Passionate Winter. Carole Mortimer

speed limits.

       CHAPTER TWO

      LEIGH sat morosely at the table, still tired after her almost sleepless night. She had found it impossible to sleep when she had crept into the house in the early hours of the morning, and not wishing to disturb Karen had sat in the lounge trying to doze in one of the armchairs. She was still smarting under the rudeness of Piers Sinclair, and felt sure that if she ever met him again she would tell him exactly what she thought of him. And it wouldn’t be very flattering!

      She turned around as Karen emerged from their bedroom rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked in astonishment at Leigh, her mouth falling open in surprise.

      ‘But what …’ she shook her head dazedly. ‘What are you doing here?’

      Leigh grinned ruefully. ‘Waiting for you to wake up so you can tell me you told me so. Gavin turned out to be just as much of a rat as you warned me he’d be.’

      ‘Oh.’

      ‘Yes, oh,’ she couldn’t help smiling at Karen’s expression. ‘But don’t worry, I got out before anything happened.’

      ‘Oh!’ This time it was a sigh of relief, and Karen padded off to the kitchen to put the kettle on. ‘Then how did you get home?’ she asked as she came back into the room, tucking her legs beneath her as she settled in the other armchair.

      ‘I think I’d better tell you the whole story,’ Leigh sighed. She was suitably rewarded by Karen’s shocked face, and began to feel better herself after telling someone about the fiasco the previous evening had turned out to be.

      ‘And Piers Sinclair actually brought you home?’ exclaimed Karen, handing Leigh the steaming cup of coffee she had made during the recount of the story.

      ‘Mmm,’ Leigh sipped appreciatively at the hot brew. ‘He said he felt responsible for me.’

      ‘He did?’ Karen almost squeaked.

      ‘Yes, he did.’ She looked curiously at her friend. ‘Why the emphasis? Do you know something about the famous Mr Sinclair that I don’t?’

      ‘Well …’ Karen hesitated. ‘I don’t know if it’s the same Piers Sinclair, but it isn’t exactly a common name, is it? Was he a racing driver, do you know?’

      Leigh nodded her head. ‘So Gavin says, and from the way he drove I’m willing to believe it.’

      ‘It’s the same one, then,’ said Karen excitedly. ‘Fancy him being Gavin’s father! Anyway, if I remember correctly, he had a rather bad accident a couple of years ago, injured his back, I think. It ruined his career and he had to give up competitive driving. He was very famous in his time.’

      ‘Strange, I don’t remember reading about it.’

      ‘You probably remember the scandal attached to the incident more. At the time of the accident he was supposed to be having an affair with the wife of his greatest rival, and it was reported that this other man had deliberately tried to kill Piers Sinclair. Of course, everyone denied it, including the three main characters, but the mud stuck and a few months later this other chap retired from racing and his wife began divorce proceedings.’

      ‘I think I remember now. I thought his name sounded familiar. What a charming family they are!’

      ‘Yes, you’re well out of that family. And it wasn’t very polite of Gavin to palm you off on his father, was it?’

      ‘Palm me off just about sounds right. Actually I don’t think he was feeling very polite after being caught in that ridiculous position. Well, would you?’ Leigh chuckled lightly. ‘You should have seen him, Karen, he looked really stupid lying there on that fantastic carpet.’

      ‘I wish I had seen him. I would have told him what I thought of him. He had no right to expect you to … well, to…’

      ‘I should have guessed really. He’s been making funny comments for the last few weeks, but innocent that I am, I thought he was suggesting we got married.’

      Karen spluttered with laughter. ‘You have such a trusting nature, Leigh. It’s just unbelievable!’

      ‘Not after last night I don’t. I must have seemed like a complete idiot to Gavin; he seemed to think I knew what his plans were. From now on I don’t intend to trust anyone unless they prove they’re worthy of that trust. Well, no man anyway. I should have known better. I’ve always been a lousy judge of character.’

      ‘It isn’t very nice to find something like that out about someone, especially in that way.’ Karen looked more closely at Leigh. ‘Did you get any sleep at all last night?’

      ‘Not really. Is that a polite way of telling me I look terrible?’

      ‘Well, you do look a bit tired. Why don’t you go to bed for a few hours? I’m going out anyway, so I won’t disturb you.’

      ‘I can’t, I’m afraid. I promised Mum and Dad that if I was doing nothing else I would go home for lunch and tea today. And it seems that I now have nothing else of importance to do,’ Leigh grimaced.

      ‘What about the party this evening?’

      ‘Oh, I’ll be back in time for that, but I must go home. My brother is playing football for the local team this afternoon and I suppose he’ll expect me to be there to cheer him on. Not that I feel much like shouting myself hoarse, but I can’t let him down.’

      ‘You won’t be in any fit state to go to Angie’s party tonight.’

      ‘Oh, I don’t know, the fresh air may wake me up. I just hope Gavin doesn’t decide to put in an appearance. I think I may make a scene if he does, and I would hate to do that. He wasn’t going, that’s why we went to his father’s house, but he might have changed his mind and come looking for some other poor unsuspecting female.’ Leigh yawned tiredly. ‘I think I’ll take a shower and try to wake myself up.’

      Leigh arrived at her parents’ house just before lunch, thankful that her old Mini hadn’t broken down on the way as it was wont to do. It wasn’t very reliable, but it did get her from A to B, maybe with a few breakdowns on the way, but get her there it did.

      She gave her mother the huge bunch of flowers she had collected from a florists on the way, looking about her expectantly. ‘Where is everyone?’

      Her mother breathed in the perfume of the flowers appreciatively. ‘You shouldn’t have bought me these, I’ve told you to save your money. But they are lovely.’ She kissed Leigh on the cheek, bending to get a vase out of the cupboard and began arranging the long-stemmed flowers in its length. ‘Your father is at work this morning, Dale is at Janet’s, and Christopher is out with some of his friends, probably deciding how they’re going to win the match this afternoon.’

      ‘Nice of them all to be here,’ Leigh said teasingly.

      ‘Well, the thing is, love, that we never know for certain if you’re going to get here—that car of yours is so unreliable. I don’t know why you don’t let your father help you buy a new one.’

      ‘You know why, Mum. I really had to save hard to buy the Mini, and it’s nice to know I bought it with all my own money. I nearly didn’t get home anyway. I was going away for the weekend with a friend, but it didn’t work out.’ Oh boy, how it hadn’t worked out!

      ‘Oh well, never mind, perhaps you can go another weekend.’

      ‘Maybe. Will Chris and Dad be back for lunch?’ She wanted to get off that subject as quickly as possible.

      ‘They should be.’ Mrs Stanton studied her daughter’s pale tired face. ‘You’re looking a bit peaky, love. Been having too many late nights, or are you working too hard?’

      ‘A little of both, I think. I’ll be all right with a