Читать книгу Reform of the Rake - CATHERINE GEORGE, Catherine George - Страница 6

LOWRI gave her distinguished, grey-haired male customer a friendly, courteous smile, her amusement well hidden as she gift-wrapped expensive scraps of sexy underwear so very obviously intended for someone other than his wife. When he’d gone she exchanged a grin with her nearest colleague.

‘End of the lunchtime rush?’ She cast a hopeful eye round the suddenly deserted underwear department.

‘Give it five minutes, then it’ll be the afternoon surge of mothers and daughters.’

‘Plain cotton for school,’ agreed Lowri, tidying a rack of lacy silk teddies. ‘I wish I hadn’t taken early lunch— I’m starving already.’

‘Then you’d better have tea with me later,’ said a voice with a familiar, attractive lilt, and Lowri looked up in astonishment to meet a pair of blue eyes bright with accusation.

‘Sarah!’

‘In person. And I hope that blush is guilt, Lowri Morgan,’ said her cousin, plainly incensed. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’

‘Working,’ said Lowri lamely.

‘I managed to puzzle that out for myself,’ retorted Sarah. ‘When did all this happen, may I ask? And why didn’t you let me know?’

Lowri cast a hunted eye at some approaching customers. ‘I meant to soon, cross my heart. Look, I can’t talk now. I get a tea-break at three. Could you meet me upstairs at the coffee-shop?’

‘You bet I could—ask for extra time.’ Sarah fixed her young cousin with a steely eye. ‘You’ve got some explaining to do, young lady. In the meantime I’ll take one of these in thirty-four. And I’ll come back to collect you at three. Be ready.’

Lowri found the required size quickly, wrapped the purchase and took her cousin’s money, promising to see her later, then dealt with a pack of skinny, black-clad girls in leather jackets, all demanding the same make of maximum-bounce, minimum-price bra. For the next hour or so Lowri sold underwear of every category from sensible cotton sports to shameless see-through numbers of the type she’d never possessed herself nor ever dared to. It was some time before she got the chance to beg an extra ten minutes to add on to her tea-break. She hurried back to her post afterwards to attend to a tall man who was contemplating a display of astronomically pricey trifles with no hint of the dogged embarrassment most male customers displayed in the same circumstances.

‘May I help?’ said Lowri, in her usual friendly manner.

He smiled down at her, gold-flecked hazel eyes glinting under a pair of thick, ruler-straight eyebrows. ‘I’m sure you can,’ he said in a deep, drawling voice which flowed over Lowri like warm honey. He waved a hand at the exquisite lace bras. ‘I want two of these things, and the other bits to go with them—one set in thirty-six C, the other in thirty-two E.’ He cast an assessing eye over the display. ‘The first lot in that pinkish colour, I think, and the other one black. Mmm, yes, definitely black.’

Lowri swiftly located the required sizes, riven with envy for the recipients. ‘The knickers come in two styles, sir, the brief and this type.’ She pointed out a sexy lace G-string.

He grinned lazily. ‘The brief in pink, the non-existent one in black.’ He raised one of his distinctive eyebrows. ‘You approve?’

Lowri nodded, pink-cheeked. ‘A popular choice, sir. Would you like them gift-wrapped?’

Her customer, as she’d expected, not only wanted them gift-wrapped, but clearly marked as to which was which, a male request familiar to her after four hectic weeks in the underwear department. And normally Lowri prided herself on deftness and speed at gift-wrapping, but under the bright, amused scrutiny her fingers changed to thumbs, a condition which worsened as Sarah bore down on them, tapping the watch on her wrist.

Lowri threw her an apologetic smile, but Sarah was staring at the man tucking his credit card back into his wallet.

‘Adam!’ she said in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

The man grinned and kissed her on both cheeks. ‘What do you think I’m doing, Sarah? I’m buying underwear.’ He shot a look at Lowri. ‘And damned expensive it is in this place.’

