‘Do you want to just be his mistress?’
‘I’m not sure he’d ever offer any woman more than that.’
‘Surely it’s worth a try?’
‘I suppose so. Yes, maybe I should. Okay,’ Jenny agreed with a smile. ‘I’ll see what happens tomorrow. But I have the feeling you’ll be wrong.’
‘We’ll see.’
What Helen did see the next day was a picture of herself and one of Leon on the front page of her daily newspaper. She had forgotten the telephone call of yesterday, but this story seemed to confirm that the call had indeed been from a reporter, probably with the intention of verifying his facts. And she had verified them.
It had all been dragged up again, all the sordid details that could be made to look so damning. And yet this time it didn’t touch her. The pain of having to give up Leon much overshadowed any harm this newspaper story could do.
And it didn’t take much thought to know who had given the story to the press. Sharon Melcliffe had said she would remember where she had seen Helen before, and it seemed she had done just that.
The telephone began ringing shortly after nine o’clock and didn’t seem to stop after that. After an hour of it Helen took the receiver off the hook. She didn’t want to talk to anyone about her relationship with Leon, it was much too precious to her to be discussed with any reporter just to provide him with a juicy bit of gossip.
Jenny burst into the flat at lunchtime, closely followed by a concerned Brent. ‘Thank God you’re all right!’ Jenny sighed her relief as she saw Helen. ‘I didn’t find out about the newspapers until mid-morning and I’ve been trying to call you ever since. When the telephone was engaged every time I called I knew you must have taken the receiver off the hook. I wasn’t sure…’
‘I’m not going to do anything desperate, Jen,’ Helen chided. ‘I just got fed up with the telephone ringing.’
‘That’s what I told her,’ Brent put in. ‘But she would insist on upsetting herself. I thought it better to bring her home and put her mind at rest.’
Helen smiled. ‘That’s very kind of you, Brent. How are you? I haven’t seen you for some time.’
‘I’m very—’
‘I didn’t rush home so that the two of you could exchange pleasantries,’ Jenny cut in impatiently.
‘Calm down,’ Helen soothed. ‘Don’t upset yourself about the newspapers—they have to print something.’
‘But—’
‘I’m not worried about it, Jenny,’ Helen assurred her. ‘Besides, the newspaper I saw wasn’t too bad. As Leon said, things that shocked a couple of years ago don’t always mean much now.’
Jenny’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve spoken to Leon?’
Helen blushed. ‘Not today. He said that a couple of days ago.’
‘When he asked you to marry him.’
‘Jenny!’ Helen protested, looking pointedly at Brent.
He grinned. ‘Don’t mind me, I know it all. Jenny told me this morning—among other things.’
Helen looked at the two of them, noticing a certain look about her cousin and an indulgent smile on Brent’s lips as he watched her every move. ‘Has something happened I should know about?’ she asked.
Jenny blushed. ‘Well—’
‘I’ve asked her to marry me,’ Brent finished for her. ‘Actually I told her. Much less argument that way. She’s been very argumentative lately.’
‘I have? You’re the one who’s—’
‘Now don’t argue about that too,’ Helen ordered. ‘Just tell me whether or not you accepted.’
‘Well, of course I did,’ Jenny replied as if there had been no need for her to ask that question. ‘But that doesn’t mean he can—’
‘Be quiet, woman!’ Brent growled. ‘I don’t know why the hell I’ve let myself in for having you ordering me about day and night. I must be insane!’