Alex had lost his first wife to sepsis when she’d been carrying their baby. He’d always longed for another child, but because Liz had been severely anorexic as a teenager she’d been told it might be difficult for her to conceive. She needed to make sure her body wasn’t playing tricks on her before she voiced her suspicions. Since her recovery, her periods had always been erratic, so, when she had missed her first and then her second, she hadn’t paid it much attention. But recently she’d started to feel different and that had given her hope.
Tomorrow she had a day off. She would do a test and hopefully, by the evening, she and Alex would be celebrating.
As Lord Weatherton moved off to socialise, someone else approached. Someone Liz was much less willing to see. Susie, Jay’s ex-girlfriend. The sight of her conjured up memories of the last time she’d been here. Memories she had pushed to the back of her mind. As much as she had tried to like Susie, they’d never got on. When Susie had been seeing Jay, she had always been suspicious of Liz and Jay’s close friendship, unable to believe it was purely platonic. To make matters worse she was also friends with Nikki, a woman Alex had been seeing before he and Liz had got together. It had been here, at the engagement party, that Susie had gleefully told her that Nikki and Alex were getting back together and Nikki was pregnant. Of course it had all been lies, but Liz hadn’t known that then. It had been enough to split her and Alex up, as she hadn’t wanted to stand in the way of him becoming a father, especially when she might not be able to have a child herself.
Liz pinned a smile on her face. Susie might be the last person she wanted to speak to, but Liz was here as a professional.
‘Liz! How lovely to see you!’ To her surprise, Susie wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Liz remained stiff in shock and was glad that the embrace only lasted for a second until Susie stepped back, looking at her intently.
‘How are you? You look well.’
‘I’m fine, thanks, and you?’
‘Oh, yes. Just wonderful. I’m getting so many commissions at the moment I’m even having to turn them down.’
‘Well, that’s good.’
‘Yes. And Nikki’s in the same boat. She’s got such a successful career over in New York.’
So that was the reason for this effusive welcome — Susie wanted to rub Nikki in her face. Again. Only it wasn’t going to work. By rights Liz should hate Nikki, but, when Nikki had eventually confessed to her lie, she’d realised that her behaviour had come from a place of severe insecurity. Both Susie and Nikki were models and, after the truth had been revealed, Nikki had moved to New York, where her career had really taken off. Liz was genuinely pleased that she had found happiness and even more pleased she was living on another continent.
‘Yes, I’d heard. I’m very happy for her.’
‘Are you?’ Susie frowned.
‘Of course I am. I don’t like what she did to Alex and me, or tried to do, but she was very unhappy and I’m glad that life is going well for her now.’
‘Oh, right, okay.’ Susie’s frown deepened as though she couldn’t understand.
‘Well, Susie, it’s lovely to see you, but...’
‘Actually, I was wondering...’ Susie paused. ‘Are you and Jay still working together?’
‘He’s my business partner, yes.’
‘And is he here today?’
‘Yes, working hard in the kitchen.’
‘Perhaps I could go and see him?’
Liz stayed Susie with a hand on her arm. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. You can see how many people we’re catering for andyou know what a perfectionist Jay is, so I think it would be better not to disturb him.’
‘Yes, I can see that but—’
‘Tell you what.’ Liz interrupted her. ‘Why don’t I let him know you’re here and then if he has a moment he can come and see you?’
‘Oh, yes, that would be good.’
* * *
Emma watched as Susie approached Liz and flung her arms around her as though they were long-lost friends. Her stomach churned at the sight of Susie and she moved a little closer so that she was in hearing distance of their conversation. She’d always been nervous of the woman. And even though Susie had been the one to end her and Jay’s relationship, Emma still saw her as a danger as she had witnessed how heartbroken Jay had been when Susie had cheated and dumped him. He had been so in love with her and who could blame him? Susie was perfect. Tall, exquisite bone structure and long dark hair that hung down her back like a shining curtain.
As much as Emma wanted to get away and not listen in, she couldn’t help herself. She had to know what Susie wanted. She gasped as she heard the other woman mention Jay and that she wanted to see him. How would Jay react to that? As a five-foot-four Plain Jane, Emma knew she was no competition for the glamorous model, and that was without the fact that she’d always wondered, deep down, if she was Jay’s rebound relationship. Yes, they had been going out for eighteen months now and he told her he loved her, but, if Susie offered herself to Jay on a plate, Emma genuinely didn’t know who he would choose. The last thing she felt she could cope with right now was losing Jay.
* * *
As Liz broke away from Susie, she spotted Emma handing out the canapés. Although Emma was smiling, Liz could tell worry lurked beneath. Had she seen Susie? And worse, had she overheard their conversation? Liz headed over to her, took the nearly empty silver platter and handed it to another passing server.
