pushed back her chair, stood up, and walked to the window, tossing over her shoulder, "I didn't realize I was obliged to say why."
"To me? Or anyone at all?"
Anne jerked at the sound of his voice right behind her. How in the world did the man move so silently? It was enough to give you the goose bumps.
"To anyone, really."
Her voice betrayed her shakiness and in defense she kept her head turned to the window.
"Annie, are you hurting?" he asked softly. "You sound on the verge of tears. And you were crying Friday night. Has he hurt you very badly?"
"It's nothing I won't live through," she murmured. Lord, how easy it would be, and how tempting, to let him believe it was Andrew she'd been crying over and who put the tremor in her voice now. But it wouldn't be fair to cast Andrew as the heavy. She would just have to bluff it out. Her voice stronger, she added, "I told you Friday I had a bad headache. I've had several lately. I guess I've been working too hard. As for Andrew, no, he hasn't hurt me. It was a mutual decision. We want different things from life, that's all."
"And it took you all these months to discover that?"
Jud's tone conveyed his disbelief and in desperation Anne cried, "Yes. I knew he was ambitious, but I didn't know how much so until just lately."
"There's something wrong with ambition?"
"No, no. Oh, you don't understand."
"I know," he replied quietly. "That's why I'm asking."
Exasperated, Anne spun around and went taut, her breath catching in her throat. He was so close she could see the dark brown flecks in his amber eyes, eyes that roamed slowly over her face, then settled on her mouth. Barely able to breathe, Anne choked, "He—he no longer wants to socialize with anyone but business contacts and he's leaving Mr. Slonne's office, going into a bigger firm in Philadelphia."
"So," Jud purred, "he finally landed it."
"What do you mean?" Anne whispered, eyes widening. "Did you know about this?"
"For several weeks now." Jud paused, studying her closely as if trying to decide whether to tell her more. Suddenly he shrugged in a why-the-hell-not sort of way and said, "Lorna's father is a senior partner in a very high-class law firm in New York." He smiled slightly at the surprise on her face and chided, "Yes, Annie, Lorna doesn't have to work as a secretary. Not for me or anyone else. She chooses to do so.
“A smart girl is our Lorna. But that's beside the point. Anyway, not long after Lorna went back to New York, Andrew ran into her. He took her to lunch and during the course of conversation she mentioned her father. That was all your ambitious Andrew needed. Through Lorna he met some people, made some of those business contacts you just mentioned and, from what you've said, they have paid off. This move he's making is really for the best, Anne," he tacked on softly. "He would never have been content here."
Even though Anne didn't love Andrew and the engagement was irrevocably broken, she felt cheated and in some way betrayed. All this time he'd been seeing Lorna, making plans to change firms and he hadn't said a word to her. Why? Anne had no idea that her thoughts gave her face a wistful, lost look and the harsh tone of Jud's voice startled her.
"Forget him. You wouldn't have been happy with him anyway. You couldn't have given him what he needs."
"What"
His tone and the words were like a slap in the face, an insult to her femininity and the pain they caused laced her voice.
"Exactly what I said." The tone was softer, but the words just as hard. "Andrew is a man on the make. For position, power. He needs the kind of woman who's willing to keep up with him, if not one step ahead. The kind of woman who, if she doesn't have them already, will go out and make contacts and friends, who'll help him move up. You're not that kind of woman, Anne, and you'd tear yourself apart if you tried to be."
Andrew's words "I've been having second thoughts myself" were now very clear. He had reached the conclusion
"To me? Or anyone at all?"
Anne jerked at the sound of his voice right behind her. How in the world did the man move so silently? It was enough to give you the goose bumps.
"To anyone, really."
Her voice betrayed her shakiness and in defense she kept her head turned to the window.
"Annie, are you hurting?" he asked softly. "You sound on the verge of tears. And you were crying Friday night. Has he hurt you very badly?"
"It's nothing I won't live through," she murmured. Lord, how easy it would be, and how tempting, to let him believe it was Andrew she'd been crying over and who put the tremor in her voice now. But it wouldn't be fair to cast Andrew as the heavy. She would just have to bluff it out. Her voice stronger, she added, "I told you Friday I had a bad headache. I've had several lately. I guess I've been working too hard. As for Andrew, no, he hasn't hurt me. It was a mutual decision. We want different things from life, that's all."
"And it took you all these months to discover that?"
Jud's tone conveyed his disbelief and in desperation Anne cried, "Yes. I knew he was ambitious, but I didn't know how much so until just lately."
"There's something wrong with ambition?"
"No, no. Oh, you don't understand."
"I know," he replied quietly. "That's why I'm asking."
Exasperated, Anne spun around and went taut, her breath catching in her throat. He was so close she could see the dark brown flecks in his amber eyes, eyes that roamed slowly over her face, then settled on her mouth. Barely able to breathe, Anne choked, "He—he no longer wants to socialize with anyone but business contacts and he's leaving Mr. Slonne's office, going into a bigger firm in Philadelphia."
"So," Jud purred, "he finally landed it."
"What do you mean?" Anne whispered, eyes widening. "Did you know about this?"
"For several weeks now." Jud paused, studying her closely as if trying to decide whether to tell her more. Suddenly he shrugged in a why-the-hell-not sort of way and said, "Lorna's father is a senior partner in a very high-class law firm in New York." He smiled slightly at the surprise on her face and chided, "Yes, Annie, Lorna doesn't have to work as a secretary. Not for me or anyone else. She chooses to do so.
“A smart girl is our Lorna. But that's beside the point. Anyway, not long after Lorna went back to New York, Andrew ran into her. He took her to lunch and during the course of conversation she mentioned her father. That was all your ambitious Andrew needed. Through Lorna he met some people, made some of those business contacts you just mentioned and, from what you've said, they have paid off. This move he's making is really for the best, Anne," he tacked on softly. "He would never have been content here."
Even though Anne didn't love Andrew and the engagement was irrevocably broken, she felt cheated and in some way betrayed. All this time he'd been seeing Lorna, making plans to change firms and he hadn't said a word to her. Why? Anne had no idea that her thoughts gave her face a wistful, lost look and the harsh tone of Jud's voice startled her.
"Forget him. You wouldn't have been happy with him anyway. You couldn't have given him what he needs."
"What"
His tone and the words were like a slap in the face, an insult to her femininity and the pain they caused laced her voice.
"Exactly what I said." The tone was softer, but the words just as hard. "Andrew is a man on the make. For position, power. He needs the kind of woman who's willing to keep up with him, if not one step ahead. The kind of woman who, if she doesn't have them already, will go out and make contacts and friends, who'll help him move up. You're not that kind of woman, Anne, and you'd tear yourself apart if you tried to be."
Andrew's words "I've been having second thoughts myself" were now very clear. He had reached the conclusion
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