoever he was, or Noah Peverelle had come up again. Though Elexa had thought of that overheard conversation quite a number of times.
She had equally dismissed the overheard conversation too as being the sort of thing you said to a friend you knew well without being expected to be taken seriously.
But now, after her mothers latest phone call, pushed into a seemingly no-way-out kind of corner, and with the prospect hanging over her of Tommy Fieldingand after him, without a doubt, someone else, and so on ad infinitumElexa just had to wonder, had Noah Peverelle been serious? On thinking about it, she felt that he had sounded serious, deadly serious. But
It was absurd! Shed never have the nerveher stomach started to churn at the very idea. Elexa attempted to dismiss the notion. But the pressure was on, that pressure strengthening, and, short of caving in and taking on one of her mothers nice types, what was a career minded executive to do?
She had tried the heart-to-heart with her motherit had only made matters worse. She knew that her mother worried about hershe was a natural born worrier. In fact Elexas father had often said that if her mother didnt have anything to worry about she would invent something. But this roping in Joanna, along with Aunt Celia, was going too far.
Yes, but to contemplate marrying some stranger, having his baby and then divorcing just to get her well-meaning relatives off her back, was a bit desperate, wasnt it?
But the situation was desperate! On impulse Elexa picked up the phone and dialled her friend Loiss number. It was ridiculous, Elexa decided, before the number had started ringing out.
So why didnt she put down the phone? Gentle, nice Tommy Fielding and a string of others like him, that was why, Elexa answered her own question. And there was that prospect of promotion she should be concentrating oninstead of evading her mothers water-wearing-away-stone tactics.
Elexa! Lois exclaimed when she heard her voice. I was just thinking about you and wondering if you fancy doing anything at the weekend.
Its the christening this weekend, Elexa reminded her friend. Lois had often stayed weekends in Elexas home when they had been schoolgirls, and knew all of Elexas family.
Joannas sprog?
Shes rather cute, Elexa repliedand brought herself up short. Good heavens, where had that come from? She wasnt getting all mumsie, was she? Just because she had been toying with some far-fetched idea of having a baby, she wasnt going all broody, was she? ErI need a favour, she said quickly.
If its in my power, its yours, Lois answered without hesitation.
You dont know what it is yet, Elexa laughed. But even as she laughed, she knew that she was delaying asking the question because she didnt want to ask it. It was as if, once asked, it would commit her to carrying through her only half-thought-out plan.
If I know you, it wont be anything too diabolical. Give? Lois requested.
Ier Lois was her oldest and most trusted friend, Elexa reminded herself. Iumneed Noah Peverelles private number, she plunged. And I cant tell you why, she added hastily.
There followed a small silence. Intriguing, Lois ruminated. But, she added after a moment, I dont know it. I only ever met him that one time. Uh! she exclaimed. You know that I know a man who may know it, right?
Marcus and Noah Peverelle are great friends, Elexa volunteered.
You sound as if you know them both very well, Lois opined.
I dont, Elexa had to confess. Is there a chance you could ask Marcus without telling him why you need Noahs number?
If theyre such good friends, Marcus Dean isnt going to tell me without wanting to know why, Lois commented. Hang on, though. Ginny Dean owes me a favour! Ill ring Marcuss wife and get back to you.
Elexa put down her phone after her call, wondering what she had done. She had involved Lois in something which Elexa wasnt certain she was going to take any further anyway.
Though, in thinking about it more deeply, more logically, instead of panicking that family pressures had become too intense past bearing, she suddenly realised that, while her career was all-important, yes, there was every probability that she would at some stage rather like to have a child.
It shook Elexa a little that she had child-bearing instincts. It was something she had never considered before. But, in delving more deeply, she recalled how, when Joanna had given her the baby to hold one time, she had been more than happy to nurse the sweet, sleeping infant in her arms.
For a few minutes Elexa lived with the discovery that she was no different from most other womenand that she did have the same maternal instincts. Then she gave herself a mental shakingthat still didnt mean that she wanted a husband. She most definitely did not. In her view they were vastly overrated.
Noah Peverelle wouldnt be your normal run-of-the-mill husband, though. For a start it sounded, with his talk of according to his work schedule hed land round about three years next Palm Sunday, as if he wouldnt be around much anyway. Not that she had any intention of living with the man. And in any case, in three years time she would be married and divorced from him. Not that she wanted to marry the man in the first place, but
Elexa abruptly cut off her thoughts mid-stream. Good grief, woman, dont start making plans. You havent so much as got his phone number yet, much less plucked up the courage it will take to suggest what you have to suggest. Butshe was still feeling quite desperate, and desperate problems called for desperate solutions.
But what if Noah Peverelle hadnt been serious anyway? What kind of a fool would that make her look? What? Elexa was just building up a fine head of steam against Noah Peverelle for daring to make her feel a fool when the phone rang.
She grabbed at it. But it wasnt Lois; it was her mother. It couldnt have been an hour ago that they had last spoken! It must be important. It wasto her mother. I forgot to ask. What are you going to wear on Sunday?
