What did trouble his conscience, however, was that she’d been right about his lack of input last night. He could have done better at playing the besotted lover despite having zero experience in the field, and if he hadn’t been so wrapped up in frustration, he would have. It infuriated him now that he’d allowed himself to get so distracted, to lose sight of what was important.
However, it wasn’t too late to rectify the situation. News of their engagement was out and in need of consolidation and that was precisely what he was going to do. In fact, he’d already taken steps, and by the time he was done no one would have any doubt whatsoever about its veracity.
Picking up the phone, Theo dialled the extension for the accounts department. ‘Put me through to Kate Cassidy,’ he snapped when his call was answered.
‘I’m sorry, sir, she no longer works here.’
He scowled. What the hell? ‘Why not?’
‘She resigned this morning and was put on immediate gardening leave.’
‘Where did she go?’
‘Home, I believe, sir.’
‘Thank you.’
Theo hung up, grabbed his keys, wallet, phone and the box he’d picked up this morning, and stalked out. As the lift whizzed him down to the garage he rang her mobile but the call went straight to voicemail. He left a curt message and got in his car, irritation pummelling through him as he negotiated his way through heavy London traffic. Without warning, Kate had gone off script and he didn’t like it. Unpredictability led to confusion, which led to chaos, and he was not having his plans derailed by anyone or anything.
Half an hour later, he parked outside Kate’s building, leapt up the five steps to her front door and pressed the buzzer for her flat.
‘Hello?’ came the tinny response an exasperating thirty seconds later.
‘Kate, it’s Theo. Let me in.’
There was a moment’s silence and he thought grimly that she’d better not be deliberately keeping him waiting as she had done last night, because this afternoon he was in no mood for games.
‘First floor on the right,’ she said eventually and he let out the breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding.
The door clicked and in he went. He took the stairs two at a time and swung to the right and there she was, standing in the doorway to her flat, still in her work clothes although barefoot. Was she pleased to see him? Surprised? Annoyed? He couldn’t tell. Her expression was giving him nothing, which was fine because what she thought of him turning up like this was of zero importance. He just wanted her back in line.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked coolly, as if totally unaware of the disruption she’d caused.
‘What are you doing here?’ he countered.
‘I resigned.’
‘I heard.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘So?’
‘May I come in?’
She frowned for a second, as if debating whether to let him into her space, and then shrugged, as if it didn’t matter either way. ‘Sure,’ she said, turning her back on him and padding into her flat.
Ignoring the inexplicable irritation he felt at her indifference, he followed, automatically assessing the space as he did so. Bathroom on the left. Two bedrooms on the right. Compact open-plan kitchen, dining, living room at the end, flooded with light that poured in through two huge sash windows.
‘Nice place,’ he muttered. But on the small side. How was that going to work when the baby came along? he wondered before reminding himself sharply that it was none of his business and he couldn’t care less.
‘Thanks.’ She walked into the kitchen and shot him a glance over her shoulder. ‘Tea?’
‘No.’
‘So what do you want, Theo?’ she asked as she filled the kettle with water and switched it on.
‘I want to know why you resigned.’
‘My situation was...untenable.’