A Paper Marriage by Jessica Steele Page B

the wedding was as much a mystery to her as ever. But come he had and, she had to admit, he had done nothing to let her down. Though that didn't alter the fact that she still had that sword of fifty-five thousand pounds dangling over her head. Heaven alone knew what Jonah would come up with- and would he be prepared to wait while she earned enough to pay him back?

    Lydie drove at a sedate pace and it was a little after seven when they reached her great-aunt's home. Lydie went indoors with her, and was concerned enough about her great-aunt's lack of colour to suggest she wouldn't mind keeping her company overnight.

    `That would be nice!' Alice Gough exclaimed. `I don't see nearly enough of you, Lydie.'

     

    Feeling a touch guilty that, for all she wrote regularly to her great-aunt, she could have visited her more often than she had, Lydie made a mental note that, no matter in which part of the country she would end up working, she would make all efforts to visit her more frequently.

    They discussed the day's events, with Alice Gough asking, `When are you seeing Jonah again?"

    'Tomorrow,' Lydie answered truthfully, and her aunt smiled serenely. `I think you'll do very well together,' she commented.

    Lydie opened her mouth to state that there was nothing serious between her and Jonah Marriott, but her great-aunt was looking ready to doze again, and Lydie thought it might be a better idea to talk in terms of going to bed.

    Aunt Alice decided she had eaten enough that day to last her a week and required nothing more than a warm drink. She insisted on making it herself, but did allow Lydie to make up her own bed. Eventually Lydie said goodnight to her but, not ready for sleep, she stayed downstairs.

    Lydie pottered about, tidying up the kitchen and idly thinking of how her parents had decided to stay an extra night at their hotel. Out of consideration for their housekeeper, who was expecting her to return, Lydie got out her mobile phone and rang Mrs. Ross to say she would not be home until tomorrow.

    Next Lydie sat down to think about her meeting with Jonah the next evening. She was seeing him at seven, but owned she was feeling more than a shade uneasy about that meeting. Nor was she too thrilled either that, when he full well knew she had a date tomorrow night, the arrogant devil, without thinking about it, expected her to cancel it!

    Well, she jolly well wouldn't cancel it, she thought mutinously. Surely the business they were to discuss-her repaying that colossal sum of money he had given her- would not take all evening? To her way of thinking, their meeting should be all over and done with by seven-thirty.

     

    Then Lydie remembered the effortless way Jonah had of sparking her to annoyance, and of generally upsetting her. If the same thing happened in their half- hour discussion tomorrow, would she feel at all like leaving his apartment and going on to Charlie's? Charlie wanted dinner and sympathy over his problem with the forward Rowena Fox. Lydie understood his excruciating shyness. She had suffered similarly-still did hit a wall of shyness occasionally-but in the main had outgrown the affliction. So, while she had every sympathy with Charlie, and the shyness he unluckily had never outgrown, she could not help but ponder if, after a half-hour business session with Jonah-whom she suspected was a tough business negotiator- she would feel up to the task of boosting up Charlie's basement-level confidence.

    Another five minutes of tugging at it and she picked up her phone. `I can't make tomorrow after all, Charlie,' she told him straight away.

    `Ooh, Lydie!' he wailed. `What am I going to tell Rowena on Monday?"

    'Do you want to go out with her?"

    'Well, yes, I suppose I do. But-'

    `But nothing, Charlie. Has she, Rowena, been out with any of your colleagues?"

    'Not that I know of. Several have asked her, but so far as I know she turned them down.'

    `So what does that tell you?'

    Charlie thought for some