Flowers for My Love (13 page)

Juleen called at the shop on Saturday afternoon to order flowers.

She was accompanied by a tall, statuesque young woman who appeared to be very interested in the shop.

Her hair was a pale gold and combed in a loose knot at the back of her head. Her eyes were a cool pale blue. She wore a very smart mushroom-coloured silk suit set off by a matching cape. An elegant creature of enigmatic expression, thought Davina, Swedish probably and not much older than herself.

Juleen introduced Davina as Nick’s fiancée and her friend as Birgit Akland. While Davina attended to Juleen, Birgit wandered around the shop picking up flower baskets and plant pots with long, enamelled, pink-tipped fingers. She made several purchases of elegant flower holders and pretty decorated plant pots to be sent to Juleen’s place.

‘Who do you think she is?’ asked Cheryl. ‘A film star?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Davina carried on with her task of packing the stuff they had ordered. ‘She wore no ring, so I would guess that her father is a rich tycoon or something.’

Cheryl walked around the shop like a model with her hand on her hip.

‘Do you think a cape would suit me?’ Suddenly she swung round to gaze at her sister. ‘You could dress like that if you married Nick,’ she said.

Davina placed fern with a spray of tulips and said very quietly,

‘I will, in six weeks’ time.’

Cheryl gave a gasp. ‘You’re not! I don’t believe it. You can’t be—you’re too calm about it.’

‘That’s what you think.’

‘How long have you known?’

‘Since Thursday night. I’ve been wondering how to tell you.’

‘Since Thursday night?’ Cheryl’s voice rose in her excitement.

‘And you never said until now. You dark horse! Aren’t you absolutely thrilled about it?’

Davina gave a nervous laugh. ‘I don’t think it’s registered yet, quite frankly. Do you mind?’

‘Mind? I’m over the moon about it! We must celebrate. Have you written to Darren?’

‘Of course not. I wanted to tell you first. Besides, I have to tell Darren personally. I don’t know how he’s going to take it.’

‘Don’t worry about it. He’ll get over it,’ Cheryl gave a delighted cry. ‘Whoopee! We must celebrate. Where shall we go?’

Davina said, ‘There’s really nothing to celebrate—after all, we are engaged. We can have a special little dinner at the flat, but I have to put things right with Darren first. We don’t know how he’s going to react. I do hope he takes it the right way.’

Cheryl smiled brightly. ‘We can ask him to come this weekend.’

Davina frowned. ‘I don’t want to take him away from his studies, but I have to tell him soon.’

Later Davina delivered the last of the week’s orders, leaving Belcourt Mansions until the last. At Juleen’s door she paused, wondering if Nick had told his sister-in-law of his forthcoming marriage, and decided to say nothing.

Birgit opened the door and asked her in. ‘Juleen wants to see you,’ she said with a cool smile. ‘She will be with you in a moment.’

Davina put down the flowers, then went out to fetch the rest of the order. When she returned Birgit had left the room and Juleen came forward tying a wrap hastily.

‘I was taking a bath,’ she explained. ‘Do sit down. Would you like a sherry? You look tired.’

Davina shook her head, pushing the heavy hair from her aching forehead. It was not the pressure of work causing the pain, it was the thought of Darren. He had to come first whatever reaction he had to her marriage.

She smiled brightly. ‘Nothing to drink, thanks. We’ve had a particularly busy weekend, run off our feet.’ She sighed. I’m going home to put them up.’ She sat down gratefully as Juleen perched on the arm of a nearby chair.

Folding slender hands displaying several rings, Juleen said, ‘I don’t suppose you know where Nick is? No one seems to know, not even his secretary. As his fiancée you should know something of his whereabouts.’

Davina shook her head. ‘I can only tell you he’s somewhere abroad and he’ll be back for Tuesday. We have a date then.’

