When the Devil Drives

Joanna bit her lip. She had only been at home for a week, but it wasalready clear to her that Fiona was not enjoying her pregnancy, andresentment of her condition was making her querulous anddemanding. Joanna, torn between the amusement and irritation whichher blonde, brainless sister-in-law usually aroused in her, had decidedimmediately that the prudent course would be to leave the couple topaddle their own rather shaky canoe in privacy.She had just made arrangements to view a cottage which had come onto the market in the neighbouring valley when Simon had dropped hisbombshell about Cal Blackstone's loan.Blind instinct told her to proceed with her own plans. To walk awayfrom Simon and the mess he'd created, and let him sort it out forhimself, while she began to rebuild her life at a safe distance fromChalfont House, the mill, and everything and everyone concernedwith it.But it wasn't as simple as that. Simon had been hard hit by Cecilia'sdeath, and although Joanna was four years his junior she'd learned, inits aftermath, to mother him with almost fierce protectiveness. Shecouldn't simply abandon him to his fate now.The dizzy Fiona would be no help, she thought ruefully, totallypreoccupied as she was by nausea and vague aches and pains all overher body. And Joanna was still a partner in the Craft Company,although admittedly she'd taken little active part in the running of thebusiness since her marriage.She had forgotten Simon's propensity for taking the easy way out ofany difficulty, she thought, with an inward sigh. 'So when are youplanning to see him?' she asked quietly.'He's coming here tomorrow afternoon.'