No More Lonely Nights Read Online Free PDF Page A

down at her, then suddenly grinned. ‘If you could see yourself…’ His amusement died as the front door opened and a young man faced them, defiant and pale.
    ‘Wesley?’ William Cassidy looked utterly taken aback, and the other man squared himself up, as if expecting to have to fight.
    ‘You aren’t taking her back. She won’t see you,’ he said, in a deep yet not quite steady voice. He was much closer to Annette’s age, maybe in his early twenties, thought Sian, amazed that Annette could prefer this smooth-faced boy with the very ordinary looks to someone as impressive as William Cassidy. It wasn’t simply that Cass had more money, or the sort of power that could confer glamour on a man, but he was unquestionably the better-looking of the two. Cass was bigger, taller, with a more forceful and commanding face; his features were powerful yet elegant, with razor-cut bones, and hypnotic grey eyes.
    Rick, on the other hand, was fair and a little ungainly, with worried blue eyes and a firmly moulded mouth. Why did Annette care so much for him? But then, why did any woman fall in love? You couldn’t compute it, it didn’t respond to logic or common sense; it was just a runaway emotion that took its victim headlong into passion, and Sian envied Annette, if she was truthful. She had never felt like that for anyone. If she had cared more for Louis, she wouldn’t have let her job keep them apart. She wouldn’t have let anything keep them apart. She had liked him, but she hadn’t been mad enough about him to abandon everything else, the way Annette just had.
    ‘I’m afraid I’ve got bad news for her,’ Cass said in a low voice, and Rick Wesley frowned, uncertain yet disturbed.
    ‘Bad news?’ He kept his voice down, glancing over his shoulder. No doubt Annette was hovering there, out of sight but within earshot.
    ‘Her father had a heart attack. He’s in hospital, in intensive care.’ William Cassidy’s voice was still subdued, and Rick leant towards him to hear, his face very white.
    ‘Oh, my God, no!’
    ‘I’m afraid so.’ Cass watched the younger man with a frowning compassion. ‘Will you tell her or…’
    ‘She’s upset already. She looked out of the window and saw it was you. How can I tell her this?’ Rick made a gesture as if he were wringing his hands, and shivered. He was in pyjamas and dressing-gown, his bare feet pushed into slippers, his hair untidy. Sian watched and thought how young he looked, how helpless. He didn’t have a clue how to deal with this crisis.
    ‘What do I say?’ he asked Cass, who wryly glanced sideways at Sian.
    ‘Do you think you might… ?’
    ‘Yes, I’ll tell her,’ she agreed, although she thought Annette might prefer to hear this from Rick. As they all began to enter the house, Annette herself appeared on the stairs, very pale in a green cotton wrap, her hand holding the neck of it, her eyes big and glazed with fear and suspense.
    ‘You promised not to tell him where I was,’ she accused Sian huskily, looking at her in reproach.
    ‘I’m sorry, Annette, I had to!’ Sian said, going towards her.
    The other girl backed away, shaking her head. ‘What did he pay you? I thought I could trust you. It just shows, you should never trust anybody!’
    Sian put out her hand, her eyes steadily fixed on Annette’s face. ‘I’ve got to talk to you, Annette. Come down.’ She looked round. ‘Is there somewhere where we can talk, Rick?’
    ‘I don’t want to talk to you…’ Annette broke off, frowning. ‘Talk about what? What are you…’
    Sian’s green eyes went back to her.
    Annette’s intake of air was audible. ‘What is it?’ She stared down into Sian’s face and grew intensely pale. ‘My father?’ The leap of intuition did not surprise Sian somehow. Gently, she told Annette the truth and the other girl closed her eyes, giving a sharp cry of anguish.
    ‘My fault, it’s all my fault—he’s going to die, because of me!’
    ‘No,’ Sian said