Burning Obsession Read online

  ‘If she finds out she won’t like it.’ Jordan’s voice had been lazily amused.

  Kelly had been in the process of entering the office, but something had held her back. If she had walked in she would have been confronted with guilty faces, although no doubt Jordan would have carried off the moment with his usual arrogance.

  Angela had given a husky laugh, completely confident. ‘She won’t find out. There’s absolutely no reason why she should.’

  ‘You obviously don’t know her very well, she’s a very possessive young lady.’ Jordan still sounded amused. ‘Arid her father is very influential in the business world. There could be trouble.’

  ‘That wouldn’t stop us meeting,’ Angela declared.

  ‘I guess it wouldn’t at that,’ Jordan had laughed. ‘You’re very sure of yourself, Angela.’

  ‘Shouldn’t I be?’ The secretary’s voice was huskily suggestive.

  ‘Yes, I think maybe you should.’

  Angela gave a throaty laugh. ‘I know my own potential.’

  ‘With good reason, I should say,’ Jordan said softly.

  ‘Jordan,’ Angela’s voice was persuasive, ‘do you think before Kelly has her baby we could take some time off to go away together? I realise it won’t be possible after that, you’ll be too busy.’

  ‘I suppose I could arrange a couple of days. Okay, Angie, you make the arrangements and let me know when you want to go.’

  ‘Oh, thank you, Jordan!’ Angela had cried ecstatically. ‘I’ll go and do that now.’

  That had been the moment Kelly had come to her senses, the moment she had run sobbing from the building, the reason she couldn’t even bear Jordan near her when he came to the hospital later.

  Kelly groaned, the memories as painful as if it had been yesterday. It was no good, she would never sleep now. She got up and dressed in denims and a warm jumper, and crept softly down the stairs. Maybe a walk would help relax her, taken her mind off these deep, dark thoughts.

  London was strangely silent this time of the morning; a few people were still on the streets, but it was nowhere near as crowded as it always was during the day. Kelly enjoyed her window-shopping, ignoring the attempts of several men to pick her up. After all, she must look very suspect wandering around the streets, obviously aimlessly. The men took their rebuffs goodnaturedly, although Kelly was wise enough to realise she might not be as fortunate the next time, turning for home, her purposeful steps precluding anyone talking to her this time.

  It was after four o’clock in the morning when she let herself back into the house and went to the kitchen to take herself a much-needed cup of coffee.

  It was strangely eerie sitting in the silence of the stainless-steel kitchen. She felt like the only person awake in the world, like—what was that? She had heard a noise from somewhere in the house. Surely no one else was awake this early in the morning? Perhaps it was her father, unable to sleep because of the terrible shock he had received earlier.

  There it was again, and it sounded like a groan this time. Oh lord, she thought, he wasn’t ill again, was he?

  She traced the noise to Jordan’s study. What on earth was her father doing in there? The door creaked as she slowly pushed it open, disturbing the man sprawled across the couch, an empty bottle of whisky lying beside him on the carpeted floor beside him. Jordan!

  Kelly walked over to him. The room reeked of whisky, some of it was actually spilt on the floor if she wasn’t mistaken, which should please the housekeeper. Jordan groaned once again as she touched his shoulder, his eyes flickering open, their grey depths bleary and unfocusing as he blinked up at her.

  ‘Wh—what do you want?’ his voice was slurred. ‘Why can’t you stay away from me? Leave me alone. Go away, I tell you!’ He feebly struck out at her.

  ‘I will not!’ she said angrily, shaking him as his eyes began to close. ‘Wake up, Jordan. Come on,’ she pulled at his arm. ‘You can’t stay here.’

  ‘I can stay where I damn well please,’ he scowled at her.

  ‘You should be in bed,’ she told him impatiently.

  His expression was scornful. ‘What’s the point, you won’t share it with me.’

  Deep colour flooded her cheeks. ‘Go to bed, Jordan,’ she said tightly.

  He turned over, closing his eyes. ‘I’m perfectly com—com—I’m all right where I am,’ he amended sleepily.

  ‘Jordan!’ Kelly shook him again. ‘Jordan, wake up,’ she ordered desperately, but made no impression on his drunken state.

  Her father suddenly appeared in the doorway, taking in the situation at a glance. ‘Need any help?’ he asked gently.

