City Cinderella by Catherine George

Author:Catherine George
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2003-08-21T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE following morning the phone rang in Nat’s kitchen while Emily was finishing her usual cleaning routine. She went on mopping the floor, leaving the machine to pick up as usual, then looked up, her attention caught, when the message began.

‘Nat, this is Louise Powell. I don’t have your office number, or your mobile, and I don’t like to ask Thea, but I thought you ought to know that she’s ill—’

‘Louise,’ Emily broke in. ‘This is Emily Warner. What’s wrong? Can I help?’

‘Emily?’ said Louise, surprised, but too worried to ask questions. ‘Can you possibly contact Nat for me? Thea just passed out on the kitchen floor. I’ve got her to bed now, but she looks absolutely ghastly.’

‘Heavens, Louise, have you contacted her mother?’

‘Away on a cruise. Always the way, isn’t it? I’ve rung the doctor, and I can fetch Tom and Lucy from school this afternoon with my lot, and feed them, too, of course. Only too glad to help. But if you can get in touch with Nat I’d be terribly grateful.’

‘I’ll ring him straight away,’ Emily assured her. ‘Don’t worry, Louise. I’ll find him. Give me your number so I can let you know what’s happening.’

To Emily’s frustration, Nat’s cellphone was switched off. She rang his firm’s number, learned he was in an important meeting, and asked to speak to Mrs Donaldson instead.

‘Right,’ said Liz crisply, when Emily explained. ‘I’ll haul Nat out at once. This is just the chance he needs. He can rush to Thea’s bedside like a knight in shining armour. Perfect. Don’t worry, Emily, I’ll barge in there and get him to ring you back right away.’

‘Bless you, Liz.’

Emily raced up the two steep flights of stairs to her own room just in time to answer the phone to a frantic Nat Sedley.

‘Emily, for God’s sake tell me what’s wrong? Is Thea in hospital—?’

‘No, nothing like that.’ Breathless, Emily passed on the message and the phone number, assuring him that Louise Powell had promised to pick Tom and Lucy up after school.

‘Right,’ said Nat tersely. ‘I’ll ring Louise, then I’m off. I’ll drive straight from here. Thanks a lot, Emily. I’ll ring you tonight to keep you up to speed.’

Emily glared at the red light which had been winking on her phone throughout her conversation with Nat. Life had been so much simpler before the answer-machine her parents had insisted on. Refusing to pander to it, she made herself a cup of coffee and drank half of it before pressing the button.

‘Emily, you haven’t rung to ask how I am,’ said a hoarse, aggrieved voice. ‘In case you’re interested, I passed a very restless night without you. I miss you.’

Emily reached out a hand to ring Lucas back, then changed her mind. She would be seeing him tomorrow. He could wait until then. Or rather, she could. Somehow.

After lunch, her cleaning sessions over, Emily opened her laptop and settled down to work. She took a deep breath and plunged into the love-scene,

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