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.
Hello, she said, and was shaken rigid to hear the voice of the man upon whom she had just slammed the receiver down.
So whats with the proposition? he said toughly.
Proposition! He thought, Mr Clever, dial one-four-seven-one to get his last callers numberso much for wanting to remain anonymousthat she was propositioning him! Forget it! she snapped furiously. Id sooner marry a man-eating shark! With that she slammed the phone down on him for a second time. If it rang again, mother or no mother, she just wasnt answering it.
The christening went off beautifully, with baby Betsy being little short of angelic. Aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces were all assembled, all female members queuing up to cuddle the tiny bundle.
She really was a sweetheart, Elexa mused, feeling all sort of squashy inside when her turn came to hold and croon to the gorgeous cherub. Glancing up, though, she saw her mother watching her, and hated that she was made to feel guilty for denying her grandparental status.
Joanna came up to her. Shell want changing, I expect. Shall I have her? the proud mum asked, and as she came closer to take the baby from Elexa she said, Sorry about Tommy. I couldnt say no without offending your mother, she apologised for inviting the man who, while for a brief moment absent, had otherwise been sticking like glue to Elexas side ever since hed arrived.
Dont worry about it. Hesernice.
Nice, Joanna mouthed silently, and they exchanged cousinly grins. But as Elexa gave the baby up to her, Joanna warned, I saw Aunt Kaye nailing Rory a little while agoI shouldnt be at all surprised to see Tommy Fielding at cousin Rorys wedding in a couple of months time.
Oh, grief, Elexa groaned.
Shall I get you some christening cake? Tommy hovered the moment Joanna had gone.
Ive had some, Tommy, thanks, Elexa answered, fast running out of innocent topics of conversationshe had a feeling Tommy would be asking her for a date before the afternoon was overit would be less embarrassing for them both if she could head him off.
She thought she had been successful when, as the party started to break up, and at her mothers instigation, she went down the front garden path with Tommy to his car. But only to find that she hadnt been as successful as shed believed.
Come out with me tonight? Tommy blurted out the moment they were alone, every bit as though he had bottled it up all afternoon and somebody had just let the cork out.
Ier Elexa tried hard for some gentle way to say no, and then to her own incredulityand his, I cant, Tommy. Im dating someone, she heard herself say. And, fearing Tommy would press her further, she found she was adding, Long term. And to her further amazement, and quite without her bidding, a picture came into her head of tall, dark-haired Noah Peverelle, standing the way he had been at the Montgomery that day.
Butyour mother Tommy was arguing, astounded.
Elexa gave herself a mental shake and banished that sharp, snarling brutehe had actually accused her of propositioning him!out of her head.
Ummy mother doesnt know. She smiled at Tommy.
Only the very next morning she learned that Tommy Fielding wasnt as nice as everyone thought him. Hed sneaked on her. She found that out when at six oclock her mother phoned her.
Thinking it must surely be an emergency for anyone to get her out of bed this early, Elexa dashed to the phone when it rang, only to hear her mothers voice, full of sweetness and pleasantness exclaiming, I know how you dont like phone calls at work, so I thought Id get you before you started your day.
Her mother was quite plainly in fine form. Is Dad all right? Elexa asked swiftly.
Hes still in bedold lazy bones. Now, whats this I hear about you going steady with someone? I rang Tommy Fielding late last night, and he
Mother! At six oclock in the morning! Was there to be no rest from it?
I didnt ring you last night because Tommy said you were seeing your steady boyfriend. Elexa was astonished her mother had waited this long! Now, tell me, whats his name and where you met him? And why on earth didnt you tell me?
There wasnt a name, she hadnt met him, and there was nothing to telland Elexa felt very much like murdering Tommy Fielding. Itserall rather new. She was lying, to her mother! Elexa could barely take in that she had been worn down to such an extent. Mother, she began, I didnt tell you because Theres nothing to tell, she would have said, given half a chance.
But her mother was butting in angrily before she could finish. Youre not living with him, I hope? she questioned frostily.
Would I dare?
Dont take that tone with me, young lady! Kaye Aston, regardless of her daughters executive, self-supporting position, ordered sharply. Your father and I have brought you up with strict moral values. Im not having any daughter of mine
Dont worry, Im not living with him, Elexa mollified her outraged parent, and just couldnt believe that as the phone call ended, with her mother saying that she wanted to meet him sooner rather than later, she had let her go without confessing that she had lied to Tommy and that there was no long-term boyfriend.
Elexa was glad that her job called for a high degree of concentration. But thoughts of the yet more pressure she would have earned herself from her mother tried to constantly get through. She would have to confess her lie, reluctant though she was to do soshe had a fairly certain idea that her mother would be on the phone the instant she arrived back at her flat that night, wanting a long cosy chat about him.
A picture of Noah Peverelle shot into her head. Oh, clear off! She must have been mad to have telephoned himbut he hadnt sounded so unpleasant when she had overheard him in the Montgomery. True, he had been with a trusted friend. Goodbye, bad idea.
Elexa got on with her day, getting the best out of her team and spending time communicating with clients, solving problems as and when they arose. She was late leaving her office, and drove home wondering how, when she was said to have excellent judgement in the market planning division and to be little short of fantastic when it came to planning, it seemed she didnt appear to have one solitary skill when it came to solving her own problems.
She let herself into her apartment and went over to the phone and punched one-four-seven-one; her mother had phoned ten minutes ago.
Elexa made herself a cup of coffee, anticipating that at any moment now she would be summoned to the phone.
It was not the phone that rang for her attention, however, but, while she was mid-rehearsal with the best way to confess that there was no steady man-friend, the outer door buzzer sounded.
She wasnt expecting anyone to call, but went to the intercom in the hall. Who is it? she asked lightly, and nearly dropped dead with shock.
Noah Peverelle, answered a cool, not-at-all-friendly-sounding voice.
No! Brain-stunned, Elexa couldnt think for several seconds. Then, reeling from so unexpectedly hearing what she had just heard, and with thoughts of how in creation he had managed to find herlet alone why had he bothered to find herElexa made a tremendous effort to get herself together.
Noah Peverelle, answered a cool, not-at-all-friendly-sounding voice.
No! Brain-stunned, Elexa couldnt think for several seconds. Then, reeling from so unexpectedly hearing what she had just heard, and with thoughts of how in creation he had managed to find herlet alone why had he bothered to find herElexa made a tremendous effort to get herself together.
He was waiting for her to let him in. He had said his name, dropped his bombshell, and had nothing more he wanted to say apparentlyuntil they were standing face to face.
She swallowed hard on a suddenly desert dry throat. Youdbetter come up, she invitedshe had no optionand pressed the button to unlatch the downstairs front door, and wished more than she had wished anything in her life that she had never made that phone call to him yesterday.
But phoned him she had, and it was too late now for wishingNoah Peverelle was on his way up to see her, and must have gone to quite some trouble to find her!