Sarah raised an eyebrow at the tempting packages. ‘I bet I know exactly what you chose, too.’

‘The same stuff Rupert buys you, I imagine,’ he said, the grin wider, and looked at his watch. ‘Let me ply you with tea and sinful cakes upstairs.’

‘Not today, thanks, Adam. I’m just about to feed my young cousin, Lowri, here. Lowri, this is Adam Hawkridge.’

Adam Hawkridge turned the bright gold eyes on Lowri again and held her hand rather longer than necessary as he gave her a white, mega-watt smile. ‘How do you do, Lowri—a pleasure dealing with you. Let’s all have tea together.’

To Lowri’s intense disappointment Sarah refused briskly, telling Adam this was a girls-only bun-fight and she’d take a raincheck for another time. Wistfully, Lowri murmured something polite as Adam took his leave, then raced after him with the packages he’d forgotten.

‘Your parcels, Mr Hawkridge!’

He swung round, smiling. ‘Thank you. Pity about tea,’ he added in an undertone. ‘Another day, perhaps?’

Lowri blushed again, said something incoherent and hurried back to Sarah.

‘Wow!’ she said breathlessly. ‘What a gorgeous man.’

Sarah shook her head emphatically. ‘Not for you, love. Gorgeous he may be, but he’s a notorious heartbreaker.’

‘I wasn’t thinking of marrying him,’ said Lowri tartly. ‘I’ll just get my bag.’

Once they were settled at a corner table in the coffee-shop Sarah fixed her cousin with a commanding blue eye.

‘Now,’ she ordered. ‘Talk! When did all this come about? Have you quarrelled with your father? Why haven’t you been in touch—where are you living?’

Lowri bit into a profiterole with enthusiasm. ‘I came up here a month ago, but no quarrel with Dad, since you ask. I’m squashed in with four other girls in a flat in Shepherds Bush pro tern, and I intended making contact soon, Sarah, really I did, but I—I wanted to get my bearings first.’

‘Which doesn’t explain why someone with perfectly good secretarial skills is selling underwear to earn a crust, Lowri Morgan,’ said her cousin severely. ‘I thought you had a steady job in Newport.’

‘So did I. But my boss took early retirement, and bingo, no place for little Lowri.’

‘Surely you could have found something in the same line?’

‘Not easy. Besides—’ Lowri shrugged, smiling wryly.

‘It gave me the ideal excuse to get away. Right away.’

Sarah poured tea, frowning. ‘You said no quarrel, but are there problems at home?’

‘Only for me. Dad’s in seventh heaven.’ Lowri sighed guiltily. ‘I keep telling myself my father’s only forty-seven and very attractive and perfectly entitled to a second wife only a few years older than me. And I adore Holly. Really I do. But sharing a house with two newlyweds who can’t keep their hands off each other—particularly when one of them is your father—is pretty hard to take, Sarah. I got a nice little cheque from my old firm in Newport, Dad gave me a bit more, and one of the girls I worked with knew someone who needed another flatmate up here, so I left the land of my fathers and managed to get this job pretty quickly, thank goodness. It’s only part time, but it’s financing me while I do some serious job-hunting.’

Sarah eyed her narrowly. ‘And are you enjoying life more?’

Lowri pulled a face. ‘I didn’t at first. I was even feeble enough to feel homesick for a while. But I’m settling down now.’

‘How did my favourite uncle take to the move?’

‘Torn between objections to the idea, and euphoria at the prospect of privacy and solitude with Holly.’

‘Are you jealous?’

Lowri thought it over. ‘Not of Holly,’ she said slowly. ‘Only of what they’ve got together, I think. And Mum’s been dead a long time. Dad deserves his happiness. Only I just couldn’t stand playing gooseberry.’ She smiled cheerfully. ‘Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about Dominic and Emily—and that scrumptious husband of yours.’

