The Deserving Mistress Read online

  ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘I’ll bring the wine,’ he continued happily, enjoying her dazed expression. ‘Do you prefer red or white?’

  ‘White. But—’

  ‘Seven-thirty, then, May.’ He nodded decisively.

  May gave him a look of complete exasperation. ‘You are the most arrogant, manipulative man it has ever been my misfortune to meet!’ she finally burst out frustratedly.

  He grinned. ‘Takes one to know one,’ he returned lightly.

  Her eyes widened indignantly. ‘I am not in the least arrogant or manipulative.’

  ‘No?’ he mocked. ‘Well, perhaps I don’t know you well enough yet to give a learned opinion,’ he allowed softly.

  Her eyes flashed angrily. ‘And perhaps you never will know me well enough to give a learned opinion!’

  He shrugged. ‘We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?’ he dismissed. ‘I’ll leave you to get on with your work now, as you appear to have a date for lunch today, too,’ he added hardly.

  For someone who claimed she wasn’t in the least interested in David Melton, May seemed to be seeing rather a lot of the other man. Not that it was any of his business, Jude reminded himself frowningly. It was probably just another example of what he considered to be the woman’s contrariness!

  ‘How kind of you,’ May snapped back, obviously still angry at having been trapped into giving him dinner.

  ‘I thought so.’ Jude nodded, deciding this was probably a good time for him to leave.

  After all, he would be seeing May later this evening, when they would hopefully have the time to talk more calmly about the offer he had made on this farm.

  ‘With two good meals inside you today, you might actually start to put some weight on those bones, and so look a little less like a waif and stray,’ he added hardly.

  May was incredibly beautiful, breathtakingly so, but it was a beauty edged with an air of frailty, a certain look of delicacy that didn’t suit the hard work she had to do living on a farm.

  Although she didn’t look too delicate at this moment, Jude acknowledged ruefully; instead she looked as if she would like to pick up the pitchfork she was still holding and stab him through the chest with it.

  ‘For your information,’ she bit out through gritted teeth, ‘I am naturally slender! We all are,’ she added defensively.

  Jude gave her a considering look. ‘I obviously can’t speak for your sisters, May, never having met them,’ he said dryly. ‘But there’s slender, and then there’s gaunt—and I know which category you fit into at this moment!’ he assured her dismissively.

  ‘And when I want your opinion, Jude, I’ll ask for it!’ She turned her back on him and once again began forking the straw over in the empty pens.

  Obviously that was the end of this particular conversation!

  Jude gave a shrug, quite happy with what he had already achieved today. After all, she had called him Jude just now without any prompting from him. And with the promise of seeing May again this evening, he had every hope of achieving much more.

  It was only once he was back in his car, driving down the rutted track that led up to the farm, that he realised May, with this infuriating habit she had of answering his questions with one of her own, hadn’t actually given him a sensible answer as to the reason she had left the restaurant so hastily the evening before…

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ‘FEELING better?’ David prompted concernedly as the two of them sat in the bar of a pub not far from the farm.

  ‘Much, thank you,’ May answered huskily, guilty warmth entering her cheeks as she did so, not quite able to meet David’s gaze, either.

  She had been in an agitated state the previous evening when David had left the restaurant and joined her in the foyer of the hotel, able to feel it as her cheeks had first paled and then reddened, her eyes glittering brightly, as if with a fever, her movements agitated as she’d paced up and down waiting for him.

  In the circumstances, it hadn’t been too difficult for David to believe the lie that she hadn’t been feeling well, that she would rather cancel dinner altogether and just go home.

  And it hadn’t been a complete lie, May had consoled herself; she had felt sick, and there was no way she could have eaten anything feeling the way that she had.

  But she had agreed to have lunch with David today only as a means of escaping yesterday evening, still felt too nauseous to contemplate eating anything.

  And Jude Marshall’s visit to the farm this morning, a stark reminder of yesterday evening, had done little to alleviate that feeling!

