Hidden Love

‘I really have to go now.’ She looked away from him, unnerved by his steady look. ‘I have a class this evening.’

His dark blond eyebrows rose. ‘In the evenings too?’

‘I take languages at night, French and German.’

‘Do you have time for a social life?’

‘Of course,’ she flashed.

The door opened and the doctor came into the room. ‘Your sister would like to see you for a few minutes,’ he spoke to Nick.

Nick hesitated. ‘Is it all right?’

‘Just for a few minutes,’ the other man nodded.

Nick looked at Rachel. ‘You’ll wait for me?’

‘Wait for me’—how casually those words were spoken, and yet Rachel had the strangest feeling that if he had said them seriously, with the intention of coming back to her no matter what stood in his way of their being together, her answer would have been the same. ‘Yes,’ she told him huskily.

Seconds after he had left the room she was wondering why she was still here. She had done her good deed for the day, had got Kay Lennox to the hospital, her brother was now here to keep her company, so there was no reason for her to stay any longer. Except Nick’s request that she ‘wait for him’.

It was stupid, utterly insane. She should be on her way to her French class, not sitting here waiting for a man she had just met, a man who seemed altogether too confident of his attraction to women. She didn’t doubt there had been plenty of them in his life, the light of experience in his eyes seemed to say there had been many.

She knew all that, knew there was just no valid reason for her to stay here, and yet she was still sitting in the waiting-room when Nick returned.

He was pale beneath his tan, sinking gratefully into the nearest chair. ‘Do you think all women have to go through that?’

‘You mean you don’t know?’ she asked bitchily, frightened of her own reaction to this man, feeling his magnetism even stronger the second time around.

‘I told you, I’m not married.’

‘That doesn’t preclude your having a child,’ she said insultingly.

If anything he paled even more, this time with anger. ‘It does in my book,’ he ground out. ‘Any child of mine will know my love, my full-time love—unlike my own parents, who didn’t give a damn.’

‘Where is your sister’s husband?’ asked Rachel.

‘In New York on business. He left Kay in my care.’

The look she gave him showed him what she thought of his way of looking after his sister.

His eyes hardened. ‘She wasn’t supposed to have gone out,’ he said abruptly.

‘She said she wanted to do some shopping.’

Nick nodded. ‘Clothes for the baby—as if she doesn’t have enough. I don’t suppose she had you call Richard?’

‘In New York?’ she scorned.

‘No, I suppose not,’ he sighed. ‘Then I’d better do that now.’

‘I’ll go—–’

‘No, wait. Please,’ he added at her rebellious look. ‘The doctor said it won’t be long at all now, so you may as well wait and see what she has. You never know,’ he added mockingly, ‘if it’s a girl she may decide to name it after you. Raquel, you said?’

‘Rachel,’ she corrected irritably.

‘Okay, Rachel,’ he taunted. ‘You might as well wait and see whether it’s a boy or a girl. If it isn’t too late I’ll drive you to your class afterwards.’

Her mouth twisted. ‘It’s already too late. It began five minutes ago,’ she explained.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It doesn’t matter. I have the books, I can probably do the lesson at home.’

‘Intelligent as well as beautiful!’

Rachel tried her hardest not to blush, but knew she hadn’t succeeded when she saw the satisfaction in his eyes. He knew exactly what sort of effect he was having on her—and he was enjoying the fact. He would probably tell his equally sophisticated girl-friend all about the gauche young girl he had met today when next they met. She knew he would have a girl-friend, a woman he went to bed with; the air of sensuality that surrounded him must be satisfied by some one.

‘Your telephone call,’ she reminded him stiffly.

‘Mm.’ He stood up, each movement he made fluidly co-ordinated. ‘Is there anyone you have to let know where you are?’

Rachel shook her head, her dark hair swinging forward. ‘I called my parents earlier and told them to expect me when they see me.’

‘I’ll drive you home later. Right now I’d better let Richard know he’s about to be a father three weeks early.’ Nick grimaced. ‘He’ll be so damned mad—at himself,’ he added at Rachel’s raised eyebrows. ‘He didn’t want to go on this business trip, but Kay persuaded him to go against his better judgment. He should have known better than to trust my sister, she’s never been on time for anything in her life, although she’s usually late.’

An unwilling smile curved her lips, her teeth small and pearly white, two tiny dimples appearing in her cheeks.