  Kelly gave him a grateful smile. ‘Could you help me get him to bed? He—he isn’t well,’ she blushed.

  A taunting laugh was emitted from Jordan, despite his having seemed to have been asleep. ‘What Kelly means,’ he rolled over, almost falling off the edge of the couch, ‘is that I’m stoned out of my mind,’ and he laughed again.

  Her father came into the room, his dark hair tousled, a bathrobe covering his navy blue pyjamas. ‘I didn’t realise you were having a party,’ he said dryly.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Jordan looked up at him with wide bleary eyes. ‘For one,’ he gave a bitter laugh. ‘Isn’t that so, my love?’ He gave a taunting smile in Kelly’s direction. ‘Tell your father the reason for my solitary party,’ he encouraged, half sitting up. ‘Tell him—’ and he sank slowly back on to the couch, completely unconscious.

  ‘Oh God!’ Kelly buried her face in her hands. ‘I’m sorry, Daddy. So sorry you had to see this.’

  ‘That’s all right, love,’ he put his arm about her shoulders. ‘Had an argument, did you?’

  ‘Yes.’ She hid her face against his chest.

  ‘A bad one?’

  ‘Quite bad.’ Her voice was muffled.

  ‘Never mind. Even the best marriages have them.’ He held her at arm’s length. ‘Cheer up, love. No marriage is a success if you don’t have the occasional argument. Think how bored you would be if you agreed about everything.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ she sniffed inelegantly. Her father couldn’t possibly realise how bad things were between herself and Jordan. But why on earth had Jordan got drunk like this? It certainly wasn’t because of the argument they had had. Maybe he found this pretence too restricting to his own social life. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t stay here. ‘We have to get him upstairs,’ she told her father. ‘He can’t be found by Mrs McLeod in this condition.’

  ‘No, you’re right. You take one arm and I’ll take the other.’ He pulled Jordan up into a sitting position.

  ‘Are you sure you’re up to this?’ Kelly frowned her concern.

  He laughed. ‘Don’t worry about me, I’ll be all right. I think it’s Jordan you should be worrying about, he’s going to have a terrible hangover when he wakes up.’

  ‘That’s no more than he deserves.’

  ‘Bitchy!’ he chided softly. ‘Everyone is entitled to get drunk occasionally. Although I must say I’ve never seen Jordan like this before, I thought he had too much self-control.’

  ‘Oh, he has self-control.’ They hoisted him to his feet, supporting him either side as they half walked, half carried him upstairs. ‘It just lapses sometimes,’ although not usually in this way!

  ‘Here we are.’ Her father pushed open the bedroom door and they laid Jordan down on the bed.

  Too late Kelly realised they were in the bedroom Jordan had moved out of only that afternoon. Oh well, it was too late now to worry about that. Anyway, she could never explain the use of a different bedroom to her father.

  ‘Need any help getting him undressed?’ Her father looked down at Jordan as he lay sideways across the bed.

  ‘I don’t think I’ll bother,’ Kelly grimaced. ‘Better to let him sleep. I’ll just take his shoes off,’ and she proceeded to do so. ‘You get back to bed, Daddy. I’ll be all right now.’

  ‘Night, love,’ he bent to kiss her on the temple. ‘And don�
��t be too hard on him in the morning, he doesn’t make a habit of this behaviour.’

  Kelly sat in the bedroom chair watching Jordan for what was left of the night. He muttered a lot in his sleep, incoherently most of the time, obviously disturbed.

  He was still asleep when she left the bedroom to join her father for breakfast. Not that she had tried to aid his slumber, banging drawers and cupboards as she took out her denims and blouse before going into the shower. None of her movements seemed to disturb Jordan in the least, his sleep was now deep and untroubled.

  ‘Still sleeping, is he?’ her father teased as Kelly sat down at the table.

  ‘Yes,’ she acknowledged tightly.

  ‘Probably the best thing for him.’

  ‘Probably.’ She poured herself some coffee.

  ‘Still angry with him?’ He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

  ‘Yes.’ Kelly didn’t attempt to prevaricate.

  ‘Must have been some argument.’

  ‘It was.’

  ‘It surely doesn’t have anything to do with the way he teased you?’

