Her Better Angel

kept her gaze trained on Carter as if he was a fascinating object of curiosity.

She noticed that his accent wasn' t wholly American. She was careful not to engage with Miss Ponytail, who merely responded to her employer in a quiet, firm voice saying: That' s one theory.'

She sounded less deferential than Naomi would have liked.

But then, Carter' s next words filled Naomi with delight. Glancing at his watch he said: As it happens, I' m in no rush to get to my next appointment. I was only going to sample a watering hole that a friend had recommended.

My next confirmed appointment isn' t until 7pm. I would be delighted to stand you a pick-me-up in the bar, if you' ll allow me to. Shall we?'

He nodded back towards the hotel, clearly used to compliance.

She glanced down shyly and nodded, lowering her lashes. It was important to let him think this was all his idea. Perhaps a tonic water, as long as I' m not holding you up?'

Inside the hotel, he escorted her to the marbletopped bar just off the main lobby. It was fairly quiet and would give her time to lead a horse not only to drink, but to her next destination his hotel room.

Once there, she would take a few surreptitious photos of herself in the bathroom in a slightly revealing state, making sure the door was open just wide enough to catch him too, unaware he was in the frame.

Then she would, as they said, make her excuses and leave, citing a sudden emergency. After that, she would contact his office and let him know she had some interesting photos to upload to the internet, unless he' d like to pay her to delete them.

That was all it took. She never had to do anything too tacky. Perception was everything. Most of these men had pre-nups that stipulated hefty financial penalties for even a whiff of infidelity on either side.

Eldon Carter ordered an expensive malt whisky, while she stuck to her declared preference for tonic water. The bodyguard, she noticed, had melted away.

That might be a problem if she subsequently discovered Miss Ponytail loitering outside Carter' s hotel room, intervening to stop him making a foolish mistake.

If it came to that, she would just cut and run, claiming she' d misunderstood the situation.

Eldon Carter turned out to be the chatty type. Still, to be on the safe side, she asked: Your associate Zee, was it? Is that a nickname?'

Eldon Carter smiled. Short for Zabella.'

I didn' t see where she went

Oh, she' s round and about.'

Naomi couldn' t push further than that. She' d just keep her wits sharpened.

In the meantime, it wasn' t hard pretending to hang on Eldon Carter' s every word, because he was an entertaining raconteur.

After his third amusing story, she risked putting a hand on his wrist and laughing: If I didn' t know you better, I' d think you were flirting with me!'

A mistake. He drew slightly apart from her. But you don' t know me,' he said stiffly, adding archly, any more than I truly know you, Miss Danni Lockhart.' Her chosen alias for the day.

She hid her panic by looking down into her glass. I' m so sorry,' she said quietly. I' m not used to men being kind to me for the sake of it. I mean, without wanting something in return. Forgive me for being so crass.' She raised appealing eyes to him.

He was still looking about to bolt, so she took a deep breath and played her trump card her My daddy was a womaniser' , line.

It was a handy ploy as it both explained why she' d misread the situation and cast her as damaged goods in some way, pleading to be understood.

Eldon Carter visibly softened and sighed: I' ve had my share of being misunderstood, believe me.' Oh? In what way?' He hesitated, then shook his head. It doesn' t matter. All that does is family, in the end. My youngest daughter' s just had her third baby. Here, let me show you pictures of my grandkids. I have six¼'

He produced photos from a wallet. Naomi peered at them dutifully. Oh, they' re beautiful,' she purred, glancing at one chubby toddler after another.

Eugene has your eyes! Your wife must be very proud of them all too.'

This would be a chance to allude to the fact that his current wife was young enough to be one of his daughters.

Sure enough, Carter' s expression clouded for a second. Then a phone warbled in his breast pocket. He drew it out. Excuse me, Miss Lockhart.'

It' s Danni, please.'

He slid off the bar stool and began stalking to and fro, frowning and muttering into the phone.

When he rejoined her, she knew the moment had gone.

