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Who said her flat wasn’t in open country? It was a wasted argument, she realised. ‘You led me on!’ she accused him furiously.
‘How the devil did I do that?’ he challenged harshly.
‘You know!’ she hurled back. ‘Finding out that while I have some funds they’re peanuts in relation to your wealth. Finding out that I have to work, so I won’t be able to be with Violette all the time. You’re despicable! You’re...’
‘You’re off your head!’ he countered. ‘It hadn’t so much as occurred to me that you’d want guardianship of that infant when I indulged in a little—polite conversation—to help the flight along.’
‘Polite conversation, my aunt Fanny!’ she tossed at him rudely, not believing it for a minute. ‘Well, you may make a claim for her, Mr Langford, but I’m having her!’ No way was she going to let the poor mite live with this brute!
‘I’ll see you in court,’ he drawled—and that infuriated her. Just because he had more money, a house in the country, he thought he could ride roughshod over other people. She loved the baby but he didn’t even know her!
‘You won’t stand a chance!’ Surely love came before money?
‘How do you figure that?’
She hadn’t yet. But, thus challenged, she slammed at him, ‘I’ve an unsullied reputation, for one thing!’
His look said, How boring. ‘You mean with the opposite sex?’ he drawled, and she wished she’d kept her mouth closed. But that How boring expression niggled her, forcing her on.
‘Which is more than can be said for you!’ she attacked sniffily.
‘It’s true, I’ve had my moments,’ he admitted mockingly. ‘But are you saying that you’ve never had any member of the opposite sex—er—staying over?’
‘That’s got nothing to do with you!’ she retorted hotly, starting to feel a shade warm around the ears.
‘It has, if you intend to stand up in court and swear to it,’ he derided.
He was infuriating. True, her experience of men was limited, though she was certain that there couldn’t be many around like him! ‘I’m prepared to do that if I have to,’ she told him snappily.
‘Ye gods!’ he exclaimed, seeming to find it incredible that she’d reached twenty-two without being tempted.
And that annoyed her. ‘From what I hear, you were chief practitioner of the love ’em and leave ‘em ethic.’
He shrugged. ‘Charm has its own reward,’ he owned modestly. But, apparently done with ribbing her, ‘Straight up—are you a virgin?’ he wanted to know.
It wasn’t just her ears that felt warm. She was certain her cheeks positively glowed. ‘It’s nothing to be ashamed of!’ she snapped.
‘Did I say it was?’
He hadn’t. But she didn’t want this conversation, though she wasn’t sure if it hadn’t been her who had started it. ‘We’re getting away from the point,’ she said heatedly.
‘Which is?’
Give her strength! ‘The point is, you, with your lifestyle. Well, you’re hardly the type to be responsible for the upbringing of a young girl, are you?’
‘If she’s only four months old, I’d guess she isn’t even walking yet!’
‘She’ll grow!’ Ellena retorted, glaring at him, feeling panickily that she was somehow getting the worst of this.
She was positive of it when, having tired of the argument, it seemed, he decreed, ‘Perhaps we’ll leave it for some judge to decide.’
Ellena did not answer. Suddenly it dawned on her that she and Gideon were talking as if Justine and Kit weren’t coming back—and they were. They were! Whether the same thought had just struck Gideon she couldn’t have said, but she thought she caught a glimpse of a bleak look come to his expression a moment before he turned his head away.
Ellena turned her face to her window too. Conversation between them, polite or otherwise, was done with, and she spent the rest of the flight on trying to keep thoughts that Justine might be dead out of her mind. Instead she endeavoured to concentrate on what must be done to ensure that Violette had a safe, warm and loving upbringing.
From the sound of it, Gideon Langford was fully prepared to go to court to battle for custody of the baby. With his money, he was going to be able to afford to employ the very best of lawyers.
What she must do, she realised, was to get herself in a position to combat everything he threw at her. Had a house in the country, did he? Well, albeit that hers would probably be pokey by comparison, she’d get a house in the country too.
She’d probably got enough money left to put down a deposit on something small. And she was earning more now, so a mortgage of not too vast proportions was within her means. She’d got enough furniture to furnish somewhere modest and—and...
Her thoughts fractured and her mind hurried on to taking the baby’s cot and all necessities from Kit’s flat. She gained control and decided she would only borrow them for the short term, until Kit and Justine came for Violette.
