Reform of the Rake Read online

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LOWRI soon learned she’d hit on the one tactic likely to secure her Adam Hawkridge’s interest whether she wanted it or not. Next day she answered the newly installed telephone extension in her office with a chuckle.

  ‘Rupert, you must be psychic—I was just going to ring you. These hieroglyphics of yours on page thirty—’

  ‘Sorry—I’m not psychic and I’m not Rupert either,’ said a deep, satin-smooth voice. ‘Adam here, Lowri. Rupert put me through to you. How are you?’

  Lowri blinked. ‘Adam! What a surprise. I’m very well, also very busy. How are you?’

  ‘Offended. I spent a very lonely evening last night after you turned me down.’

  ‘How sad.’

  There was a pause. ‘Lowri,’ said the caressing voice. ‘Was your refusal some kind of dressage by any chance?’

  ‘Dressage?’

  ‘Playing hard to get,’ he said indulgently.

  ‘Oh, but I’m not. Playing at it, I mean.’

  Another pause.

  ‘I thought we got on rather well together,’ he went on, the banter suddenly gone.

  ‘If you mean we had a pleasant time by the river, of course we did.’

  ‘Then have dinner with me. How about Saturday?’

  ‘Sorry. My weekend’s booked.’

  She heard him breathe out slowly.

  ‘I won’t give up,’ he warned. ‘You’ll say yes to me sooner or later, Lowri.’

  Don’t hold your breath, she thought. ‘Thank you for ringing, Adam. Goodbye.’

  Lowri put the phone down with an unsteady hand, her heart beating like a drum. The mere sound of Adam’s voice was more than enough to throw her off balance, which only confirmed how sensible she was to refuse him. It just wouldn’t do to get involved with Adam Hawkridge. Not, she thought wryly, that she required a man to declare himself eligible before she’d have dinner with him. Not normally, anyway. And with any other man in the world it wouldn’t matter. There was no danger of falling in love with someone else because…Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she stared in sudden dismay at the computer screen. Because she was already in love with Adam Hawkridge? Rubbish! She’d only met the man a few times. Not that it made a blind bit of difference, it was true just the same. She ground her teeth impotently. What a bird-brained idiot, to fall for a man allergic to emotional commitment!

  Lowri took in a deep breath and pulled herself together. Now she’d faced the truth she’d get over it eventually, which meant avoiding Adam like the plague. Without fuel a fire would go out. She’d make it go out. And this time there was no white lie involved. She was booked for the weekend. Rupert was giving a lecture at a literary seminar, and she’d volunteered to move into the house to stay with Emily and Dominic so that Sarah could go with him.

  Once they’d waved their parents off, Emily and Dominic helped Lowri get supper, ate it happily with her at the kitchen table and helped clear away afterwards with such conscious virtue that Lowri couldn’t help laughing.

  ‘Don’t try to be too good, you two, or you’ll burst by the time your mother gets back on Sunday.’

  ‘Daddy said I must be an angel,’ said Emily with a worried frown.

  ‘Some hopes,’ said her brother scornfully. ‘You’ve got to die before you can be an angel, silly.’

  Emily stared at him in horror, her lower lip jutting ominously. ‘I don’t want to die,’ she quavered. ‘Not before Mummy gets home.’

  ‘Absolutely no chance of that,’ said Lowri briskly, ‘not with me around. Now then, cariad, race you up to the bathroom—if you win you choose the story.’

  Some time during the protracted process of getting Emily to bed Lowri heard the telephone ring a couple of times, but left Dominic to answer it. Later, after she’d allayed Emily’s fears about growing wings, and settled the little girl to sleep, Lowri went down to find Dominic just coming in from the garden.

  ‘Who was on the phone?’ she asked him.

  ‘Sorry—didn’t hear it ring. I was out in the practice net Dad put up for me. I’ll check the answering machine.’ Dominic went off, whistling, while Lowri checked that all the doors were locked.

  ‘Two for you,’ he reported, coming back to the kitchen. ‘One was your Dad and the other was Adam.’ He eyed her pink cheeks with interest. ‘Do you like Adam, Lowri?’

  ‘Of course. He’s very nice,’ she said sedately.

  ‘I think he fancies you! All right if I watch television now?’

  Lowri nodded, rather touched that he was asking her permission. ‘I’ll join you in a minute.’ She went into Rupert’s study to listen to the messages. Her father’s voice enquired if she were well, but Adam’s message made her bristle by ordering her to ring back immediately.