Nick’s eyes widened as he looked at her, almost as if he were seeing her for the first time. ‘I’ll go and make that call,’ he muttered, leaving the room.

Rachel was left with that ‘kicked in the stomach’ feeling again. Nick was like no other man she had ever met, and she acted like a nervous schoolgirl every time he so much as looked at her.

Except when she had made that bitchy comment about him possibly being a father, and he hadn’t liked that at all, his reaction against that had been very strong. Maybe she should apologise? But if she did that she would be making an issue out of it. Better to just forget the subject.

She gave him a warm smile when he returned a few minutes later. ‘Did you manage to speak to your brother-in-law?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’ Nick closed the door. ‘He’s getting the first plane back. He’s a bit annoyed because he wanted to be with Kay at the birth, but I told him he wasn’t missing much.’

Rachel gave a light laugh, her eyes a deep grey. ‘I gather you don’t intend being present when you marry and your wife has a baby.’

‘That depends,’ he drawled.

‘On what?’

‘On whether this imaginary wife wants me there.’

‘Oh,’ she blushed. ‘Of course.’

They both looked up as the door was opened, and looked anxiously at the doctor, relaxing as he beamed at them. ‘Mrs Lennox has a lovely little girl,’ he announced. ‘Seven pounds four ounces.’

Nick swallowed hard. ‘Are they both all right?’

‘Yes,’ the doctor still smiled. ‘Mrs Lennox is very tired, but she would like to see you both before we take her to her room.’

Rachel let Nick hold her elbow as they went in to see the tired but ecstatic new mother, the tiny shawl-wrapped baby she cradled in her arms already fast asleep.

‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ she glowed up at her brother.

He looked down at the tiny red-faced baby, honestly obviously warring with brotherly love. The latter won. ‘Yes, she’s lovely, honey,’ he squeezed his sister’s hand. ‘Beautiful, just like you.’

‘Rachel,’ Kay turned to look at her, ‘thank you so much for all that you did for me, calling Nick and everything. Even if he was late getting here,’ she added teasingly.

‘I was at the court all day, Kay. I had no idea I was going to be needed.’

‘Excuses, excuses!’ she said mischievously.

Rachel was still taking in the fact that Nick was a lawyer. He didn’t look anything like she had imagined a lawyer to look, like the lawyers they portrayed on television. Maybe in one of those formal suits they wore …? No, he just didn’t fit the part.

‘Time for you to rest now,’ he was telling his sister. ‘I’ll be back to see you tomorrow. Richard should be back by then too. Right now I’m going to take Rachel out to celebrate the birth of my new niece.’

‘Oh, I—–’

‘Going to wet the baby’s head?’ Kay teased.

‘Something like that.’ He gave a soft laugh, his hand still firm on Rachel’s elbow. ‘Take care, honey. And give my new niece a kiss from me when she wakes up.’

‘When she’s older I’ll tell her how brave her uncle was at her birth,’ Kay’s eyes twinkled with humour.

‘Time to go now,’ the nurse told them softly, taking the baby and putting her in the waiting cot.

Rachel collected her books from the waiting-room before accompanying Nick outside. ‘I really can’t go for a drink with you,’ she repeated the refusal he had interrupted in his sister’s room.

‘You aren’t under age, are you?’

‘No,’ she flushed. ‘I’m eighteen. I just have to get home and read up tomorrow’s classes.’

‘Has anyone ever told you you work too hard?’

Danny had, frequently. But she was determined to do well in this business course; she didn’t want to remain just a secretary when she left college at the end of next year but to make a viable career for herself in the world of business.

‘I’m really very grateful for the offer, but—–’

‘But you still refuse.’ They were walking across the car park now, Nick leading her to the side of a sleek Jaguar, its red colour visible to her in the bright evening light.

Rachel’s eyes opened wide with appreciation as he unlocked the passenger door for her. Being a lawyer must pay well! ‘I have to refuse. As you said, those books are heavy going, and I always read the appropriate chapter for the next day’s classes the evening before.’

‘Very conscientious,’ he taunted. ‘In you get,’ he encouraged.

Rachel climbed into the low seat, the car perfectly matching its owner, sleek and powerful. As Nick slid into the seat beside her she was instantly aware of the intimacy of the inside of the car, Nick’s electricity was a tangible thing. She was pleased and flattered that such a man wanted her to share in his celebration, but it just wasn’t possible.

‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered as he flicked the ignition, the engine purring into life.

‘Do you have night school tomorrow?’ he asked.

‘Tomorrow?’ she blinked at him.

‘Hmm,’ he nodded as he manoeuvred the car out into the traffic. ‘We could celebrate tomorrow if you aren’t busy.’

‘Won’t you be visiting your sister?’

‘Not all evening. Richard should be back by then anyway.’

She was tempted—how she was tempted! And why not? A drink and a chat, what harm could it do? Besides, a man like this couldn’t possibly have any real romantic interest in her. No, his invitation was just another thank-you for helping his sister. ‘Then I’d like to come for a drink,’ she accepted shyly.

‘And dinner?’

She gave a happy laugh. ‘And dinner. Thank you.’

‘Fine. Now you’d better direct me to your home, we can’t keep driving around all night,’ he mocked lightly.

She gave him the directions, relaxing back in her seat as he put on a Barbra Streisand cassette. She shot him the occasional sideways glance, hardly able to believe he was going to take her out to dinner tomorrow. With his expensive elegance she would have to review the contents of her wardrobe. Maybe she shouldn’t have agreed to dinner, she really didn’t have anything to wear, and—–

‘We’re here,’ Nick prompted softly.

‘Oh!’ She looked out of the window, seeing the dearly familiar house she had lived in all of her life. ‘Oh yes. Well, thank you,’ and she opened the door, turning to get out.

Nick’s hand on her arm stopped her. ‘Eight o’clock tomorrow?’

‘Er—Fine.’ The temptation to spend an evening in the company of this man was just too much. ‘Goodnight.’

He leant forward, kissing her lightly on the mouth. ‘Goodnight, Rachel. I really am grateful to you for helping Kay.’

She blushed, lightly as the kiss had been given. Could it be that he didn’t see her as a schoolgirl after all? ‘Then I’ll have to make sure I choose an expensive dinner, won’t I?’ she said cheekily.

Nick’s throaty chuckle showed he appreciated her humour, and she turned and waved to him before going into the house, leaning weakly back against the door. This morning, even this afternoon, she hadn’t even met him, and now she was looking forward to her date with him tomorrow.

As she went into the sitting-room she wondered what her parents would make of him. They were watching the late evening news as she came in, her mother plump and homely as she knitted a jumper for a neighbour’s child, her father intent on the world events of the day. They were nice ordinary people, and she loved them very much, but she was aware that Nick was anything but ordinary. He was like an electric charge to the system, full of forceful energy, with a lazy charm that captivated.

‘Boy or girl?’ her mother asked softly as she sat down beside her on the sofa.

Her father gave her a vague look, his affection evident in his smile. ‘Hello, love.’

‘Dad,’ she answered in a hushed voice, knowing she wasn’t to talk any louder until the news and weather had finished. ‘It was a girl, Mum,’ she answered the query. ‘I hadn’t realised newborn babies were so tiny.’ She had been awestruck at the miniature perfection of the baby’s hands and feet, her thick thatch of golden hair.

‘You were beautiful when you were born,’ her mother said dreamily. ‘You were premature, only five and a half pounds in weight, and premature babies are always prettier. Why, what are you smiling at, Rachel?’

Her humour deepened. ‘I was just thinking of the baby’s uncle’s reaction when he first saw her. She was all screwed up and wrinkled, and yet her mother was convinced she was beautiful.’ And to Nick’s credit he hadn’t shown by so much as a blink of an eyelid that he didn’t apprecite the baby’s looks.

‘The baby’s uncle, dear?’ her mother prompted.

‘Yes. Mrs Lennox’s husband was away, so I—Dad, what is this?’ she asked sharply, something, some-one on the television catching and holding her attention.

‘Hmm?’

‘What are they talking about?’ she repeated impatiently.

‘Why, the tennis, of course,’ he answered with equal impatience. It was obvious what they were talking about, with two men fiercely hitting the ball at each other, determination on each of their faces.

‘What tennis?’ she asked agitatedly, desperately trying to come to grips with something that was becoming more and more obvious by the second.

‘Wimbledon, dear,’ it was her mother who answered this time. ‘They played the quarter-finals today.’

And the man playing in one of them was none other than Kay Lennox’s brother Nick! No wonder he had seemed so familiar, she had actually watched him playing one of the qualifying matches earlier in the week, had sat and cheered him on.

