All the Rage Read Online Free Page A

Idiot.
    He waited for what seemed an eternity before she responded. His gut twisted. He imagined a knot tightening in her stomach as well, such was her feeble comment.
    All she managed was a pathetic, ‘Oh. . . ’
    Michael’s impatience surfaced once more. He gave her no chance to react further. With one swift movement, he clicked the line dead.

Chapter Two
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    In spite of his uncharacteristic rage last night, Kara Scott had to admit to a certain soft spot for her employer. He wasn’t perfect, but at least he remembered her birthday. Michael was handsome in a craggy sort of way, his charm centred on an irresistible combination of lived-in easy looks and wonderful manners, with a roguish twist. Most appealing were his deep-etched laughter lines and silver swept-back hair, just a shade too long. He stood nearly six feet tall and carried himself well. She often found herself standing back and admiring his sharp wit and sparkling eyes as he held court during an opening night at the gallery. He always attracted women. He always had a story to tell. With a glass of champagne in one hand, dressed in an immaculate white silk shirt and navy wool summer suit, he was an impressive man, a man who stood out in a crowd. Kara had more than a soft spot for him; she was a little in love with him.
    On this morning, as she paced the gallery, her thoughts were confused and more than a little troubled. She was concerned about her boss. Something was wrong, amiss, and the conversation they had last night on the phone left her feeling nervous and rattled. On the face of it, his recent behavioural change from considerate normality to downright bizarre was more than understandable, taking into account what she now knew. Two months earlier, Adele had confided in her the fragile state of the marriage and how things were “likely to go”. Kara was shocked, genuinely. Never had she detected anything untoward in the relationship up to that point. They were a glamorous couple and seemed to have everything. Now, in the blink of an eye, it all appeared to be going down the pan. Kara was aware that business had been poor and the financial pressure had been building, and she was also privy to the investigation by the tax office. It was she, after all, who was asked to supply the necessary accounts. She knew the score. But this was entirely different. It hit her like a bombshell. Her own parents had divorced, so she knew all too well just how bloody messy it was going to get.
    She began to resent Adele. Looking back, Kara could now recognise little things which had fragmented this marriage. Little things which at the time seemed unimportant: Adele had stopped attending exhibitions, her days working in the gallery decreased; she even went on holiday to Marbella without Michael. Then there was the blazing row she had the misfortune to interrupt one Saturday last year. It went on…Kara could so easily make a list. Why had she not seen it before?
    If she had felt anger toward Adele, then it was natural to show sympathy, a kind of protection toward Michael. He was falling apart right before her eyes. It wasn’t just that odd conversation last night, there were many other instances when he had been sharp and intolerant. She recalled his impatience with Marcus Heath. Such things were harmful to him and his reputation, and she wondered if she should say something. It hurt her to see him suffering in this manner.
    Then there was the question of his wife and the damage she was capable of inflicting. Kara knew of her glamorous past. Adele Churchill was a former debutante, privately educated at Roedean and later, much to her parents’ displeasure, a bit part actress before marrying Michael. She was used to the best things in life and had been considered the “it” girl of her day. She had been photographed by Parkinson and Snowdon and adorned the front cover of The Tatler magazine. Before Michael, she had conducted a whirlwind