His fingers tightened on her hand. ‘What happened?’
Kate eyes glittered icily at the thought of it. ‘He flew into such a rage I thought he was going to beat me up. Dr Jekyll turned into Mr Hyde right there in front of me. But I was too furious on Jo’s behalf to feel afraid. I just stood there,eye to eye, daring him to hit me. It was touch and go for a while, but like all bullies Rupert backed down in the end. At which point I threw the ring at him and told him to get out of my life.’
‘Good God!’ Jack stared at her, appalled. ‘You took a hell of a risk, Kate.’
‘I realised that the moment he’d gone. I shook in my shoes for ages afterwards.’ She turned to look at him. ‘Now you can see why I hate talking about it. I just can’t believe I was such a bad judge of character.’
‘Not entirely,’ he reminded her. ‘Instinct warned you not to move in with him.’
‘True.’ Kate’s eyes darkened. ‘He was in such a rush about everything, I felt uneasy. He bought the ring just days after our first meeting, but no matter how much he argued I insisted we had to know each other better before I actually wore it.’
‘Did you love him?’
‘I was attracted to him, certainly. He was charming, witty and very good company. But until that horrible night I’d never come up against the real Rupert Chance.’ She shrugged. ‘It clinched my decision to give up my job. I’d worked in Personnel for years and prided myself on my judgement when it came to people. If that was no longer working for me it was time to call it a day.’
‘Did Joanna like him?’
‘She never met him. He was abroad at the time of the funeral. My relationship with Rupert—if you could call it that—lasted less than a school term. Why?’
‘Her reaction to him might have been interesting.’ Jack gave her a crooked smile. ‘I get a card from Sydney every Christmas, with the current snapshot of Dawn, husband and progeny—three sons at the last count. Her way of telling me she’s a respectable matron these days.’
‘Is she still gorgeous?’ asked Kate, hoping Dawn had lost her looks by now.
‘In a different, earth-mother kind of way I suppose she is.’ Jack shrugged. ‘She looks contented with her life, and who can ask more than that?’
‘Are you contented with yours?’
He was silent for a moment, his eyes on the fire. ‘I’m head of a very successful outfit,’ he said slowly, ‘with a beautiful house here and a flat in London, and I’m the proud owner of several classic cars and a great dog. So I must be contented.’ He turned to look at her. ‘Are you?’
‘Yes,’ said Kate firmly. ‘I’m going to make a good life here for Joanna.’
‘She’s fortunate to have you to care for her.’
She shook her head. ‘It’s my good fortune to have Jo.’
‘I’d like to meet her some time. You don’t like the idea?’ he added as she frowned.
‘It’s more a case of whether Jo likes it. I’d have to ask her first.’
Jack got up, clicking his fingers to the dog, who padded after him obediently. ‘I’ll just put him out for a moment.’
Kate sat very still when she was alone, staring, unseeing, into the fire.
‘You’re still frowning,’ said Jack, coming back into the room.
Kate managed a smile. ‘Just thinking. Where’s Bran?’
‘In bed.’
‘Sensible chap. I should be making tracks for my own bed soon.’
‘First tell me what’s making you look so blue, Katie.’
Damn. She’d always turned to marshmallow when he called her that. ‘You want the truth?’
He smiled crookedly. ‘Probably not, but I promise I’ll take it like a man.’
‘To revert to the friendship issue—’