‘Rupert’s the same, only more so.’ Sarah smiled wryly. ‘Up to his ears in his latest book and prone to vile moods when the flow doesn’t flow, as usual. My son seems to have some of his father’s brains, but a far sunnier disposition, thankfully, while Emily sails through life happy in the belief that everyone loves her.’

‘Which they do!’

‘Up to now,’ agreed Sarah. ‘But she starts proper school in the autumn, so things may change.’ She gave Lowri a militant look. ‘I shall expect you for the day on Sunday—no excuses.’

Lowri smiled happily and got to her feet. ‘Try to keep me away! Sundays in London can drag a bit.’

‘Then why on earth didn’t you get in touch before?’

‘I didn’t want to cadge, Sarah.’

‘You, Lowri Morgan, are an idiot. But I understand—no one better,’ added Sarah, and kissed her. ‘I was just the same when I first came to the big city. Right, I’m off. Come any time after breakfast on Sunday—or even before, if you like.’

Lowri shook her head, chuckling. ‘I’ll come in time for lunch—but thanks, Sal. I’ll look forward to it.’

As she fought claustrophobia in the Underground on her way home, then battled for tenancy of the bathroom later that evening, Lowri’s mood remained buoyant as she thought of Sunday with the Clares in St John’s Wood. Her cousin Sarah, one of the three beautiful daughters of the Reverend Glyn Morgan in Lowri’s native village of Cwmderwen, near Monmouth, was the wife of Rupert Clare, a novelist bankable enough to sell film rights to his books. Sunday would be fun. And she would enjoy it all the more because she hadn’t given in and invited herself as she’d longed to do ever since her arrival in London.

The Clares’ house in St John’s Wood was a large, light-filled house with a sizeable walled garden at the back, and a converted coach house which housed the family cars on the ground floor and provided a self-contained flat on the floor above for Rupert’s constant stream of secretaries, few of whom stayed for long. After a heart-warming welcome from Dominic and Emily, Lowri looked up to see Rupert loping down the curve of the graceful staircase, hands outstretched, Sarah close behind him.

‘Who’s a sly one then, little cousin?’ he said, shaking his head, then gave her a hug and a smacking kiss. ‘Escaped from the claws of the dragon, I hear!’

‘If that’s your way of saying I’ve left home, yes.’ She grinned up at her cousin’s charismatic husband. ‘Hello, Rupert, nice to see you.’

‘You wouldn’t say that if you’d had to live with him this week,’ said Sarah with feeling. ‘Mrs Parks is not only the least efficient secretary Rupert’s ever had but also the most timorous, which brings out the sadist in him. She’s driving the great author mad. And I flatly refuse to take over from her—but you don’t want to hear about that. Come into the conservatory. We’ll picnic in there to enjoy the April sunshine.’

With Emily clinging to her hand, and Dominic telling her all about the new school he was going to shortly, Lowri basked in the glow of Clare hospitality as she leaned back in a comfortable wicker chair, sipping happily from a tall frosted glass decorated with mint and slices of fruit.

‘Pimms for us, fruit juice for the small fry,’ said Rupert, handing a beaker to his daughter. ‘You, Dominic, are promoted to the dignity of a glass.’

‘Gee thanks,’ said his son with sarcasm. ‘Couldn’t I have just a sip of Pimms, Dad?’

‘No fear,’ said his mother, smiling to soften the blow. ‘There’s the doorbell. Off you go to answer it, please.’

‘Mummy says you live in London now,’ said Emily, beaming up at Lowri. ‘Why aren’t you living with us?’

‘I’ve got a flat,’ said Lowri hastily, and Rupert snorted.

‘Fifth share of one, I hear.’

‘One girl is moving out next week, thank goodness.’ Lowri pulled a face. ‘Which means my rent will rise, but at least I’ll get a room with a wardrobe, and more chance of the bathroom.’ Her eyes narrowed suddenly at the sound of voices in the hall. One of them was vaguely familiar. She threw a questioning look at her cousin.