Ellena fought another battle for control—and managed to win. She was making all these plans unnecessarily. Justine and Kit would be back soon. As likely as they were to take themselves off ski-ing in a prohibited area, they were equally as likely—leaving bits and pieces of clothing behind—to up sticks and move on somewhere else, if the mood took them. The very worrying thing about that, though, was that whatever else Justine was or was not, she was scrupulously honest. No way would she dream of doing a flit without paying her hotel bill, Ellena just knew it. It just wasn’t in her sister’s make-up—and yet, that hotel bill had not been paid.
Telling herself that everybody was allowed one lapse, and that, what with having just had a baby and everything, Justine’s hormones were probably still all over the place—sufficiently, anyhow, for her to act in a way she wouldn’t normally—Ellena suddenly had one very bright positive thought, that was startling in its simplicity.
Possession, it was said, was nine-tenths of the law. So what was to stop her from going to Russell and Pamela Langford’s home and taking possession of Violette? To hear Justine tell it, and Gideon Langford too, for that matter, Pamela Langford was only interested in money.
No problem. If Justine had not settled with her and the temporary nanny in advance, then she could easily do so. Did she have any proof with her that she was who she said she was? Of course, she had her passport with her. And both Pamela and Russell Langford, from the two times she had telephoned, would know the name Ellena Spencer. Though, come to think of it, she would have to call at her flat first to pick up Russell Langford’s address and her car.
The plane started to descend. Ellena couldn’t wait to be on her way. Andrea had said, ‘Take as much time as you need...’ There was a lot to do. First things first, though; she was making tracks for Hertfordshire...
Gideon Langford’s organisation was highly efficient, she discovered, after they had landed. Someone—the pilot or whoever—must have notified someone of their estimated time of arrival. In any event, there were two chauffeur-driven cars waiting for them.
‘George will drive you to your home,’ Gideon Langford explained, plainly heading in another direction himself, no doubt to some high-powered business meeting.
‘Thank you,’ she answered politely.
‘I’ll be in touch.’
You mean your lawyers will! But civility cost nothing and, even if Gideon had sprouted horns, give the devil his due, thus far she had reason to be grateful to him. She extended a hand. ‘Thank you for everything,’ she said sincerely.
They shook hands. ‘Goodbye,’ he said.
She turned away. She had urgent business to attend to. She doubted the next time she saw him—in court—that they would be so civil with each other.
In the limousine she gave thought to what must be done. She didn’t want this fight, this tug of war. Please God, Justine and Kit would be back before the fight got started.
She vaguely remembered something in the newspapers only recently, about a magistrate or judge sitting in emergency session of the family division of the court when someone needed an instant decision on what was best for a child. Ellena had only her own love-filled childhood to go on. But surely it was better for a child to be brought up where love was?
Worriedly, she instinctively knew where love was not, and that was with Pamela and Russell Langford. It was possible that in future—if he could spare time away from his other non-work activities—that Gideon might get to know and love his niece. Though she doubted he would see much of her. It went without saying that he would hire a nanny... All this wasn’t going to happen, though. Bearing in mind that Violette’s parents would come home—she must believe that; she must—Ellena sincerely felt she would be letting Justine down if she allowed anyone to have guardianship of the baby but herself.
At her flat Ellena thanked George very much. ‘It’s not heavy,’ she smiled when it seemed he would carry her bag indoors for her.
Once she was in her flat, Ellena raced around finding the address she needed, and was again on her way. She could, she realised, have left Violette with Pamela and Russell Langford for the duration Justine had contracted with them. But fear that Gideon Langford would take pre-emptive action spurred her on. Should it come to a court hearing, she wanted it established that Violette—a healthy, happy Violette—lived with her.
Ellena stopped briefly on her way to buy a baby car seat and a few other essential purchases for Violette, and was soon speeding on again. She did wonder if she should ring the Langfords to let them know she was coming. She decided against it. Gideon might ring Russell at any time to tell him the latest concerning Austria. She didn’t want Russell revealing that she’d phoned. She didn’t want Gideon knowing anything until after her visit.
She arrived at the address she was seeking, a very smart house in its own grounds, with hope in her heart that her own neighbours would bear with her when she brought a baby home to her flat. There was a very sleek and expensive car on the drive of the Langfords’ home which hinted that, for all they were accepting payment for looking after Russell’s niece, they weren’t too badly off.