‘I see.’ Juleen studied beautifully manicured nails and appeared to make up her mind about something, for she frowned before going on, ‘Birgit is anxious to see him as soon as possible.

Business, you understand?’ Another pause, then, ‘I don’t suppose it will mean anything to you as you’re engaged and will be giving up the shop anyway.’

Davina’s aching feet were forgotten and a trickle of a chill ran down her spine. She moistened her dry lips.

‘Is there something I ought to know?’ she asked.

Juleen shrugged slim shoulders. ‘Maybe you already know.

Rumours do get around, and you’ve probably heard that your flower shop is part of a block being sought after by several concerns, including a Swedish one of which Birgit is the head.’

Davina drew in a breath that hurt her lungs. ‘So that’s why she took such an interest in the shop when she came in with you? And Nick never told me!’

The colour left her face as she took it in. What hurt more at the moment was Nick not saying anything to her about it. She remembered what he had said about being ruthless in his job regarding absolute secrecy, but this time it concerned her.

Her green eyes were dull with disillusionment and pain.

‘Am I right in thinking that Birgit is seeking a loan from Nick in order to buy the block?’ she enquired dully.

Juleen moved uncomfortably. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, but I really thought you knew. You see, this deal has been going on for all of six months.’

Davina’s face went ashen. Six months? Before Nick had made himself known to them. So that was the reason he had cold-shouldered the bigger flower shops in the town in favour of theirs.

He had to find out how the land lay, even to the point of getting engaged to herself. But surely that was going too far in the matter of his job?

Driving back to the flat she kept asking herself—why? Not that she was foolish enough to suppose that Nick had committed himself to marriage against his will in order to further a deal.

Perhaps if she had fallen into his arms as he had expected her to do in the first place he would have not hesitated to tell her about the shop being taken over.

Davina was tired after a gruelling week and her brain felt woolly. She had worked hard night and day to work up a business and had been proud of its success. Now it was all to go down the drain, like her plans to increase their money in the bank.

Cheryl had gone out for the evening with Rex and she arrived home to an empty flat too weary to make herself a cup of tea after putting the van away. She sank down on the settee and put her feet up, too exhausted in mind and body to think straight. Her eyes closed.

When she awoke it was morning. Someone had taken off her shoes and covered her with an eiderdown; Cheryl, who would be sleeping in as she usually did on Sunday morning.

Surprisingly Davina had slept well, but she felt too restless to relax. Putting on the kettle for a cup of tea, she telephoned her accountant, an old friend of her father’s. He told her that he had heard rumours that the block including the flower shop was on the market, but nothing specific. It could be that it had been kept quiet because the Swedish company were after it. He also congratulated her on her engagement and he was sure Nick Tabor would be able to help her concerning the shop being up for sale.

Davina put down the telephone with some misgiving. The engagement had evidently been reported in the newspapers, of which she saw very little. Had Darren seen it? She shrugged mentally. What did it matter? The engagement was off now in any case.

The day passed uneventfully with Davina deciding about telling Cheryl about the possible closing of the shop. Time to tell her when she had found out more from Nick.

Monday was a quiet day at the shop and they did some spring-cleaning and stocktaking. That evening Cheryl invited Rex to dinner and Davina went to visit an old friend. She stayed for tea and on her way home telephoned Nick’s apartment from a phone booth.

Mrs. Flowers, the housekeeper, answered the telephone to say that he was expected back that evening. She was there preparing him a late meal. Yes, it was all right if Davina came round. She would leave the door unlocked for her to go in as she was on the point of leaving for her own quarters.

Davina let herself into the apartment to meet silence. Walking to the lounge, she took off her coat and sat on the settee. The task in front of her was something she shrank from. Yet it had to be done.

Leaning back against the cushions, she wondered at Nick’s reaction on discovering her knowledge of a transaction he had kept from her.

When the shrill ringing of the telephone nearby rent the air she reached out an arm to pick up the receiver, fully expecting to hear Nick’s voice.

