we get on living together. It isn't going to be easy to work a marriage around my shift work at the hospital.’
Lindy was training to be a nurse, and her hours were a little strange, including several months of night work each year. She and Christopher McGrath had been dating for over a year now, and while they were just going out together Lindy's work didn't interfere too much, but it could be a different matter when taken in conjunction with the commitment of marriage. And so the young couple had decided to try living together for a while, with separate sleeping arrangements, to see how things worked out between them.
Regan kept an open mind about the idea, not sure she would want to do that herself. But then she had never been put to that sort of test, never caring enough for any of her boy-friends to want any more than a casual friendship with them. But she knew Lindy and Christopher genuinely cared for each other, and perhaps it was better to find any loopholes in the idea of marriage between them before they actually went ahead and did it.
Lindy frowned. ‘Sunday, you said? Is that when you start the job?’
Regan nodded. ‘Mr Western is driving down to see his daughter and offered to take me with him. It will save me having to get a train.’
‘Bit short notice, though, isn't it?’
Regan served their meal, sitting beside her friend at the breakfast bar. The two of them had shared a flat ever since they had met in a youth hostel two years ago, and the arrangement had worked out very well, although after growing up with two male cousins Regan had found it strange to be suddenly living with a girl.
She shrugged now. ‘I've had a couple of weeks break, and it isn't as if I can't start any time. Besides, now I know I have the job I just want to get down to it.’
‘You're taking a risk not actually meeting this girl. She could turn out to be a little horror.’
‘Mr Western more or less told me she is,’ Regan said calmly.
‘Charming!’
‘She just needs attention. She seems to have most things money can buy, but not too much tender loving care.’
‘Which you intend to rectify,’ Lindy teased.
‘I'm going to try. Hey, we forgot the wine!’ Regan looked down ruefully at her already half eaten meal.
‘We'll have it now.’ Lindy got up to uncork it. ‘We have to toast your new job. Here,’ she handed Regan a full glass of the red wine. ‘Although I have to say you're a braver person than I am, I couldn't leave London for goodness knows how long.’
‘You forget, I was brought up in the country. Actually, I think that helped me get the job.’
Lindy touched her glass to Regan's. ‘The new job,’ she toasted.
‘The new job,’ Regan echoed.
‘Does Donny know yet?’
Regan sighed. ‘Not yet. I'm dreading telling him, actually. Although in a way I shall be glad to get away from him. He's got so possessive lately. I'm hoping to get out of this without too much fuss.’
‘Why not just tell him you aren't interested?’
‘I tried that,’ Regan grimaced, carrying her wine through to their sitting room. ‘He just came round the next evening as if I hadn't said anything to him. I didn't have the heart to go through it all again.’
Lindy curled up in a chair. ‘That's probably what he was counting on.’
‘Probably,’ Regan laughingly agreed. ‘But even he wouldn't follow me down to Cornwall.’
‘I wouldn't count on it. He hardly lets you out of his sight.’ The doorbell rang. ‘Now's your chance to find out.’
‘How can you be sure it's him?’ Regan stood up.
‘Simple, Chris isn't coming over until later.’
‘A process of elimination, Watson,’ she laughed.
She let Donny in, still not sure why she could only feel mild attraction towards him. He was good-looking enough, very tall, with the body of one of his own country's Greek gods, his hair deeply black, waving in wild disorder, his eyes a deep brown, surrounded by thick black lashes. Regan knew that for work he wore smartly tailored suits, working for a shipping firm he had to look his best, but out of work he wore skintight denims and tee-shirts. He was a very good-looking individual of twenty-two—and yet he left her cold.
She accepted the kiss he placed on her lips, averting her face as he would have deepened the caress. She wished he would accept her friendship and not keep trying to make it something it could never be.
Lindy had gone to her bedroom by the time they entered the sitting-room, leaving the field clear for Regan to tell Donny of her future change of location, no doubt. As she had already known, he didn't like it, not one little bit.
‘You will hate it there,’ he said angrily. ‘There will be no night life there, no parties, no discos. Just think of the fun we have here.’
‘To tell you the truth, the parties and discos have started to pall a bit. Whatever happened to moonlight walks and days spent by the river?’
His expression showed his disgust. ‘I cannot imagine anything worse!’ he groaned.
‘Not here in London, no. Go for a moonlight walk and you're likely to get mugged, and the pollution of the river is likely to kill you if you get too near. I'm a country girl, Donny, and I'm looking forward to the move.’
‘And what about me?’ he asked moodily. ‘You know what will happen to us if you move away from here.’
‘There is no us, Donny,’ she dismissed softly. ‘And as I told you, I want to go. I lived in London because I had to, now I've finished college I would like to move back out again.’
‘You cannot tell me you will not miss all this,’ he scorned, his accent deepening in his anger. ‘I would go mad if I had to live in some quiet backwater.’
‘That's where we differ. I'm looking forward to it.’
‘You are determined to go?’ he knew that stubborn look of old.
‘Yes.’
‘All right,’ he sighed. ‘But remember this, I tried to stop you. You will remember that?’
Regan laughed. ‘I'll remember. And I'm sure to miss you.’
‘That is what I am hoping.’
‘Oh, I see,’ she nodded. ‘A case of absence making the heart grow fonder.’
‘Oh, Regan,’ his eyes pleaded, ‘I wish you would not go.’ He seemed about to say more and then checked himself. ‘I cannot stop you?’ he said resignedly.
‘No.’
‘Very well. As there are only a couple of days left before you are to leave I intend showing you everything you are going to miss, starting tonight with a party