  ‘Indirectly,’ she revealed abruptly.

  ‘Oh, Kelly love, you can’t—’

  ‘Please, Daddy,’ she said firmly. ‘I know you mean well, but—well, I—’

  ‘Don’t interfere, hmm?’ he quirked an eyebrow. ‘It’s all right, you can tell me if I’m out of line.’

  She looked down at her cup. ‘You’re out of line.’

  ‘Enough said,’ he accepted goodnaturedly. ‘Now, do you feel like driving me to the hospital? I’ve been advised not to drive for the moment.’

  Kelly smiled, relieved that he didn’t pursue the subject of her argument with Jordan. ‘Of course I’ll drive you,’ she said eagerly. She had wanted to be out of the house when Jordan woke up. ‘I’ll pick you up later too, if you like,’ she offered.

  ‘That won’t be necessary. Anne said she would drive me back.’

  So the beautiful Sister Fellows wanted to see Jordan yet again! Kelly felt a sickening lurch in her stomach. Maybe the other woman was the reason Jordan had got drunk last night. He would probably have rather been with her than putting up a front for Kelly’s father.

  Jordan had already left for the office when Kelly returned from driving her father to his therapy class, and by Mrs McLeod’s ruffled manner he had been in the foul mood Kelly had expected.

  ‘Will my husband be back for lunch?’ she asked the housekeeper.

  ‘I—er—I don’t think so,’ Mrs McLeod stumbled a reply.

  In other words the poor woman had been too frightened of his temper to ask him. He really was a tyrant! ‘Then we’ll all be out,’ Kelly told her. ‘My father intends eating at the hospital, so I think I’ll eat out myself.’

  ‘Very well, Mrs Lord.’

  Kelly went into the lounge, obtaining the number she needed before dialling. ‘Mrs Smythe, please,’ she told the maid who answered the telephone. ‘Mrs Lord calling.’ She tapped her fingers impatiently on the coffee-table as she waited for Laura to come to the telephone.

  ‘Kelly!’ Laura cried her pleasure. ‘How lovely to hear from you. And so providentially too. I’m feeling a bit down this morning,’ she explained.

  Kelly had been unsure of the other girl’s reaction to her call and her unreserved pleasure was reassuring. ‘Nothing serious, I hope?’

  ‘No,’ Laura laughed. ‘Just impatience for the birth. I feel a bit like a tank at the moment! And I’m so tired. You’ve telephoned to arrange a meeting, I hope?’

  ‘I thought lunch?’

  ‘Lovely. You’re a life-saver, Kelly. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.’

  Kelly laughed at the other girl’s mock desperation. The arrangements made, she rang off, the telephone instantly ringing, making her jump with surprise. ‘Yes?’ She snatched up the receiver.

  ‘Kelly?’ Jordan’s voice came tersely down the line.

  She instantly stiffened. ‘Yes.’

  ‘I called to say I wouldn’t be in to lunch,’ he told her abruptly.

  ‘I already guessed that,’ she said coolly. ‘In fact, I’ve made arrangements to be out myself.’

  ‘You have?’ His voice was harsh.

  Kelly bristled with resentment. ‘Yes, I have. Do you have any objection?’ her sarcasm was unmistakable.

  ‘That depends on who you’re lunching with,’ he rasped. ‘Maggie again?’

  ‘No,’ she replied uncommunicatively.

  ‘Who, then?’ he demanded to know.

  ‘How is your head this morning?’ She deliberately didn’t answer his question. The arrogance of him!

  ‘Bloody awful,’ he growled. ‘But then you expected that, didn’t you?’

  ‘Did I?’ she asked infuriatingly. ‘Yes, I suppose I did,’ she mused.

  ‘Did I say—anything after I passed out?’

  Kelly frowned. ‘A lot of rubbish that didn’t make any sense.’

  ‘None of it?’ he asked tautly.

  ‘Not that I can remember. Why?’

  ‘Just curious. Most of the people I’ve seen get drunk seem to get very sentimental with it.’

  ‘Not you, Jordan,’ she gave a scornful laugh. ‘Don’t worry, you didn’t give away any of your secrets.’

  ‘Secrets?’ Jordan echoed sharply.