‘We’ve got two other guests today, love,’ explained Sarah. ‘After I met Adam Hawkridge in your shop the other afternoon he rang up and invited us out to something he calls brunch today. I told him we had company and asked him here instead, which meant including the current girlfriend, as usual.’

As Dominic showed the new guests into the conservatory Lowri got to her feet politely, wishing she’d worn something smarter than jeans and a striped cotton shirt as she shook hands with a leggy, narrow-hipped blonde encased in a ribbed white cashmere dress which drew all eyes to her startlingly prominent breasts. Adam Hawkridge, Lowri was relieved to see, wore jeans older than her own, plus a sweater over an open-necked shirt. He smiled at Lowri in gratifying recognition.

‘Well, well—the little cousin!’ He clasped her hand warmly. ‘This is my friend, Fiona Childe.’

Lowri murmured something suitable, then watched, amused, as the girl gushed over the house to Sarah, cooed at the children briefly then turned the full battery of her charms on Rupert.

‘Miss Thirty-two E, black lace,’ murmured a deep voice in Lowri’s ear, and she stiffened, swallowing a giggle.

‘Not today,’ she couldn’t help whispering. ‘It would show through.’

‘Really?’ Adam grinned down at her as he accepted a drink from Rupert. ‘How very interesting.’

‘What’s interesting?’ demanded Emily.

‘You are,’ said Adam promptly and sat down with Emily on his knee, stretching out a hand to Dominic at the same time. ‘Right then, you two, tell me what you’ve been up to.’

This man is preposterously attractive, thought Lowri as she watched him charm the children. Taken feature by feature, his heavy eyebrows and wide, slightly crooked mouth had no pretensions to good looks, and his forceful nose had suffered a dent at some time, but somehow the sum of it all added up to something irresistible. And quite apart from his looks Adam Hawkridge possessed effortless charm all the more powerful for the hint of steel under it all. Rake he might be, but a potently attractive one in every way, thought Lowri as she listened to the inanities Fiona was burbling about her hairdresser.

‘That’s a frightfully clever cut—where do you have yours done?’ she asked, eyeing Lowri’s boyish crop with interest. ‘Is the colour natural or do you have it tinted?’

‘Sloe-black, crow-black Welsh hair like Sarah’s,’ Rupert informed her.

‘There’s a man in the hair salon where I work,’ explained Lowri. ‘He did it half-price for me.’

‘You’re a hairdresser?’ exclaimed Fiona, flabbergasted.

‘No, I sell underwear.’

‘In the West End, not door to door,’ added Rupert, poker-faced.

‘How fascinating,’ said Fiona blankly, losing all interest in Lowri on the spot.

Adam Hawkridge, however, more than made up for the deficit. During the meal he installed himself next to Lowri, asking her all kinds of questions about herself in between telling Dominic and Emily about his recent trip to Japan.

‘How’s your father?’ asked Rupert later, refilling wineglasses.

‘Retiring soon,’ said Adam, sobering a little.

‘Does that mean you’ll be in charge of the company?’ asked Sarah.

‘Afraid so. All good things come to an end, so no more globe-trotting for yours truly. I’ll be a desk-bound sober citizen at last.’ He grinned challengingly. ‘Did I hear someone say “about time”?’

Fiona tossed back her hair, pouting. ‘Does that mean no more Ascot and Henley and so on?’

‘Afraid so—to the first two, anyway.’ The hazel eyes gleamed suggestively. ‘I might be able to fit in a bit of so-on now and again, perhaps.’

Fiona gave a little scream of laughter. ‘O-o-o-h, Adam!’

Sarah and Lowri sprang up simultaneously to clear away, avoiding each other’s eyes. They refused offers of help from the men, who went out into the garden with the children to play cricket, while Fiona remained firmly where she was, reclining on a wicker chaise with a pile of magazines,

‘What does he see in her?’ said Sarah in disapproval as she loaded the dishwasher.

