Edward’s smile widened. Twenty years older than Clarissa and a widower to boot, Godfrey was an army man from the top of his head to the bottom of his boots, but the two had fallen in love and nothing his parents could say had prevented the match. Godfrey was the last man in the world he would have expected his sister to marry if he was truthful but they were sublimely happy and living proof that opposites attract. Their union had, to some extent, restored his faith in the concept of true love, although he had never been assailed by the emotion himself and had no wish to be. His work was his life, and with his business interests growing in the United States of America the knowledge that he could just take off at a moment’s notice without any ties to hold him down was important.

He nodded to himself, and then said out loud, ‘Yes, damn important,’ as though someone had challenged him on the subject. He enjoyed the company of women, both in bed and out of it, but had never felt the desire to make any of his relationships permanent, always choosing ladies of like mind. His present attachment was with a married woman in his social circle whose husband’s mistress was also part of their set. Arabella and her spouse had what she called an ‘open’ marriage, neither one objecting to the other’s dalliances elsewhere as long as there was a certain amount of discretion employed by all parties.

Thinking of his association with Arabella had wiped the smile from his face and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he remembered his conversation with Ruby. Arabella was typical of the social butterfly he had denounced so forcibly, he thought wryly, before justifying his hypocrisy by telling himself he had been talking about the young, unmarried flappers with their motto of ‘anything goes’, silly little girls who were a danger to themselves and everyone else. The excuse didn’t sit well, however, and he gnawed at his lower lip for a moment, asking himself what the hell he was doing in trying to further his acquaintance with Ruby Morgan.

He brooded about it for a full minute before brushing his conscience to one side; he had had a lot of practice doing this over the last years and it came easy. Concentrating on the road, he put everything out of his mind except enjoying the feeling of being in command of the powerful car.