  ‘Which woman you’re seeing at the moment,’ she said carelessly, amazed at her talent for acting. If he had so much as mentioned another woman’s name she would have scratched his eyes out. As it was, it had all been a lot of disjointed mumblings, none of which made the slightest bit of sense.

  ‘I’m more interested in the man you’re seeing,’ he told her grimly. ‘Who is he?’

  ‘That’s none of your business. But I’ll tell him of your interest. It should amuse him,’ she added before slowly replacing the receiver.

  She was in her bedroom by the time the telephone began ringing again, hastily shutting herself in the bathroom as Mrs McLeod knocked on the bedroom door.

  When she received no answer she had obviously come into the bedroom, and now she was knocking on the bathroom door. ‘Mr Lord on the telephone, madam.’

  Kelly smiled her glee. ‘Could you tell him I’m in the bath, Mrs McLeod,’ she called through the dividing door. ‘If it’s important perhaps you could take a message.’ She bit her lip to stop herself laughing, imagining Jordan’s fury.

  The housekeeper returned a few minutes later, by which time Kelly really had run herself a bath. ‘No message, Mrs Lord,’ she called out to her.

  She didn’t think there would be. Jordan wasn’t the type of man to conduct a conversation through a third person. Although she had no doubt he would demand some honest answers from her this evening. The wait would do him good.

  Laura was even more glowing than before, although obviously becoming more and more ungainly as each day passed. ‘I really am grateful that you called,’ she smiled as she gingerly sat down. ‘Ian’s been so busy lately, and I’ve been so tense. I can’t seem to settle to anything. I’ve been knitting a pair of bootees the last three weeks, I don’t think I’ll ever finish them.’

  Kelly laughed. ‘You will. Anyway, I’m sure you have plenty already.’

  ‘Not really—just a couple of dozen pairs!’ Laura grimaced. ‘All Ian’s twenty aunts seem to have made us a pair,’ she confided.

  ‘Twenty aunts?’

  ‘Well—four, actually. It just seems like twenty at times. They brought him up, you see, between the four of them. When Ian’s parents died they all took over his care. Oh, they’re darlings really, just very possessive. Still, at least we’ll have four volunteers for baby-sitting.’ Laura sighed. ‘If I talk too much, Kelly, just tell me. Ian says I talk much too much.’

  ‘I like to hear it,’ Kelly smiled, finding her liking for this girl increasing by the minute.

  ‘Oh, good,’ Laura grinned. ‘Because I do it all the time. I’m a compulsive talker, mainly about Ian, although lately it’s been about the bab
y. Men get so bored with baby talk, though.’

  ‘Yes,’ Kelly acknowledged with a certain amount of bitterness.

  ‘Ian told me about your baby,’ Laura said gently, compassion in her eyes. ‘It was such a pity.’

  ‘It was a long time ago.’ Kelly forced a smile to her lips.

  ‘And at least you and Jordan are back together again now.’

  ‘That was all thanks to your husband.’

  ‘Ian?’ Laura frowned. ‘What did he do?’

  ‘He told Jordan that I needed him.’ Kelly went on to explain about the accident.

  ‘And that brought you and Jordan back together.’ Laura’s eyes glowed with excitement. ‘How romantic!’

  ‘Yes,’ Kelly agreed dully.

  ‘I think all marriages have their ups and downs.’

  ‘I suppose so, although Jordan and I—’ she broke off, her stricken gaze fixed on the man and woman who had just entered the restaurant and were even now being conducted to their table.

  Laura instantly noticed her paleness. ‘What is it?’ She sat forward. ‘Kelly, what’s wrong?’

  ‘I—It—I can’t—’ Kelly broke off again, feeling sick with reaction.

  Laura followed her gaze, watching too as Jordan pulled out a chair for Anne Fellows to sit down.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SO she had been right, Anne Fellows was the latest woman in Jordan’s life! And it looked as if Kelly’s father had been out of luck with his lift. Jordan had obviously invited the nurse out to lunch instead.

  Laura was giving Kelly a searching look. ‘Kelly?’ she frowned her puzzlement.

  ‘I—er—Would you mind if we went somewhere else?’ She picked up her handbag in preparation of leaving.

  ‘Of course not, if you would rather,’ Laura instantly agreed.

  ‘I would,’ Kelly said tautly, rising to her feet.