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CHAPTER ONE
ZEKE BUCHANAN glanced at his wife as he rose froh Marianne are of his gaze she didn’t raise her head from her contemplation of the contents of her coffee cup, not even when he stopped just behind her and rested his hands on her slender shoulders as he said, ‘You haven’t forgotten the Mortons are co at seven?’
No, she hadn’t forgotten the Mortons She steeled herself to show no reaction, either in her body or her voice, when she replied coolly, ‘No, of course not Everything’s in order’
‘Good’ There was a moment’s hesitation, and then he bent and placed a swift kiss on the top of her blond head ‘I probably won’t be ho up to Stoke thisto look at an old factory site I’m interested in, but I should be back by mid-afternoon if you need me’
If I need you? Of course I need you, but that’s a concept that’s alien to you, isn’t it? She didn’t trust the bitterness not to show if she spoke, so sheher head to look at him
‘Goodbye, Marianne’
His voice was cold now, and she replied in like vein when she said, ‘Goodbye, Zeke’
And then the breakfast room door had shut behind him and she was alone She sat absolutely still for a full ive way to the tears that were always threatening these days, and then she rose very slowly and walked across to the huge, south-facing hich took up most of one wall
The vista beyond the glass was a breathtaking aerial view of half of London, or so it seeh-rise block of luxury flats, had been tailor before he had o It was the last word in opulent living, froold to the sumptuous master bedroom and its decadent en suite bathroom, which was black and silver andAnd Marianne hated it She loathed it
She knew one of Zeke’s old girlfriends—a very successful and glamorous redhead by the exotic naner to the rich and faned the penthouse, and once she had discovered that soo her dislike of the brazen bachelor pad had turned to revulsion
She had lost count of how many times she had asked Zeke to come with her to look at different properties—some apartments, some houses—but always he had fobbed her off with ‘tomorrow’ But tomorrow had never come
She relaxed against thefor a lass, and then she straightened abruptly, drawing her shoulders backher small chin determinedly
None of that! she told herself silently You’re not going to give in to the urge to run and hide They were going through a bad patch, but that didn’t h this; she would She had coped with the shock of her o—she would cope with this But, oh… She bit her lip hard What she would give to talk to her mother now, just to be able to tell soo mad sometimes, cut off from the world in this ivory tower Zeke had created
And then, as though in answer to the silent desperate plea, the telephone rang Marianne let it ring until the answer- these days were Zeke, one or other of their social circle, or business acquaintances, and she didn’t feel like talking to any of those
‘Hi, Marianne Long tiuessed, and as I’ht I’d—’
Pat’s voice was cut off as Marianne lifted the receiver and said breathlessly, ‘Pat? Oh, Pat It’s so lovely to hear your voice’