A Suitable Husband. Jessica Steele

closed the door after her, however, Edwina was angrily on her feet, her glance on Jermaine’s night attire having made it plain she was staying the night.

      ‘It didn’t take you long to get established,’ she snorted.

      ‘I didn’t expect you to be thrilled.’

      ‘Why did you have to come at all?’ Edwina demanded hostilely.

      ‘You think I wanted to? Lukas went to see Mum and Dad this morning. He…’

      ‘Did he now?’ Edwina was soon smiling. ‘He must be worried about me to do that. Perhaps he’s falling in love with me.’

      Jermaine was side-tracked. ‘What makes you say that? Has he…?’

      ‘There are signs,’ Edwina purred. ‘Little looks here and there. Small indications.’

      Jermaine didn’t want this conversation after all. ‘What about Ash? I thought he was your “man of the moment”.’

      ‘You can have him back any time you want him.’ Edwina shrugged. ‘I’m no longer fishing for tiddlers.’

      Thanks for nothing! ‘How does Ash feel about this?’

      ‘Good Lord, I haven’t told him—and don’t you, either,’ she warned. ‘Naturally, being in so much pain, I at once made sure I had my own room. Ash moved my stuff out of his, like the gent he is, and Lukas will probably never know that Ash and I were that close.’

      She really was a heartless madam, Jermaine fumed. She might have been in love with Ash, for all Edwina knew, but did that stop her from letting her know that she and Ash had been bedroom lovers? Did it blazes! Jermaine knew then that she would be wasting her time remonstrating with her.

      ‘Mum and Dad are very worried about you,’ she said instead. ‘I told Dad you’d ring him tomorrow.’

      ‘The batteries are flat on my mobile. I didn’t think to bring my charger.’

      ‘I’m sure somebody will carry you to a phone if you ask nicely,’ Jermaine suggested, knowing from experience that Edwina would ring if she felt like it, but if she didn’t she wouldn’t bother.

      Edwina obviously didn’t take kindly to Jermaine’s manner. ‘And I’m sure you’ve stayed long enough to have helped me into bed half a dozen times,’ she hinted nastily.

      Jermaine looked at her lovely blonde-haired, blue-eyed sister, and suddenly no longer felt it would be justice if Edwina managed to ensnare Lukas Tavinor. Somehow, just then, Jermaine felt that he deserved better.