They were admitted by a manservant, and Brooke left her cape in his capable hands. Jarrod turned to look at her. ‘I suppose you want to powder your nose or whatever it is that women do when they disappear for hours on end?’
‘Yes, please.’ Her hair could definitely do with a tidy up.
‘It’s through there,’ he pointed to a door on the left. ‘I’ll be inside having a drink.’
‘Oh, but—–’
‘Don’t be such a baby,’ he said impatiently. ‘I won’t be far away.’
She set her mouth determinedly and entered the powder-room. There were several other women in here and she moved through them awkwardly to the large mirror along one wall, brushing her hair self-consciously.
‘I notice Jarrod hasn’t arrived yet,’ remarked a tall blonde girl to another girl standing a few feet away.
‘He’ll be here. Philip said he invited him,’ the other girl replied.
‘I can hardly wait!’ The blonde applied her lipstick.
Brooke had remained rooted to the spot at the first mention of Jarrod’s name, curious to find out what was going to be said next. Both these girls were beautiful, perhaps they had been some of the girls Jarrod was reputed to have escorted in the last few years.
‘Have you seen his girl?’ the second girl asked.
‘Never. No one seems to have heard of her until today. He really kept quiet about this one.’
‘Selina won’t be very happy about it,’ the other girl laughed bitchily. ‘She really thought she had him where she wanted him.’
The blonde arched one thinly plucked eyebrow. ‘I’m sure she’s had him there, several times.’
‘You think it actually went that far?’
‘Charles is such a simpleton where Selina is concerned. He has no control over her at all. And she wanted Jarrod, we all know that.’
‘But I wouldn’t have thought Jarrod—–’
‘He’s a man, Sonia, and Selina is very beautiful.’ The blonde frowned. ‘This engagement of Jarrod’s is all a bit sudden, a bit too convenient if you ask me.’
The girl called Sonia looked puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, it could all be a ruse, couldn’t it? Jarrod could have persuaded some poor creature into believing herself in love with him and that he feels the same way about her. Charles would never suspect anything between Selina and Jarrod with him a newly engaged man.’
‘I suppose so. There was quite a lot of gossip going about. I’m sure Charles must have heard some of it.’
‘You see what I mean? I bet this girl of Jarrod’s is a real little mouse.’
The use of that name for her was enough to snap Brooke out of her stunned silence, but before she could actually say anything someone else came into the room and the other two girls wandered back outside to the party, still gossiping.
So that was Jarrod’s little game! Furious colour flooded her cheeks. Jarrod Stone was using her to cover up his own affair with a married woman. How dared he! Of all the despicable things to do! All the time he had been making out he was the wronged person in all this, when really it suited him to be an engaged man right now.
No wonder Selina Howard had rushed over to see him this morning! But she had soon been reassured when she had seen Brooke, knowing she had absolutely no competition in her. And Jarrod must have reassured her even more when she was up in his office with him.
How dared he! How dared he use her in this way! He was disgusting, covering up his own behaviour by taking advantage of this situation. He was having an affair with Selina Howard and using her to shield it from the woman’s husband.
But what could she do about it? There was no way she could get herself out of this engagement, not without causing embarrassment to both of them. Besides, Jarrod had made it perfectly clear he had no intention of releasing her. His obstinacy now became transparently clear.
But she wouldn’t let him think he had got away with fooling her. Oh no, she would make sure she let him know his sordid little affair was known to her. And she wouldn’t feel guilty any more. Why should she?
It didn’t take her long to find Jarrod among the crowd, his height and distinguished appearance making him conspicuous. She moved swiftly through the people to be at his side.
Jarrod turned to look down at her flushed face and gleaming eyes, raising one eyebrow questioningly. ‘I thought you’d got lost.’
She took the glass of bubbly liquid he held out to her, flicking back her head haughtily and ignoring the curious stares of the other people. ‘You don’t seem to be particularly bothered even if I had,’ she replied coolly, sipping the chilled champagne.
He frowned. ‘What’s the matter with you?’
Brooke looked up at him challengingly. ‘Why should there be anything wrong with me? I’ve merely been tidying my hair.’
‘For fifteen minutes?’
She shrugged. ‘I have a lot of hair.’
‘Now look, Brooke—–’
His angry words were cut off by the appearance of their host at his side. ‘She’s turned up, then, Jarrod,’ Philip Baylis grinned good naturedly, putting his hand out to Brooke politely. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you.’
She smiled shyly, meeting his gesture. ‘Thank you.’
He looked at the grim face of his friend. ‘She’s lovely, Jarrod. You’ll have to keep your eye on her amongst this pack of wolves.’ He smiled at Brooke again. ‘You should be safe with Jarrod by your side.’
‘That’s providing he remains there.’ She gave her ‘fiancée’ a sly look.
Jarrod’s fingers dug painfully into her soft flesh as he put his arm about her shoulders. ‘Where else would I go?’ he teased, but his eyes told a different story, warning her to behave.
‘I have no idea,’ she returned softly.
‘This isn’t a line,’ laughed Philip, seemingly unaware of the tension between them. ‘But haven’t I seen you somewhere before?’
‘Possibly. I work for Jarrod.’ That grip on her shoulders tightened even more and she winced with the pain of it.
Philip looked astounded. ‘You do?’
‘Mm,’ she nodded, taking no notice of the looks she was receiving from Jarrod. ‘I’m the receptionist.’
‘So you are!’ His amazement was obvious. ‘You sly devil, Jarrod!’ he slapped the other man on the shoulder. ‘Keeping her hidden away like that!’
‘Jarrod likes to keep secrets,’ Brooke put in softly.
He gave her a sharp look. ‘Not from you, darling,’ he drawled.
She gave him a cold angry look. ‘Even from me.’
Philip laughed. ‘I’m sure not. He’s a reformed person, engaged to be married and all that. It was the shock of my life this morning when I saw your engagement in the newspaper.’
‘No more of a shock than it was to Jarrod,’ she smiled tightly.
‘Mm, he seemed rather bowled over when I spoke to him this morning.’
‘No doubt he was,’ she agreed.
‘Only because it wasn’t supposed to be announced just yet,’ Jarrod put in calmly. ‘But you know how the press get hold of these things.’