Part Time Marriage Read Free Page B

h-husband tem...' Temporarily, she would have said, had he given her thechance.

    `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, I'm not!' she erupted, unsure if she was glad or sorry that her information was erroneous. Though, hang on-it wasn't 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, wouldn't he? `We have a mutual friend, sort of,' she hurried on.

    `Who?' he rapped. Don't beat about the bush, come straight to the point, why don't you? `That's not important just now.'

    'So-what is important?"

    'You sounded much more pleasant the last time I heard you talking,' Elexa said without thinking.

    `I've 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?"

    'Nothing-other than...'

    `A husband, in return for a son-and 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 I'm that hard-up I'll 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.

    `Hello,' she said, and was shaken rigid to hear the voice of the man upon whom she had just slammed the receiver down. `So what's with the proposition?' he said toughly.

    Proposition !He thought, Mr Clever, dial one-four-seven-one to get his last caller's number-so much for wanting to remain anonymous-that she was propositioning him! `Forget it!' she snapped furiously. `I'd 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 wasn't 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. 'She'll 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 couldn't 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 Elexa's side ever since he'd arrived. `Don't worry about it.He's-er-nice.'

    `Nice,' Joanna mouthed silently, and they exchanged cousinly grins. But