He was Nicholas St Clare, world-famous tennis player, winner of numerous tournaments the last twelve years, since he had turned professional at the age of eighteen. And the court he had been talking about this evening hadn’t been a court of law but a tennis court, a tennis court at the world-renowned Wimbledon Championship!

CHAPTER TWO

SHE had calmly agreed to go to dinner with a famous tennis player! Of course she hadn’t known who he was then, but she knew now! He was one of the hot-shot left-handed players to come out of America the last fifteen years, and at thirty years of age he was being compared with the stamina and skill of Australia’s Rod Laver, was still winning the titles, although it was a well-known fact that Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe had dominated the courts of Wimbledon for the past six or seven years. Apparently it was a championship Nicholas St Clare coveted, and this year he was determined to win.

The way he had played today, by the look of the television coverage, he could just do it too. In the white shorts and short-sleeved tee-shirt he looked handsomer than ever, his golden hair clinging damply to his forehead, his blue eyes steely as he concentrated completely on winning the match from his opponent.

‘Did he win?’ Rachel asked breathlessly.

‘I don’t know who you mean by he,’ her father told her. ‘But Nicholas St Clare won, quite easily as a matter of fact.’

Of course he had won, he would hardly have been in that lazily charming mood otherwise. But she had agreed to have dinner with a good-looking man named Nick, not with Nicholas St Clare. She couldn’t go out with a man as famous as that. And she couldn’t imagine why he had asked her!

‘Danny called,’ her mother interrupted her panicked thoughts.

‘He did?’ she frowned. She had forgotten all about Danny during the last few hours!

‘He seemed quite surprised you were still at the hospital.’

‘He was surprised I went at all,’ Rachel remembered angrily. ‘If he’d had his way Mrs Lennox would have been left to fend for herself!’

‘Oh dear!’ her mother frowned, having the same dark hair as Rachel, although it was kept short and curly. ‘Have the two of you argued?’

‘Not exactly,’ she avoided, her mind racing on as to how she could get in touch with Nick St Clare and tell him she couldn’t go out with him tomorrow or any other time. She could call him, she had his number, but unless she got that impersonal answering service she didn’t want to do that. She certainly didn’t want to talk to Nick himself!

‘How not exactly, Rachel?’ her mother was concerned. ‘I thought you were—fond of him?’

‘I was—I am. But he wasn’t very understanding about poor Mrs Lennox.’ The only thing to do seemed to have Nick’s sister pass on a message to him.

Her mother smiled. ‘Men never are, dear. They have no idea.’

Nick St Clare had had no idea, he had been visibly shaken by what his sister was going through to give birth to her daughter. Nick St Clare …! Oh, she should have recognised him, should have known who he was. She just hadn’t been expecting to see a famous tennis-player, and so she hadn’t; she had even thought he could be a lawyer!

She had made a mess of things, and first thing tomorrow she would get herself out of it. Nick had said he would be visiting his sister some time tomorrow and so she could be sure he would get the message.

As she lay in bed later that night she did her best to convince herself that she was doing the right thing, the only think, by not meeting Nick again. A man like that could turn her life so upside down it would never be the same again. And boring as it might appear to him, she liked her little world, was enjoying this two-year course at college, and she loved her parents very much, as their only child she felt cherished and loved in return, and she enjoyed going out on the occasional date with boys like Danny. Yes, her life was good, satisfying, and she didn’t need the sophistication of Nick St Clare to spoil it all.

But hadn’t he spoilt it already? Hadn’t meeting him at all made her long for something she could never have? Hadn’t it made her want Nick St Clare himself?

She buried her head beneath the pillow, pushing such tortuous thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t see Nick St Clare again, and that was that.

Kay Lennox was sleeping when she telephoned from college early next morning, so she left a message with the nurse for Kay to pass on to her brother.

She slipped quietly into her place for her first class before Mr Balfour walked in to give the lecture.

‘What happened to you yesterday afternoon?’ Hilary leant over to whisper.

Rachel and Hilary had become friends the previous September when they had turned out to be the only two girls in this male-orientated class, but she shook her head at her friend as Mr Balfour came into the room. ‘I’ll tell you later,’ she promised, feeling as if she would burst if she didn’t soon tell someone about her meeting with Nick St Clare.

