Forbidden Surrender. Carole Mortimer

I wouldn’t have minded, but he seemed so insistent. Oh well,’ she dismissed, ‘he’ll have to chalk this one down to a no go.’

      ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ her aunt agreed vaguely. ‘Now, where were we? Oh yes, if we turn here we should be near the underground. Shall we go home and have a cup of tea? I’m dying for a cup.’

      Sara grinned at her, her face alight with mischief, her features strikingly beautiful, the eyes wide and a deep dark brown, heavily fringed by long black lashes, the nose short, the mouth wide and smiling, her teeth very white against her golden skin. Her body was tall and supple, long-legged, and very slender. Her looks were invaluable in her profession, and she hoped to return to modelling when she went back to the States.

      ‘You and your tea!’ she chided. After only two days she was well aware of her aunt’s weakness for the brew, the other woman seeming to drink gallons of the stuff. Sara preferred coffee herself, but she readily agreed with the idea of going home for refreshment; the visit to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament had tired her out.

      Uncle Arthur came in soon after they did, a short stocky man, going a little thin on top, his sparse brown hair going slightly grey now.

      ‘I have a surprise for you, love,’ he beamed at Sara as they ate their dinner. ‘I’ve invited Eddie round tonight, my nephew by my sister Jean. I thought you would like a bit of young company for a change.’

      Sara masked her irritation. Her aunt and uncle had been so kind to her, and it was ungrateful of her not to appreciate this extra act of kindness. They had no way of knowing of her recent disillusionment, of the way Barry had let her down when she needed him the most, had walked out on her when the accident had temporarily robbed her of the ability to walk into a room with him and make one of his grand entrances. Barry was an up-and-coming actor, had appeared in several television serials, and he ranked his worth much higher than any television producer had yet had the foresight to do. Sara had been dating him a couple of months before the accident, not realising that her main attraction had been her undeniable beauty and her original way of dressing. Barry had replaced her within a day of the accident, having no time for her bereavement or her own injuries.

      So at the moment she wasn’t particularly keen on men. ‘That will be nice,’ she gave a bright smile.

      ‘I hope so,’ her uncle nodded, settling back in his armchair. ‘He’s a good lad, works in a garage.’

      ‘He doesn’t work in a garage, Arthur,’ his wife chided. ‘He owns one, dear,’ she told Sara. ‘And he lets other people do the work.’

      Sara felt sure Eddie wouldn’t agree with that, the poor man was probably worked off his feet. It wasn’t easy running a business, she knew that. Her stepfather had run an advertising firm, and he had often come home absolutely exhausted. Eddie probably felt the same way on occasion.

      ‘It’s nice of him to spare me the time,’ she said in all honesty.

      ‘Well, he took a bit of persuading,’ her uncle told her, ‘but I managed to talk him round.’

      After Barry’s desertion of her this wasn’t exactly a booster to her morale. It was because of Eddie’s apparent reluctance to meet her that she took special care over her appearance that evening.

      Her silky suit was in a pale lilac colour, the narrow belt that fitted over the shirt top in a deep purple colour. Her shoes matched the colour of the belt, her legs were long and silky beneath the straight skirt. She was aiming to knock his eyes out, so her make-up was dramatic, just to show him that his time hadn’t been wasted.

      When she heard him arrive she checked her appearance. Her hair, newly washed, fell in gentle waves halfway down her back, shaped in casual curls either side of her face. Yes, she looked the top model she had rapidly been becoming until the accident, and if Eddie wasn’t impressed now he never would be.

      He was. It was obvious by the widening of his deep blue eyes, by the way he slowly rose to his feet, his gaze appraising.

      ‘Hi,’ she greeted huskily, giving him her most dazzling smile. ‘I’m Sara, and you must be Eddie.’ She held out her hand politely.

      He took her hand, seemingly reluctant to let it go again. His own hand was strong and work-worn, the nails kept short and clean. He was a man possibly in his late twenties, his hair sandy-blond, his face attractive, his dress casual in the extreme, his denims faded, his shirt unbuttoned partway down his chest.

      ‘Nice to meet you,’ he gave a wide appreciative smile. ‘Uncle Arthur didn’t tell me how—Well, he didn’t say—You’re gorgeous!’ he grinned.

      Sara gave a happy laugh, at last managing to release her hand. ‘Thank you, kind sir,’ she curtseyed. ‘Uncle Arthur wasn’t too descriptive about you either,’ she admitted, instantly liking this man.

      Eddie nodded understandingly. ‘You expected me to be wearing an overall, with oil under my fingernails,’ he derided.

      ‘Something like that,’ she gave a rueful smile. ‘Although Aunt Susan assured me you didn’t actually work in your garage.’ Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

      ‘Charming!’

      She burst out laughing at his disgusted expression. ‘I’m sure she didn’t mean it the way I made it sound.’ Her aunt and uncle had taken advantage of Eddie’s visit and gone to visit some friends for the evening.

      ‘Hey, you’re all right,’ Eddie smiled at her. ‘Fancy coming out for a pint? A beer,’ he explained at her puzzled expression.

      ‘I’d love to,’ she accepted eagerly.

      She had never been into a ‘local’ before, had never even been into a bar. Her mother and stepfather were quite protective of her, vetting most of her friends, and keeping her close within their own circle.

      She loved the pub they went to, loved the beer Eddie made her try, loved the friendly, warm atmosphere, and most of all she loved the people. She was instantly accepted into Eddie’s crowd and persuaded to join in a game of darts, a game she was totally hopeless at. But she had a lot of fun trying, and no one seemed to mind her inability to hit the board twice in a row.

      ‘That was fun!’ She gave Eddie a glowing smile on the drive back to her aunt and uncle’s house.

      ‘Glad you enjoyed it. Care to come out with me again?’ He quirked one eyebrow enquiringly.

      ‘I’d love to!’ Sara’s face glowed.

      ‘Tomorrow?’

      She looked uncertain. ‘I’m not sure what plans Aunt Susan and Uncle Arthur have for me. You see——’

      ‘It’s okay, Sara,’ he cut in dryly, ‘I realise I’m not the sort of man you usually go out with.’

      She blushed at his intended rebuke. ‘I didn’t mean that.’

      ‘But it’s true, isn’t it? You were like a child tonight, enjoyed each new experience with eagerness. Uncle Arthur told me you were a rich kid, in the executive bracket.’

      Sara bit her lip, knowing she had hurt him. ‘I did enjoy tonight, and I—I’m sorry if I embarrassed you with my enthusiasm. I didn’t mean to.’

      Eddie sighed. ‘You didn’t. You were a success, you know you were. Maybe that’s why I’m so annoyed—I was jealous of half the men there tonight.’

      Sara relaxed somewhat, back on territory she could handle. ‘You had no need to be. I always remember who took me on my date, and I always make a point of leaving with that person.’

      ‘So it’s still on for tomorrow, if Aunt Susan and Uncle Arthur don’t have any other plans for you? And this time I’ll take you somewhere I can have you all to myself.’

      She wasn’t so sure his single-minded interest was a good thing. She would be going back to the States soon, two or three weeks at the most, and it wouldn’t do for Eddie