‘And now you have the time,’ he said bitterly.
‘Yes.’
Jordan ground out the cheroot in the onyx ashtray on his side-table. ‘Then I’d better make sure you don’t waste a moment of it!’ His mouth came down viciously on hers, his thighs once more hardening with desire.
Kelly was woken the next morning by a loud hammering noise, and emerged from under the bedclothes to realise that someone was banging on the bedroom door. Jordan was already out of bed, just tying the belt of his bathrobe.
‘What is it?’ Kelly blinked dazedly. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I have no idea,’ he snapped, moving towards the door. ‘But I mean to find out.’ He flung the door open. ‘Mrs McLeod,’ he frowned. ‘What is it?’
‘Oh, sir, sir!’ she was obviously very agitated. ‘I had no way of knowing, Mr Lord. I hadn’t read the newspapers myself, you see.’
‘Mrs McLeod,’ Jordan interrupted firmly, ‘you aren’t making much sense.’
‘No, I’m not, am I?’ She sighed. ‘Here,’ she held out a newspaper, ‘this should explain it all.’
He took the newspaper from her. ‘Oh, hell!’ he groaned, looking up. ‘Mr Darrow has seen this?’
‘Yes, sir. That’s why I—’
‘All right, Mrs McLeod,’ he said firmly, ‘I’ll deal with this now. Mr Darrow is still in his room?’
‘Yes, Mr Lord. And he’s very upset. He—’
‘What is it?’ Kelly got out of bed to join them. ‘Jordan?’
He handed her the newspaper. Kelly looked down at it. The headlines read, ‘Businessman David Darrow loses memory after accident’.
CHAPTER SIX
‘How did this happen?’ Kelly gasped.
‘The how of it can be discussed at some other time.’ Jordan’s tone was grim. ‘You call Dr Jones and have him get over here, and I’ll go and calm your father down.’
‘Yes, yes, of course. I—I’ll do that.’
The doctor agreed to come over immediately, promising to be there within ten minutes. Kelly hurriedly dressed in navy blue trousers and light blue blouse before going to her father’s bedroom.
‘I had a right to be told!’ her father could be heard shouting. ‘I’m not a child to be pampered and humoured!’
‘Calm down, David,’ Jordan soothed. ‘I’m well aware of the fact that you aren’t a child—’
‘Then why the hell keep something like this from me?’
‘David—’
‘Daddy,’ Kelly went into the room. Her father looked completely harasssed, his skin white beneath the tan. ‘We, only did it for the best. The doctors—’
‘Yes, the doctors!’ he stormed. ‘What on earth were they thinking of not telling me I’ve forgotten five years of my life? My God, do you realise I’m fifty-one and not forty-six as I thought I was? What the hell are you smiling about?’ he turned on Kelly. ‘It isn’t funny,’ he complained angrily.
‘You are,’ she contradicted. ‘All you’re worried about is the fact that you’re older than you thought you were.’
A reluctant smile lightened his features. ‘It’s all right for you, you’re only twenty-three, I’m fifty-one!’
Kelly was relieved to see that some of the tension had now left him, that this moment of humour had relaxed him somewhat. Nevertheless, she felt glad when the doctor was shown into the bedroom, asking to be alone with his patient.
Jordan moved about their own bedroom, dressing in brown fitted trousers and shirt. ‘How did it get into the papers?’ he said impatiently, lighting up a cheroot to pace the room.