  She moistened dry lips. ‘You said yesterday, David, that there is someone you would like me to meet…?’

  ‘Why, yes.’ He looked surprised at the change of subject.

  May nodded. ‘I believe I know who that someone is. And I have to tell you—’

  ‘May, I simply thought over what we discussed in London a couple of weeks ago—’ David sat forward in his seat, looking at her intently ‘—and I realised that you seemed to change after I had told you who the stars of the film were to be.’ He gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘I realise that working with big stars like Dan Howard and April Robine must have sounded a little overwhelming. But Dan is a great chap to work with, and as for April—’

  ‘Jude mentioned that you went over to their table and spoke to her at the restaurant yesterday evening,’ May put in stiltedly, if only to let him know how she had guessed who his ‘someone’ was.

  David raised surprised brows. ‘He did?’

  ‘He did,’ she confirmed, not about to get into a discussion about exactly when Jude had told her that; sufficient to say that May now knew exactly who David wanted her to meet while he was still in the area.

  She also knew exactly why that meeting would never take place.

  ‘I’m not in the least overwhelmed at the thought of working with April Robine, David,’ she told him hardly, her jaw tightly clenched on her emotions. ‘And I certainly have no desire to meet her,’ she added harshly.

  ‘But—’

  ‘That is the end of the matter as far as I’m concerned,’ May cut in decisively. ‘You’ve been very kind.’ Her voice softened slightly as she saw how hurt and confused David now looked. He was hurt and confused! ‘But my answer is still no.’

  David looked troubled. ‘If you would just talk to April you would see—’

  ‘No!’ May cut in sharply, drawing in a deeply controlling breath as David looked stunned by her vehemence. ‘I’m sorry—’ she frowned ‘—but I really don’t want this.’

  There was no way she could tell him how much she didn’t want it! But he at least had to believe how strongly she felt about all this. Without her actually having to spell the situation out in black and white…

  Something she had no intention of doing. To anybody.

  But David was perfectly correct in his assessment as to when her attitude to appearing in his film had changed. And it had nothing to do with Dan Howard!

  David looked decidedly uncomfortable now. ‘April really is a very charming woman.’

  ‘I’m sure she is,’ May bit out evenly.

  ‘May—’

  ‘David, I do apologize for being late,’ interrupted a huskily breathless voice. ‘We left in good time, but we had a little difficulty in finding the place.’ The woman gave a ruefully dismissive laugh.

  May had frozen into immobility at the first sound of that voice, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, certainly couldn’t turn and look at the woman who had just joined them.

  But she knew who it was, that huskily attractive voice unmistakable.

  April Robine…

  May had no doubts that David had set her up, had deliberately arranged for the actress to meet them here—in fact, the other woman’s words confirmed that he had. No wonder David had looked so stricken seconds ago at May’s vehement refusal to meet the famous actress.

  May shot David an accusing glare as he looked at her concernedly be
fore standing up to greet the other woman, every muscle in May’s body tensed, all the air seeming to have been knocked out of her lungs as she shook badly.

  This couldn’t be happening!

  It just couldn’t be happening!

  Her worst nightmare—but it was all too real!

  May had thought, with her refusal of the part in David’s film, that she had avoided this ever happening, that she could put it all from her mind once again. And, instead, she now found herself confronted with a woman she had no desire to meet—ever!

  ‘May,’ Jude Marshall greeted mockingly.

  Now she did move, turning sharply in her seat to see Jude standing next to April Robine, his expression one of taunting challenge. Answering the ‘we’ in April Robine’s initial statement…

  But at least while May was looking at Jude she didn’t have to look at the actress who stood at his side.

  She was nevertheless completely aware of the other woman, could hear her talking softly to David, could smell the perfume she wore. A perfume that made May’s head spin!

  ‘Are you okay, May?’ The mockery left Jude’s face as he looked down at her concernedly.

