The Baby Claim

‘I left you a letter, Joss,’ he said hurriedly. ‘It explains everything.’

‘How thoughtful.’ She eyed him with scorn. ‘So if I’d come home at the usual time I would have found the bird flown?’

‘I thought it would be easier that way,’ he muttered, and handed her a cup of tea.

Joss slammed it down on a shelf. ‘Easier for you, certainly, Peter.’

He shrugged sulkily. ‘All right. Easier for me. Look, Joss, things haven’t been right between us for a long time.’ He squared his slim shoulders and looked her in the eye. ‘If you want the truth, I’m just not happy with you anymore. You’re older than me, more ambitious, you earn more money—hell, you’re even taller than me. You—you diminish me, Joss. I can’t take it any longer.’

‘I see.’ Joss’s eyes burned angrily in her pale face. ‘So that’s it? The past year means nothing at all to you?’

‘Is it only a year?’ he said with unconscious cruelty. ‘I thought it was longer than that. Anyway, I’m sorry it had to end like this. A pity you came home before I could—’

‘Sneak away?’ she said scathingly.

‘Don’t Joss! Let’s part friends—please,’ he pleaded, and put his hand on her arm.

She flung it away, suddenly unable to bear his touch. ‘Just take your things and go, Peter. A pity my timing was wrong. You could have got away scot-free.’

He stepped back in quick offence. ‘So why were you early?’

Joss clenched her teeth. ‘I just felt like it. Goodbye, Peter.’

He moved towards her, arms outstretched, but backed away in a hurry as he met the look in her eyes. ‘Goodbye, then, Joss. I—I wish things could have been different. If I’d won the Athena job—’

‘I would still be older than you—and taller.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘I never dreamed it mattered so much.’

‘In the beginning it didn’t,’ he muttered.

Joss locked militant eyes with his. ‘Peter, tell me the truth. You owe me that much.’

He frowned. ‘I have told the truth. Hell, I thought I’d even been a bit over the top with it. I never meant to come out with all that stuff about your age—and the height and so on.’

She shrugged impatiently. ‘Never mind all that. Just tell me if there’s someone else.’

‘Another woman? Lord, no,’ said Peter, with unmistakable candour. ‘You’ve always been more woman than I can really handle, Joss. Never had any time—or energy—for anyone else.’

Joss looked across at Adam, taking comfort from the fierce look of distaste in his eyes. ‘Oddly enough, that was the last straw. I lost it completely, made a terrible scene, threw my ring at him and sent him packing. Then I rang a removal firm and arranged to ship most of his belongings to his parents.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘Which is why I’m a bit lacking in home comforts. All the furniture was Peter’s, but I’ve kept the sofa and the bed until—until I buy replacements.’

Adam gave her a probing look. ‘You’ve kept all this secret?’

‘Yes. No one knows yet, other than you.’

‘Not even your parents?’

‘I don’t have any now. And I just couldn’t spoil things for Anna before the party. I told her Peter was away on a course and couldn’t come. She lives in Warwickshire, so it was easy to keep it from her for a while.’

‘No wonder you weren’t in party mood,’ he said dryly.

She pulled a face. ‘One way and another the party was a bit hard to take. Eventually the effort to sparkle was too much, so I spotted that deserted little balcony and vanished for a bit.’

Adam smiled a little. ‘In the circumstances I’m surprised you were so polite when I joined you.’

Joss smiled back guiltily. ‘My first reaction was to snarl and tell you to get lost. But after a while I was glad of your company. It kept me from wallowing in self-pity. It was gallant of you to come to my rescue.’

Adam shook his head. ‘I’m no knight in shining armour, Eve. If the damsel in distress had been less pleasing to the eye I might have felt the same sympathy, but I doubt I’d have done anything about it.’

‘An honest man!’

‘I try to be. I watched your every move from the moment I first saw you. When you did your vanishing trick I seized the moment, grabbed two glasses of champagne and followed you outside.’

Her eyes danced. ‘What would you have done if a vengeful husband had come after you?’

‘Beaten a hasty retreat.’ He grinned. ‘I steer clear of husbands, vengeful or otherwise. I prefer my women unattached.’

‘Your women?’ Joss repeated.

‘A figure of speech.’

Her eyes narrowed suddenly. ‘Are you unattached, by the way?’

‘Yes,’ he said with emphasis. ‘Otherwise this wouldn’t be happening.’

‘Would you like some coffee?’ she said unevenly, very much aware that something was happening.

‘Is that a polite way of asking me to go?’

Joss gave him a long, considering look. ‘No,’ she said quietly. ‘Not if you’d like to stay awhile.’

‘You know I would. And I don’t want any more coffee,’ he said deliberately. ‘Shall I tell you what I do want?’

‘No—please,’ said Joss swiftly. ‘Before Peter and I began to live together we’d been exclusive to each other for a fair time. I’m out of practice at this sort of thing.’

‘What “sort of thing” do you think this is?’ he asked, amused.

‘More to the point, what do you think it is?’

‘A simple desire to get to know you. How about you?’

Joss thought about it, fairly sure that ‘simple’ was the last word to describe her guest. ‘I asked you here for a meal because I was depressed and angry, and you were kind and—’

‘A lot taller than you,’ he finished for her, and Joss laughed, suddenly more at ease.

‘You’re taller than most people!’

‘I’ve never had more cause to be thankful for it than right now,’ he assured her. ‘So, mysterious Eve, come and sit beside me and hold my hand.’

‘Ah, but if I give you my hand will you want more than that?’