Living Together. Carole Mortimer

to spend less time with him. ‘Be ready.’

      As she had surmised, the girls were all curious to know if it really had been Leon Masters. Helen denied this, not wanting anyone to know they had met. These things had a way of leaking out.

      ‘It certainly looked like him,’ Katy said moodily, obviously not convinced. And who could blame her; Leon’s attraction was unique!

      ‘There may have been some similarity,’ Helen agreed with a pretended degree of thought. ‘But that’s all it was.’

      ‘He wasn’t similar,’ Katy dismissed the description disgustedly. ‘He was exactly like him.’

      ‘I didn’t think so,’ Sue maintained her first opinion. ‘This man was much younger.’

      ‘Don’t be silly,’ Katy scowled. ‘He was exactly Leon Masters’ age.’

      ‘How old he looked or who he looked like isn’t really important,’ Sally cut in. ‘Whoever he was he sounds like a very dishy man. You didn’t tell us you have a handsome boy-friend tucked away in your life,’ she teased Helen.

      There was a lot she hadn’t told them, if they did but know it! They would be as scandalised as everyone else if they knew they were actually working with Mike West’s widow. ‘He isn’t tucked away,’ she denied calmly. ‘I’ve only met him a couple of times.’

      ‘What’s his name?’ Sally asked interestedly.

      ‘L-Larry. His name’s Larry,’ Helen lied.

      Sally pulled a face. ‘Not as nice as Leon. When are you seeing him again?’

      ‘Tonight.’

      ‘Lucky you!’

      Helen didn’t think so. She bitterly regretted agreeing to meet him, and regretted even more that she had told him anything about herself. But perhaps after he had had time to think about what she had told him he wouldn’t turn up tonight. She hoped that would be the case.

      ‘But why did you tell him about Michael?’ Jenny demanded to know that evening. ‘You could surely have put him off some other way.’

      ‘He wouldn’t be put off.’ Helen pushed the food about her plate. ‘I thought telling him I was Michael’s wife might do it.’

      ‘But it didn’t?’

      ‘No,’ she sighed. ‘He didn’t believe me at first, and when I finally managed to convince him he said he didn’t believe me capable of doing something like that.’