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.‘It’s no one you know, but that’s as far as I’m prepared to go.Now-will you?’‘Will I what?’‘Go,’ said Catherine pointedly.‘And mind your own business in future.’Neil looked at her rather strangely now.‘I always thought you were my business,’ he said, surprising her again.He bit his lip.‘I still love you, you know, Cat.’Catherine caught her breath.‘No, you don’t-’‘I do.’ Neil’s expression grew faintly resentful.‘If you hadn’t been so all-fire keen to pursue your career, we’d probably still be together.A man only goes looking for what he can’t find at home.’‘Oh, honestly!’ Catherine stared at him.‘Is that the excuse you’ve invented?’‘It’s not an excuse-’‘Well, it certainly sounds like one.’ Catherine couldn’t believe this was happening.‘I thought you were in love with Marie.At least, that’s what you told me when you said you were leaving.’Neil shrugged.‘I thought I did.’‘You though t you did!’‘Yes.’ Neil made a defensive gesture.‘But-well, things haven’t been too good between Marie and me lately, and then, when I saw Mrs Scott-’‘You thought you’d come and say your piece!’‘As I say, I still care about you, Cat-’‘Do you?’ Once, that would have meant so much, but now it was only academic.‘Well, I’m sorry, Neil, but I don’t care about you.Not any more.’‘I don’t believe that-’He grabbed her arm then, trying to pull her towards him, but Catherine fought him off.One of the advantages of being as tall as she was, she thought wryly, realising she wouldn’t have escaped Morgan so easily.She suspected Neil’s real motive was that he resented her becoming involved with anyone else.It was all right so long as he thought she was sitting at home, pining for him.Discovering she was making a life of her own must have really pricked his ego.‘It’s the truth,’ she said, when she was free of him, rubbing the arm he had held with rueful fingers.‘You can’t rekindle something that’s already dead and cold.’Neil scowled.‘I suppose you think this man, whoever he is, will marry you,’ he sneered.‘Getting a bit old to play the field, aren’t you, Cat?’This was more like the Neil she remembered, and Catherine sighed.‘Just go, Neil.’‘Oh, I will.’ Neil moved aggressively towards the door, and Hector scurried out of his path.‘But don’t forget what I’ve said.You may be riding high now but this bloke may not be so keen when you tell him you can’t have children.’Catherine closed her eyes as he passed her.Only Neil would have brought that up, she thought disgustedly.Why hadn’t she ever realised before how mean and small-minded he was?Opening her eyes again, she picked up Hector, and followed Neil along the hall, noticing almost inconsequently how thin he was.Even the trousers of the suit he was wearing looked too baggy on him.Unwillingly she was reminded of Morgan’s hips, and his buttocks, which were lean and tight beneath his jeans, but tautly muscled.Morgan’s legs, too, were not like Neil’s legs.They were muscled, as well; strong and powerful.Not like the legs of someone who worked in an office at all, she reflected, with sudden perception.Was that why his skin was so darkly tanned? she wondered.Because he was more used to working outdoors? Of course, it could be because he did a lot of sports, she argued.Watersports, or skiing; golf, even.One thing was for sure-he was unlikely to tell her.‘I’ll go, then.’ Neil had opened the door, and paused on the' step.Catherine inclined her head.‘Goodbye,’ she said, unconsciously stroking Hector’s ears as she spoke, and Neil’s lip curled.‘What’s he?’ he asked contemptuously.‘A substitute?’ and Catherine slammed the door in his face, no longer able to hide her feelings.Of course, she still had Kay to face, and Catherine was not surprised when the other girl appeared midway through the following morning.But, just as she was preparing to fend off the inevitable questions, Kay said, ‘Are you free for lunch?’Catherine blinked, and adjusted her spectacles.‘For lunch?’ she echoed, surprised at the invitation.It was months since she and Kay had had lunch together, and, whenever they did, it was always planned days in advance.‘Yes.Today,’ said Kay, glancing over her shoulder, and Catherine guessed she was taking Mr Hollingsworth’s threats seriously.‘I have to talk to you.’Inwardly, Catherine groaned.She could guess what about.Why couldn’t people just allow her to get on with her life, in her own way? she wondered wearily.They meant well, she was sure.At least, some of them did.But she wasn’t a child, after all.If she made mistakes, that was her prerogative.Now, she shook her head.‘I-don’t know, Kay.I am-pretty busy.”‘It’s important,’ said Kay flatly, and, realising she couldn’t put it off indefinitely, Catherine gave in.‘Oh-all right,’ she said, resting her elbows on the table and cupping the back of her neck with her hands.‘One o’clock, OK?’‘One o’clock,’ agreed Kay, with none of her usual ebullience, and, watching her friend walk quickly across the floor and out of the office, Catherine surmised that she was in for another lecture.But why? she pondered wryly.Morgan was Denzil’s cousin, and they had engineered the introduction.Surely the fact that Morgan had kissed her in full view of the accountancy department didn’t warrant some kind of formal warning?They didn’t know the half of it, for heaven’s sake!Still, Kay had always been fairly straight with her, and she supposed she did owe her an explanation.She just hoped she could get away without being too honest
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