  ‘Of course I’m okay,’ she replied brittlely as she stood up, willing the dizziness to dissipate; she was not going to faint. She was not! ‘I didn’t expect to see you here,’ she added with husky rebuke.

  He could so easily have told her earlier that he knew she wasn’t lunching alone with David, that he and April Robine were to join them—giving May the opportunity not to appear!

  But, then, maybe Jude had realised that? If not the actual reason for it…

  ‘I didn’t want to ruin the surprise for you,’ Jude came back mockingly.

  May gave a shaky sigh. ‘These sort of surprises I can well do without.’

  The humour left Jude’s eyes as he looked down at her searchingly. ‘You really don’t look well, you know,’ he finally murmured.

  Her head went back challengingly. ‘Maybe I’m just overwhelmed—’ to use David’s word! ‘—at finding myself in such exalted company!’ she bit out scathingly.

  This was awful. Terrible. Any second now she knew that David was going to introduce her to April Robine. What would the other woman’s reaction be to such an introduction? Would she be as horrified as May was? Or something else? Whatever April Robine’s reaction to meeting May, May had no doubts that the actress would hide it much better than she could.

  Jude gave a slow shake of his head. ‘I don’t think too much overwhelms you, May,’ he murmured frowningly.

  He was right, it didn’t. She had decided long ago that she was as good as anyone else, that she could do anything she chose to do, that nothing and no one had the power to unnerve her.

  With the exception of April Robine…

  ‘May—’ David turned to lightly clasp her arm, drawing her to his side ‘—I would like to introduce you to April Robine. April, this is May Calendar,’ he introduced happily.

  May looked the other woman full in the face for the first time, the actress’s beauty indisputable, her hair a short black cap surrounding flawless features, very slender in a deep green cashmere sweater and fitted black trousers, looking nowhere near middle-aged, which May knew the other woman to be.

  There was also no hint of recognition in the other woman’s eyes as she calmly returned May’s gaze.

  Jude watched May concernedly as the introductions were made, her cheeks unnaturally pale, green eyes appearing huge against that paleness. He was convinced, no matter what she might claim to the contrary, that something was seriously wrong with her.

  ‘Miss Robine,’ she was greeting now, the words forced through her clenched jaw.

  ‘Oh, please do call me April,’ the beautiful actress requested with her usual warmth. ‘And may I call you May?’

  Jude was still watching May, saw the nerve pulsing in her throat as she swallowed convulsively. What on earth—?

  ‘I would rather you called me Miss Calendar,’ she answered the other woman abruptly. ‘As I would rather call you Miss Robine,’ she added dismissively.

  What on earth was wrong with her? Jude finished his earlier thought incredulously in the tense silence that followed May’s rude statement.

  May had been annoyed with him when they’d first met, had plenty of reason to dislike him, but even so she had never spoken to him in this coldly dismissive voice. From the little he had come to know of her the last few days, he doubted she had ever spoken to anyone quite like this before.

  Maybe he should have prewarned her about this meeting, after all; it would certainly have given her time to get used to the idea.

  She was probably just nervous, he allowed. After all, April had been an internationally acclaimed actress since she’d taken Hollywood by storm almost twenty years ago, was recognised wherever she went, was highly respected by her fellow actors and the public alike. This must be a little like meeting an icon, someone you had thought untouchable as well as unreachable.

  Yes, that had to be it. As soon as May realised how warm and friendly April was, she would start to relax. She might even start to enjoy herself…

  ‘That’s a ridiculous idea, May,’ he dismissed lightly as he moved to hold back a chair for April to sit down. ‘If we’re all going to have lunch together—’

  ‘Oh, but we aren’t,’ May answered him tautly, her bag clutched between tightly clenched fingers now. ‘I’m afraid I’ve just remembered something else I have to do, so if you’ll all excuse me—’

  ‘No, we won’t excuse you!’ Jude was the one to answer sharply, David Melton looking on in mute shock, April appearing a little less than her normally composed self, too.

  As well she might!

