‘I thought lunch?’
‘Lovely. You’re a life-saver, Kelly. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.’
Kelly laughed at the other girl’s mock desperation. The arrangements made, she rang off, the telephone instantly ringing, making her jump with surprise. ‘Yes?’ She snatched up the receiver.
‘Kelly?’ Jordan’s voice came tersely down the line.
She instantly stiffened. ‘Yes.’
‘I called to say I wouldn’t be in to lunch,’ he told her abruptly.
‘I already guessed that,’ she said coolly. ‘In fact, I’ve made arrangements to be out myself.’
‘You have?’ His voice was harsh.
Kelly bristled with resentment. ‘Yes, I have. Do you have any objection?’ her sarcasm was unmistakable.
‘That depends on who you’re lunching with,’ he rasped. ‘Maggie again?’
‘No,’ she replied uncommunicatively.
‘Who, then?’ he demanded to know.
‘How is your head this morning?’ She deliberately didn’t answer his question. The arrogance of him!
‘Bloody awful,’ he growled. ‘But then you expected that, didn’t you?’
‘Did I?’ she asked infuriatingly. ‘Yes, I suppose I did,’ she mused.
‘Did I say—anything after I passed out?’
Kelly frowned. ‘A lot of rubbish that didn’t make any sense.’
‘None of it?’ he asked tautly.
‘Not that I can remember. Why?’
‘Just curious. Most of the people I’ve seen get drunk seem to get very sentimental with it.’
‘Not you, Jordan,’ she gave a scornful laugh. ‘Don’t worry, you didn’t give away any of your secrets.’
‘Secrets?’ Jordan echoed sharply.
‘Which woman you’re seeing at the moment,’ she said carelessly, amazed at her talent for acting. If he had so much as mentioned another woman’s name she would have scratched his eyes out. As it was, it had all been a lot of disjointed mumblings, none of which made the slightest bit of sense.
‘I’m more interested in the man you’re seeing,’ he told her grimly. ‘Who is he?’
‘That’s none of your business. But I’ll tell him of your interest. It should amuse him,’ she added before slowly replacing the receiver.
She was in her bedroom by the time the telephone began ringing again, hastily shutting herself in the bathroom as Mrs McLeod knocked on the bedroom door.
When she received no answer she had obviously come into the bedroom, and now she was knocking on the bathroom door. ‘Mr Lord on the telephone, madam.’
Kelly smiled her glee. ‘Could you tell him I’m in the bath, Mrs McLeod,’ she called through the dividing door. ‘If it’s important perhaps you could take a message.’ She bit her lip to stop herself laughing, imagining Jordan’s fury.
The housekeeper returned a few minutes later, by which time Kelly really had run herself a bath. ‘No message, Mrs Lord,’ she called out to her.
She didn’t think there would be. Jordan wasn’t the type of man to conduct a conversation through a third person. Although she had no doubt he would demand some honest answers from her this evening. The wait would do him good.