By eight-thirty she could delay no longer, and besides she was sensible enough to realise that if she did not leave soon, it was going to be past midnight before she arrived at her destination. She grimaced faintly at the thought of having to knock her host up out of bed. Joss would not be pleased. No doubt he had expected her to go rushing down there straight from the office, she reflected wryly, terrified out of her little mind by the thought of displeasing him.

She suspected that her inability to handle David successfully had given Joss a contempt of her professional abilities in general. If she wanted to keep her job--and she did--she would just have to reverse that impression. and she was going to start by showing Joss that she was not at all afraid of him!

It was only as she got into the car that she realised that she was at last going to realise her teenage dream of occupying Haughton House, even if it was only briefly. Smiling rather grimly, she started the car. So many other things had happened to her since the last time she had seen the house, that her pa.s.sionate love for it as a teenager had completely faded into obsolescence.

CHAPTER SIX.

Joss was not in bed when she arrived, and neither was he alone. A scarlet Mercedes sports car was parked next to his Porsche, and as Sarah brought the Metro to a halt, she wondered why Joss had been so insistent that she drive down tonight, if he was already entertaining guests.

She got out of the car and went up to the front door to ring the bell.

From outside it was impossible to see what work had already been done to the house. Problems with the contractors had been Steven's explanation for Joss's inability to return to London.

The front door opened, and Sarah stepped through it to confront her host. He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt; the shirt opened at the throat, his hair faintly disordered. For some reason her mouth went dry, and she had to fight to drag her gaze away from him.

"You took your time."

So. there was to be no chivalrous respite. Battle was already engaged.

"I'm not a fast driver," she responded with equanimity, 'and I didn't leave town until nearly nine. "

"You don't need to explain...1 hardly expected you to come rushing down quivering with eager antic.i.p.ation."

His choice of words disturbed her, as she was convinced they meant to conjure up, as they did, memories of an occasion when she had literally quivered with eager antic.i.p.ation and she was grateful for the lack of light in the hall to hide her expression.

She was just growing accustomed to its dimness when a light, feminine voice called out impatiently, "Joss, what on earth are you doing, darling?"

Now even more than before she was glad of the shielding darkness. No need any more to wonder about the racy Mercedes parked outside. Was this another deliberate move on Joss's part-reinforcement of how little desire he had to promote any further intimacy between them?

Punishment for the surely very small dent she had made in his pride?

Loweringly, the thought struck her that Joss was hardly likely to be affected by her feelings one way or the other. Why should he want to show her that there were other women in his life? That there must be had already been perfectly apparent to her.

The owner of the voice came tapping impatiently on high heels into the hall. In its dim light Sarah saw the pale glint of her expensively coiffured blonde hair. She came towards them, ignoring Sarah to link one slim tanned arm through Joss's.

"DUt. " Qg," she purred huskily, 'you're keeping me wA.^mg..." Red lips pouted seductively and with ^ cftia^ shock Sarah realised that despite the skilful ^alee-up the woman was much older than she h^J Qfst thought--closer to her mid-thirties than hA- mid-twenties. Only the faint lines on her skin bAy-ay6^ mat ^act' th^gh. Hter figure was as slim ^ a gi^'^ her P10^ cotton jumpsuit, with its zip ppeo to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, something that Sarah herself^ ^o11^ have thought twice about wearing.

An extro^11' used to getting her own way. and v^y very determined under that little girl pose, Sarah suspected, waiting politely in the shadows for ^oss to introduce her.

"Ah ... but keeping you waiting makes you all the more eager, Helene,"

he drawled softly, flicking the beautifully modelled nose with one finger.

The blonde pouted again, and made a husky sound of pleasure deep in her throat. Sarah suspected that the other woman was trying to embarra.s.s her, but it wasn't embarra.s.sment she was feeling, it was. it was nothing she told herself sternly. and certainly never, never jealousy.

What right did she have to feel that sort of emotion?

None. none at all. "Who's your little friend, darling?" the blonde asked at last, when Joss made no attempt to introduce them.

"A member of my new staff," Joss told her laconically.

"Oh." The tone of the blonde's voice changed.

"I see.. one of the secretaries I suppose..." Her voice trailed away, dismissively. Sarah felt her skin p.r.i.c.kle with dislike.

"Actually, no." She could tell by the amus.e.m.e.nt in Joss's voice that he was enjoying her discomfort and moreover that he was perfectly aware afher resentment.

"Sarah is the editor ofLeichner & Holland's women's list."

"Oh." If anything Helene's voice was even cooler.

"Sarah come and be introduced to an old friend of mine, Helene Standish. You might know Helene rather better under her stage name--she's Rosemary Parish."

Sarah recognised the latter name immediately. She had seen the actress in several television plays and had not liked the open s.e.xuality she always seemed to bring to her roles.

Even so she hid her aversion and extended her [land formally murmuring, "Yes, of course... I've seen you on television.

"And with a bit of luck you'll soon be reading tier first novel," Joss told her smoothly, ignoring this companion's slight pout.

"Darling...1 thought we agreed that we wouldn't say anything about my book until it was Finished."

"Well, since it will be included on Sarah's list..."

His casual a.s.sumption that a ma.n.u.script that she herself had not even seen yet was already on her list infuriated Sarah, but she hid her anger and said instead, "It sounds extremely interesting, Miss Standish. I'll look forward to reading it."

"It's Mrs.. actually," Helene told her icily.

"I've retained my married name even though I'm now divorced ... but I'm sure there won't be any need for you to read my worker Sarah. Joss will do that.

To be honest I prefer a man's opinion. "

Sarah was sure she did, but even so she could not resist saying sweetly, "For women's fiction?" Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I.

admit there are some excellent male editors of the genre but they're very few and far between. "

Helene was looking at her as though she was having trouble believing her ears, her silvery laughter faintly forced as she exclaimed, "Good heavens Joss, you're going to have to teach your staff who's boss, I think. By the way ... what is she doing here?"

So she was reduced to 'she' now was she, Sarah thought grimly, awaiting Joss's explanation with a certain amount of acid pleasure.

She was not disappointed.

"Sarah has brought down her list for me to oversee," Joss told Helene briefly.

Icy blue eyes flashed dangerously over Sarah.

"I see, so that's what you meant when you said you were going to be busy this weekend, darling... This new job must be awfully important to you."

The insult behind the words was staggeringly plain, but Sarah refused to respond to it.