  It was perfectly natural for May to feel nervous about meeting April; it wasn’t acceptable for her to continue to be rude about it!

  Jude drew in a deeply controlling breath, aware that the four of them were attracting a certain amount of attention now from the other people in this lounge bar—and not all of it was because they had recognised April. It must be obvious to even the casual observer that there was a definite air of tension between the four of them.

  ‘Look, let’s just all sit down and have a drink together,’ Jude suggested lightly. ‘We can discuss then whether or not we intend eating lunch, hmm?’ He looked at May encouragingly.

  She returned his gaze unblinkingly, her expression completely unreadable, her eyes cold. ‘As I’ve already told you, I have something else I need to do.’ Her cold mask slipped slightly as she turned to look at David Melton. ‘I’m really sorry about this, David.’ She spoke huskily. ‘But I—you should have warned me!’ She turned on her heel and almost ran across the room.

  As if the devil himself were at her heels.

  ‘May—’

  ‘Leave her, Jude,’ April said, reaching up to put a restraining hand on his arm as he would have turned to follow May from the room.

  ‘Like hell I will!’ he rasped, easily moving away, one glance at the hurt so visible in April’s beautiful eyes enough to propel him into action.

  Jude strode purposefully from the room, almost bumping into May as he found her standing just outside, closing the door behind him as he swung her round to face him. ‘What the hell do you—?’ He broke off his angry tirade, frowning darkly as he saw the tears coursing down her cheeks. ‘May…?’ He blinked his utter confusion with this whole situation.

  ‘Leave me alone!’ she choked, pulling away from him. ‘All of you, just leave me alone!’ She glared up at him. ‘Go back inside to your—your friend!’ she added accusingly, frantically searching through her handbag now for her car keys.

  Jude looked down at her frustratedly, totally thrown by the tears still falling down her cheeks. He had followed her intending to give her a good shaking, to demand an explanation for her rude behaviour, but he could see by her tears that there was more going on here than he had at first realised.

  ‘Is it because of what I said to y
ou earlier about David Melton’s obvious pleasure at seeing April when he came over to our table at the restaurant yesterday evening?’ he probed frowningly. ‘Do you think he’s involved with April? Is that what’s upsetting you?’

  ‘David…?’ May stared up at him uncomprehendingly. ‘David?’ she repeated impatiently. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jude.’ She shook her head dismissively, having at last found her car keys.

  ‘I’m talking about the fact that you were damned rude in there just now.’ He nodded in the direction of the bar.

  ‘Was I rude to you?’ May challenged hardly, eyes overbright.

  ‘No, of course—’

  ‘Was I rude to David?’ she snapped.

  ‘I wouldn’t give a damn if you were rude to him—’

  ‘Then it must have been April Robine I was rude to,’ May bit out scornfully.

  ‘You know very well that it was.’ Jude was fast losing any patience he might still have had with her.

  May eyed him mockingly. ‘And that upsets you?’

  ‘Of course it—’ He broke off, taking several deeply controlling breaths. He never raised his voice in anger, never became angry if at all possible; anger had a habit of making logical thought impossible, behaviour irrational, and those were two things he didn’t allow. ‘May, for goodness’ sake tell me what’s wrong with you?’ he prompted evenly.

  ‘Wrong with me?’ she repeated tauntingly. ‘Why, nothing is wrong with me, Jude. I’ve already told you, I simply have something else I have to do.’

  ‘So important that you have to go and do it right now? So urgent that you can’t even sit down and have lunch with us first?’ he said disbelievingly.

  ‘Yes,’ she answered flatly.

  His mouth tightened. ‘And the tears? I suppose they’re for nothing, too?’

  Her eyes flashed angrily. ‘Let’s leave my tears out of it—’

  ‘No—let’s not,’ Jude rasped harshly, grasping her shoulders. ‘I want to know what’s going on, May—and you’re going to tell me,’ he assured her grimly.

  ‘No-I-am-not!’ she bit out between gritted teeth, at the same time trying to pull away from him.