The Devils Price. Carole Mortimer

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      He stood up noisily. ‘I know exactly what you are,’ he told her insultingly, his voice raised. ‘You’re no good, and—and if you ever come near my father again I’ll kill you!’ He turned and almost ran from the room, hoping she wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes.

      Cynara swallowed hard, uncomfortably aware that she was the cynosure of all eyes, looking up with a shrug that seemed to say ‘kids!’ Michael was frightened, she realised that, knew that he was warning her off his father because he feared her past involvement with him. He needn’t have worried, Zack would probably cut her dead if they did happen to meet while he was staying here, had no reason to want to ever see her again, a fact he had made more than plain the last time they had spoken.

      She didn’t leave the coffee-shop straight away, refused to look guilty, ordering herself another coffee when she explained to the waitress that Michael had changed his mind about the hamburger. She didn’t usually take so much caffeine into her system in the morning, and liked to rest in the afternoon for the evening’s show, but after meeting Michael, knowing that Zack was staying at the hotel, she doubted she would be able to rest anyway.

      When she finally did get up to leave she knew it was with the intention of not letting Diane James think she could make a fool out of her just because her boyfriend had a roving eye!

      She marched over to the reception. ‘You lied to me about Zack Buchanan,’ she snapped.

      Blonde brows arched haughtily. ‘I did no such thing,’ Diane drawled.

      ‘You told me he wasn’t staying here,’ she reminded accusingly.

      ‘I said he wasn’t registered,’ the other woman said coldly. ‘And he isn’t. Neither Mr Buchanan nor his children ever register,’ she announced triumphantly.

      Cynara felt the colour drain from her face. ‘Ch-children?’ she repeated dazedly; Michael had been an only child when she knew Zack five years ago!

      ‘His son and daughter,’ Diane nodded coldly.

      ‘Er—–’ She moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘How old is his daughter?’

      ‘How would I know?’ Diane dismissed uninterestedly. ‘All young children look the same to me.’

      ‘Kelly is about three,’ Josie rushed over to tell her, frowning at how pale Cynara was. ‘Is there anything wrong?’ she asked anxiously.

      ‘Er—no,’ she recovered with an effort from the shock of knowing Zack had another child. ‘I didn’t realise Zack—Mr Buchanan, had—had remarried.’ God, she had to pull herself together, she was making an idiot of herself. Why shouldn’t Zack have remarried after his divorce from Joanne, have had other children. She had made it plain she wanted no part of his life.

      ‘He hasn’t,’ Josie still frowned.

      She moistened her lips again. ‘Kelly is Joanne’s child?’ she croaked, wondering if the shock could be making her voice fade in this way.

      ‘If that was his wife’s name, yes,’ Josie looked puzzled. ‘Look, are you sure you’re okay?’

      ‘Can’t you see she isn’t,’ Diane scorned. ‘Mr Buchanan is probably another one of those men that belong to another woman who Cynara’s been involved with.’

      ‘Shut up,’ Josie turned on her angrily.

      ‘But can’t you see it’s true,’ Diane derided with contempt. ‘Well his wife is dead now, Cynara, so why don’t you have another shot at him?’ she added insultingly.

      ‘Diane, if you don’t shut up I’ll find a way to make you,’ Josie warned softly.

      Diane flushed. ‘I was only assuring her that Mr Buchanan is a free man now.’

      It was true that Zack had still been married to Joanne when they had met and fallen in love five years ago, but she had been sure they were divorcing each other, that their marriage had broken down completely. But if Kelly were three that meant Zack must have returned to Joanne shortly after their own heated separation. And they had another child to cement their love.

      ‘It’s all right, Josie,’ she told the other woman dully as she would once again have defended her.

      ‘Diane is a bitch—–’

      ‘Just who do you think you’re calling a bitch?’ Diane snapped indignantly.

      ‘You!’ Josie told her without remorse. ‘Can’t you see how upset Cynara is?’

      ‘I can see that one of her past indiscretions has caught up with her,’ the other woman said contemptuously. ‘And about time too. She can’t go around chasing other women’s men—–’

      ‘If you’re talking about Daniel,’ Josie cut in insultingly, ‘then let me tell you he’s the one who does the chasing! I was black and blue my first week here from trying to avoid his advances!’

      ‘How dare you! You—–’

      ‘Oh, shut up, Diane,’ she was told impatiently, Josie coming out from behind the desk to put her arm comfortingly about Cynara’s shoulders. ‘Come on, love, I’ll take you up to your room.’

      Cynara gave a wan smile as she and Josie went up to the room that had been allocated to her for the month of her contract at this hotel. ‘She’ll never forgive you,’ she grimaced.

      Josie gave a shrug that said she wasn’t in the least interested—or worried about Diane. ‘She’s a vindictive bitch,’ she dismissed. ‘It’s time someone put her in her place.’

      ‘Oh, I think you did that,’ Cynara said ruefully, unlocking her door.

      ‘Do you want me to come in with you?’ Josie offered sympathetically.

      ‘Would you mind very much if I wanted to be alone for a while?’ she asked for understanding.

      Josie squeezed her arm encouragingly. ‘I’m available if you ever need someone to talk to.’

      ‘Thank you,’ she said gratefully, going in to her room to fall despondently into an armchair, seeing nothing of the luxurious comfort of the room, only feeling the pain of knowing that the love Zack had once professed to feel for her had only been a fleeting emotion after all, that he had returned to the wife he had admitted he still loved.

       CHAPTER TWO

      THE show wasn’t going well, and she knew it. She only hoped the audience weren’t as aware of it as she was. And it wasn’t entirely due to the disturbing news she had heard that morning. No, that was only part of it, the rest of it was the man who sat so still at the back of the crowded room, every table full in the lounge except the one he sat at, the three other chairs around the СКАЧАТЬ