Wear? Elexa repeated in surprise. Does it matter?
Of course it matters. Youll want to look your best when Tommy Fielding sees you again. I dont want you turning up in those old trousers you were wearing when Timothy Stowe popped round the other Sunday.
Popped round! As Elexa recalled itand she had been wearing a pair of fairly new trousers at the timeTimothy Stowe had been especially invited to pop in to see her fathers stamp collection, and to stay to tea. But Elexa knew from past experience that it would do no good to remind her mother of this. Timothy, Tommyshed probably got a Tarquin all lined up ready, should Tommy Fielding fail to thaw her annoying daughters stony heart.
Ill make sure to wear something smart, Elexa replied finally, feeling too worn down by the constant attempts at coercion to want an argument with her parent.
Good, her mother replied, and rang offno doubt, Elexa assumed, to do more scheming in the Ill-get-my-daughter-to-the-church-if-its-the-last-thing-I-do stakes.
A minute later, however, and the phone rang again, and this time it was Lois. Ive perjured my soul to get this for you, Lois began. Have you got a pen handy?
Elexa took down the number her good friend read out to her, and repeated it back, and then said gratefully, I truly appreciate it, Lois.
What are friends for? Though youll have to tell me why you want it as soon as you can. My imagination is running riot, trying to guess whats going on!
Elexa said goodbye to her, knowing that not even in her wildest imaginings would Lois ever guess at the truth of what was going on. That was, Elexa mused, beginning to feel hot all over at the thought of what she was contemplating, if she ever found enough nerve to call that number.
She did call it though, a half-hour later when she was heartily fed up with her dithering. For goodness sake, the man hadnt space for emotional entanglementswell, neither had she! With her throat dry, her hands shaking, she picked up the phone and pressed out Noah Peverelles number, and consequently didnt know whether she felt frustrated or relieved when he wasnt home.
He really was as busy as hed intimated, she had to conclude when over the next couple of days she tried his number again with the same result. He was never home.
By Sunday morning it had become something of a fixture in her mind that she would keep ringing his number until he did answer. By then she knew his number off by heart and, just before she left her flat to drive to her parents home in Berkshire, she stabbed out the digits again.
Peverelle, said a voice she knewand Elexa only just managed to hold down a squeak of alarm.
It was him! He! Hello! she managed, the whole idea of what she was about all at once seeming not only crazy but totally preposterous. Yet, as she recalled that her mother had again phoned her last night to ask her to be warm to Tommy Fielding, Elexa saw that if she could manage to spit the rest of her rehearsed speech out, she might see in front of her time free of pressureleaving her the space she craved to be left in peace to get on with her career. You dont know me She pushed herself to go on, but just couldnt get any further. It was preposterous! It was
Do you have a name? Noah Peverelle asked shortly. Elexa made a facecharm school had obviously been wasted on him. But for the moment she preferred to stay anonymous.
The thing is, she asserted herself to begin briskly, that you would like a s-son, and I need a h-husband tem Temporarily, she would have said, had he given her the chance.
Who the hell are you? Peverelle demanded curtly.
No one you know. We
Where did you get hold of that sort of erroneous information? he challenged sharply. Are you press?
No, Im not! she erupted, unsure if she was glad or sorry that her information was erroneous. Though, hang onit wasnt erroneous. She had heard it herself from him with her very own ears. Abruptly then she realised that if he believed her to be from the newspapers he would automatically deny he had said any such thing, wouldnt he? We have a mutual friend, sort of, she hurried on.
Who? he rapped.
Dont beat about the bush, come straight to the point, why dont you? Thats not important just now.
Sowhat is important?
You sounded much more pleasant the last time I heard you talking, Elexa said without thinking.
Ive had a hard week! he rapped again, clearly taking in his stride that she, somewhere before, and at some time, had heard his voice. What are you after?
Nothingother than
A husband, in return for a sonand a meal ticket for the rest of your life, no doubt, he snarled.
He thought she was after his wealth! Shocked, Elexa was speechless for endless seconds. Then, furious with him, with herself, When Im that hard-up Ill let you know! she hissed, and fairly threw the phone back on its rest. That anyone could accuse her of such a thing as marrying for money was something she had simply not considered.
To think she had seriously, for even half a moment, thought of tying herself up with that suspicious swine! She had money of her own without wanting any of his, thank you very much. Her parents were quite well off, as too had been her grandparents. They had left her a substantial sum of money, sufficient anyway for her to be able to live comfortably without the need to touch her not inconsiderable salary. Had he been mixing with the wrong sort of woman? Suspicious devil!
Elexa was still fuming a minute later when her phone rang for attention. She gave a hefty sigh of despair. She would be seeing her mother quite soon now; she did not really need another call from her with yet more instructions on how she should behave with Tommy Fielding.
But, unable to give in to her mother and marry and settle down, Elexa tried in other ways to be dutiful and respectful, and went to answer the phone, hoping that her parent would make it brief.