When the Devil Drives

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'That woman has got to go,' Mrs Driscoll stated as Joanna entered thedrawing-room.Joanna faced her coolly, lifting her chin. 'I hardly feel that's yourdecision,' she said. 'And I don't know who else you think we'd get torun a great barn of a - place like this. Mrs Thursgood copesmagnificently, and we'd be lost without her. As you yourself said,reliable help is hard to find these days.' She paused, glancing in hersister-in-law's direction. 'Or has Fiona discovered a sudden penchantfor housework? I wasn't aware she even knew how to plug in avacuum cleaner.''Well!' Mrs. Driscoll said explosively.'Not the word I'd have chosen,' Joanna returned. 'If Mrs Thursgoodleaves, you'll be in real trouble, I promise, especially from Simon,who adores her cooking.' She paused. 'And it might be better, Fiona,if you were a bit more discreet about Simon's absence until we findout where he's gone and why. I'm sure you don't want to start arumour that he's left you.''You're being horrid. He hasn't,' Fiona said tearfully.'Probably not, though I can't say I'd blame him if he had,' Joannaretorted. 'He has all the worries of the business to cope with, and not aparticularly comfortable home life to come back to, with yournonstop whinging, among other things,' she added with a grimsideways glance at Mrs Driscoll.Fiona sat bolt upright on the sofa. 'Joanna—you've never spoken tome like this before!''No, I haven't,' Joanna said affably. 'But I've wanted to—many times.It's time you got a grip, Fiona, on yourself and your marriage.' Andyour mother, she added silently as she walked to the door. 'Now I'm
going up to sit with my father. I don't want to spoil your tea-party anyfurther.'She felt marginally more cheerful as she walked upstairs. If she'dpersuaded Fiona to pause, even for a second, and take stock of herlife, then she might have done Simon a favour. I only hope hedeserves it, she thought with a sigh, as she went along to her father'sroom.Anthony Chalfont was lying back in his chair, his eyes closed,breathing stertorously.'How is he today, Nanny?' Joanna asked in a low voice.Nanny pursed her lips. 'Not so good, Miss Jo, and that's a fact. Hedidn't seem to know Gresham at all this morning, and he didn't wanthis lunch. Let the whole tray tip on to the floor, just like when he wasa toddler. And he hasn't had a word to say all afternoon. It's as if hecan't hear what's said to him—or won't.''Oh, dear.' Joanna bit her already sore lip, and winced. 'I'll stay withhim for a while, so that you can have a break.''Just as you like, my dear. I'll go and see if the evening paper's comeyet.'Joanna fetched her usual low padded stool, and seated herself besideher father, resting her head against the arm of his chair. It was time,she thought, that she and Simon faced up to the fact that her father'scondition wasn't just a deliberate retreat from unpleasant reality, butwas medical in origin. Her mind shied away from the more obviouspossibilities. However, it seemed clear that in the near future hewould need more specialised and stringent care than Nanny orGresham could provide.
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WHEN THE DEVILDRIVESSara Craven
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CHAPTER ONE'SIMON, you don't—you
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Because Cal Blackstone wasn't inter
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Joanna bit her lip hard. It was Phi
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ack in his face, for God's sake.' H
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'Here?' Joanna stared at him, appal
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Know your enemy, had been one of Jo
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By the time she'd fetched the jack,
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Joanna sniffed delicately, grimacin
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Cal Blackstone threw back his head
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'Ah, but it will,' he said softly.
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CHAPTER TWOTHE mist swirled thickly
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'After all,' Fiona had often pouted
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As she heard the doorbell peal, she
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held together by an elastic band. H
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She didn't want to hear any more. H
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'And so it will be soon,' he said s
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'I don't need twenty-four seconds,'
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Why the hell was she worrying about
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'Not yours to that extent. Simon, a
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'And having my private affairs chew
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CHAPTER THREEDOWN by the reservoir,
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She started violently. She'd been s
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'Isn't that what all men want?'He s
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Joanna's watch said eight o'clock p
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the wedding ceremony, even in the n
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'I wouldn't blame it,' he said dril
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She sat rigidly on the edge of the
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'It's all right, sweetie,' her fath
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'You don't need to make excuses for
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His hand slid under her hair, lifti
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CHAPTER FOURJOANNA awoke from sleep
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'You were clearly in a highly nervo
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'You intend to go on with this—ob
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The living-room, she found, had alr
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Her smile was civil but totally dis
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'No one would ever regard your gran
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on your wedding night? Did you keep
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line of her throat to his mouth. He
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He moved out of the doorway, allowi
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Because she knew now, quite unequiv
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action would be to hire a business
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of some way by now to keep him off
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CHAPTER FIVEJOANNA felt better afte
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'How very good of you.' Joanna's fa
Page 94 and 95: And the trouble is it could all be
Page 96 and 97: with you to show you a cottage at N
Page 98 and 99: lavish arrangement of dried flowers
Page 100 and 101: There was a sudden burning ache in
Page 102 and 103: 'Where do you think you're going?'
Page 104 and 105: thought about us. She assumed that
Page 106 and 107: She slid into the driving seat and
Page 108 and 109: Somehow, against all logic and all
Page 110 and 111: else around. She could not have bor
Page 112 and 113: Joanna had accepted his occasional
Page 114 and 115: Joanna had felt nauseated, close to
Page 116 and 117: She drew a deep, quivering sigh, an
Page 118 and 119: There was a moment of silence, tota
Page 120 and 121: 'I found out while you were in Amer
Page 122 and 123: She shivered as she remembered the
Page 124 and 125: CHAPTER SEVENJOANNA spent the follo
Page 126 and 127: Callum Blackstone had wanted Joanna
Page 128 and 129: How marvellous to be able to map ou
Page 130 and 131: The envelope was lying on the carpe
Page 132 and 133: using for the kitchen units. We've
Page 134 and 135: 'Maybe we should.' Cal's eyes dwell
Page 136 and 137: 'That's our business.' Joanna wonde
Page 138 and 139: 'He never will.' She was hurting so
Page 140 and 141: She could taste blood in her mouth,
Page 142 and 143: At the same time, Joanna was sane e
Page 146 and 147: Once I would simply have blamed the
Page 148 and 149: Anthony Chalfont stirred in his une
Page 150 and 151: traumatic thing. You were his nanny
Page 152 and 153: from then on.' She sighed. 'He'd ha
Page 154 and 155: 'Oh, we've been in touch with Mr Dr
Page 156 and 157: CHAPTER NINETHERE was darkness all
Page 158 and 159: Cal carried Joanna out into the hal
Page 160 and 161: A moment later the front door bange
Page 162 and 163: Needless to say, her father had bee
Page 164 and 165: 'Perhaps,' Joanna said evenly. 'But
Page 166 and 167: It was the same receptionist at the
Page 168 and 169: She stared at him. 'Why—everythin
Page 170 and 171: When she was alone, she glanced rou
Page 172 and 173: een sheer hell for them both. He pr
Page 174 and 175: In between kisses, they spoke the f
Page 176 and 177: 'There's no need.' His hand gently
Page 178 and 179: 'No, my darling.' Cal looked at her
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When the Devil Drives

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