he was definitely agitated about something. There was only one person who was guaranteed to make him feel that way!
‘Have you heard something else from Adam? Is that it?’ she prompted ruefully. ‘You really shouldn’t let him get to you, Mark,’ she dismissed, with more self-confidence than she actually felt; Adam had always been a force to be reckoned with. ‘We—’
‘I don’t give a damn about Adam,’ Mark told her as he stood up abruptly. ‘Except that his mere presence here seems to create the usual problems.’ He scowled darkly.
She shrugged. ‘Maybe he’s gone now; we certainly made ourselves more than clear last night!’
‘I doubt it!’ Mark grimaced. ‘But it’s really irrelevant now whether he’s gone or not.’ He gave an impatient shake of his head.
Maggi frowned up at him. ‘Why now? Mark, what’s happened?’ She demanded to know this time, knowing that something certainly had.
He gave a heavy sigh. ‘I was hoping you wouldn’t have to know about this. I was going to shield you from it as best I could, but the situation seems to be spiralling out of control, and—’
‘Mark, you still aren’t making much sense.’ Her frown deepened to one of puzzlement. ‘If it isn’t Adam, what situation are you talking about?’
‘It isn’t Adam himself, but of course he’s involved in it. Up to his neck—as usual!’ Mark’s expression blackened. ‘I’ve had to stop all telephone calls coming into the suite, and the hotel management delivered a message a short time ago to inform us that members of the Press are starting to arrive here at the hotel. They have managed to put the reporters off so far by claiming you aren’t registered—which is basically true, because the suite is booked in my name.’ He was talking almost to himself now. ‘But I somehow doubt that’s going to stop them for long—’
‘Mark, what is this all about?’ Maggi stood up too now, her agitation evident. He gave another heavy sigh, reaching down behind the sofa. ‘A newspaper was delivered with breakfast. I took one look at it and sent down to Reception for the rest of this morning’s publications. I wish to God I hadn’t, because they just got progressively worse!’ he groaned.
Maggi’s hand shook slightly as she reached for the newspapers, the colour leaving her face as she saw the first headline. FENNELL AND CARMICHAEL RECONCILED IN MORE THAN MUSIC? She picked up another newspaper, swallowing hard at the more personal leader of this one. MAGGI AND ADAM BACK TOGETHER? And the last one she looked at had her swaying on her feet. HAVE MAGGI AND ADAM SECRETLY RECONCILED?
Reconciled... Yes, she and Adam were still married, had made vows to each other in church—vows Adam had broken all too easily when it had suited him to do so.
There had been speculation about them in the Press for months after their separation three years ago, but it had eventually died down, leaving Maggi to apply quietly to Adam for a divorce. It was an application he’d chosen to ignore; the papers had never been returned to her, signed or otherwise.
Maggi had believed it best that they quietly break their ties with each other, but obviously this hadn’t suited Adam at all. Perhaps his marriage to her had become a good safeguard against any other woman expecting a commitment from him! Whatever his reasons, she was still married to him.
Now the speculation about the two of them had begun all over again... Although she didn’t think even Adam himself could have realised those repercussions that he had discussed would involve such personal speculation about the two of them. Or perhaps he had...? No, she was being ridiculous now. God, surely some part of her didn’t still hope those nightmarish three years without Adam had all been just that—a nightmare? That would be madness itself!
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WE HAVE to get out of here, Maggi,’ Mark told her distractedly. “The management aren’t going to be able to hold them off for ever. I—’ He broke off as a sharp knock sounded on the door. ‘Oh, damn!’ He suddenly looked as hunted as Maggi felt.
Understandably so. There was no back way out of this suite, and if the Press had—
‘Open the damned door!’ rasped an all too recognisable voice from the other side. ‘Before someone sees me out here, puts two and two together—and comes up with five!’
‘Adam!’ Mark muttered. ‘I should have known he wouldn’t stay away.’
‘I think we should open the door, Mark.’ Maggi stood up. ‘Adam’s right. If he’s seen—!’ She moved swiftly to the door, unlocking it, moving sharply back as Adam instantly pushed his way into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
He looked somehow older in the harsh light of day, flecks of grey more visible in the darkness of his hair, those lines Maggi had noticed the night before, beside his nose and mouth, more deeply grooved. He was thinner than he used to be as well, his denims resting low down on his hips, his pale blue shirt tucked in at the waistband. But his eyes were still the same, she noticed with shocked reaction, stepping back—cold and grey, like an arctic sea...
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