THE doorbell rang again and she hurried to answer it, grateful for the interruption. This time it was the man delivering her furniture. Jude helped him carry the chaise-longue, sideboard and table up the stairs to the second floor flat, then the shopkeeper went back alone for the basket chair.
When he returned he presented Samantha with a rather dusty amber glass Tiffany lamp with a brass stand which he had carried up in the seat of the chair. She was surprised and delighted; the lamp was charming and perfectly matched the other things she had chosen.
"It would be valuable if it hadn't been broken and mended rather badly," he told her cheerfully. "As it is, I'll throw it in with the rest." He looked around the flat. "The furniture already looks as if it belongs together! I hope you'll be very happy in your new home. Pop in again some time. I'm always getting new stock, and I'll be happy to keep my eyes open for anything that fits in with all these." When he had gone, she slipped into the bedroom to change, and then set out a meal on the oak table.
She hadn't made sandwiches. She had bought a stick of French bread and some Brie and Camembert, which she served with a bottle of white French wine. Jude seemed to enjoy it. "I must say, I like your idea of bread and cheese!" he grinned, sinking back into the basket chair, his long legs stretched out. "Darius must be crazy, risking losing you He broke off, grimacing, as the hot colour rose in her face. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Don't be silly, it was a nice compliment," she said. They had been steering clear of any mention of Darius, and Jude had embarrassed himself as much as her. "Tell me more about this job," she suggested, to change the subject.
"Oh, well, Darius..." He stopped again, pulling a face. "I can't talk about anything without mentioning his name, can I?"
"He's important to both of us," she drily agreed. She could guess what he had been going to say. Darius had often complained that Jude was stubborn about having secretarial help. He was intensely secretive and afraid anyone who knew too much would sell his latest innovation to a rival company. When necessary, Jude borrowed a secretary from someone.
It was because Samantha knew Jude's views that she had contacted him and asked him for a job. She knew there was one there, if she could only persuade Jude to let her do it, and she was sure Jude would trust her. He had known her almost as long as Darius had; he knew she wouldn't sell the firm's secrets to anyone.
Her only worry had been whether Jude would believe she could do the job. "Thanks to Paris, I know my way around the company's computers," she murmured. "Her room is crammed with the company's latest products, and I picked up the bug from her over the years."
"I'm not really sure what you'll be doing, confessed Jude. "Except that you can take a lot of the routine, like paperwork, off my hands. I've never had a secretary of my own before."
"We'll invent the job together," she said, curling up on the chaise longue and stretching with a yawn. She was tired. It had been a long day. Jude was watching her with a smile.
"You look very elegant on that!"
"It was meant for more elegant times," she said, aware that she was losing even more of the pins from her bun, her blonde hair half tumbling down her back. She couldn't be bothered to tidy her hair again tonight; in a moment they would be leaving the flat. Jude had promised to give her a lift back to her hotel on his way home. "Do you want another cup of coffee?" she asked politely, but he shook his head and got up.
"I'll help you wash these things up before we go." The doorbell rang and Jude stared at her, his brows together. "Expecting someone else?" She shook her head, puzzled.
"Maybe it's a neighbour, wanting to borrow a cup of sugar?"
"Or the friendly furniture salesman hoping to find you alone!" Jude scowled, making for the front door. "If it is, I'll soon see him off!"
He pulled the door open, his brows heavy, then he stumbled back into the room, while Samantha watched in startled surprise for an instant until she realised who had arrived.
Icy grey eyes were taking in the way she looked, still lying on the velvet chaise-longue, her blonde hair loose around her face, the softly flowing caftan creating an intimate atmosphere which was underlined by the remains of their French supper, the two red candles, the empty wine bottle, Jude's jacket flung casually on a chair, his tie undone, his shirt collar open.
"They say the husband is always the last one to know," Darius bit out between almost clenched teeth, and Jude looked horrified, went pale and then dark red, gabbling protests.
"You've got it wrong. Darius, it isn't what you think, we were just going, I mean, nothing whatever happened, I was only helping Sam move in..."
"Don't lie to me, you bastard!" Darius snarled, and leapt at him. Jude didn't even have time to get out of the way. Darius hit him before he knew what was coming and Jude crashed backwards and sat down on the floor in a corner, shaking his head and looking dazed.
"Stop it!" Samantha was on her feet, trembling and trying to hide her fear as she faced Darius. "Leave him alone! He was telling the truth. We aren't lovers, we're just friends..."
"Do you think I'm so stupid that I'll believe a lie like that?" sneered Darius, his eyes contemptuous.
He took a step towards her and her breath caught with alarm, but she shakily answered, "It's the truth! Jude had been helping me move into my new flat..."
"Your new flat!" snapped Darius, looking around him, his black brows crooked with distaste.
"And who is paying the rent, I wonder? The same guy who was helping you move in, by any chance?" Her face paled, she shook her head angrily.
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm paying the rent."
"With the money from this job he invented for you, I suppose?" Darius sneered.
"With the money I shall be earning, yes, and Jude didn't invent a job. He needs a secretary, you always said so."
"Damn what I always said! If he wants a secretary, he can get someone else. He isn't getting my wife!" Darius voice thickened, his face becoming a sculptured mask: stone features hard and uncompromising, eyes so cold that they burned.
"How long has it been going on, that's all I want to know? How many years, behind my back?"
"For Pete's sake, Darius," Jude said unhappily, getting to his feet but staying well out of range of Darius's fists. "You can't really believe that I...that Sam... would do that to you?"
Darius ran a hand through his black hair and Samantha suddenly realised it was wet; it was raining in the streets but she hadn't heard the sound of rain drumming on the windows until now, when she looked at Darius's rain wet hair and at that instant heard the sad, troubling sound of rain outside.
"Why not? It happens every day, some poor bastard finding out that his wife is sleeping with the swine he thought was his best friend!"
Samantha looked at Jude's agitated face and bit her lip. "Jude, I'm sorry to have dragged you into this. I wasn't expecting anything like this, or I'd never have asked you for help. You'd better go. This isn't your problem, it's mine, and I think Darius and I have to sort it out alone." Jude hesitated, eyes anxious.
"Are you sure? You may need me..." He shouldn't have phrased it like that, Darius swung round on him, teeth bared.
"You heard her! Get out of here. Or do I have to throw you out?"
"Please go, Jude," Samantha said hurriedly, afraid of more violence, but Jude was getting angry too, now.
He had aggression in his eyes and was squaring up to Darius, his hands curling into fists, "I'm not leaving her alone with a violent bastard like you! When she told me she was leaving you I was taken aback and couldn't understand why...now I'm beginning to see why! I never had you down as the type to knock his wife about, but I can see I didn't know you at all. You're capable of anything in one of your vicious tempers."
"What the hell are you talking about? Has she told you I beat her up? I've never laid a finger on her, but I'm damned well going to beat the daylights out of you, mister!" Darius broad shoulders were tense, his body stiffly poised to hit him again, and Samantha hurriedly moved between them, facing Jude, her dark blue eyes pleading with him.