I' m sorry, but something' s come up at my London office and it needs sorting before an event tonight. Please, finish your drink¼ Zee!'

He looked around and, as if by magic, Miss Ponytail

Im m so sorry. Im not used to men being kind to me without wanting something in return

appeared. Naomi wondered it she' d been lurking within earshot all the time.

Zee, can you call a cab for Danni when she leaves and get her to wherever she wants to go on my tab, naturally.'

Oh, there' s no need¼' Nonsense. Least I can do. Zee, I should be back here by six to get ready for the main event this evening. I' ll be fine going to the office,' he added as Zee gave a slight frown at being left to babysit Danni' .

As he bustled away, Naomi watched Miss Ponytail claim the vacated bar stool. She no longer wore a frown. Now, she had a knowing smile on her lips.

Naomi heaved a sigh: Did you make that phone call just now and invent a reason to send him round the block a few times until you could get rid of me?'

The woman raised a carefully plucked eyebrow. That was a genuine phone call. My father doesn' t need saving from anyone' s clutches.'

He' s your father!' Now she looked, Naomi saw the likeness. And the same killer instinct in sharp, grey eyes.

Zabella Carter,' she confirmed without extending a handshake. Short for Izabella with a zee. Since doing my MBA, I' ve been learning the family business from the ground up. That means I get to accompany Dad on his whistle-stop tours. I meant to compliment you, by the way. That' s a top-quality wig.'

Naomi sighed again.

My dad has a sharp mind but his eyesight' s not the greatest,' Zabella went on. However, at bodyguard boot campº we learn to spot the important details.'

She paused. I heard what you said about your own father, by the way. I was just behind that plant.' She pointed to an imposing yucca. Doesn' t give you the right to sit in judgment on other people' s fathers.'

He traded in your mum for a trophy wife!' Naomi flashed back. Why didn' t he stand by the first set of marriage vows he took?'

You know nothing about it,' hissed Zabella. She leant forward. They came to America with nothing after the war in Bosnia. Dad reinvented himself, even ditching his family name. Their marriage lasted as long as it did because they both tried to make it work.'

Naomi snorted, disapprovingly. You think what you like!' hissed Zabella again. It was my mother who wanted out in the end. There were lots of reasons, not least that she' d met someone else because of all the hours Dad worked.

`As for Misty she loves my dad and makes him happy. When was the last time you were happy?'

Zabella asked, far too observantly, and Naomi slipped off her bar stool, close to a rush of tears.

Wait!' Zabella, taller and leggier, caught up with

Naomi before she reached the revolving doors.

Naomi turned, emotions whirling. I haven' t done anything wrong! Leave me alone.'

I don' t know what you were planning to do, although I can guess. I like to think your better angel would have come to the fore before you did anything you might have regretted.'

Naomi managed to say, with her last shred of dignity: I would have known where to draw the line, if that' s what you' re asking.'

Zabella' s gaze cut into her. When you talked about your own dad, that was the one time your honesty shone through. Not all men are like him. Perhaps even he wasn' t the cardboard cut-out villain you' ve made him down the years.'

Naomi turned away again. Zabella said behind her: I was angry at Dad when he and Mum first split. It took Mum to make me realise there was more to it a lot more that only the two people in a marriage really know about. Think about that.'

This time, Naomi ran through the revolving doors without looking back.

But as she hurried back to her flat, she thought about the face she' d see shortly in the sliver of bathroom mirror, a face she' d begun to dread facing head on.

What if, for once, she looked with honesty, instead of self-loathing?

It might not be too late, even for that better angel' to unfurl stiff wings deep inside her.

And after that? She could pay Gill the visit she' d been swerving for weeks and replacing with phone calls.

Back home, she scrubbed off her lipstick and looked herself fully in the eye. A different person looked back. A sad but wiser, calmer one.

If she could learn to look herself in the eye like this, she could learn to look into her mother' s face too, and talk to her about her marriage

and ask her to share her feelings about it all these years later.

And tell her mother, finally, how much she loved her and always had.

She could learn to look into her mother s face and talk to her about her marriage