And yet there was always that niggling doubt that he might throw her aside; that he would find someone else, younger than her thirty years, and she would have no part in his life. In her heart she knew that might well be for the best, but she hoped it would never happen.
Now though, she had something to tell him. Something that might seal their future together, once and for all.
As she drew nearer, the doubts set in. He was such a volatile man, so unpredictable. How would he react? The moment she was standing before him, her courage began to waver.
‘So! Here you are at last, eh? Took you long enough to make your way back, didn’t it?’ he said smoothly, in the softest tone that made her shudder. ‘You needed to punish me, was that it?’ He traced her jawline with his finger and she felt hypnotised by his touch.
‘That’s not true, Steve, and you know it,’ she whispered.
‘So why don’t you tell me what the truth is, then.’ He stepped closer, his eyes boring into hers. ‘You’ve not been singing else-where, or I would have heard. So where have you been hiding? Got a bit on the side, is that it?’
‘Will ye leave her be!’ Sensing trouble, Alice quickly intervened. ‘Go easy on her, for heaven’s sakes,’ she urged in a low voice. ‘There’s a million an’ one eyes trained on the pair of youse.’
Steve’s display of temper had not gone unnoticed by the regulars, some of whom did not believe the holiday story. They had seen the way he acted with her, controlling and possessive. So who could blame them for hoping she might have escaped, found a new life, a new man, one who might cherish her the way she deserved.
Impatient, they called out to her now. ‘Come on Madeleine, we’ve missed you! Get up there and strut your stuff!’
The clapping rose to a deafening crescendo. ‘We want Songbird! We want Songbird!’
‘All right, all right!’ Laughing, she gestured towards the stage. ‘I’m on my way.’
As she turned from him, Steve caught her by the arm. ‘What do you mean?’ he demanded. ‘Surely you’re not thinking of performing tonight?’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘Because you’ve only just walked in, dammit! We need to go somewhere quiet, somewhere we can … talk.’ Although he had other things on his mind than talk. ‘You’ll want to rehearse – decide the songs, organise the musicians. It all takes time.’ He gave a lazy smile. ‘Besides, we’ve already booked a comedian for tonight.’
‘He’s been cancelled,’ Alice interrupted.
‘Cancelled!’ Steve swung round to face her. ‘What the hell are you talking about, woman? Who cancelled him?’
‘I did. And if ye want to make something of it, I’m ready.’ The little woman had a look in her eye that Steve knew all too well. If it wasn’t for the fact that Alice ran the club in his absence, was totally trustworthy and knew how to keep her mouth shut about his business deals, he would have thrown her feet first out the door long ago.
Instead he issued a stark warning. ‘Be careful, lady. You don’t want to overstep the mark.’
There were many ways of being rid of people like Alice, and he knew them all.
Defusing the situation, Madeleine told him hastily, ‘It’s not Alice’s fault. It was me – I arranged it all. And now the boys are backstage, ready when I am.’ She smiled, pleased with herself. ‘You see, I haven’t just walked in,’ she admitted. ‘I was here this afternoon while you were at the races. Me, Dave and Dino rehearsed all afternoon.
‘You did what! And why the devil wasn’t I told?’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I asked them not to let on,’ she replied boldly. ‘We timed it for when you wouldn’t be here. I’m sorry, but, well … we all thought it would be a nice surprise for you.’ She peeped at him from her soft dark eyes. ‘But it’s all right, isn’t it, Steve?’ Most times she could wheedle her way round him, and thankfully this proved to be one of those times.
He studied her a moment, wanting to hit her, aching to love her. ‘You’re a witch!’ His desperation to have her was all he could think of. ‘Well, all right. But I won’t pretend I’m not rattled at being hoodwinked.’ The sound of hand-clapping and foot-stamping was deafening. ‘Your fans are getting restless. You’d best go.’ He took another moment to study those mesmerising dark eyes, then warned her, ‘Don’t think you’ve got the better of me. I can take you or break you.’ But his cutting remark was a lie, and they all knew it.
Without a word and giving him no time to change his mind, Madeleine hurried away to the dressing-room,
Steve took his drink to the small table at the side of the stage which was reserved for him. On the way, he paused to exchange a word or two with his clients.
‘She’s back then?’ The well-dressed man who spoke was a known thug. ‘If she were my woman, I’d never have let her get away in the first place. Not losing your touch, are you?’
‘You’d best mind your tongue.’ After Madeleine’s sudden disappearance, Steve Drayton had been made to suffer many such comments. ‘You’ll never see the day when I lose my touch,’ he retaliated. ‘Keep them on a string but cut them a bit of slack now and then … they’ll always come running back. Steve Drayton will never be short of women. What’s more, I’ll still be making money, long after you and your kind are finished so you’d do well to remember that!’
Moving away, he placed his drink on the table, lit up a Dunhill and settled back in his chair, the beginnings of a smile crossing his face as he swept his gaze over the many customers, so flush with money he could almost smell it.
He was no fool. Since Madeleine had been gone and the clients had begun to drift away, the vultures were circling, biding their time in the hope that he might be forced to sell. The club was in a prime location, and in excellent nick. There were many competitors who would just love to walk in and take over.
Yes, it was true, Madeleine was the star attraction and there was no one else like her; she was the one who drew people from every corner. He had been in business long enough to know she was the magic money-spinner who kept him at the top. But he mustn’t let her know that. Nor must he let her forget that it was he who had given her the chance to show what she could do.
Over the past two years he had built her up. And if she didn’t play his game, he thought fiercely, he could so easily knock her down again.
He would too. Without a second thought.
Looking about, Steve was pleased with what he saw. Every manjack here was thrilled that Madeleine Delaney was back in town!
Like himself, they were settling down, confident that they were about to enjoy a very special performance.
And as usual, they were not disappointed.
It was twenty minutes before Madeleine