  Lowri had a chat with her father and Holly, but ignored Adam’s orders. Pleased with her iron self-control, she went off to join Dominic in front of the television, and when Sarah rang later Lowri made no mention of Adam’s call.

  ‘I hope the weekend won’t be too tiring for you, or too dull,’ said Sarah.

  ‘Of course it won’t. Stop worrying and have fun!’

  After breakfast next morning Lowri drove Emily to her ballet class, dropped Dominic off at a friend’s house for the morning, then went back to make the chocolate cake she’d promised as a treat. As she was sliding the tins into the oven the phone rang.

  ‘At last!’ said the spine-tingling voice. ‘I’ve found you, Lowri Morgan.’

  ‘Who is this?’ she answered calmly.

  ‘Adam—as you well know. Why didn’t you return my call last night?’

  ‘By the time I heard the message it was late. I assumed you’d be out.’

  ‘I’m not out every night,’ he cut back. ‘In fact I was working my socks off until very late. It occurs to me that you could have meant you were just booked up in the evenings this weekend, so how about lunch today— or tomorrow?’

  ‘Sorry.’ Lowri explained the situation. ‘I really must dash, Adam, I’ve got a cake in the oven. Bye.’

  ‘Lowri!’

  She put the phone down swiftly before her resolve weakened, and rushed back to the kitchen to make herself a cup of extra-strong coffee. As she drank it she tried hard to quiet a small voice which asked her why she was giving Adam such a hard time. You might be the very one, it said insinuatingly, to change his mind about commitment, even marriage. In a pig’s eye, she told it scornfully. I’m nothing much to look at. My face wouldn’t launch so much as a dinghy, let alone a thousand ships. And Adam likes his women glamorous and skinny—except around the chest, whereas my shape’s more the other way round. And if he does ask again— not that he will—I’ve just got to keep saying no.

  When Lowri got back to Hamilton Terrace after collecting Emily and Dominic there was much excitement when they found a familiar convertible parked outside.

  ‘Great! That’s Adam’s car,’ said Dominic as Lowri drove into the garage.

  ‘Is Adam coming to lunch?’ clamoured Emily, and raced after Dominic towards the man reclining on the garden seat under the rose arbour. ‘Adam, Adam!’ she squealed, and launched herself into the arms held at the ready to receive her.

  ‘Good morning, Miss Clare.’ He said laughing and swung her round in a circle, then aimed a playful punch at Dominic.

  ‘Mum and Dad are away.’ Dominic grinned at him impudently. ‘Lowri’s looking after us.’

  ‘Aren’t you the lucky ones!’ said Adam, smiling smugly as Lowri reached them. ‘Nice to see you, Lowri— at last. I was just passing so I thought I’d call in.’

  ‘Hello, Adam.’ Conscious of the children’s eyes on her, she managed a cool smile. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve time to come in, I know how busy you are.’

  ‘All the time in the world—it’s my day off,’ he assured her, eyes dancing irrepressibly.

  Emily tugged him by the hand to follow Lowri into the house. ‘Come and have lunch with us—please, Adam. Lowri’s made a cake.’


  ‘I know,’ he said, then laughed as Dominic’s eyebrows shot to his hair.

  ‘How? She hadn’t started it when she took us out this morning.’

  ‘I confess I rang up,’ said Adam, unabashed. ‘When I heard she was baking a cake, nothing could keep me away.’

  ‘You rang her up last night, too,’ pointed out Dominic.

  ‘No law against it,’ said Adam cheerfully. ‘Tell you what, I’ll give you a few balls in that net out there while Emily, like a perfect little angel, helps Lowri put lunch.’

  ‘Emily doesn’t want to be an angel,’ said Lowri with a warning look, and gave the child a cuddle. ‘Which is a very good thing. We like her just the way she is.’

  ‘Who wouldn’t!’ said Adam swiftly and swept Emily up in a hug. ‘Never did care for angels myself anyway— all that twanging about on harps!’ As he put the child down Adam gave Lowri a straight look.

  ‘May I stay for lunch?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course you can,’ said Dominic impatiently. ‘Come on, Adam!’

  ‘I was asking Lowri. She’s in charge.’

  She gave him a fulminating look, then shrugged. ‘If you’ve a taste for pasta and chocolate cake, by all means join us.’

