Passionate Winter. Carole Mortimer

young to run about with the crowd Gavin mixes with.’

      ‘And he isn’t?’

      ‘Gavin is a boy and quite able to make his own decisions, rightly or wrongly.’

      ‘So you’re a male chauvinist, Mr Sinclair,’ she taunted softly. ‘How quaint in this day and age! Don’t you realise this is the time of equality?’

      He took the ashtray from her outstretched hand, placing it on the arm of his chair. ‘Not for a child like you. You have to grow up a lot more before you can think of flaunting your independence, and going to college won’t help you one little bit. It’s too much like being at school. What are you training to be anyway?’

      ‘A professional layabout?’ she queried sweetly.

      ‘There’s no need to be sarcastic,’ he rebuked softly.

      ‘I’m sorry, I thought that was the answer you were expecting.’ She was beginning to feel slightly cold and was unable to suppress a shiver.

      He stood up. ‘I’m sorry, you must be getting cold. If you would like to go and dress I’ll wait here for you.’

      ‘What for?’ she asked rudely.

      ‘Just go and dress like a good girl,’ he said impatiently.

      Leigh needed no second bidding. It didn’t take her long to don the wine-coloured velvet trousers and fine lawn smock-top, brushing her hair back until it was a glistening black cloud about her slim shoulders. She quickly applied a light make-up before putting on her shoes, the extra height giving her more confidence. She left the bedroom feeling more able to stand up to this domineering man.

      ‘Very nice,’ he said approvingly. ‘You’re a very beautiful girl.’

      ‘I am?’

      ‘Yes, you are, if you weren’t so damned obstinate all the time.’ He put his hand inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the handkerchief he hadn’t bothered to use when she had given it to him earlier to wipe his oily hands. ‘Yours, I believe.’

      Leigh took the handkerchief out of his proffered hand, staring at it as if she had never seen it before. ‘You came here just to bring this back to me?’

      ‘Disappointed?’ he asked softly.

      ‘No, of course not!’ Leigh denied vehemently, maybe too vehemently. ‘It just seems strange for you to bring back a little thing like this. I didn’t expect you to return it.’

      ‘I didn’t say that was the reason I came here. I came to see if you had arrived home safely.’

      ‘You did? Whatever for?’

      ‘I felt responsible for you. You’re the type of helpless female that needs protecting from herself, and as your parents don’t seem to give a damn—–’

      ‘Now you have gone too far!’ Leigh stood angrily in front of him, her eyes almost spitting her dislike of him. ‘My parents care for me very much, in fact it was as I was returning from visiting them that my car broke down. I can assure you that no one could worry more about me than my mother and father do.’

      ‘They have a very funny way of showing it, letting a kid like you live in London and mix with the crowd you do.’ He saw her face colour up. ‘Unless of course they don’t know about your so-called friends,’ he guessed shrewdly. ‘Could that be the case?’

      Leigh studied her painted fingernails, avoiding his gaze, which was much too penetrating for comfort. ‘There’s nothing to know. They know I have quite a few friends in London, and they’re only too pleased that I’ve made these friends so easily.’

      ‘But you haven’t told them that most of these kids sleep around and a lot of them experiment with drugs. Have you?’

      His tone demanded an answer. ‘No,’ she agreed reluctantly. ‘But they know I have more sense than to get involved in any one of those scenes. I’ve seen drug addicts and the state they’ve been reduced to, and let me tell you that nothing would induce me to take drugs. What is it with you anyway? You should be telling Gavin all this, not me.’

      ‘Gavin is perfectly capable of taking care of himself,’ he told her coldly. ‘Like you, he’s seen drug addicts. That’s the one thing I know he would never become involved in.’

      ‘Okay, okay,’ she said resignedly. ‘Now you know that I’ve arrived home safely you can go on to your engagement. I wouldn’t like the lady to be kept waiting.’

      ‘I’m not answerable to anyone for my movements, young lady, and at the moment I’m perfectly comfortable where I am.’

      ‘Well, I’m not! I’m supposed to be going out, not trying to humour you.’

      Piers stood up. ‘Very well, I’ll take you out.’ He straightened one snowy white cuff.

      ‘To the party? You’ll give me a lift?’