Fiance For Christmas

‘He thought she was yours,’ she said without emotion.

‘Mine?’ Nick stared from Julia’s beautiful, haggard face to the smooth, rosy cheeks of the little girl. ‘Has he ever seen her?’

‘Of course not,’ said Cassie scornfully.

‘Max must be mad. The nearest I ever got to Julia was to put an arm round her shoulders once. And we all know what happened after that,’ said Nick grimly, then his eyes softened as the child eyed him curiously. ‘But just look at her! She’s the image of Max—a lot like Alice, in fact.’ His eyes darkened. ‘And Alice is missing.’

‘Right, let’s be on our way.’ Cassie gave Emily a kiss and returned her to her mother. ‘Thanks for the key, Julia.’

‘Ring me as soon as you find out anything,’ ordered Julia urgently, hugging her small daughter so tightly Emily protested a little.

‘I will,’ promised Cassie. ‘Night-night, Emily. See you tomorrow.’

Emily flapped her hand, beaming. ‘Ni-night, Cassie.’ She turned large green eyes on Nick. ‘Bye-bye.’

Nick waved back automatically, his eyes riveted on the child’s face, then thanked Julia and said goodbye.

The moment they were back in the car he began demanding explanations. ‘Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me?’ he said eventually. ‘When my brother deigns to put in an appearance I’ll tell him a few home truths, the stupid idiot.’

Cassie let out a screech, clutching at the door handle as they hurtled round a corner. ‘Slow down, or you’ll get the police after you. Anyway, when Max came home and caught you with Julia—’

‘It wasn’t like that!’

‘Whatever you were doing, Max couldn’t take it. After he threw you out he went berserk when Julia told him she was pregnant, and utterly refused to believe the child was his. He told Julia the marriage was over and she couldn’t see Alice again. Which,’ added Cassie with passion, ‘was cruel. Julia had been Alice’s stepmother for only a year, it’s true, but she’d been working in the house for a long time before that as his secretary. They adored each other. The poor little thing was only six years old. It hurt Julia horribly.’ She gave Nick a straight look. ‘It didn’t do Alice much good either. And now we haven’t a clue where Alice is, and your brother is too busy with some prehistoric tribe to come home to his daughter, let alone care that he has another one he’s never seen.’

CHAPTER TWO

WHEN they arrived in Chiswick, Max Seymour’s house was as quiet and deserted as before.

‘Let’s hope he hasn’t changed the locks,’ said Nick grimly.

Cassie sighed with relief as Nick gave a grunt of triumph and opened the door, then switched on lights to reveal an undecorated Christmas tree standing in a bucket near the foot of the stairs, looking incongruous in the panelled hall.

‘Alice!’ yelled Nick, and took the stairs to the upper floor, two at a time. Cassie started after him, then changed her mind as she saw red lights glowing on the telephone on the hall table. With no compunction for listening to Max Seymour’s private business, she pressed the button, her disappointment intense when she heard the voice of his agent, saying he needed to see Max the minute he got back from New Guinea.

You’re not the only one, she thought grimly, then a familiar small voice made her heart beat faster.

‘No one here,’ said Nick, running down the stairs.

Cassie hushed him frantically as Alice’s voice sounded on the machine. ‘Hello, Daddy, this is Alice. I’m in Janet’s house. Mrs Cartwright wanted to take me home with Laura, but I wanted to wait here for you. Janet was here, so I wasn’t on my own. When you didn’t come Janet said best to go home with her for the night and come back tomorrow, because she’s got to cook Ken’s supper. Come and fetch me when you get home,’ ended Alice, on a quavering note which tore at Cassie’s heartstrings.

‘When he does I’ll punch him in the nose,’ said Nick savagely.

‘Who’s Janet?’

‘She looks after the house for Max. She lives in during school holidays, but Ken, whoever he is, obviously had a prior claim tonight.’

‘Where does she live?’

‘Damned if I know. Let’s find out.’ Nick strode across the hall into a masculine, book-lined study dominated by a desk with a computer.

‘So this is where he writes the books,’ said Cassie, feeling a lot better now she knew Alice was safe.

Nick was rummaging through desk drawers at top speed, and seized on a leather address book. ‘Bullseye. I was afraid Max might have kept everything on disk.’ He flipped over pages swiftly, then frowned.

‘What is it?’ demanded Cassie impatiently. ‘Isn’t Janet there?’

‘Yes, she is,’ he said slowly. ‘Her name’s Jenkins.’

‘Is there a telephone number for her?’

Nick nodded, and began punching out numbers on his phone as he handed Cassie the book. ‘Read the other entry under “J”.’

She shot him a curious look, then ran her eye over the other names, her teeth catching in her lower lip as her sister’s name sprang out from the page. She held her breath as Nick began talking to someone on the phone, then let it out thankfully when his eyes blazed with relief.

‘No, don’t wake her up, Janet,’ he was saying. ‘I’m just glad Alice is safe with you. No, I’m afraid there’s no news of her father yet. In the morning tell her I’ll come round here to Chiswick about eleven, if that’s convenient. Thank you very much indeed. Goodnight.’

Nick sat down very suddenly in the captain’s chair behind his brother’s desk. ‘Thank God. Janet’s bringing her back here in the morning.’ He looked at Cassie levelly. ‘So you’ve found Julia’s address in there.’

Cassie nodded. ‘The odd thing is, Nick, it’s the Acton address, and she moved there only recently. He’s obviously keeping tabs on her.’

Nick got up, frowning. ‘On the baby, too?’

‘I don’t know.’ Cassie gave him a wobbly smile. ‘But don’t let Emily hear you say “baby”. She’s a big girl.’ Suddenly the events of the night all closed in on Cassie at once, and to her utter horror tears began rolling down her cheeks.

‘Hey!’ said Nick in alarm. ‘Don’t cry, Cassie. Please!’ He seized her in his arms, but the tears only flowed faster, soaking his thin suit jacket. ‘Look, if you don’t stop I’ll catch pneumonia. I’m not dressed for this weather—I’m freezing. If I get wet on top of it I’ll be in trouble.’

Cassie pulled herself together and pushed him away, sniffing hard as she rummaged in her pocket for a tissue ‘Sorry about that. Reaction. I kept imagining such terrible things—’

‘Don’t!’ said Nick harshly. ‘Alice is safe; that’s all that counts.’

‘Can I borrow your phone to ring Julia, please?’ Cassie’s reddened eyes flashed angrily. ‘I won’t use anything belonging to Max.’

Nick listened unashamedly as Cassie spoke reassuringly to her sister.

‘Thanks,’ she said briefly, handing the phone back.

‘You could have talked longer than that, Cassie.’

‘I couldn’t. Julia was crying too much. With relief, like me.’ Cassie sniffed inelegantly and rubbed at her eyes. ‘At least she can get to sleep now. And, if Emily permits, maybe have a bit of a lie-in tomorrow as it’s Saturday.’

‘What happens in the week?’

‘Julia works for a software manufacturer. The company provides a crèche where she can leave Emily.’

Nick scowled. ‘She’s got a job? No wonder she looks so exhausted.’

‘How else would she manage? Babies are expensive.’