Lynne Pemberton – Platinum Coast (страница 20)

‘That’s just not true.’ His voice shook with anger. Conversation ceased in the busy bar. Everyone was watching the scene.

‘You know the situation as well as I do, Christina. You’ve known from the first weekend you spent at Purley Hall almost six months ago, but you just can’t accept the fact. Victoria needs me.’

She stood up. He got to his feet and put a hand on her arm. ‘I can only give you so much of my time, Christina. You must understand,’ he implored.

She took a deep breath.

‘I do understand, Stephen.’ Her voice was resigned. ‘You must go and catch your plane to London. You’re right. Victoria wants you.’

Christina picked up the suitcase she had packed with such excitement that morning and gripped the handle firmly with trembling fingers. She was fighting hard to prevent the tears welling up in her eyes and blinked several times before she was able to say, ‘I don’t need you any more, Stephen. At least not like this.’

She turned and walked out of the Midland Hotel, hoping Stephen might run after her but knowing deep in her heart that he would not.

Christina squinted, trying hard to focus. She could have sworn Martin Ward had three heads as he came towards her. Thankfully they merged into one when he sat next to her.

‘I’ve been looking for you for ages. Where on earth have you been?’

‘Drinking. And I want another.’

‘I really think you’ve had enough.’ Martin gently prised the glass from her hand.

‘I will decide when I have had enough.’ She leaned forward to attract the barman’s attention, and almost fell.

‘Why don’t we go back to my place?’ Martin suggested, planning to give her coffee and perhaps something to eat in an effort to sober her up.

‘Your place?’ She glared at him. He was reminded of the little tabby kitten he’d rescued from the railway embankment as a child. Small-boned, saucer-eyed and spitting defiance. He realized she had mistaken his meaning.

‘I really don’t think you’d be much use to me in bed tonight, Christina,’ he said as he caught her firmly in his arms. ‘Come on, love, I’m taking you home.’

So much for using the club dance to show Christina how attractive he found her, Martin thought ruefully, as he steered her across the dance-floor. He hadn’t been able to spend as much time with her as he’d hoped. The Chairman had been in an expansive mood, pressing forbidden cigars on him, and then there’d been the duty dances with players’ wives and starstruck girlfriends. With his thick blond hair and broad-shouldered, tapering physique, Martin had caught the eye of any number of women tonight. But the one he wanted to attract, the one he found himself thinking of more and more these days, seemed to want him only as a shoulder to cry on.

He knew what was at the bottom of it, of course. A man, must be. Maybe the man he’d seen her with at the Midland that time?

Outside in his BMW Christina seemed to come to herself.

‘I’m sorry, Martin. I feel so ashamed. I didn’t show you up, did I?’

‘Don’t be, Christina. Everyone has too much sometimes. It’s not the end of the world. Listen, I’ve made a fool of myself on more than one occasion and had to be carried home.’

She sniffed and blew her nose.

‘I’d like to spend the night with you, Martin. I can’t bear to go back to the flat.’

He stared straight ahead, both hands gripping the wheel. A car passed and his handsome profile was suddenly illuminated in the headlights.

‘I’d love to sleep with you, Christina, and to be honest I’ve thought about little else since our date last week.’ He thought carefully about his next words. ‘But I don’t want you on the rebound. You’ve had someone else on your mind tonight. I don’t think you’re ready for me or anyone till you’ve got him out of your system.’

Christina sniffed again and stared ahead, not speaking. They drove in silence for a few minutes until she spoke, very quietly. ‘You’re right, Martin, though not many men would be so understanding. Thank you. If you could take me home I’d be grateful.’ He stopped his car in front of her flat.

‘I’d like to see you again, Christina, and there may not be much time. As you know, I’m on the transfer list. If the deal with Tottenham goes through next week I’ll be leaving Manchester.’ He paused. ‘I know you’d like to work in London …’ He wanted to say ‘We could go together’, but his voice trailed off and he left the sentence unfinished.

Christina half smiled. ‘I really hope you get it, Martin. I’m sure you will.’

She got out of the car. He was about to follow when she bent down and spoke through the open window.

‘Don’t get out, Martin. I’m fine now. Sorry about this evening.’

‘No problem. Think about London, won’t you, Christina? I’ll call you in the morning.’

He waved and drove off. She watched the car until it was out of sight.

It was ironic, she thought. Half the girls in Manchester would give their eye-teeth to have an invitation like that from Martin Ward. Christina could see the attraction. He was good-looking, he was famous. But he wasn’t for her. There was only one man she wanted.

She expected to hear Martin’s voice when she picked up the telephone the following morning, but it was her sister instead.

‘It’s bad news, Christina. The doctors say Mam won’t last the night.’

She stared at her own pale face and sunken eyes in the cracked mirror above the telephone.

‘But – they said she had a few more months! God, Marie, I’d have cancelled my jobs if I’d realized.’

Her sister’s voice cracked as she replied, ‘Sure and Mam wouldn’t hear of that. She was always so proud of you, Christina.’

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