Ellena rang the doorbell, with her thoughts on the early possibility of maybe renting somewhere where children were allowed; only on a short lease while she got somewhere more permanent arranged.
The door was opened almost at once. ‘Good...’ she began as part of her greeting, but the rest didn’t get said. The sleek and expensive car didn’t belong to Russell Langford, she swiftly realised. It belonged to his brother, Gideon! Gideon Langford, having changed the chauffeur-driven vehicle for his own car, had got there before her!
‘Traffic’s a nightmare at this time of day, isn’t it?’ he murmured blandly.
It wasn’t funny! The fact that he had beaten her to it wasn’t funny at all so why did she find his remark amusing? Not that she’d let him see, of course.
‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.
He looked ready to put her in her place for trying to demand anything. But, to her surprise, instead he clipped out the words, ‘Just leaving!’
He was still there, though, when a man, not so tall as Gideon by a couple of inches, and fair haired, with the same features as Kit, came along the hall with a sharp-looking auburn-haired woman in tow. The woman looked hostile before they even started. ‘Yes?’ she challenged irritably.
Ellena opened her mouth but, to her surprise, heard Gideon Langford say pleasantly; ‘Ellena, I don’t think you know my brother, Russell, and his wife, do you?’ Smoothly, he introduced them, and, while Ellena was seriously wishing that he would just clear off, he stayed to hear her business.
Russell Langford invited her into the sitting room—of the baby and her temporary nanny there was no sign. Gideon returned to the sitting room with them. Ellena tossed him an Afraid-of-missing-something? kind of look. He smiled back, though it was an insincere smile.
‘G-Gideon will have told you the news concerning Austria,’ she began.
‘Bad do,’ Russell replied, the way he had when she had telephoned him. Was it only last night? It seemed weeks ago!
‘The thing is that while I c-can’t believe...’ she took a shaky breath ‘...that we’ll never see Justine and Kit again,’ she gained control to continue, ‘I feel, with your permission, of course, that they would want me to look after Violette until they get back.’
‘Now isn’t that strange? That’s more or less exactly what Gideon said!’ Pamela Langford answered for her husband waspishly.
Ellena guessed she should have expected, from what he’d said on the plane, that Gideon would not drag his heels in taking some action. What was unexpected, though, was that Pamela Langford would look at her with such blatant hostility. Then it was that Ellena recalled Gideon saying something about Pamela being a money-grubbing bitch, and, although she was wishing that Gideon would just get to his car and go, there seemed nothing for it but to conduct her business in front of him.
‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised as pleasantly as she was able. ‘I know there are some—er—money matters outstanding.’ She knew nothing of the sort, but realised that if Justine hadn’t paid Pamela in advance, then outstanding the matter of money must be. ‘Naturally I’ll settle what Justine owes y—’
‘That child was left in our charge!’ Pamela Langford cut in loudly, coldly. ‘And in our charge is where she’ll stay!’
Oh, heavens! Ellena felt tremendously taken aback. She hadn’t expected this sort of reception! ‘I appreciate that you want to do what’s right,’ she began, forcing herself to be placatory—she had not the smallest intention of leaving her niece with this cold, unfeeling woman. ‘But...’
‘But nothing. The child stays here,’ Pamela Langford cut in sourly. Ellena looked from her to Russell—he was looking anywhere but at her or his brother—no use appealing to him! Not that she wanted to set husband and wife against each other. And, given he wanted the same as she wanted, she couldn’t expect any help from Gideon. Which was just as well, because, while silently absorbing everything that was taking place, Gideon Langford was not offering her any help. ‘I’ll show you out,’ Pamela stated frostily.
‘I’d like to see Violette if I may.’ Ellena refused to budge.
‘She’s upstairs asleep. I’m not going to have her disturbed again; it will take hours for her nanny to shut her up.’
Ellena was aware that Violette’s needs were nothing in this alien household, and felt a desperate need to check that the little mite was being properly cared for. ‘I won’t disturb her,’ she stated, still refusing to budge.
‘That’s right, you won’t,’ Pamela Langford answered nastily.
Ellena felt frustrated beyond bearing by the woman’s attitude. She couldn’t leave without seeing the baby, she couldn’t. Then, just as she was about to insist that she must see her, Gideon Langford chipped in, to tell her quietly, ‘I’ve seen the baby, Ellena; she seems well looked after and healthy.’
