'I come in peace!' Andie cried even as she held her hands up defensively.
Audrey gave a shaky sigh before placing the vase of freesias back on the dressing-table. 'I thought it might have been someone else,' she admitted.
Rome … Despite Audrey's having had the vase of flowers raised as another weapon to launch at him, Andie could see that Audrey was actually disappointed it wasn't him!
Andie closed the bedroom door behind her, taking in the open suitcase on the bed, the clothes thrown haphazardly inside. Audrey really was packing to leave!
She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, realising as she looked around just how much this room had become Audrey's over the years. The décor was blue and cream, family photographs adorned the table by the window, Audrey's own as well as ones of Harrie, Danie, and Andie as they were growing up; the pastels on the walls were to Audrey's taste too. Audrey wasn't just leaving a job; this was her home!
'Audrey.' Andie spoke firmly as the other woman continued to throw her clothes into the suitcase. 'I asked you earlier today why you were leaving, and you mumbled something about it being time to move on-'
'I believe I spoke quite clearly,' Audrey rebuked-although she didn't meet Andie's questioning gaze.
'Maybe,' Andie acknowledged. 'But now I would like you to tell me the real reason-and please, don't insult my intelligence again with that mumbo-jumbo,' she continued as Audrey would have spoken. 'I'm pregnant, Audrey, not mentally deficient!'
Audrey paused in her trips backwards and forwards between the wardrobe and the suitcase. 'I never for one moment thought that you were.'
'Well?' Andie prompted.
The other woman seemed to crumple in front of her eyes, tears filling those deep blue eyes. Audrey completely lost the tight control she had had over her emotions as she began to cry in earnest.
Andie rushed over to gather the older woman in her arms, moved beyond words at this complete breakdown of defences. She loved Audrey, they all did, and to see her hurting in this way was unacceptable.
'Audrey, you have to tell me.' Andie moved back slightly to look at her. 'I promise you I won't tell a single soul,' she promised chokingly, close to tears herself now.
Audrey gave a tearful smile. 'Surely it's obvious, Andie; I'm in love with your father! I always have been. And I always will be!'
Andie blinked. She didn't know what explanation she had been expecting; an affair with a married man possibly, perhaps even-wildly!-a past tale of manslaughter that Audrey could no longer live with, but it certainly hadn't been this …
'Oh, Andie … !' Audrey laughed mirthlessly at Andie's stunned expression as she moved away to reach for a tissue from the dressing-table, mopping up all trace of tears from her cheeks. 'You don't see any problem with that, do you?' she asked hesitantly.
Considering Andie knew she had loved Adam as hopelessly most of her own life … no!
But, as she also knew only too well, it hurt to love someone so helplessly, to spend hours in the company of him and know that love would never be returned.
Although after the way her father had been behaving since Audrey had given him her resignation, Andie wasn't sure that was completely true in this case …
Had Adam known all the time of Audrey's love for Rome? Was that the reason he was so angry with them all?
'Doesn't this prove what I said to you earlier, Rome?' Adam demanded harshly.
'That Audrey is in love with me?' Rome repeated, moving to the side-dresser to pour himself a glass of brandy from the decanter there. 'Hardly!' He looked down pointedly at the damp stickiness of his clothing before taking a large swallow of the fiery liquid.
Adam gave the older man a pitying glance. He loved Rome like the father he had never known, or perhaps-more acceptably to Rome!-like an older brother. But, at this moment, he could cheerfully have physically shaken the other man to help try and make him see sense. In his business life Rome knew no rivals, became master of every venture he went into, and yet on a personal level he couldn't see the love right in front of his nose!
'I don't remember Barbara ever throwing wine over me in an effort to show her love for me,' Rome commented at Adam's continued silence.
'Barbara obviously had more subtle-ways, of showing you what an idiot you can be!' Adam replied.
'Thanks for nothing!' The older man scowled.
He looked so much like a disgruntled little boy in that moment that for some reason Adam began to see the funny side of this situation, his mouth twitching as he made an effort to hold back his humour-at the other man's expense. Rome definitely looked less than his usually suave self with the sticky wine all down his shirt-front, and as for the indignant expression on his face … !
Rome's gaze sharpened suspiciously as he looked at Adam through narrowed lids. 'You wouldn't happen to be laughing at me, would you?' he accused with slow deliberation.
The grin Adam had been trying to suppress suddenly refused to be held back any longer. In fact, it came out as more of a choked chuckle!
'Damn it, you are laughing at me!' Rome grated indignantly, slamming down his now empty glass. 'Would it be too much to ask,' he continued between gritted teeth as Adam began to chuckle in earnest now, 'that you share the reason for this-this childish humour?'
Adam couldn't help it; Rome's angry indignation, on top of everything else, was simply too much-and he burst into a loud shout of laughter. Rome was priceless. Absolutely priceless. The man was as much in love with Audrey as she was with him-and was fighting capitulation every inch of the way!
Why else had he been in such a foul mood ever since Audrey had handed in her notice? Why else had he been so insulting to the poor woman that she had resorted to throwing wine over him? Why else had Rome brought Barbara into their conversation just now, if not as a defence against the love he felt for Audrey … ?
The man was as head over heels in love with Audrey as she was with him-he was just terrified of admitting it. To the extent he was willing to let Audrey walk out of his life?
Adam sobered slightly. 'I was just thinking it's a pity it wasn't red wine Audrey threw at you-it would have had a much more dramatic effect visually. Very much like blood, in fact,' he added with relish.
Rome didn't return the humorous smile that accompanied that last statement as he looked at Adam thoughtfully. 'You have a warped sense of humour, Mr Munroe,' he said.
'And you, Mr Summer, have no sense of humour at all at the moment,' Adam came back uncaringly.
Rome looked down at his shirt-front, pulling the damp material away from his chest. 'This shirt is silk,' he complained.
Again Adam had to hold back his humour at the other man's expense. 'Just tell the dry cleaners you had the shakes and missed your mouth!'
'Very funny,' Rome rasped-but there was at last a responding vestige of a smile on his lips. 'I've a good mind to ask Audrey to pay for it to be cleaned!'
Adam grinned. 'And risk having the bottle thrown at you next time?'
Rome looked crestfallen. 'You know, I've known Audrey for twelve years now-and I had no idea she had such a violent temper!'
Adam looked surprised. 'All that suppressed passion has to be released somehow.'
Rome was nonplussed. 'And exactly what would you know about Audrey's suppressed passion?'
Adam moved to the drinks tray to pour them both a brandy, handing one of the glasses to the other man before making his reply. 'From the mood you've been in the last few weeks-about as much as you obviously do!'
Rome gave a heavy sigh as he sat down in one of the chairs set about the dining-table-not the one he had been sitting in earlier, because that was as damp as his shirt! 'Women!' he muttered with feeling.
'Not only a different species but from another planet as well,' Adam agreed as he joined the other man and sat back down at the table.
'Obviously one of far superior intellect!' Andie snapped as she swept into the room, looking like an enraged tigress as she came to stand at the other end of the table, green eyes flashing angrily as she glared at each man in turn.
Adam gave an inward groan; his remark had been meant to mock Rome, not be taken as an insult by a member of that different species from another planet! But it didn't need anyone of superior intellect to know that Andie definitely felt insulted!
Andie continued to look at the two men with disgust. 'While the two of you have been down here discussing women like a couple of immature boys after their first date, I have been upstairs trying to persuade Audrey that whatever you said to her-' she looked straight at her father '-you didn't mean. Not only that, I assured her that you will most certainly apologise to her for making the remark.'