Hilary was incredulous as they ate a doughnut and drank coffee during the morning break. ‘You’re joking!’ Her eyes were agog, laughing blue eyes, her hair kept short and boyish.

‘I wish I were,’ Rachel grimaced.

‘You don’t!’

‘Of course I do.’ She stared mournfully into her rapidly cooling coffee. ‘I spoke to him as if he were just like you and me. I was even cheeky to him a couple of times.’

‘Being a famous tennis player doesn’t make him different from the rest of us,’ her friend teased.

Rachel pulled a face. ‘You didn’t meet him. He—well, he’s magnetic, has this leashed power …’ She shrugged. ‘He is different, Hilary, believe me.’

‘I can see he is,’ her friend soothed. ‘But he can’t have minded the way you spoke to him, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked you out.’

‘I told you, that was just out of gratitude.’

‘Some gratitude!’ Hilary scorned. ‘Flowers or a box of chocolates would have sufficed as far as gratitude goes. No, Nick St Clare really wanted you to go out with him.’

‘That’s silly, Hilary—–’

‘I doubt if Danny will think so.’

‘Danny?’ Rachel frowned.

‘Danny,’ Hilary nodded, looking pointedly over Rachel’s shoulder.

She turned with a groan, seeing Danny making his way determinedly to their table. And he didn’t look very happy, far from it in fact.

‘Hilary,’ he nodded tersely in her direction.

‘Danny,’ she greeted in a tight voice. Danny Maxwell was not one of her favourite people, something he was only too well aware of.

‘Can I talk to you, Rachel?’ he asked tightly.

She flushed. ‘Well I—–’

‘Don’t mind me.’ Hilary stood up, as slender as Rachel but slightly taller. She picked up her cup. ‘I want to get a refill anyway. Rachel?’

‘Not for me, thanks,’ she refused, watching as Danny sat down in Hilary’s vacated chair. ‘That wasn’t very kind,’ she told him sharply.

‘I’m not feeling particularly kind,’ he scowled. ‘Did your mother tell you I telephoned last night?’

‘Yes,’ she nodded.

His eyes narrowed. ‘But you didn’t feel like calling me back?’

‘I got home late, Danny—–’

‘From taking that woman to hospital?’

‘Yes. You see—–’

‘I told you you’d get dragged into being involved—–’

‘I didn’t get dragged into anything, Danny,’ she sighed. ‘I stayed with her because I wanted to. She had a little girl, if you’re interested.’

‘I’m not,’ he said coldly.

‘I didn’t think you would be.’

‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’ He was instantly on the defensive.

‘Nothing,’ she muttered, gathering her books together. ‘I have to get to my next class.’

His hand on her wrist stopped her, but there was none of the tingling sensation she had experienced with Nick St Clare. ‘Is our date for tonight still on?’

She had forgotten all about their arrangements to go and see the latest James Bond film. But she didn’t want to go anyway, she found Danny’s behaviour of yesterday had put her off the boy himself. ‘Not tonight, Danny—–’

‘Why?’

‘I—Well, because—–’

‘You don’t want to see me any more, right?’ he said roughly.

Oh dear, she always hated breaking up with boys, especially as Danny didn’t appear to be going to make it easy for her; his grip on her wrist was unrelenting. ‘I think it might be better if—–’

‘Oh, spare me the little speech about how you don’t want to see me any more but we can still be friends,’ he sneered, releasing her wrist. ‘I’ve said it too many times myself to know it isn’t true.’

‘Danny, I’m sorry—–’

‘I’m not,’ he said insultingly. ‘You’re a little prude, Rachel. I think two months is long enough to tell me you aren’t going to give me anything but kisses.’

She flushed. ‘Is that all you can think about, what you can get from a girl?’

His mouth twisted mockingly, marring his good looks. ‘What else is there?’ he scorned. ‘You surely didn’t think I intended getting serious about you?’

‘I hope not,’ she told him with blunt honesty, standing up to look down at him with cold grey eyes. ‘I think you have a lot of growing up to do before you become serious about anyone.’

‘Ready, Rachel?’ Hilary appeared at her side.

Rachel looked down at Danny’s angrily flushed face, flicking her hair back. ‘More than ready,’ she nodded, leaving with her friend.

Hilary giggled as they stepped into the lift. ‘What did you say to upset him?’

‘Just the truth,’ she shrugged. ‘That I didn’t want to go out with him any more.’