But it was Birgit enquiring if he had returned home. Davina replied that he had not and put down the receiver without revealing her identity. The woman apparently meant business.

Nick came around eight o’clock, striding into the flat and pausing at the hall table to pick up his mail. She wanted to run out to meet him, to feel his cool mouth on her own sending all kinds of delicious tremors through her; she wanted him so much that tears smarted in her eyes like sand.

Long afterwards she remembered the beating of her heart sending flutterings in her throat like moths’ wings as he walked into the room. He was sorting through his letters and he lifted his head slowly as if alerted to a presence in the room. His brows slowly lifted and his mouth curved into a devastating smile.

‘Darling!’ he exclaimed. ‘Why didn’t you let me know what a treat I had in store for me? Let me look at you.’

He dropped the letters on to a small table and strode forward to take her in his arms. Apart from standing up Davina made no move. She felt his hands grip her arms as he smiled down into her face.

‘No kiss?’ he asked wryly.

‘I want to talk to you,’ she answered, holding herself rigid.

‘And I want to kiss you and hold you for ever.’

He did kiss her and very thoroughly until it seemed to Davina that he was going to hold her for ever. Her heart was a crazy thing entirely out of her control and all she could do was to cling until he let her go.

The smile on his face had gone and he eyed her with a curious look.

‘Is anything wrong?’ he asked. ‘You look frightfully pale. I’m a brute, aren’t I? But I’ve been away from you so long. I suppose you’re dead beat after a day at the shop? I’ll get you a drink.’

Davina was beyond words and sat down as he poured out drinks for them both.

‘Here you are, darling. Cheers.’

She took the drink mechanically, murmuring her thanks and hoping that it would give her the courage she needed.

Nick sipped his drink, still standing to look down on her.

‘Still shattered, darling?’ he teased. ‘But you can’t say I took you by surprise when you were waiting for my arrival.’

‘No, I can’t, can I?’ she said shakily.

Why did she not talk? Whatever doubt had held her back had been breached by his teasing. There was no time for her to say anything before the telephone rang.

Nick put down his glass and took the call. He spoke for seconds briefly and concisely.

‘Yes ... I understand ... yes. Shall we say Wednesday? See you then.’

‘Birgit?’ asked Davina.

He put down the telephone and raised a brow.

‘How did you know?’

She said quietly, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about the shop and the surrounding block being on the market?’

He shrugged. ‘Because you’ll soon be out of it anyway.’

‘How do you know?’ she cried indignantly. ‘How do you know that I might have wanted Cheryl to carry on?’

‘But you wouldn’t, would you? You told me yourself that you did all the accounts and the buying in. Cheryl would never do all that on her own.’

‘Is that why you came to our shop in the first place, to look around?’

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned down at her.

‘You are feeling sore aren’t you, darling, just because I didn’t take you into my confidence. I told you I was ruthless where my work is concerned?’

‘You can say that again,’ she cried indignantly. ‘Spying on us and pretending to be a customer!’

‘Spying on you? What rubbish you’re talking. Why should I spy on you?’

‘Well, weren’t you? You had to see that everything was on your side regarding a loan towards purchasing the property.’

He said coldly, ‘I’m not a house agent nor a representative of a building society. I’m an international banker and the purchase of your shop has nothing to do with me.’

‘Then why is this Birgit person staying with your sister-in-law?

And why is she telephoning you? She made a call here once before tonight while I was here.’

‘Why didn’t you ask her?’

‘Because it’s none of my business.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Oh, dear! What am I saying?’ Davina raised her hands to burning cheeks. ‘Of course it’s my business if the shop is on the market.’

‘For the love of Mike,’ he exclaimed harshly, ‘do you actually think I came to your shop and made advances to you simply to get the business for a client?’ His laugh was devoid of humour. ‘I’d hardly propose to you for a paltry thing like that. Surely you know I’m not that kind of person?’