suddenly pale, almost drawn. She closed her eyes, keeping them shut just a moment too long, as though retreating into herself.
David spoke in Roscoe’s memory. ‘The nearer to Christmas it gets, the more of a workaholic she becomes… It’s as if she’s trying to avoid Christmas altogether.’
He studied Pippa, willing her to open her eyes so that he might read something in them. At last she did so, but when she saw him she turned quickly, as though she resented his gaze.
As she moved away a strange feeling assailed him. She was young, beautiful, the most alluring, magnetic woman in the room. And she was mysteriously alone. No man claimed her, and she claimed none either. For a blinding moment the sense of her isolation was so strong that it was as though everyone else had vanished, leaving her the sole occupant of the vast, echoing room.
Or a vast, echoing world.
He told himself not to indulge fanciful thoughts. But they wouldn’t be banished. He started to go after her but somebody called him, forcing him to smile and go on ‘business alert’. When he managed to escape, Pippa had vanished.
Along the front of the hotel were some elaborate balconies, decorative stonework wreathed in evergreen. Pippa wandered out, thankful to escape the air inside, heavily perfumed with money, seduction and intrigue. But it was too chilly to stay out long and after a few minutes she turned back. Then she stopped at the sight of the man standing there.
‘Good evening,’ he said.
After a moment memory awoke. This was the ‘big noise’ in the financial world, with whom Roscoe would soon merge his firm, becoming, if possible, more powerful and autocratic than he already was.
‘Mr Vanlen. I think we met briefly in Mr Havering’s office.’
‘You could say we “met”. It was more you putting yourself on display. Mind you, there’s plenty to display, I’ll give you that. You knew you were driving me crazy, and you meant to do it. Fine, I fell for it. Let’s talk.’
‘No, I—’
‘Oh, spare me the modest denials. You came out here knowing I’d follow you.’
‘No, I didn’t know you were here.’
‘I’ve been watching you all evening. Don’t pretend you didn’t know. Here’s the deal. You and I, together, for as long as it suits me. And you’ll find me generous.’
‘You’re mistaken,’ she said coldly. ‘I am not interested in you in any way, shape or form. Is that clear?’
But, as his self-satisfied smirk revealed, he interpreted this in his own way.
‘Evidently I didn’t make myself clear,’ he said. ‘Does this say it plainly enough?’
Pulling out a flat black box, he opened it to reveal a diamond pendant of beauty and value.
‘And that’s just the start,’ he added.
She regarded him wearily. ‘I’m supposed to be impressed by this, aren’t I?’ she said. ‘But I’m not interested. Can’t you understand that?’
‘Come, come. You’re a woman of the world. You know the score. You’re used to rich, powerful men and you like them that way, don’t you?’
‘Only if they’re interesting. Not all rich men are interesting. Some of them are plain bores.’
‘Money is never boring,’ he riposted. ‘Nor is power. You see them? ‘ He flung a hand in the direction of the room behind them. ‘The richest, most powerful men in London, and there isn’t one of them I couldn’t crush. Ask Havering. His investigations about me have shown him a few things that surprised him.’
‘He’s had you investigated? You sound very cool about it.’
Vanlen shrugged. ‘It’s no more that I expect, ahead of our tie-up. I’ve done the same to him, and I found things that surprised me too. It’s par for the course.’
He was right, she realised. This level of sharp-eyed suspicion was normal in the world of high finance where Roscoe inhabited a peak. But it made her shiver.
‘I know a few things about you too,’ Vanlen went on. ‘You like to play the field. No permanent lover to make things awkward. Fine, then we understand each other.’
His hand slid around her shoulder, making her move away quickly.
‘The one thing you don’t seem to understand is the word no,’ she snapped. ‘I’ll say it as often as I have to.’
‘But you don’t mean it,’ he protested. ‘Come on, just one little kiss to seal our bargain.’
Before she could stop him, he’d pulled her close and brushed her lips with his own. Exerting all her strength, she wrenched free.
‘Try that again and I’ll slap you so hard you’ll bounce into next week,’ she said breathlessly.
What he might have done then she never found out, for a cough from the shadows made them both turn. Roscoe was standing there.
‘I came to fetch you, Vanlen,’ he said. ‘There’s a big deal going on and they want you to be part of it.’
‘On my way,’ the man replied and vanished without a backward glance at Pippa. The scene between them might never have happened.
‘Thank you,’ she said coolly. ‘He was becoming a bore.’
He made a wryly humorous face. ‘Don’t tell me I arrived in time to save a damsel in distress?’
‘Certainly not. Another moment and I’d have tossed him off the balcony, so you might say you spoilt my fun.’
‘My apologies.’
The feel of Vanlen’s mouth was still on hers, filling her with disgust and making her rub her mouth hard with tissues.
‘Yuck! ‘ she said.
‘It’s a pity he affects you like that. You could have been queen of London.’
‘Don’t you start. Did you hear what he said about you?’
‘Investigation? Sure. We each know enough to confront the other. Pippa, are you all right? ‘
She was still rubbing her mouth, and he caught himself up at once.
‘No, of course you’re not all right. Stupid of me. Don’t go at it so hard, you’ll hurt yourself.’
‘I can’t help it. He’s disgusting.’
‘Here, let me.’ Taking a clean handkerchief from his pocket, he began to rub gently.
‘It’s no use,’ she sighed. ‘I can still feel him. Perhaps another glass of champagne would wipe him away.’
‘I know something better,’ he said softly and laid his mouth
