obviously not in the least convinced by her excuse.
He also wasn’t yet aware that Richard had arrived home, and Sabina schooled her features into one of cool politeness so that Brice McAllister shouldn’t see how dismayed she felt at having the two men meet again. Something she had desperately been trying to avoid!
Brice sighed. ‘I wonder—’
‘Sabina? Are you—?’ Richard had come straight into the sitting-room on entering the house, coming to an abrupt halt as he saw Sabina wasn’t alone, his gaze narrowing as he took in Brice McAllister’s presence in the room, the used cups on the low table clearly stating that he had been here for some time.
‘Richard!’ Sabina stood up immediately to cross the room to her fiancé’s side, linking her arm warmly with his as she smiled at him. ‘Mr McAllister called round for tea,’ she dismissed with a lightness she was far from feeling.
Brice hadn’t exactly ‘called around for tea’, that had been merely incidental; he had really come here in order to corner her into making a definite appointment for those sketches!
Sabina looked across at him now, wondering exactly what he was going to say to Richard about his reason for being here.
Would he tell Richard of his five unacknowledged telephone calls this past week? Yes, she did know exactly how many times he had telephoned, had instructed the loyal Mrs Clark to repeatedly tell him she wasn’t at home!
Would he now tell Richard of her evasive tactics?
She gave an inward groan just at the thought of it, having no doubts that Richard would not be pleased that she had deliberately been avoiding Brice McAllister this last week. Richard would also, once they were alone, want to know the reason for it. She could hardly tell him that she had done it because she didn’t want Brice McAllister looking into her soul…!
‘I called round in person to apologise for not getting in touch with either of you this last week.’ Brice McAllister was speaking smoothly now. ‘I’ve been rather busy, I’m afraid. But that’s still no excuse for my tardiness.’ He grimaced.
Sabina could only stare across at him disbelievingly. He had been rather busy…? His tardiness…? He was the one apologising…? When she had been the one who—
‘That’s quite all right,’ Richard accepted lightly, the tension relaxing from his body at the other man’s explanation. ‘Is everything sorted out now?’ He looked at the two of them enquiringly.
Sabina looked at Brice for guidance on this one, still stunned by the way he had smoothed over the situation with a few brief—if totally inaccurate—words.
Had they sorted everything out now?
More to the point, why had Brice McAllister lied just now? Only she could benefit from such a misconception—and, as she was only too well aware, she had done nothing in their acquaintance so far to merit such gallantry. As Brice, up to that point, had done nothing to show he was capable of such an emotion!
He looked at her enquiringly. ‘I believe so,’ he drawled pointedly.
That was why he had lied—so that she had no choice but to make a firm appointment to go and see him. But, in the circumstances, it was probably the least that she owed him…
‘Richard, I was just explaining to Mr McAllister—’
‘Brice,’ he put in dryly.
‘To Brice,’ she corrected after a slightly irritated glance in his direction; she did not want to be on a first-name basis with this man, intended keeping him very firmly at arm’s length. Further, if she could manage it! ‘That I have the afternoon free on Tuesday,’ she admitted reluctantly.
‘And I was just complimenting Sabina on having such a good memory,’ Brice McAllister drawled. ‘I always have to consult my diary before making appointments,’ he added pointedly, that green gaze mocking her.
Sabina shot him a glaring look. Damn him, how dared he mock her when he knew she couldn’t defend herself? Probably for exactly that reason! After all, there had to be some recompense for letting her off the hook so nobly!
‘Three o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, then.’ He nodded abruptly, obviously tiring of the game he was playing, anxious to be gone now as he took a card out of the pocket of his jacket.
Much as he had obviously enjoyed the game, damn him, Sabina inwardly acknowledged frustratedly. But what choice did she have now…?
‘Fine,’ she agreed abruptly, taking the card with his address printed on it, wishing she could somehow misplace it before next Tuesday. But at the same time knowing it would do her no good even if she did; that appointment might as well be set in stone as far as Richard was concerned!
Richard nodded. ‘I have a meeting that afternoon, I’m afraid, Sabina, but I’ll have Clive accompany you,’ he assured her smilingly.
‘Clive?’ Brice McAllister repeated slowly. ‘I have to tell you now, unlike Sabina, I do not like an audience while I work,’ he bit out harshly.
Richard laughed dismissively. ‘Clive is completely unobtrusive, I can assure you. But if it bothers you,’ he added cajolingly as the other man still scowled, ‘he can wait outside in the car.’
Brice nodded abruptly. ‘It bothers me.’
No more than it bothered Sabina to think of spending that hour alone with him at his studio!
CHAPTER THREE
‘WHAT do you know about the model Sabina?’
‘Aha!’ Chloe said with satisfaction as she put down her knife and fork to look across the luncheon table to Brice. ‘I told Fergus, after you accompanied us to the fashion show last Saturday that there was something going on. So much for inviting me out to lunch to cheer me up while Fergus is away in Manchester at a book-signing!’ she added teasingly.
Brice loved his cousin’s wife dearly, looked on her as the younger sister he had never had, but sometimes…!
‘There’s nothing “going on”, Chloe,’ he told her dryly. ‘I’m going to paint the woman. I just thought I should know something about her before I did.’
‘Oh.’ Chloe couldn’t hide her disappointment at this explanation.
Brice gave a rueful shake of his head at her deflated expression. ‘Just because you and Fergus are rapturously happy together—even more so since you knew about the expected baby—does not mean everyone else around you has to be in love too!’
‘But wouldn’t it be nice if you were?’ Chloe came back undaunted.
‘She’s an engaged woman, Chloe,’ he dismissed with amusement.
‘But they don’t seem in any hurry to get married,’ she replied instantly. ‘And Richard Latham is so much older than Sabina…’
Brice was all too well aware of that already…
‘Nice’ wasn’t exactly how he would have described the possibility of his falling in
