heard,’ Vicky grunted. ‘Who told you—Nina?’
‘My father, actually,’ Madeline corrected, unaware of the sudden tension on the other end of the line. ‘He’s rather proud of you, Vicky,’ she went on oblivious. ‘Said you’re making quite a name for yourself at the bank.’
‘Against all the odds,’ Vicky added drily, knowing Madeline was aware of how determined she had been to join the family bank—and how equally determined her father had been to keep her out of it. ‘It took me three years’ hard graft at the uni and a lot of rows before he caved in. But even he couldn’t turn a blind eye to the distinctions I got with my degree. I have been an official Stanton bank employee for just over a year now,’ she proudly announced. ‘Dom says I...’ Her voice trailed off, silent horror singing down the line between them.
Madeline sighed inwardly, seeing the irony in the way everyone seemed determined to skirt around all mention of Dominic Stanton while the man himself felt no qualms in making his presence more than felt! ‘Dom says—what?’ she prompted gently.
‘He—he says it’s my sexy behind that draws in the new accounts,’ Vicky mumbled uncomfortably.
‘Why, do you wriggle it at every potential client?’ Madeline asked, damning the odd tightness she felt in her chest when she visualised Dominic’s flashing grin as he issued that small tease to his sister.
‘Only at the male ones,’ Vicky chuckled, the tension easing out of her voice again. ‘What about Saturday night on the town if you don’t fancy making the trip into London today?’
‘No can do, I’m afraid.’ Madeline apologised. ‘I have a friend coming to stay.’
‘Perry Linburgh?’ Vicky quizzed.
‘How did you find that out so quickly?’ Madeline gasped, fine brows arching above wide-spaced eyes so darkly circled by thick black lashes.
‘With a grapevine like we have here?’ her friend scoffed. ‘I could probably describe him better than you could do yourself! A Linburgh, no less,’ she went on mockingly. ‘The name legends are made of. You do move in exclusive circles these days, Madeline.
‘Don’t I just?’ she agreed, then added on a burst of inspiration. ‘Hey—why don’t you come to lunch here on Sunday! You could meet Perry yourself then, and maybe give your honest opinion of the real thing rather than the legend!’
The suggestion met with utter silence. A sudden tension buzzing so strongly down the line that it was impossible to miss it, though she did not understand the reason for it.
‘I’m afraid I can’t do that,’ she heard Vicky say coolly.
‘Why?’ She frowned. ‘Got a date?’
There was another small silence, then, ‘Don’t you know, Madeline?’ Vicky asked curiously.
‘Know what?’ Her tone alone said she had no idea what Vicky was referring to.
The other girl sighed, muttered something not very ladylike which had Madeline’s eyebrows arching all over again, then lowering into an incredulous frown as Vicky curtly explained, ‘The Gilburns and the Stantons no longer acknowledge each other, dear,’ she was informed with a shivering derision. ‘They haven’t since you and my brother split up.’
Louise walked into the room just as Madeline was slowly replacing the telephone receiver.
‘Your young man, dear?’ she enquired.
‘No.’ Madeline was still frowning. ‘Vicky,’ she said grimly, then looked up at Louise. ‘Is it true?’ she demanded. ‘Have our two families been involved in a feud for the last four years?’
‘Oh, dear,’ Louise sighed and sat down next to Madeline on the sofa. ‘I wondered how soon you would find out.’
Horrified, Madeline jerked to her feet. ‘I can’t believe it!’ she exclaimed.
‘No, neither could I when it first began,’ Louise agreed. ‘Men are such children sometimes, Madeline!’ she sighed. ‘And I’ve been warning your father for weeks that he ought to put a stop to it before you came home. But he refuses to listen. He blames James Stanton for starting it—after Dominic, of course, that is—and I can only assume that James blames your father—after you. Am I being too honest, Madeline?’ she broke off to ask anxiously when she saw Madeline’s face grow steadily more distressed as she went on. ‘I have no wish to upset you with all of this, but it is a problem which has to be taken note of simply because you will sense it the moment we all get together in the same room.’
‘Oh, so you do actually move in the same company,’ Madeline scowled. ‘I suppose that has to mean something.’
‘Not much,’ Louise grunted. ‘We may attend the same things but we never acknowledge one another.’
‘Good grief!’ Madeline exploded. ‘But that’s positively—archaic!’
‘I entirely agree with you, dear.’ Louise nodded. ‘But it’s there and has to be faced. And I wouldn’t like you to make some terrible gaffe by speaking to the Stantons this Saturday night at the Lassiters’ only to find yourself cut dead where you stand.’
‘Y-you mean, they would actually do that?’ Her blue eyes widened in pained disbelief. ‘No wonder Vicky was so damned touchy whenever we mentioned family! My God,’ she breathed, utterly appalled by it all.
‘Your father felt sure you would be able to cope,’ Louise was looking pensive at Madeline’s paste-white face, ‘but if you don’t feel you can face it all just yet, Madeline, we would understand if you preferred not to attend...’
‘Oh, I’m going,’ Madeline murmured ominously. ‘And don’t think for one moment that I shall be joining in your petty feud!’
‘I thought you might say that,’ Louise grimaced.
Another sudden thought brought Madeline’s gaze arrowing on to her stepmother. ‘Does this also mean that the Stantons have not been invited to Nina’s wedding?’ she demanded, saw the answer in Louise’s uncomfortable face and was furious. ‘Vicky is my best friend!’ she cried. ‘We—all three of us—Nina, Vicky and I planned to be bridesmaids at each other’s wedding! Are you now telling me that even poor Vicky has been made a pariah by this family?’
‘I’m so sorry, dear.’
‘I should hope you jolly well are!’ Madeline snapped, so angry her eyes were flashing in a way that they hadn’t done once since she’d returned home. ‘For the first time, I feel heartily glad that I’ve come back! It’s time it stopped, Louise,’ she stated grimly. ‘And you can tell Daddy that I’m going to see to it that it does!’
‘You can tell him that yourself, Madeline,’ Louise drily declined the offer as she came gracefully to her feet. ‘The subject has been made taboo between your father and me ever since we fell out over it for a whole month! I don’t ever intend to put myself through that kind of purgatory again.’ She shuddered at the mere memory of it. ‘No,’ she reached up to pat Madeline’s shoulder, ‘any sorting of this problem will have to come from you, darling, since you’re the one who is at the root of it.’
And
