her. In fact, she sounded exactly like you.'
'Phoebe's a sensible girl-' Lee began to say, but Mark interrupted her furiously.
'Did you tell her I couldn't afford this ring?'
'Yes, because it's true.'
'Well, thank you very much for humiliating me. I suppose it's no more than I might have expected. Money, money, money! That's all you think matters. You don't care about love.'
'Oh, yes,' she murmured, 'I care about love very much.'
'You don't know what love is, Lee. If you did, you'd have stopped playing with Mr Raife and married him long ago. Phoebe says he's half off his head with your tricks.'
'That's not fair!' she cried.
'All I know is that I've had enough. I'm getting out of this house tonight. You've interfered in my life for the last time.'
He was as good as his word. Ignoring her pleas, he departed within the hour and moved in with a college friend. Lee was left to mull over his words. She rejected them. She knew they were unjust. But they left an uneasy residue in her mind.
A phone call to Brenda Mulroy told her that Phoebe was still working.
'But she's not well,' Brenda confided. 'She's told me a little of what's happened. I think the atmosphere is pretty difficult at home, and she looks as if she's spent a lot of time crying. I've told her if she goes about with red eyes she won't get the Linnon contract.'
'Linnon?' Lee echoed, startled. The Linnon Corporation manufactured very expensive cosmetics and were about to launch a new line.
'They're thinking of using Phoebe as 'the face',' Brenda said excitedly. 'It's not final, but I'm pretty sure. It'll absolutely make her.'
Lee made a real effort to put both Daniel and Phoebe out of her mind and give Sonya more of her attention. Her daughter was being a tower of strength, supporting her mother's spirits as no thirteen-year-old should have to do. When she tried to put on a cheerful face Sonya merely said gently, 'It's all right, Mum. You don't have to pretend for me.'
Lee was awoken one morning by the ringing of the telephone. It seemed to have an urgent sound, and afterwards she fancied that it had held a warning of the dreadful news that was to come.
'Hello?'
'Lee? It's Daniel. Is your brother there?'
'No, Mark doesn't live here now. He moved out a couple of weeks ago.'
He made a sound under his breath. 'Then it's no use asking if you know where Phoebe is?'
'Phoebe? Isn't she with you?'
'No. She's not in her room and there was a note on her pillow.'
A terrible chill ran through Lee. 'Daniel, no-she hasn't-?'
'Yes,' he said grimly. 'She says she's run away to marry Mark. They've gone to Gretna Green.'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Daniel looked thinner and desperately strained when he arrived at Lee's home. He followed her into the kitchen and held out Phoebe's letter for Lee to read.
Daddy darling,
Please try to understand and not be too angry. I love Mark and we have to be together. So we are going to be married in Gretna Green, like Lee. Don't try to stop us, because we belong together.
Phoebe.
Lee read it, her heart thumping painfully. The words 'going to be married in Gretna Green, like Lee' seemed to stand out accusingly.
'She came home early yesterday evening,' Daniel said. 'The atmosphere between us seemed better than it's been for a long time. She insisted on cooking supper for me. We talked, she was sweet and delightful, it was like old times. I thought I was getting through to her at last-' His voice became husky. Lee reached out a hand to him but he shook his head.
'Actually she was saying goodbye,' he said eventually. 'She had it all planned to run away while I was asleep.' He gave a short, mirthless laugh. 'The condemned man was being given a hearty meal. She even kissed me goodnight. It's a long time since she's done that. And all the time…'
'I can't believe this,' Lee murmured. 'Oh, the silly girl!'
'So much for her taking her career seriously! She's got work lined up. How can she do it if she's living in Scotland, establishing residence?'
'She doesn't have to,' Lee said, trying to pull herself together. 'We thought that, too-Jimmy and I- but he found out you can organise it by post. You have to give fifteen days notice, but you needn't get there until the last minute. Mark could have arranged it from where he's living now.' A sudden thought made her ask sharply, 'When's Phoebe's next booking?'
'Thursday,' he said, growing pale. 'And this is Monday.'
'Then they've fixed it for tomorrow or the day after.'
'I'm going to stop that wedding if it's the last thing I do. And you're coming with me.'
She gasped. 'Oh, no, Daniel, please. I can't go back there.'
'You must,' he said. 'You know the place.'
'But I don't,' she cried desperately. 'I've blotted it all out of my memory.'
'Lee, I need you. It'll all come back to you. It must. I'm racing against time. You could save me vital minutes. Please.'
A thousand painful ghosts seemed to scream a warning at her. 'I can't leave Sonya alone in the house,' she said desperately.
'Then we'll take her with us.'
'She has to go to school.'
'I see what it is,' he said coldly. 'You're afraid, and your fear is more important than anything else, isn't it? More important than Phoebe, than me-'
'No!'
'And you'll go on being afraid to the end of your days because you never had the courage to confront it. All right. Keep your refuge. Hide away in it. Much good it will do you.'
His tone stung her, forcing her to see what she'd always avoided before. There's no safe place in love. And this was Daniel, whom she loved despite everything. His face was ravaged, terrible.
'It's all right,' she said. 'I'm coming with you.'
He regarded her steadily. 'Thank you,' he said at last. 'I'll collect you here in an hour.' He left without another word.
It was arranged that Sonya should stay with Katie, her best friend at school. Lee got on the phone to Katie's mother, then to Gillian to rearrange her schedule for the following week. Luckily she'd left herself a few days free to catch up with paperwork.
'But you really have to be back for Thursday,' Gillian said. 'You're doing a big shoot for Vogue. We've got six models booked and a very tight deadline. If you let them down it'll set you back years.'
'I'll be there,' Lee promised. 'I should know one way or the other by tomorrow.'
Daniel arrived, looking more tense than ever. 'Look what arrived in the post a few minutes ago,' he said, holding out a glossy magazine.
'Woman Of The World,' Lee said, stunned. 'That's Phoebe on the front cover.'
It was the final shot from the wedding session:
Phoebe in the simple gown and veil, looking ravishing.
'The front cover!' Lee breathed.
'Yes, I imagine you're delighted,' Daniel said grimly.
