was right. It transpired that Kenny’s wife was very pregnant at that time, and that for the moment she couldn’t sleep with him because of ill health. As soon as the baby had been born and his wife was healthy again Kenny had dropped Judith as if she were red-hot.
‘Is it?’ Natalie said sceptically. ‘Or is he just telling you that?’
‘No, he isn’t just telling me that!’ Judith’s eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘He would have left Tracy years ago if he could have afforded to.’
She frowned. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Putting it crudely, Natalie, it means that Tracy holds the purse strings,’ her sister drawled in a bored voice. ‘And the job at Thorntons isn’t to be sniffed at either. It pays well, and it’s a very important position. I doubt if Thornton would be too pleased if he knew about Jason and me.’
‘Does he want you for himself?’ It was something that had only just occurred to Natalie. She really couldn’t understand Adam Thornton’s interest in the affair otherwise.
‘Heavens, no!’ Judith gave a disparaging laugh, her beautiful face mocking. ‘Adam Thornton interested in me?’ she laughed again. ‘He doesn’t become involved with models. The latest woman in his life is a real live princess.’
‘Well, she would hardly be a dead one,’ Natalie mocked dryly.
‘Very funny,’ Judith taunted. ‘I was only trying to point out that I’m not his type.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Why so interested in him, anyway? You’ve never spoken of him before.’
‘I’d never met him before,’ she sighed. ‘He already knows about you and Jason, Judith. He wanted to see me this morning to tell me about you. He wants it to stop, and he wants you to stop it.’ She met her sister’s gaze steadily.
‘Damn!’ Judith muttered, standing to pace the room. ‘How on earth did he find out?’
‘I have no idea—–’
‘We’ve even been meeting during the day so that he shouldn’t become suspicious,’ Judith continued to talk to herself as if Natalie hadn’t spoken.
‘Jason Dillman is the reason you’ve been missing the photographic sessions?’ Natalie gasped.
‘We had to meet some time, Natalie—–’
‘Not in Adam Thornton’s time!’
Judith’s mouth twisted. ‘It isn’t his time he’s worried about,’ she scorned. ‘It’s his little sister.’
‘Little—sister …?’
‘Mm,’ Judith nodded. ‘Jason is married to Adam Thornton’s baby sister.’
‘And he—You and he—–’ Natalie broke off, too shocked to be able to talk coherently.
No wonder Adam Thornton was so angry about the affair, no wonder he wanted it stopped immediately. His own sister’s husband! Goodness, he had a right to be angry. As she was, with Judith. Her sister had always been wayward, even as a child, going for what she wanted, when she wanted, with little regard for other people’s feelings. But she couldn’t be allowed to get away with this; this time she had gone too far. In the past Judith might have been pampered by over-indulgent parents, but here in London it was different, here Judith would be made to think of others, Tracy Dillman for one, Adam Thornton for another, and lastly her own sister. Judith had obviously not considered the reputation of the agency when she had entered into this affair.
‘How could you do it, Judith?’ she demanded furiously. ‘Adam Thornton’s own brother-in-law!’
Her sister shrugged. ‘I didn’t know that when I first started seeing him, but even when I did it made no difference to how I feel about him. Why should I care whose brother-in-law he is? If the little fool can’t hold on to him then she should let him go, not ask her big brother to interfere—–’
‘You heartless little bitch!’
‘Natalie!’ Judith gasped, stunned by the vehemence of Natalie’s words.
‘Surprised, aren’t you?’ Natalie snapped, her eyes like a stormy wind-tossed sea. ‘You thought your older sister didn’t have it in her to tell you exactly what she thinks of you,’ she drew in a deep ragged breath. ‘Well, I do! You’ve done some things in your time, but this is definitely the worst. Tracy Dillman obviously loves her husband very much, that’s why she wants to keep him. And you come along with your beauty and availability, and—–’
‘That’s enough, Natalie!’ Judith was white too now. ‘I didn’t come here to be insulted!’
‘Then why did you come?’ Natalie’s hands shook as she stood up to confront her sister. ‘Certainly not to work! I want this affair stopped, Judith, or you’ll be taken off the Beauty Girl contract!’
Judith remained unperturbed. ‘You can’t do that,’ she said confidently.
‘Maybe I can’t,’ she ground out, more angry than she could ever remember being before, ‘but Adam Thornton can. He has lawyers in his control who could make you wish you’d never heard of Jason Dillman!’
‘Never!’ Judith denied heatedly. ‘I love him.’
As quickly as Natalie’s anger had risen it now died, her protective instinct as Judith’s sister now coming to the for. ‘Maybe you do think you love him—–’
‘I don’t just think it,’ her sister said firmly, ‘I know it.’
‘But he’s married, Judy—–’
‘Don’t call me that,’ Judith snapped. ‘You know I don’t like it. And just because Jason signed a piece of paper seven years ago it doesn’t mean he’s still married. People change in seven years.’
‘Then why doesn’t he leave his wife?’
‘I told you—–’
‘That he’d lose his job and his wife’s money,’ Natalie derided. ‘I wonder which he’d mind losing the most! You can’t really love a man like that, Judith.’
‘But I do. And I mean to have him,’ said Judith with satisfaction.
‘You have to stop the affair—–’
‘Why?’
‘Because—because it’s immoral, Judith!’ Natalie frowned her exasperation. ‘And Mum and Dad would be shocked out of their minds if they knew about it. And lastly, because Adam Thornton will ruin this agency if you don’t.’
‘Ah, now we’re getting to it! So much for sisterly love,’ Judith said scathingly. ‘This agency means more to you than anything, Natalie. More than me, more than Mum and Dad, more than any man.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘You really should get yourself a man, Natalie—oh, not that weed Lester,’ she dismissed scornfully. ‘I mean a real man. Maybe then you’d understand how I feel about Jason.’
Natalie ignored her sister’s