  ‘That’s settled, then,’ said Dominic and gave Lowri a conspiratorial wink. ‘Adam can clear away afterwards instead of me.’

  Once Adam’s company was inevitable Lowri decided she might as well relax and enjoy it. Both children very obviously adored him—it would be a shame, she assured herself, to spoil their pleasure in the unexpected visitor.

  During the meal, which Adam praised with extravagance, there was a heated discussion on how to spend the afternoon now it was raining. Dominic wanted to go swimming, while Emily pleaded for the rare treat of a trip to the cinema. With all the skill of a career diplomat Adam settled the argument by the simple expedient of agreeing to both.

  ‘We’ll all go off to see Beauty and the Beast this afternoon, then you and I, Dom, will bring the ladies home and go for a swim on our own.’ Adam smiled at Lowri challengingly. ‘We’ll fetch a takeaway back with us—give Lowri a break from catering.’

  ‘You’re staying to supper too?’ Dominic let out a warhoop of delight.

  With Emily cuddled on his lap Adam eyed Lowri warily as she loaded the dishwasher. ‘Do you object?’

  ‘Since you’ve won the majority vote, how can I?’ she said tartly, then smiled at Emily. ‘Go and wash the chocolate smudges off your face, darling. You too, Dominic, please.’

  Emily slid off Adam’s knee obediently, then looked up at him with cajoling green eyes. ‘Can I sit by you at the cinema, Adam?’

  ‘You certainly can.’ He ruffled her black curls. ‘Only hurry up. Nearly time to go.’ He smiled at Lowri as the child trotted off happily after Dominic. ‘Imagine the havoc that young lady will wreak when she grows up. One look from those eyes of hers and she’ll have every man in sight at her mercy.’

  ‘A bit like you, really,’ observed Lowri, putting the remains of the chocolate cake in a tin.

  Adam glared. ‘What?’

  ‘Your eyes aren’t green exactly, but aren’t most women at your mercy when you smoulder at them?’

  ‘Rubbish!’ His mouth twisted in distaste. ‘Besides, if that’s the case why am I so bloody unsuccessful where you’re concerned?’

  ‘You’re just not my type.’ She smiled at him sweetly. ‘You’re so much older than me, for a start.’

  His eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘I’m not quite over the hill yet, Lowri Morgan—on any count!’ He sprang to his feet and stalked towards her, then stopped dead as Dominic came rushing into the room with a packed sports bag. The boy halted, looking from one to the other.

  ‘Were you two quarrelling?’

  ‘Certainly not,’ said Lowri, and went off to fetch Emily.

  At the cinema Lowri managed to arrange things so that Emily was between herself and Adam, with Dominic on his far side. But before the film began Emily asked to go to the cloakroom. When Lowri took her back to the others Adam quickly installed Emily between himself and Dominic, forcing Lowri to take the seat next to him.

  Once the award-winning music began, Emily was entranced. Even Dominic, who’d been rather superior about indulging his sister with her choice of film, was soon engrossed, something which Lowri was thankful for when Adam’s hand captured hers and retained it in a relentless grip impossible to loosen without making a scene.

  No fan of cartoon films herself, Lowri found the afternoon very long, deeply conscious of the warm dry clasp which never slackened throughout the entire film. To her relief Adam released her hand before the lights went up, but not quickly enough to escape Dominic’s astute green eyes, one of which drooped in a knowing wink as he grinned at Lowri.

  Adam drove them back to Hamilton Terrace, deposited Lowri and a tired, excited Emily at the house, then whisked Dominic off for a swim at a surprise location.

  While they were gone Lowri supervised Emily’s bath and sat quietly with the child afterwards, reading to her on the sofa in the small sitting-room the family used in preference to the rather formal drawing-room kept for entertaining. Emily burrowed against Lowri’s shoulder drowsily, and dozed off for a while, but woke up with a start when Dominic came rushing in, blazing with excitement.

  ‘Guess where we went—Adam’s place! It’s in this block of flats by the river, and there’s this fantastic pool in the basement—there was no one there, we had the place to ourselves. I did ten lengths!’

  ‘Fantastic! In that case you must be hungry. Where is Adam?’ inquired Lowri.

  ‘We stopped for a takeaway. Fried chicken and chips and things—he’s just coming.’

