'My dear girl, you look half dead!' She turned and snapped her fingers with the easy expectation of the rich and at once a taxi materialised out of thin air. Leonie was admiringly awe-struck. She had always found it impossible to find a taxi when she wanted one.
They arrived at-the shop in which they had seen the handbag, bought it and left again. Then Doris drove Leonie back to Paul's flat, talking cheerfully about her husband, her friends and life in general.
'A pity you had to meet Diane on your first evening,' she said. 'But Paul may have been wise. Sometimes it's best to take the worst fence first. The others seem easy afterwards.'
Leonie laughed. 'So you don't like her, either?'
'Who does?' said Doris. 'George?'
'That poor squashed worm,' said Doris.
Leonie could not help smiling, but she said, I liked George, actually.'
'Everyone does, but remember, honey, George chose to marry Diane of his own free will. That makes him a fool in my book. Even a blind man could see what sort of poisonous female she was ...'
'We can't always choose where we love,' Leonie said. 'She's very beautiful.'
'So is a viper, but they're both deadly.'
Doris dropped her at the flat and drove off, waving. Leonie found Paul already back, his hands restlessly fingering the edges of the book he was reading.
He looked up as she entered the room and laid down his book. 'There you are! I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you.' The blue eyes searched hers intently. 'You say you were with
Doris?'
'We went shopping.' Leonie sank into a chair and slipped off her shoes, bending to massage her ankles wearily. 'When Doris goes shopping she really takes it seriously. I'm exhausted!'
Paul crouched down and took one of her ankles in his hand, rubbing finger and thumb gently over the fine bones, while he looked up at her.
'See anybody else?'
His tone struck her as odd. She frowned. 'No.
Why?'
'I just wondered,' he said she stared at him. 'Wondered what?'
'Jake rang before I left,' he said curtly. 'He asked if we would have lunch with him, but I refused.'
She flushed. 'So you suspected me of secretly meeting him this morning? Thanks! You certainly trust me, don't you?'
'I trust you. I don't trust Jake.'
'Paul, I'm not in the habit of lying. If I see Jake I'll tell you. I won't make a big secret of it.'
He nodded, looking down at her feet. 'You have lovely feet, did you know? Long and slender, beautifully formed.'
Her heart began to pound in her breast. She was shaken by his tone.
'Your legs are lovely, too,' he went on, in the same voice. His hand moved slowly up her calf, the fingers caressing. 'You're a very desirable woman. I don't blame Jake for wanting you. I saw right from the start that he was very attracted. I should have realised he would be, but I didn't expect him to arrive on the scene so soon.' He lifted his blue gaze to her face. 'Jake is a very experienced hunter. Don't underestimate him. He'll use any weapon, however unscrupulous, to get his own way.'
'All right, you've warned me. Now can we go and get some lunch? I' m Starving.'
He stood up. Leonie slipped back into her shoes, wincing as she stood up. Paul grinned.
'Poor girl, you do look tired.'
'Next time I go shopping with Doris I'll take a wheelchair!'