‘Very well, Mrs Lord,’ the other woman beamed.
‘I’m going out myself, Mrs McLeod.’ Kelly at last found her handbag, taking out her purse and car keys. ‘My father should be asleep for some time.’
‘Can I expect you back for lunch?’ the housekeeper enquired politely.
‘Oh yes,’ Kelly didn’t hesitate to confirm this, ‘I’m only going for a short drive.’
‘It’s so nice to have you all back here,’ Mrs McLeod told her shyly.
‘It’s nice to be here,’ Kelly smiled. ‘I should be back before my father comes down.’
She didn’t even know where she was going, she just wanted to get herself together before she had to face Jordan again. It was cowardly of her, and no doubt he would have something to say about it when next they met, but for the moment she wanted to cherish the thought of last night to herself.
In Jordan’s arms she had come alive again, left behind her the cool facade she had adopted the last five years. And before she saw Jordan she was going to have to regain some of that coolness. He had made love to her, been as out of control as she was, and yet except for their mutual groans of pleasure neither of them had spoken a work.
There had been no words spoken between them, and no love shown. But Kelly did love him, that much she now knew. Whatever had happened to her five years ago had only numbed her feelings, being with Jordan had shown her that her love for him was still very much alive.
The trouble was how was she going to hide it from him. She couldn’t be put through the humiliating experience of Jordan knowing, wouldn’t let him destroy her with her own love a second time.
* * *
The drive out had cleared her head, put her thoughts in some order. She would take what affection Jordan cared to give, would accept his kisses, but she wouldn’t let him know the true state of her feelings. She wouldn’t fall into that trap again.
Her father was in the lounge when she arrived back at the house. He looked up as she entered the room. ‘You’ve missed Jordan by minutes.’ He stood up to kiss her on the cheek.
She hadn’t missed him at all, she had passed him on the road, and although he had signalled for her to stop she had merely acknowledged him with a wave of her hand. Her cloying, loving attitude had bored him so much before that he had turned to another woman only weeks after their wedding; this time he would find her coolly sophisticated. Maybe that way she would be able to get him back on a permanent basis, be able to hold his interest for longer than a few weeks.
She smiled at her father. ‘I’ll see him later. What shall we do today?’
He shrugged. ‘What do you suggest?’
‘How about a drive to the coast? We could laze on the beach, go for a swim. You could even buy me some candyfloss,’ she added with a grin.
‘That’s a deal. But breakfast first, hmm?’
‘Lovely,’ Kelly eagerly agreed. ‘I’m starving!’
In the end they both ate a hearty breakfast, laughing together as they collected their things for the beach.
It was almost lunchtime by the time they reached Brighton, one of the nearest coastal resorts to London.
‘How do you fancy going to the nudist beach?’ Kelly teased her father once they had changed into their costumes.
He frowned. ‘Nudist beach?’
Kelly bit her lip. Her first day alone with her father and already she had forgotten his loss of memory. The nudist beach had only been open a year or so, and so her father couldn’t possibly know of its existence.
She gave a light, casual laugh, putting her arm through the crook of his. ‘Didn’t you hear about it? It’s still in the experimental stage, just to see if anyone wants to use it.’
‘Well, I don’t,’ he instantly refused. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind strolling along there to take a look.’ There was a wicked glint in his eyes.
Kelly laughed. ‘You and a couple of hundred others!’
‘I suppose so,’ he agreed ruefully. ‘Okay, I’ll race you into the sea.’
Kelly grimaced. ‘Over these stones that pass as the beach you won’t race me anywhere. Where’s the sand?’
‘Under the stones?’ he suggested hopefully, grinning widely.