  Adam appeared in the doorway. ‘I’ve dumped it all on the kitchen table, Lowri, will you come and supervise?’ He bent over Emily. ‘Hello, poppet, want some chicken?’

  Emily shook her head. ‘No. Thank you,’ she added belatedly.

  ‘Aren’t you hungry, my angel?’

  Emily glared at him and burrowed against Lowri. ‘Not an angel,’ she sobbed.

  ‘No, of course not, sweetheart,’ said Adam, wincing as he met Lowri’s glare. ‘Shall I go and switch on an oven or something to keep the stuff hot?’

  Lowri managed to soothe the child’s sobs, motioned Adam to sit down and transferred Emily to his lap. ‘You cuddle Emily, Dominic and I’ll see to supper. We’ll have it in here, for a treat.’

  Once Adam exerted all his considerable charm on Emily she was soon laughing with him, though too tired to eat much.

  ‘I think I’ll take this young lady up to bed,’ Lowri said after a while. ‘Dominic, there’s ice-cream or cake if you want pudding, and some cheese if you’d prefer, Adam.’

  Adam sprang to his feet, holding out his arms for Emily. ‘I’ll carry her upstairs for you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Lowri hurried up the curving staircase to Emily’s small, pretty bedroom, then took the drowsy child from Adam. ‘I don’t think we’ll bother with a bath tonight.’ To her surprise Adam insisted on staying to help her undress the little girl, holding Emily on his lap while Lowri sponged her face, then watching as the child was tucked up in bed.

  ‘She looks like a little angel, lying there,’ he whispered.

  Lowri shook her head, laying a finger to her lips as she went out of the room ahead of him. ‘Never mention the word “angel” again, for heaven’s sake. Emily discovered one’s obliged to die before getting to be one, something she objects to violently, particularly before Mummy gets home.’

  ‘Oops!’ Adam grinned ruefully. ‘I don’t know much about children. I obviously put my foot in it.’

  ‘Your famous charm soon won her round,’ Lowri assured him tartly. ‘I’d better clear up the remains of our supper—which I haven’t thanked you for, by the way.’

  He gave her a gleaming, complacent look as they went to join Dominic. ‘I told you I’d get you to dine with me, didn’t I! Not that I envisaged such a bizarre way to gain my ends.
’

  ‘Quite a change for you.’ She gave him a crooked little smile and went into the sitting-room, where Dominic was glued to the television among the greasy remains of their impromptu meal. He jumped up guiltily, but Adam waved him away.

  ‘My turn to help Lowri, old son.’ He smiled at Dominic’s open relief as the boy returned eagerly to his television programme.

  Their disposable feast took very little effort to clear away, and once Sarah’s kitchen was restored to its usual immaculate condition Adam volunteered to make coffee while Lowri checked all was well with her young charges.

  When she got back she found Adam had mugs of instant coffee ready, instead of brewing Sarah’s best Blue Mountain beans as Lowri had intended. She drank gratefully, just the same, feeling suddenly bone-weary.

  ‘Right.’ Adam’s bantering manner dropped away like a cloak, his eyes steely as they challenged hers. ‘Now that I’ve gone to such lengths to secure your company, Lowri, tell me the truth. Why did you turn me down?’

  She eyed him curiously. ‘Do I take it no one ever has before?’

  Adam thought about it, then shook his head. ‘Not that I can remember,’ he said candidly.

  Lowri decided to tell him half the truth. ‘If you must know, Adam, I couldn’t for the life of me think why someone like you should be interested in a girl like me.’

  ‘Why the devil not?’ he demanded, amazed.

  ‘Oh come on,’ she said scornfully. ‘I’ve only met two, I admit, but Sarah says all your girlfriends run true to type.’

  ‘What type?’

  ‘You know perfectly well what I mean! Clothes, background, gloss, totally unlike me in every possible way. I’m a small-town girl, unsophisticated, and years younger than the women you usually go for. So it seemed only sensible to keep my distance from a notorious heartbreaker like you.’

  Adam stared at her in blank distaste. ‘Heartbreaker! What the blazes are you talking about?’

  Lowri sighed. ‘That’s just it. You don’t even know you do it. You turn that smile on a female, and give her that look that makes her feel she’s the only woman in the world, say sweet nothings in that sexy dark brown voice of yours, then when she’s putty in your hands you stroll off in search of the next conquest. You should carry a government health warning, Adam Hawkridge.’