'It's a show of power. You're saying that I can't even manage my trivial little job without your guiding hand.'
'Well, I'll be-!' he exclaimed angrily. 'Your tortuous mind is something I'll never figure out. You bend my ear about your independence, and how I'm holding you back. Well, I'll tell you what's holding you back: that steam-age machine you're using! You need a better one. / was trying to be nice, for Pete's sake't'
He stormed out, slamming the door. Shocked, Faye realized that he was genuinely upset. She stood for a moment, undecided, before following him into his study.
'I'm sorry,' she said at once. 'I shouldn't have said what I did.'
'You really have got me down as a villain, haven't you?'
'It was unforgivable of me,' she said contritely.
His mouth twisted. 'I never found anything you did unforgivable. But I will if you refuse it.'
She smiled. 'I'm not going to refuse it. I'm going to ask you to show me how to work it.'
'Now you're talking.'
The children were fascinated by the machine, but scandalized to discover what it was for.
'Daddies don't give mummies computers for their birthdays,' Cindy protested.
'You think I should give her something more personal?' Garth mused. 'I'll bear it in mind.'
The next morning Faye was deep in work when the phone rang in Garth's study. Nancy was out shopping and Faye was alone in the house. She hurried in and snatched the receiver up so quickly that she dropped it. The weight pulled the whole machine off the desk, forcing her to scrabble on the floor. By the time she'd retrieved everything the woman on the other end was already talking.
'Couldn't think where you'd got to.' She gave a husky laugh. She sounded young, and there was a note of intimacy in her voice. 'You're usually so punctual that we could set the clock by you.'
'Excuse me?' Faye said.
After a brief pause the woman said, 'I thought I was talking to Mr Clayton. Evidently not.'
'No, I'm-'
'I've called to find out if anything's happened to him. He's usually at work by now.'
'He left at the usual time this morning,' Faye said. 'Perhaps he got stuck in some traffic. By the way, my name's-'
'He's got a client due in a few minutes,' the young woman cut across her. 'It's not like him to miss an appointment.'
'Then I'm sure he'll be there,' Faye replied in a voice that held an edge of annoyance at the woman's rudeness. 'Are you his secretary?'
'Don't be ridiculous,' the young woman said frostily. 'Of course I'm not a secretary. I am Lysandra Bates, the Director of Publicity for Clayton Properties. I can't waste time talking. If Garth calls, I want you to give him a message from me.'
'I'm afraid I'm not a secretary either,' Faye said, feeling bolshie.
'All right, all right, so you're the housekeeper, cleaning woman, whatever,' Lysandra snapped. 'And I suggest you keep a civil tongue in your head, whoever you are. Write this down, and don't waste any more of my time.'
'Actually, I'm Garth's wife,' Faye said, goaded into one of her rare tempers.
She had the satisfaction of knowing that she'd silenced the other woman. After a moment Lysandra Bates said tensely, 'I had no idea- That is, I understood- Mr Clayton, I've been worried about you.' She turned back to the phone. 'He's just arrived. Crisis over.'
'I'm so glad,' Faye said politely.
'Good day to you.'
'And good day to you' Faye murmured, regarding the phone, which had gone dead before she could reply.
Nancy put her head around the door. 'I'm back. Want a coffee?'
'Yes please, and make it strong. I need something after that. Have you come across Lysandra Bates, Nancy?'
'Oh, her,' Nancy said in a voice of deep significance.
'I didn't like her either,' Faye said, following Nancy into the kitchen. 'She thought I was the housekeeper.'
'And she talked as if she had a bad smell under her nose,' Nancy supplied.
'Exactly. She's obviously called before. So how come she didn't realize that I wasn't you? Our voices are quite different.'
'She wouldn't notice that, although goodness knows, she's telephoned often enough. To Miss Bates all underlings are beneath her notice.'
'You say she telephones often?'
'Every time she can find an excuse. Once, she turned up with some papers she said Mr Clayton needed. I thought he looked a bit surprised myself. Oh, she'd like to make herself at home here. But of course,' she added hastily, 'it's all on her side.'
'It's all right, Nancy,' Faye said, amused. 'You know this situation isn't permanent.' She'd taken Nancy into her confidence days ago.
'But he wants you back,' Nancy said, scandalized. 'You know he does.'
'Hmm. Just the same, I wouldn't put it past him to have my replacement lined up to massage his ego, just in case. I don't mind if they get together. I just didn't like her being rude to me, that's all.'
'There's nothing in it,' Nancy said firmly. 'Just because she's got an eye for the boss, it doesn't mean that he's got an eye for her.'
'I've told you, I don't care if he is interested in another woman,' Faye said, a tad more sharply than she'd intended.
Nancy gave her an appraising glance, but had the tact to let the subject drop.
When Garth returned that night Faye told him about the call, not mentioning Lysandra's rudeness but only his mysterious lateness for work. To her surprise he reddened, mumbled something and quickly changed the subject.
'I wanted to talk about your birthday,' he said. 'I'd like us to have a family evening out, rather than have you spend it with Haines.'
'That's fine,' she said. 'I was planning to stay with the children anyway.'
He hesitated. 'And you don't mind if I tag along?'
'The kids will never forgive you if you don't.'
The following day he offered Faye a tiny gold watch, delicate, restrained, and impossible to refuse.
'That's why I was late for work yesterday morning,' he admitted. 'I had to go to three shops to find the right one.' Then, seeing her astonished face, he added hastily, 'But it's just a trifle. Nothing that you can't accept.'
Three shops, she mused. Late for work. Garth?
She wore the watch to the restaurant, where the whole family went to celebrate that night. It was a pleasant time, with Garth at his best, talking to Faye in a general way that didn't create any awkwardness, and listening attentively to his children.
'Are you getting excited about Cornwall?' he asked, and both youngsters grinned with delight at the prospect of the school camping trip to come.
But then Cindy said worriedly, 'Will Barker be all right without us?'
'Don't worry, you can leave everything to me,' Garth said easily. He saw Faye's lips twitching and said defensively, 'I can be good at things if I set my mind to it.'
'I know you can,' she admitted.
The meal went slowly, because at every course Cindy insisted on a doggy bag to take some home to Barker.
'What happens if we want to eat something?' Garth enquired in a spirit of curiosity. 'This is supposed to be your mother's birthday treat.'
'But Daddy, poor Barker's all alone at home,' Cindy pointed out.
'Well, at least he didn't try to get into the car with us this time,' Garth said with a grin.
'Yes, it was strange how quiet he was,' Faye mused.
'I think this is the best mummy's birthday ever,' Cindy said blissfully. 'And mine was the best me birthday ever.'
