‘No, of course not.’ Claire was embarrassed by the gaffe. ‘It’s just that with the company owning this whole row of shops, and my lease due for renewal soon, I thought…’ She left it there, aware of stating the obvious, and said instead, ‘So what exactly is it you are here for?’
He took his time replying, studying the clean lines of her face with its wide-spaced eyes, small straight nose and generously curved mouth. She could feel herself growing warm beneath the scrutiny, and hoped that the flush didn’t show. No doubt she didn’t begin to compare with the women a man of his looks and kind was accustomed to viewing at such close quarters, but that was no reason for him to look quite so disparaging.
‘Are you and your sister very much alike?’ he asked, startling her because it was the last thing she had expected him to say.
‘Only superficially,’ she found herself answering, before catching herself up. Brows drawn together, she started to ask how he knew that she had a sister, but he forestalled her.
‘Your parents are dead, I understand.’
Claire swallowed on the sudden hard lump in her throat, caught unawares by the bald statement. Even after all this time the pain was still like a spear through her heart.
‘They were killed in a car crash four years ago,’ she said with control. ‘Although I fail to see what business it is of yours.’
‘You were how old at the time?’ he continued, ignoring the latter remark.
‘Twenty.’ The reply was dragged from her against her will. ‘I really don’t see—’
‘Hardly mature enough to be left in total charge of a fourteen-year-old, would you say? Especially in this day and age.’
‘There was no one else.’ She was fast losing the little tolerance remaining in her. ‘Will you please tell me what this is all about?’
The dark head inclined, its lean features set in uncompromising lines. ‘As your sister doesn’t appear to have told you herself, it seems I have to do it for her.’ He paused briefly. ‘To put it bluntly, she’s pregnant.’
Shock kept Claire both motionless and speechless for several seconds. She could only gaze at him with eyes gone wide and dark. When she did find her voice at last, it sounded totally unlike her own.
‘You must have got the wrong person!’
He gave a short, humourless laugh. ‘I doubt if there are two Jill Marcrofts in town with sisters who run a boutique on High Street.’
Mind whirling, she said thickly, ‘Are you claiming to be the father?’
His lips thinned. ‘I’m not in the habit of playing around with girls almost half my age.’
‘Then who is supposed to be?’ she demanded, even more confused.
‘My younger brother,’ he said. ‘With “supposed” very much the operative word.’
‘Just a minute!’ Claire wasn’t too far gone to recognise the imputation. ‘You’re saying my sister is pregnant but your brother isn’t the one responsible?’
‘I’m saying there’s room for doubt.’
‘You get out of here!’ Face hot, eyes sparking like twin emeralds, she only barely stopped herself from smashing her hand across the lean brown cheek. ‘Just get out!’
If he recognised the danger of a physical attack, he wasn’t allowing it to deter him. He made no move, but simply stood there looking at her with infuriating condescension.
‘As the bearer of bad news, I’d hardly expect to be greeted with open arms, but it does none of us any good to fly off the handle. The sooner you face up to it, the sooner we can start getting the whole sorry business sorted out.’
‘There’s nothing to sort out!’ She forced the words between clenched teeth. ‘I don’t believe a word of it!’
The sigh held more than a hint of impatience. ‘There appears to be little doubt about the pregnancy. It’s Scott’s involvement I’m here to discuss.’ The very way he said the word ‘involvement’ underlined his rejection, as did the following, ‘He’s altogether too gullible.’
Claire drew in a long, slow breath, fighting to restrain her wilder impulses. It couldn’t be true, she told herself. There simply had to be a mistake somewhere! That should be straightened out first.
‘Assuming we’re not talking about a single instance, just how long is this…affair supposed to have been going on?’ she managed, with creditable steadiness.
Broad shoulders lifted in a brief shrug. ‘According to Scott, since early May.’
‘That makes it even less likely! Jill was still in school then.’
‘In school, maybe, but not necessarily with her mind on her work. Anyway, why would he lie about it?’
‘Never having met your brother, I’ve no idea what his motives might be,’ she retorted tautly. ‘All I am sure of is that if Jill really had been carrying on a relationship with him—or with anyone else, for that matter—I’d have known about it.’
The grey eyes registered scepticism. ‘Are you trying to claim she never even had a boyfriend before?’
‘Of course I’m not. She’s a very pretty and popular girl.’
‘So I’m given to understand.’
Her chin jerked up, her fists clenching involuntarily at her sides. ‘Are you suggesting what I think you might be?’
‘I’m suggesting,’ he said, without change of tone, ‘that you may not know your sister quite as well as you believe you do.’
She gazed at him in silence for a lengthy moment, grappling with the thought that if this story of his turned out to have any truth in it at all, then he might well be right. Jill had certainly been very moody recently. Claire had put it down to nervousness over her coming exam results, but this cast a whole new light on things. Pregnant! It didn’t bear thinking about!
‘Is your brother denying responsibility?’ she asked, trying her best to maintain some semblance of composure.
Ross shrugged again. ‘On the contrary, he’s only too ready to accept what he believes is his responsibility, and do the right thing.’
‘You mean…marriage?’
‘Yes.’
‘But obviously you don’t agree?’
‘He’s only just twenty-two. The last thing he needs at this juncture is being lumbered with a wife and family.’
‘I’d think him old enough to decide that for himself.’
The grey eyes were unrelenting. ‘Old enough, maybe; sensible enough, definitely not. Anyway, it isn’t just his future I’m concerned about. My father’s already suffered one stroke. A shotgun wedding would just about finish him off completely.’
Claire made no attempt to offer meaningless sympathy. ‘Do I take it you’re the only one of the family your brother has confided in so far?’ she got out.
‘That’s right,’ Ross confirmed. ‘He only told me about it a couple of hours ago. I decided it best to tackle you here on your own rather than come to the house.’
‘Hoping for what?’ she demanded, with a curl of her own lip. ‘You’ve more or less accused my sister of being a promiscuous little tart. Did you expect me to confirm it for you?’
His face darkened, lips compressing. ‘You’re putting words into my mouth.’
‘I don’t think so. You’ve made your opinion pretty clear.’ She drew in another steadying breath, feeling the sick churning inside her threatening