Ellena turned to him swiftly, not knowing why she trusted him when she didn’t feel she-could trust his sister-in-law. ‘She’s all right?’ she asked urgently. ‘She looks happy?’
He gave her a slightly sardonic smile as though to say, What do I know about four-month-old babies? ‘She wasn’t crying,’ he said.
Ellena turned back to Pamela Langford. ‘Perhaps you’d tell me when it would be convenient for me to spend some time with my niece.’
‘We’ll arrange visiting rights through the courts,’ was the vinegary reply—and as the import of those words took root, Ellena didn’t trust herself to answer.
She went to the door. Pamela Langford, as though she didn’t trust her not to dart up the stairs, went with her. Ellena was forced to accept then that she was not going to see Violette that day, and took what solace she could from the fact that Gideon had seen the baby and, albeit that his knowledge of infants was limited, he thought she seemed well looked after and healthy.
She half expected him to follow her out. After all he had been about to leave when she’d arrived. But he was obviously staying behind to have a word more with his brother.
Ellena drove home in a very upset frame of mind. Over the last few hours she had received one shock after another. Last night she had learned that Justine and Kit were missing; earlier today she had learned that Gideon was prepared to go to court over the guardianship of their child. And now, here was Pamela Langford—a woman she had found it impossible to warm to—talking of court action! What chance, Ellena wondered, did she have of loving and nurturing Violette until Justine and Kit came home?
After another fretful night, Ellena awoke on Friday morning with the same thoughts going around in her head. She was in two minds about going to her office. But realising that, if she didn’t change her job—and her plans of yesterday seemed to be getting further and further away from her—she was going to need time off work for court appearances; no way was she going to give up Violette without a fight. Ellena decided she had better go to work.
‘We didn’t expect to see you!’ Andrea Keyte exclaimed when she walked in.
‘I may need time off later,’ Ellena replied without thinking.
‘Want to talk about it?’
Andrea had been a wonderful friend and very forbearing with regard to previous crises Ellena had had over Justine. And normally Ellena might have confided in her this time. Only now, depending how things went, there was a possibility that in the interest of Violette’s daycare, she might have to resign. Andrea had enough to worry about running her business, without Ellena giving out hints at this early stage that she might, or might not, be leaving.
‘Thanks, but not just now.’
Ellena went to her own office, suddenly realising that if she hired a nanny herself, that would solve the problem of Violette’s daycare. She wouldn’t have to leave. She took out some work, though her thoughts became desperate that she might not need a nanny if Pamela Langford or her brother-in-law, Gideon, were granted guardianship, and her concentration wasn’t all it should be. What she needed, Ellena realised, was some legal advice.
She was just contemplating ringing the solicitor who had always handled her parents’ affairs, and who had handled the legalities of selling their house for her and Justine, when the protector of the firm’s switchboard rang.
‘I’ve a man named Langford on the phone for you, are you available?’ Lucy asked.
Langford? Which one? With hope in her heart that it was Russell, calling to tell her that he and his wife were prepared to let the baby go, she requested, ‘Put him through, Lucy,’ hearing the click as she did so. ‘Russell?’ Ellena asked.
‘Gideon,’ came the reply—and her thoughts went racing in another direction.
‘You’ve heard something—from Austria?’ she questioned urgently, half in fear of bad news, half in hope of good news.
‘Afraid not,’ he answered instantly.
‘Oh,’ she said dully. But he hadn’t taken time out of his day merely to chat. ‘What can I do for you?’ she asked, knowing in advance that she wasn’t going to lift a finger to help if he was still insistent on claiming guardianship of Violette.
‘I’d like to see you,’ he stated.
Why her heart should give a little flip just then, she had no idea. He wasn’t asking her for a date, for goodness’ sake! Not that she’d go out with him if he was. ‘I’ve a full appointments book today.’ She countered that peculiar little heartbeat—why should she want to see him? Grief!
‘I meant outside of business hours. I’d like to call round at your flat this evening. Unless, of course, you’d prefer we shared dinner while we...’
‘My flat will be fine,’ she said hurriedly, too late realising that in her haste to show him she had no wish to have dinner with him, she had taken another option she didn’t want either. ‘Presumably this is in connection with the baby?’ she queried, just to let him know that she wasn’t interested in entertaining him socially.
‘Of course,’ he replied, just as if the notion of seeing her socially had never for a minuscule moment so much as occurred to him. ‘Seven-thirty?’