‘Oh come on, Sal, two reasons hit you in the eye! She’s the black lace thirty-two E I sold him that day. Adam told me.’ Lowri grinned as she stored salad in a plastic container. ‘Mind you he’s got someone else on the go, too. He bought the same things in angel blush, thirty-six C.’

‘Typical! Next week he’ll probably be back for more of the same in two quite different sizes.’

‘Why do men go unfailingly for sexy underwear, I wonder? Does Rupert?’

Sarah nodded. ‘Pretty pointless, really.’

Lowri eyed her cousin curiously. ‘Why?’

‘Because the minute a man sees you decked out in that stuff he wants to take it off, of course!’

Lowri blushed to the roots of her hair.

Sarah eyed her narrowly. ‘Ah! You’ve already discovered that for yourself.’

‘Only once.’

‘Not a happy experience?’

‘No. My social life was pretty uncomplicated up to then, just enjoying dates with blokes I’d been to school with, and one or two men I’d met through my job. Then disaster struck. I got emotionally involved.’

‘What happened?’

‘Not a lot. The object of my affections forgot to mention he was married, the pig. It put me off men for a while. And since I’ve come up to London I haven’t met anyone at all.’ Lowri smiled ruefully. ‘I hoped I would, to be honest. But so far the streets of London aren’t exactly paved with eligible males eager to buy me romantic dinners.’

‘Oh, dear, oh, dear, we’ll have to do something about you,’ said Sarah, the light of battle in her eye. ‘I’ll ask Rupert—’

‘No, you won’t,’ interrupted Lowri promptly, ‘I came up to London to manage my own life, remember. Let me have a go at it for a bit on my own, please, Sal.’

Sarah patted her cheek. ‘Sorry—interfering again. Come on, let’s drag Miss Thirty-two E into the garden for some cricket.’

But Fiona refused to budge, too careful of her hairdo to set foot outside the conservatory. Sarah and Lowri left her to her magazines and went to join in some energetic fielding while the menfolk batted, bowled and kept wicket in turn.

‘How about you, Lowri?’ asked Adam, offering the bat to her. ‘Fancy your chances?’

‘I don’t mind having a try,’ she said demurely, and let him show her how to grip the handle correctly. She winked at Dominic, who grinned from ear to ear as Adam jogged down the lawn ready to deliver a nice, easy ball to the beginner. Rupert, hunkered down behind her to keep wicket, smothered a laugh as Lowri danced down the wicket to the tame delivery, smashing it away into the shrubbery with a perfect forward drive.

Adam stared, open-mouthed as Dominic raced to retrieve it. ‘I see, I see,’ he said ominously, scowling at Lowri. ‘Having me on, were you?’ He put up a hand to catch the ball then came sprinting down the wicket in earnest, letting fly a full toss which Lowri swiped over his head with ease to wild applause from the four Clares. She dealt with his three successive deliveries with equal disrespect, until she grew careless and lofted a ball which Dominic sprang up and took spectacularly with one hand, winning concerted applause all round, loudest of all from the bowler.

Adam came sprinting towards Lowri, his eyes hot with accusation. ‘Don’t tell me that was beginner’s luck!’

‘Nah!’ said Dominic scornfully. ‘Her Dad’s captain of the village cricket team where Lowri comes from. He taught her to play cricket when she was littler than Emily.’

‘No son, you see,’ said Lowri apologetically. ‘Dad had to teach his skills to me. Not,’ she added, ‘that I get to use them much.’

Adam grinned. ‘Did he teach you to bowl, too?’

‘Only tame medium pace stuff.’

He handed her the ball. ‘Right. Come on, then.’

‘It’s my turn to bat,’ pointed out Rupert, aggrieved, as Adam took his stance in front of the wicket.

‘Later—I want my revenge first!’

But Adam, swiping mightily at the third ball Lowri delivered, sent it straight through the window in the coach house office in a hail of broken glass, bringing the match to an early close.

