Man's world by Lamb Charlotte

Author:Lamb, Charlotte [Lamb, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THE little incident seemed to be the last straw. Their

relationship had been difficult, but now it became impossible.

From then on the atmosphere between them was like the moment

between a crash of clouds in the upper stratosphere, a humid sizzle

which was followed by thunder and lightning. They worked side

by side, either in a frozen silence or with a barbed exchange of tart

remarks. Mirry was bewildered and fascinated, looking from one

to the other like someone at Wimbledon, trying to keep up with

the rapid volley of curt retorts.

Kate had always been famous for snappy remarks. Her hot

temper and the chip she carried on her shoulder combined with her

ready tongue to make her someone people avoided arguing with

when her eyes flashed, but Eliot Holman showed no such restraint.

He came back at her as fast and bitingly as Kate herself, and the

way they snarled at each other made the office a less than restful

place.

Kate was aware that Mirry, in common with most other people

in the building, put her temper down to rage because Eliot had

walked into the job she wanted. Having watched him at such close

quarters for some weeks Kate was reluctantly forced to admit that

Dee was right about him²he was brilliant, and far outside her

class. If she had been in Dee's chair she would have done exactly

as he did²given the job to Eliot. The admission was not grudging.

Kate admired professional efficiency. If other things had not

entered into their relationship she would have told Eliot as much,

but she wasn't going to climb down in front of him when those

grey eyes tore her apart every time he looked at her.

He had introduced his changes into the features department

with gradual, competent ease and, despite a little grumbling, they

had begun to accept them. From what Kate picked up in the

canteen, though, Dee still sniped at Eliot at conferences, picking

up every tiny slip and using it against him.

Whenever Kate saw Dee she realised what a strain he was

working under, his features drawn, his eyes burning with the

energy of a man under too much pressure who will not give way

and is building up to some crisis.

One afternoon as she was hurrying back to her office after a

long tussle with the music critic she saw Judy come out of another

door. Kate paused, a smile ready, and Judy looked right through

her with a stiff, cold face.

Kate felt as if she had been slapped across the face. Her smile

withered. She walked on, biting her lip. Judy had undoubtedly

heard that she was seeing Dee. The gossip, as often happened, was

way behind the times. Kate had carefully not seen Dee lately,

refusing all his invitations, avoiding his company. How could she

tell Judy that, though?

Tense and disturbed, she walked into her own office and found

Mirry and Eliot roaring with laughter at today's cartoon. They

looked round and Kate went to her desk, ignoring them. Their

laughter broke off abruptly. Mirry began to type noisily. Eliot

returned to his own desk, but his eyes were cold when, a few

moments later, Kate accidentally met them. She didn't care. Let

him think what he liked.

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