‘I’m not under obligation to your grandfather! I was coming to New York on business and so I——’
‘Decided to do an old man a favour,’ she finished.
‘Yes.’ He took her arm and almost dragged her back to the table.
‘I thought you were never coming back.’ Tim leant forward to kiss her lightly on the nose as Eden sat down next to him.
She raised her face for his kiss, ignoring the mockery clearly visible in watching grey eyes. ‘Mr Earle thought it best to get all our duty dances over in one go,’ she said rudely, hitting out at the man who unnerved her with just a look.
Tim looked surprised by her outburst. ‘I——’
Eden laughed lightly at his expression. ‘Only teasing, Tim. Mr Earle and I were talking and forgot the passing of the time.’
‘Yes.’ Jason relaxed back in his chair, his arm thrown casually across Claire’s shoulders. ‘We were discussing the fact that Eden is David’s granddaughter.’
Claire frowned. ‘David Morton?’
‘Mm,’ he nodded.
‘Then she’s——’
‘Graham Morton’s child by his first marriage.’
‘I see,’ Claire said tightly.
Eden wished she did. She hadn’t for one moment thought Jason Earle would blatantly admit to them knowing each other, although perhaps she should have realised what he would do—hadn’t his eyes promised punishment earlier tonight when she had been disparaging about his age? That Claire knew who David Morton, and consequently Isobel Morton, were, was obvious, although Tim looked a little puzzled by the conversation.
‘I don’t understand.’ He looked at the two of them. ‘Did you know each other before today?’
‘Not before today, no,’ Jason answered.
‘How strange that you should meet through Tim and me,’ Claire said softly.
‘But we didn’t,’ once again Jason answered for them both. ‘I called on Eden and her parents earlier this evening.’
Claire’s blue eyes passed calculatingly over the two of them, the dreamy glow she had had all evening slowly evaporating. ‘Why didn’t you tell us that when Tim introduced you?’
Jason shrugged. ‘There was nothing to tell.’
Tim still looked puzzled. ‘I still don’t understand the relationship. I thought Drew was your father.’
‘Stepfather,’ Eden corrected him. ‘Don’t look so surprised, Tim,’ she gave a light laugh. ‘Divorce and remarriage are quite common nowadays.’
‘But I—I didn’t know. I always thought Drew…’
‘He’s the only father I’ve ever known or wanted,’ she said harshly. ‘I don’t go about broadcasting the fact that my real father was a weak man who was ruled by his own father, that he——’
‘That’s enough, Eden,’ Jason cut in. ‘It isn’t necessary to go into all the details of your parents’ breakdown of marriage.’
‘No! Because if I did that your precious Isobel might come under fire.’
‘I believe we’ve already dealt with my relationship to Isobel,’ he warned harshly.
‘Well,’ Tim broke the awkward silence, ‘this is a—a——’
‘Surprise?’ Eden finished sweetly. ‘Yes, isn’t it? Mr Earle and I were quite bowled over by the surprise of it all. He was the last person I expected to see here this evening.’ Especially with Claire Channing.
‘Let’s dance, Jason,’ Claire suggested, almost sighing her relief when he complied.
Eden studied the bottom of her glass until they were safely away from the table. The last thing she had wanted was to have an argument with Jason Earle in front of the Channings, but he had put her in an awkward position by mentioning her grandfather, forcing her into explanations she would rather not have given, to Tim or anyone else.
‘Why didn’t you tell me you knew Jason?’ Tim hissed angrily. ‘I felt a damned fool just now when he told us.’
‘How could I tell you? I didn’t know he was Claire’s mysterious lover.’
‘But later, when I introduced you,’ he insisted.
She slammed her glass down. ‘I was embarrassed, especially after what you’d told me about Claire and him.’
‘Hell, yes! I’m sorry,’ he reached for her hand, smoothing his thumb over her skin. ‘I had no idea he was almost related to you.’
Her head flicked back defiantly. ‘He isn’t,’ she snapped. ‘Isobel Morton is no relation of mine! And I hardly know Jason Earle. He just called briefly on my parents earlier.’
‘But everyone knows Jason Earle.’
‘Of him,’ she corrected. ‘Can we leave, Tim?’ She put a hand up to her temple. ‘I have a headache,’ she lied. ‘Besides, I’m not enjoying myself, not with him here.’
‘You should have explained to me earlier,’ he chided gently. ‘I know Jason is seeing Isobel Morton in England, and if you’d just told me the connection,’ he shrugged, ‘I would have understood and got you out of here.’
‘Can we leave now?’ she persisted.
‘We’ll make our excuses once they get back.’
‘They’ll probably be relieved to see me go.’ Eden attempted a smile.
The smile faded from her lips as she looked up to meet taunting grey eyes. Her mouth tightened resentfully as she met that gaze defiantly, although it was finally her gaze that dropped and turned away. There was something about Jason Earle that tied her up in knots and brought out the worst in her. But she didn’t know what it was.
Tim stood up. ‘I hope you don’t mind if we leave now,’ he said with a smile. ‘Eden has a headache.’
‘Really?’ Jason Earle obviously didn’t believe this for one minute. ‘Then perhaps we should all leave.’
‘Oh no—please,’ Eden protested sharply. ‘I don’t want to break up your evening. Tim is just going to drive me home.’
‘Oh, do let’s stay, Jason,’ Claire’s hand rested lightly on his thigh as he sat next to her. ‘We only have this evening together. I think it’s very mean of you to make a business appointment for tomorrow evening. No one works on a Sunday,’ she pouted.
Eden had looked at him sharply on hearing Claire’s words. So Jason had told her he had a business meeting tomorrow evening, had he? Now was her chance to hit back at him for his earlier