Astonished by the howls of laughter from her hosts, Fiona burst from the conservatory to hurl recriminations at Adam, winning her deep disapproval from Emily, who slid a small comforting hand into his large one in consolation as he apologised profusely.

‘Don’t worry—Mrs Parks can type in the conservatory tomorrow,’ said Rupert, clapping him on the shoulder.

With promises to settle the bill for the damage, Adam took reluctant leave, prompted by a petulant reminder from Fiona that they were expected for dinner elsewhere that night. Despite her urgings he took his time in parting from Dominic and Emily, even contriving a private word with Lowri while Fiona went upstairs to make unnecessary repairs to her face.

‘For a pint-sized lady,’ he said, his eyes glinting, ‘you pack an almighty wallop, Lowri Morgan.’

‘It comes in useful from time to time,’ she admitted demurely.

‘For beating off importunate lovers?’

‘Not too many of those around,’ she said candidly.

Adam Hawkridge shook his shiny brown hair back, frowning. ‘Why not?’

‘I wish I knew,’ she said without thinking, then regretted it as she saw the gleam in his eyes.

‘It’s not personal preference, then? You don’t have anything deep-seated against my sex?’

‘Not too deep-seated, no,’ she said warily.

‘Splendid.’ He smiled and shook her hand. ‘I’m very glad Sarah invited me here today. Goodbye, little cousin.’

Lowri, pressed to stay for supper once the others had left, accepted with alacrity. She helped Emily get ready for bed, read her a story, then gave Sarah a hand with the meal, which Dominic was allowed to share before he too went off to bed and left the other three alone. Lowri found herself listening with shameless avidity when Sarah and Rupert discussed Adam Hawkridge’s future destiny as they lingered over coffee round the kitchen table.

‘A bit of a playboy, our Adam,’ mused Rupert, ‘but a brilliant electronics engineer just the same, with a definite flair for marketing. He’ll fill his father’s shoes very ably—far more than his brother would have done.’

‘Rupert was in school with Peter Hawkridge,’ explained Sarah.

‘I often spent part of the holidays with his family,’ added Rupert. ‘Adam was only a kid in those days, of course. Can’t be much more than early thirties even now. He’s packed such a lot in his life that one tends to forget his youth.’

‘Why isn’t his brother taking over the business?’ asked Lowri.

‘He’s dead, pet. Smashed himself up in his car when his wife went off with another man. Adam was at Harvard Business School at the time.’

‘Gosh, how tragic. What sort of business is it?’ added Lowri, trying not to sound too interested.

‘Hawke Electronics rents software to a worldwide clientele. Adam’s father built the company from scratch, and believes in ploughing back a fair percentage on research and development.’ Rupert held out his cup for more coffee. ‘And since Adam’s return from the States the number of software programmes they provide has tripled. He’s one bright cookie, our Adam. Dan Hawkridge is damn lucky to have such an able son to follow in his footsteps.’

‘Adam switched off a bit at the prospect at lunch, though, wouldn’t you say?’ said Sarah, joining her husband on the sofa.

Rupert put his arm round her. ‘The weight of future responsibility, I suppose. Once Adam’s in charge, Dan’s taking his wife off on the world cruise he’s promised her.’

‘In the meantime Adam will work his way through as many Fiona types as possible, I suppose, before he knuckles down,’ said Sarah acidly.

‘Does his taste always run to brainless blondes?’ asked Lowri, chuckling.

‘I don’t think our Adam specifies hair colour, precisely. His women do tend to be leggy and well endowed in the bosom department, now I come to think of it. Why?’ added Sarah in alarm. ‘You’re not thinking—?’

‘No, of course not,’ said Lowri promptly. ‘I’m neither leggy nor blonde, remember. I like Adam, that’s all. Dominic and Emily like him, too.’

‘They dote on him,’ agreed their mother. ‘Adam will make a good father when he’s ready. Retired rakes always do.’ She smiled up at Rupert. ‘As I know from experience!’