She glanced over to where Marc was standing, four women making up the rest of his group, all of them hanging on his every word. She shrugged. ‘He’s enjoying himself.’
‘Darcy, he— Never mind,’ he dismissed violently. ‘Each to his—or her—own.’
‘Marc isn’t mine. And I certainly don’t intend marrying him.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know whatever gave you the impression I was. Marc is just a friend.’
‘Like we’re friends?’ Reed scorned.
Colour darkened her cheeks. Until today she had believed she and Reed were at least that, although there was so much more on her side. ‘No, not like we’re friends,’ she acknowledged. ‘But——’
‘I didn’t think so,’ he derided. ‘He’ll walk all over you if you give him half a chance!’
Her mouth tightened resentfully. ‘That won’t be anything new!’ She gave a small gasp of dismay as she realised what she had said. ‘I meant——’
‘I know what you meant, Darcy.’ He sighed heavily. ‘And I realise I was rough on you earlier, but this is different. Marc is not husband material. Not for you anyway.’
‘I really don’t know what business it is of yours, but I have no intention of marrying him.’
‘No?’
‘No!’
‘He isn’t going to object if I whisk you off to Florida on Sunday?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Florida?’ She knew his family had lived in Orlando the last twenty-five years, that he occasionally visited them. But he had never taken her with him before.
‘Don’t look so surprised, Darcy,’ he taunted. ‘I do have business dealings in the States, you know.’
‘I do know, but—it’s a bit sudden, isn’t it?’ Even for him! He hadn’t mentioned anything about it earlier today.
His mouth thinned, his eyes narrowed. ‘Something has come up. Are you willing to come with me or not?’
‘Of course I’m willing.’ She frowned. ‘There’s nothing wrong, is there?’
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ he bit out in a voice that boded ill for someone.
‘Reed!’ Marc joined them, slapping the other man on the back in greeting. ‘I know I invited you, but after your mother’s arrival this morning I didn’t expect to see you tonight.’
‘My mother has gone to bed,’ he drawled. ‘And she assured me that she wanted me to go out and enjoy myself.’
‘And are you?’ Marc challenged, his arm about Darcy’s shoulders.
Reed met that challenge. ‘Not particularly. Don’t you think it might have been a little—kinder, to have warned Darcy about all these people being here?’
‘Then it wouldn’t have been the surprise it was intended to be,’ Marc scorned.
‘Darcy doesn’t like surprises; haven’t you noticed that?’ he rasped.
He made her sound about as interesting as yesterday’s bath water! OK, so she liked her private life ordered and repetitious, but things were less likely to get forgotten that way! Besides, she had enough excitement in her life just being his secretary.
‘She liked this one,’ Marc claimed stubbornly. ‘But if you aren’t enjoying the party you can always leave.’
‘I think I will,’ Reed snapped, pulling Darcy’s hand up from her side to slap a small parcel into it. ‘Happy Birthday. I’ll give you a call tomorrow about Sunday,’ he added abruptly, striding over to the door, to be waylaid by a beautiful red-head as he pulled it open. He murmured something in her ear; the woman’s throaty laugh floated in the air as they left together.
‘I wonder what—or who—has upset him?’ Marc mused a little dazedly, the two men usually being good friends away from the office.
‘His mother,’ she said wearily, slowly unwrapping the present Reed had given her.
Marc pulled a surprised face. ‘She seemed rather sweet to me.’
‘Reed can’t stand it when someone isn’t as organised as he is,’ she murmured, tears filling her eyes as she looked at the gold necklace nestled in the velvet box, a gold unicorn threaded on its length. A fantasy animal for a woman who lived in a dream world sixty per cent of the time!
‘Dear, are you sure you’re going the right way?’ Maud Hunter fretted. ‘I’m sure that sign back there said——’
‘Mother,’ Reed interrupted patiently. ‘As you always read a road map upside down because it “makes more sense", I don’t think you’re in a position to judge signposts!’
Maud turned to give Darcy a vague smile as she sat in the back of the Mercedes, and Darcy sighed softly as she was once again left to her silent perusal of the countryside on the way to Southampton, feeling as if Maud had made her a conspirator to her vagueness with that smile.
Reed had telephoned her early that morning and asked her if she would like to accompany them to Southampton, saying that his mother would like it if she did. Darcy had still been a little befuddled from waking up, otherwise she might have found an excuse not to come.
The party had dragged on until almost three in the morning, and as it was supposed to be for her she hadn’t been able to leave until everyone else had without offending Marc, then had insisted on helping him tidy the apartment, refusing his invitation to stay the night, despite his assertion that he would sleep on the sofa. Considering the early hour of Reed’s call she had a feeling he had expected either to have Marc answer the call or for her to still be at the other man’s home.
She was also sure that Reed would rather she hadn’t come today, despite his mother’s obvious pleasure in having her here. After all, he had two of them to keep in line now!
She wished it could have been different, wished she could have been as cool and self-assured as the women who had occasionally called for him at the office. But she doubted she would ever be any different now, had trained herself too well. As long as she continued her efficiency in the office she could continue seeing Reed; she would be the one to hand in her resignation if she thought her work was below the standard he demanded. But it was going to be a long time before he forgot what had happened yesterday.
She held the unicorn aloft in the palm of her hand as it hung suspended about her neck. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery, and she knew she would always wear it simply because Reed had been the one to give it to her. But it represented how Reed felt about her, a woman who lived in a world that wasn’t quite real, as the unicorn wasn’t. He could have no idea how close she had come to living completely in that shadow world, how much more attractive it could look than the starkness of reality. But she never talked to anyone about that twilight world except Rupert. And she knew her secret was safe with him.
‘… continue on, Darcy?’
She looked up guiltily as she realised
