Escape Me Never by Sara Craven

Author:Sara Craven [Craven, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was the longest day she'd ever experienced. Cass couldn't settle to anything, couldn't concentrate. At moments, she wished Jodie was there. At others, she was glad she wasn't. She made herself coffee, and threw it away untouched. She creamed mushrooms on toast for her lunch, and let them burn.

In the afternoon, totally irritated with herself, she went for a walk, glancing into the shop windows as she passed with the eyes of total indifference. Except one—a boutique in a small cul de sac which she'd never even considered before because it was too expensive, and because the styles so sparingly displayed in its window, had no relevance to the life she had chosen.

Now she paused, staring at the dress on display, and telling herself how many kinds of a fool she was even to contemplate it.

Fifteen minutes later, walking home with the carrier bag, she knew she was totally insane.

It had fitted her perfectly, just as she'd known it would. The colour was deep jade green, the material the finest wool jersey, the style sleek and wrap-round, fastened with a sash. Sleeves and skirt alike were long and close-fitting, and the crossover neckline plunged deeply and dramatically almost to her waist, hinting with deliberate provocation at the soft roundness of her barely concealed breasts.

A different kind of camouflage this time, she thought, and designed to conceal her fears and inadequacies in exactly the same way as her usual drab choice of clothing had done.

God only knew whether it would succeed, she thought, panic rising sickly in her throat. Yet, she wanted him so much. Wouldn't that need be sufficient to drown the past forever?

She still wasn't sure when she went through the ritual of bathing, of scenting her body, and applying a light dusting of make up to accentuate her lips and eyes. Slowly and carefully, she applied nail enamel in a glowing pink to her finger and toenails. It was a long time since she'd taken so much trouble. The years seemed to roll back, and she was a young girl again—Cassie, dressing for a date with all her future in front of her like an unopened book.

She shivered. Only now that book had chapters. Chapters that would stay closed forever from tonight, she prayed feverishly.

When the buzzer sounded, she took one last look and reached for her wrap.

A uniformed chauffeur was waiting at the door. 'Mrs Linton?' he inquired respectfully. 'Good evening, madam. The car is waiting.'

She said quietly, 'Thank you,' and followed him down to the street.

This time it was a limousine she registered with amazement. It surrounded her in luxury, drawing her down into a comfort she had never dreamed of. She heard the man say it was chilly, and offer her a rug, which she declined.

She wondered where she was being driven, but the chauffeur hadn't volunteered the information, and she was not prepared to ask. Presumably, she would be supposed to know already, she told herself drily. She guessed she would be taken to a restaurant somewhere in the West End, with a night club to follow.

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