The fax machine rang and Marcus’s message started to come through.
Hi, darling. I miss you. Now, below is . . .
‘How’s the toothache?’
She jumped and saw Alice behind her, trying to read the fax. Joanna pulled the message out of the machine and folded it.
‘Dreadful.’ Joanna walked back to her desk, eager to lose Alice and read the fax.
Alice propped herself on Joanna’s desk and folded her arms. ‘Miss Haslam, I see danger ahead.’
‘Alice, we face danger every time we eat raw eggs or step into a car. I’ll just have to take my chances.’
‘True. Bring back the days when women married their neighbours’ sons and were barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen! At least we didn’t have to worry about waging psychological warfare with men. They courted us and then they had to marry us if they wanted a shag.’
‘Oh please!’ Joanna rolled her eyes. ‘I for one am glad the suffragettes chained themselves to the railings.’
‘Yup, it’s allowed you to spend your days becoming a dog-food expert and your nights either alone, or in bed with someone you’re not sure will still be there the following night.’
‘Wow, Alice.’ Joanna eyed her fellow reporter. ‘I didn’t know you were such an old-fashioned girl.’
‘Maybe I am, but how many of your single girlfriends over the age of twenty-five are actually happy?’
‘Lots, I’m sure.’
‘Okay, but when are theymosthappy? Oryoufor that matter?’
‘When they’ve had a good day at work, or met a ma—’ Joanna stopped herself.
‘See?’ Alice grinned in triumph. ‘I rest my case.’
‘At least we have the freedom of choice.’
‘Too much freedom, if you ask me. We’re all too fussy. If we don’t like his brand of aftershave, or his oh-so-irritating habit of channel hopping when we’re trying to watch the latest BBC costume drama, we toss him aside and go off in search of fresh meat. We believe we must seek perfection and, of course, it doesn’t exist.’
‘Then surely I should stick to the man who’s currently interested, even if he isn’t perfect?’ countered Joanna.
‘Touché,’ Alice agreed as she slid off Joanna’s desk. ‘And if Marcus Harrison gets down on one knee, don’t question it, grab him with both arms. If he messes you around afterwards, at least you’ll have half of whatever he does to fall back on, which is more than you get when you break up with some rat with whom you’ve had a “modern”, noncommittal relationship. Okay, back to work. Hope my dentist sorts you out.’ She waved and walked off across the office.
Joanna sighed and wondered which ‘rat’ had just dumped Alice. She unfolded the fax from Marcus and read it.
Ask Rose. Lady in . . . wait.
A thought dawned on her. Perhaps Rose had actually been a lady-in-waiting? She dialled Marcus’s number.
‘Did you work it out?’ he asked her.
‘I think so.’
‘Let’s meet up tonight to discuss it.’
‘I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve got awful toothache and I need to go to the dentist.’
‘Afterwards, then? There’s something else I really need to tell you and not over the telephone.’
‘Okay, though I might not be able to talk. Come to mine.’
‘Great. Do you miss me? Just a little?’
