Four Warned Read online

  Jeremy returned to the royal enclosure for a third time in the hope of seeing the lovely woman again. He searched the paddock full of smart men dressed in morning suits with little badges hanging from their lapels, all looking exactly like each other. They were accompanied by wives and girlfriends adorned in designer dresses and outrageous hats. Each one was trying desperately not to look like anyone else.

  Then he spotted her, standing next to a tall, aristocratic-looking man who was bending down and listening intently to a jockey dressed in red-and-yellow hooped silks. She didn’t appear to be interested in their conversation and began to look around. Her eyes settled on Jeremy and he received that same friendly smile once again. She whispered something to the tall man, then walked across the enclosure to join him at the railing.

  ‘I hope you took my advice,’ she said.

  ‘Sure did,’ said Jeremy. ‘But how could you be so confident?’

  ‘It’s my father’s horse.’

  ‘Should I back your father’s horse in the next race?’

  ‘Certainly not. You should never bet on anything unless you’re sure it’s a certainty. I hope you won enough to take me to dinner tonight?’

  If Jeremy didn’t reply immediately, it was only because he couldn’t believe he’d heard her correctly. He eventually stammered out, ‘Where would you like to go?’

  ‘The Ivy, eight o’clock. By the way, my name’s Arabella Warwick.’ Without another word she turned on her heel and went back to join her set.

  Jeremy was surprised Arabella had given him a second look, let alone suggested they should dine together that evening. He expected that nothing would come of it, but as she’d already paid for dinner, he had nothing to lose.

  Arabella arrived a few minutes after the appointed hour, and when she entered the restaurant, several pairs of male eyes followed her progress as she made her way to Jeremy’s table. He had been told they were fully booked until he mentioned her name. Jeremy rose from his place long before she joined him. She took the seat opposite him as a waiter appeared by her side.

  ‘The usual, madam?’

  She nodded, but did not take her eyes off Jeremy.

  By the time her Bellini had arrived, Jeremy had begun to relax a little. She listened intently to everything he had to say, laughed at his jokes, and even seemed to be interested in his work at the bank. Well, he had slightly exaggerated his position and the size of the deals he was working on.

  After dinner, which was a little more expensive than he’d anticipated, he drove her back to her home in Pavilion Road, and was surprised when she invited him in for coffee, and even more surprised when they ended up in bed.

  Jeremy had never slept with a woman on a first date before. He could only assume that it was what ‘the set’ did, and when he left the next morning, he certainly didn’t expect to ever hear from her again. But she called that afternoon and invited him over for supper at her place. From that moment, they hardly spent a day apart during the next month.

  What pleased Jeremy most was that Arabella didn’t seem to mind that he couldn’t afford to take her to her usual haunts, and appeared quite happy to share a Chinese or Indian meal when they went out for dinner, often insisting that they split the bill. But he didn’t believe it could last, until one night she said, ‘You do realise I’m in love with you, don’t you, Jeremy?’

  Jeremy had never shown his true feelings for Arabella. He’d assumed their relationship was nothing more than what her set would describe as a ‘fling’. Not that she’d ever introduced him to anyone from her set. When he fell on one knee and proposed to her on the dance floor at Annabel’s nightclub, he couldn’t believe it when she said yes.

  ‘I’ll buy a ring tomorrow,’ he said, trying not to think about the awful state of his bank account, which had turned a deeper shade of red since he’d met Arabella.

  ‘Why bother to buy one, when you can steal the best there is?’ she said.

  Jeremy burst out laughing, but it quickly became clear Arabella wasn’t joking. That was the moment he should have walked away, but he realised that he couldn’t if it meant losing her. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this beautiful and intoxicating woman, and if stealing a ring was what it took, it seemed a small price to pay.

  ‘What type shall I steal?’ he asked, still not altogether sure that she was serious.

  ‘The expensive type,’ she replied. ‘In fact, I’ve already chosen the one I want.’ She passed him a De Beers catalogue.

  ‘Page forty-three,’ she said. ‘It’s called the Kandice Diamond.’

  ‘But have you worked out how I’m going to steal it?’ asked Jeremy, studying a photograph of the faultless yellow diamond.

  ‘Oh, that’s the easy part, darling,’ she said. ‘All you’ll have to do is follow my instructions.’

  Jeremy didn’t say a word until she’d finished outlining her plan.

  That’s how he had ended up in The Ritz that morning, wearing his only tailored suit, a pair of Links cufflinks, a Cartier Tank watch and an old Etonian tie, all of which belonged to Arabella’s father.

  ‘I will have to return everything by tonight,’ she said, ‘otherwise Pa might miss them and start asking questions.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Jeremy, who was enjoying becoming accustomed to the trappings of the rich, even if it was only a fleeting acquaintance.

  The waiter returned, carrying a silver tray. Neither of them spoke as he placed a cup of mint tea in front of Arabella and a pot of coffee on Jeremy’s side of the table.

  ‘Will there be anything else, sir?’

  ‘No, thank you,’ said Jeremy with an assurance he’d gained during the past month.

  ‘Do you think you’re ready?’ asked Arabella, her knee brushing against the inside of his leg while she once again gave him the smile that had so captivated him at Ascot.

  ‘I’m ready,’ said Jeremy, trying to sound convincing.

  ‘Good. I’ll wait here until you return, darling.’ That same smile. ‘You know how much this means to me.’

  Jeremy nodded, rose from his place and, without another word, walked out of the morning room, across the corridor, through the swing doors and out on to Piccadilly. He placed a stick of chewing gum in his mouth, hoping it would help him to relax. Normally Arabella would have disapproved, but on this occasion she had recommended it.

  Jeremy stood nervously on the pavement and waited for a gap to appear in the traffic, then nipped across the road. He came to a halt outside De Beers, the largest diamond merchant in the world. This was his last chance to walk away. He knew he should take it, but just the thought of her made it impossible.

  Jeremy rang the doorbell, which made him aware that his palms were sweating. Arabella had warned him that you couldn’t just stroll into De Beers as if it was a supermarket. If they didn’t like the look of you, they would not even open the door. That was why he had been measured for his first hand-tailored suit and bought a new silk shirt, and was wearing Arabella’s father’s watch, cufflinks and old Etonian tie. ‘The tie will ensure that the door is opened immediately,’ Arabella had told him, ‘and once they spot the watch and the cufflinks, you’ll be invited into the private salon, because by then they’ll be convinced you’re one of the rare people who can afford their wares.’

  Arabella turned out to be correct, because when the doorman appeared, he took one look at Jeremy and immediately unlocked the door.

  ‘Good morning, sir. How may I help you?’

  ‘I was hoping to buy an engagement ring.’

  ‘Of course, sir. Please step inside.’

  Jeremy followed him down a long corridor, glancing at photographs on the walls that showed the history of the company since its foundation in 1888. Once they had reached the end of the corridor, the doorman melted away, to be replaced by a tall, middle-aged man wearing a well-cut dark suit, a white silk shirt and a black tie.

  ‘Good morning, sir,’ he said, giving a slight bow. ‘My name is