A Paper Marriage Read Free Page A

attend to in my study,' Wilmot Pearson commented before Lydie had answered. `It's good to see you, Lydie. Let's hope you'll be able to stay.'

    No sooner had he gone from the room than her mother was back to the forbidden subject. `Well?' she questioned. `Will you?'

    Lydie knew what she was asking, just as she knew that she did not want to go and see Jonah Marriott. `You're quite sure he hasn't paid that loan back?' she hedged. Her mother gave her a vinegary look. `Perhaps he can't afford to pay it back,' Lydie commented. `All firms work on an overdraft basis, you recently said so,' she reminded her mother, but, still shaken by the haggard look of her father, wondered why she was prevaricating about going to see Jonah Marriott. Her mother chose to ignore her comments, instead scorning, `Of course he can afford to pay it back-many times over. His father made a packet when he sold his department stores. Ambrose Marriott might be one tough operator but I can't see him giving to one son and not the other-and the younger Marriott boy hasn't done a day's work since the deal was done. They're all sitting on Easy Street,' her mother said with a heartfelt sigh, `and just look at us!'

    Lydie glanced at her parent, and while the last thing she wanted to do was to go and ask Jonah Marriott for the money he owed to her father, she knew that the time for prevaricating was over. She looked at her watch. Half past four. She had better get a move on. `Do you have his number?"

     

    'You can't discuss this with him over the telephone!' her mother snorted. `You need to be there, face to face. You need to impress on him how-'

    `I was going to ring his office for an appointment,' Lydie interrupted. `He's hardly likely to see me without one.' And if he guesses what it's about he'll probably say no anyway!

     

    `I don't want your father to catch you. You'd better make your call from your room,' Hilary Pearson decided. And, not allowing her daughter to consider changing her mind, 'I'll come up with you."

    'Marriott Electronics,' a pleasant voice answered when up in her old bedroom Lydie had dialled the number.

    `Mr. Marriott please,' Lydie said firmly, striving with all she had to keep her voice from shaking.

    `Mr. Jonah Marriott,' she tacked on, just in case Jonah had taken other members of the Marriott clan into the business. `One moment, please,' the telephonist answered, but even though Lydie's stomach did a tiny somersault at the thought she might soon be speaking to the man she had seen only once but had never forgotten, she did not think she would be put through to him as easily as that.

    Her stomach settled down when the next voice she heard was a calm and pleasant voice informing her, `Mr. Marriott's office.'

     

    `Oh, hello,' Lydie said in a rush. `My name's Lydie Pearson. I wonder if it's possible for me to have a word with Mr. Marriott? "

    'I'm afraid Mr. Marriott's out of the office until Friday. Is there anything I can help you with?' Pleasant, polite, but Lydie knew she was getting nowhere.

    `Oh,' she murmured, then paused for a moment, very much aware of her mother's tense gaze on her. `I wanted to see him rather urgently. Um-perhaps I should ring him at home,' she pondered out loud, knowing in advance that she had small chance the woman-his PA, most probably-would let her have his private number.

    `Actually, Mr. Marriott is out of the country until late on Thursday evening.'

    Oh, grief, she wanted this over and done with. 'I'll ring again on Friday,' Lydie said pleasantly, and rang off to be confronted by her mother, who wanted to hear syllable by syllable what had been said.

    `We're going to lose the house!' Hilary Pearson cried. `I know it! I know it!' And Lydie, who had never before seen her mother in a state of panic, began more than ever to appreciate how very dire the situation was-and she started to get angry- with Jonah Marriott.

    `No, we won't,' she said as calmly as she could. 'I'll go and see Jonah