Lee Wilkinson - Stand-In Mistress

‘You don’t need to remind me. I wish I’d listened to you when you said I was too young to get married.’

Joanne’s heart sank. It was true that, thinking Milly too immature, she had at first opposed the marriage. But Duncan had seemed both sensible and stable, and the pair had been so very much in love, that she had finally given her blessing.

‘Duncan and I have quarrelled so much lately that I’m beginning to wonder if the whole thing was a mistake,’ Milly added miserably.

Hiding her dismay, Joanne said calmly, ‘You know perfectly well that you’re only feeling this way because of the move.’

Taking a gulp of her tea, Milly shook her head. ‘There’s more to it than that.’

‘Stuff and nonsense,’ Joanne said briskly.

‘You don’t understand. I think I’m in love.’

‘As you’ve only been married for a few months I should hope so.’

‘I don’t mean with Duncan. I still care about him, of course, but I think I’ve fallen for someone else.’

‘If it’s Trevor, he will be flattered.’ Joanne tried to make a joke of it.

Diverted, Milly pulled a face. ‘What you see in that pompous git I can’t imagine…You may not be Miss World but you could do better than him.’

‘Thanks,’ Joanne said drily.

‘Duncan doesn’t rate him either,’ Milly added, as though that settled it. ‘He has about as much charisma as a worm without any charisma.’

‘I certainly wouldn’t call Trevor a worm,’ Joanne objected mildly.

‘Neither would I, on second thoughts. He’s too picky and bossy. He’d want to tell you what to do all the time.’

‘I’ll bear that in mind. I should hate to marry the wrong man.’

‘Like me, you mean?’

‘Don’t be an idiot!’ Joanne exclaimed with a sharpness born of fear. ‘You haven’t married the wrong man. Duncan is exactly what you need.’

‘But I keep trying to tell you…I’ve fallen for someone else.’

Taking a deep breath, Joanne said, ‘Well, if it isn’t Trevor, you’d better tell me who it is.’

‘My boss. Brad Lancing…Now, he is charismatic.’

‘Brad Lancing!’

‘He’s absolutely gorgeous! Handsome, clever, and totally charming…He has the most fascinating eyes you’ve ever seen…And that mouth…’ Milly practically drooled.

So that explained Milly’s moods, her reluctance to leave her job. Joanne groaned inwardly.

Seeing the look on her sister’s face, Milly said, ‘You think I’m just being a fool, don’t you?’

‘According to Steve, Lancing is a married man with children, so the answer’s yes.’

‘Steve’s wrong. I know for a fact that he isn’t married and he hasn’t any children. He’s a thirty-year-old bachelor.’

Unsure which version to believe, Joanne countered, ‘And you’re an eighteen-year-old married woman.’

‘Age doesn’t matter, and I don’t feel married when I’m with him. I feel…well…wonderful.’

‘Oh, Milly,’ Joanne said helplessly, ‘don’t you know that a lot of women fall for their boss, while most bosses scarcely notice their secretary?’

‘Brad notices me,’ Milly assured her triumphantly. ‘The two nights I told you I was working late, I was having dinner with him.’

Suddenly scared half out of her wits, Joanne croaked, ‘You didn’t go any further?’

‘No, I didn’t. But from some of the things he said, and the way he looked at me, I know he wanted to.’

Joanne gritted her teeth. When Milly had first started to work for the company, Steve had mentioned that Lancing had a bad reputation as far as women were concerned.

But she hadn’t worried, never dreaming that a sophisticated man like him would be even remotely interested in a girl who was just eighteen, and newly married, to boot.

He must be a complete and utter swine, and totally without scruples.

‘Surely you realise a man like that is only out for what he can get?’ she said desperately. ‘And when—’

‘Don’t tell me, I know…When he’s got it he won’t respect me. Well, I’m fed up with being respected. I want some excitement in my life, and if this trip to Norway does come off…’ She stopped speaking abruptly.

‘What trip to Norway?’

‘If it turns out to be necessary, Brad will be going to Norway for six weeks or so on business. He’s asked me to go with him.’

Tight-lipped, Joanne demanded, ‘As what?’

‘His secretary, of course,’ Milly answered demurely.

‘But you’re no longer working for him. You’ve given in your notice.’

Milly shook her head. ‘I haven’t said anything about leaving. I haven’t made up my mind about going to Scotland…’ Seeing the look on her sister’s face, she faltered to a halt.

Joanne’s cup rattled into the saucer. ‘You can’t seriously mean that you’re willing to risk destroying your marriage because of a silly infatuation?’

‘Oh, but I—’

‘Hasn’t it occurred to you that Brad Lancing probably only wants a brief fling? Another notch on his bedpost? Even if I’m mistaken about him being married, he has a reputation as a Casanova…And what about your wedding vows?’

‘I was too young to tie myself for life.’

‘At the time you assured me you were ready for the responsibilities of marriage.’

‘Well, I thought I was.’

‘So did I. And so did Duncan. But if you’re stupid and immature enough to jump into bed with the first man you regard as gorgeous, we were obviously wrong.’

Flushing, Milly hit back. ‘Oh, you’ve always been so prim and proper. If you’re not careful you’ll end up an old maid, or married to someone as narrow-minded as Trevor.’

‘Suppose you leave me out of it.’ Joanne tried to speak calmly. ‘It’s your future we’re discussing…and Duncan’s. He absolutely adores you. Have you thought what this will do to him?’

‘I never wanted to hurt him,’ Milly said unhappily. ‘But I don’t seem able to help myself. I keep thinking about this wonderful trip to Norway and what I’ll lose if I don’t go.’

‘Try thinking about what you’ll lose if you do go. A future with a good man who loves you, who’ll stand by you; a home of your own, and a chance to make a life together in a beautiful part of the world…

‘Suppose you give up all those things and this wonderful trip doesn’t materialise?’

Seeing the uncertainty on her sister’s young face, Joanne pressed home her advantage. ‘You can’t expect Duncan to wait around tamely to see whether his wife is going to Scotland with him, or to Scandinavia with another man.’

Milly bit her lip. ‘I’ll know by tonight if the trip’s on. Brad’s been away on business for over a week, but he said he’d be back this evening and if the Norway trip needed to go ahead he’d call me.’

‘Here?’

‘Yes. You see, there’s not much time. If it is all systems go, we’ll be travelling tomorrow morning.’

‘What if he doesn’t call?’

Milly twisted her wedding ring round and round her finger. ‘I don’t know. I may go to Scotland…I’m not sure—’

The sound of a key turning in the lock cut through her words, and a moment later a voice called cheerily, ‘Milly, darling, I’m back.’

Scrambling to her feet, Milly said urgently, ‘Jo, you won’t say anything to Duncan until I’ve made up my mind?’

‘Not a word. But if you don’t want him to start asking awkward questions, I suggest that while I finish getting dinner ready you go up and make a start on some packing.’

As the girl hurried away, her bright-blue eyes clouded with worry, Joanne rose heavily to her feet and collected the cups and saucers.

Damn Brad Lancing! she thought violently as she rinsed and dried them. How could he encourage someone who was obviously just an easily-led young girl, and married into the bargain?