Susan waited until the French doors closed behind them, wishing desperately for a drink or a cigarette. It didn’t matter that she’d never smoked in her life—her hands and her mouth needed one. And she hated hard liquor, blaming alcohol for her fatherless existence, but for some reason the cocktail in Jack’s big, strong hand looked completely alluring.
“What was that all about?” she asked, resisting the impulse to ask him for a cigarette. She moved past him on her slightly wobbly high heels and sank down on one of those cast-iron lawn chairs.
“I think Elda’s not quite sure whether she wants you to many good old Neddie,” Jack said in a level voice.
“Why not?”
“It looks like she fancies him herself. Of course, just because he’s marrying you doesn’t mean he’ll stop fooling around. He doesn’t strike me as the faithful-husband type. I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Elda don’t have a little something going on already.”
“Don’t be disgusting.”
“Am I? I thought I was simply being frank. You could hardly consider this marriage to be the love match of the century. Especially considering Jimmy.”
Susan’s stomach knotted instinctively. “What about Jimmy?” she said. Where the hell was Mary when she needed her?
He took a deep, steadying breath. She’d thought he had short hair, but compared to the others he was practically shaggy. He ran a hand through his thick, rumpled hair, obviously looking for patience.
“Look, Lou, we might as well talk about it.”
“Talk about what? Are you going to tell me I shouldn’t many Neddie?”
“He’s a war profiteer. He made a fortune sitting on his butt at home while boys were dying overseas.”
“Not very commendable, but I’m sure a great many people made money from file war. That’s the problem with war—it can be very good for the economy.”
“I’m not talking about a normal profit, Lou. I’m not talking about a decent profit. I’m talking about raking in a fortune selling shoddy goods and cheap parts to the government. Faulty parts that cost lives, just because of his greed.”
“Have you got proof?” she demanded.
“I’m working on it.”
“Why? Is it something to do with me?”
“Dream on, princess. You’re not that important in the scheme of things. I’m a reporter, remember. It’s my job to investigate things. I’m like a dog with a dead rat—I’m not letting go until I’m sure it’s dead.”
“Channing,” Susan said faintly. “What do you intend to do?”
“Expose Neddie Marsden for the murderous bastard he is. And no, I’m not going to apologize for my language,” he added. “I just thought I’d warn you. Your father was in that mess pretty deep as well, and I don’t know if I can protect you. I certainly can’t if you’re going to go ahead and many Marsden.”
“Why would you want to protect me? I thought I wasn’t that important?”
“You aren’t But I’m fond of your little sister. And God knows Jimmy loved you. Maybe it’s for his sake I’m giving you a chance.”
“Jimmy,” she echoed in a pensive voice.
He came and sat down next to her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He was taller than Ned Marsden, leaner, with a hint of coiled strength about him that was totally unlike Neddie’s brute handsomeness. Oddly enough, there was nothing threatening about Jack’s size, or strength. “We need to talk about it, Lou,” he said gently.
“Talk about what?”
He shook his head. “It happened, Lou. Whether we like it or not, it happened, and pretending it didn’t won’t fix things.”
Oh, God, what had Tallulah done? It must have been pretty shocking. Had she slept with Jack McGowan?
She stalled for time. “If you want to talk about it go right ahead. I have nothing to say.” Which was nothing more than the simple truth.
Jack sighed. “Look, we kissed. It was no big deal, it meant absolutely nothing and we both know it We were both upset talking about Jimmy, and it just happened. We don’t need to feel like we’ve betrayed him. It was nothing.”
She had the strangest sensation, prickling at the back of her neck. “Where did you kiss me?” she demanded suddenly, not caring how odd it sounded.
