His Wedding-Night Heir (5 page)

She lifted her chin. 'It was something I had to do. I felt I had

no choice.' She hesitated. 'What— what did you tell people?'

'I couldn't manage the truth,' he said. 'Because I didn't know

what it was. I had no farewell note— no "Dear John" blotched

with penitent tears to point me in the right direction. So I

simply let it be known that you'd had a change of heart,

however late in the day, and that we'd agreed to separate.'

He paused. 'You see, my sweet, at first I didn't realise what

had happened. You'd taken the car, so originally I assumed

there'd been an accident. I wasted a hell of a lot of time

making increasingly frantic hospital calls, until the police

called to say they'd picked up some kids joy-riding. They'd

stolen your car from a station car park twenty miles away and

written it off. The guy in the ticket office there recognised you

from our engagement photograpls—now, there's an irony—

and said you'd bought a ticket to London. One way.' His

mouth twisted harshly. Cally looked down at the tablecloth,

tracing meaningless patterns on the white linen with her

forefinger. 'So you did—go looking for me?'

'No,' he said. 'Not at first. Frankly, I was too bloody angry. So

I thought, to hell with it and her.'

'You should have left it like that.'

'Ah,' he said softly. 'But I too underwent a change of heart.'

There was a loaded silence then she said jerkily, 'How— how

did you know where to find me?"

'Except for those first weeks, I've always known where to find

you.'

A shiver chilled her spine, and she closed her eyes momen-

tarily. 'And I thought I'd managed lo cover my tracks. That if I

kept moving I'd drop out of sight."

‘Oh, finding you was the easy part,' he said sardonically.

'Deciding what to do about it was trickier." He paused. ' There

was a lime, you see, when I thought you might come back.

That you might find living with me marginally preferable to

slaving away in various greasy spoons.' The grey eyes met

hers. 'But you never did.'

'No,' she said. 'Because I thought I was free. It never occurred

to me that I was simply on the end of a long rope."

There was a silence then he said, 'What made you come here?'

She shrugged. 'It's the same as any other place. Audit

seemed—anonymous.'

He said drily, 'It's about to undergo a revival. Someone's

decided the town has commuter possibilities. Hence Guoners

Wharf.'

'And hence your presence here, too.' Her voice was taut.

'It seemed too good an opportunity lo miss,' he said slowly,

and she knew he was not referring to the development . Or not

solely. And felt her heartbeat falter in panic.

She said hurriedly, 'Eastern Crest—is that a new acquisition? I

didn't recognise the name...'

'Well, darling,' he drawled, 'you haven't been around much,

keeping up. And without you to divert my attention I've had

more time to devote to acquisitions and mergers.' He paused.

'And if you'd recognised the name, you'd have done—what?'

There was another silence, then she said wearily, 'I don't

know. Running and trying to hide has clearly been futile. And

I suppose we needed to meet eventually, to discuss what to do

about the divorce. But why at this particular time?’

'I was told you were seeing someone,' Nick said

expressionlessly. 'So it seemed an opportune moment to

intervene. Your colleague, Mr Matlock, appeared upset to

hear you were married,' he added pensively. 'I do hope,

darling, you haven't been making promises you're not entitled

to keep.'

'I'm "seeing" no one,' Cally said through gritted teeth. 'And

Kit has no reason to feel aggrieved. So you could have easily

saved yourself the inconvenience.'

'Yet, as you say, we needed to meet—to talk about the future.

So this became the time—

and the place.' His smile was brief and without warmth. 'And

apart from the implicit defiance in your voice and body

language, you've hardly changed at all, my love.'

'Perhaps the defiance was always there,' she said. 'But you

didn't notice.'

'I noticed a hell of a lot,' he said quietly. 'And I was prepared

to make allowances. Only you never gave me that chance.

You preferred to bolt as if I was some kind of mad axe

murderer.'

'No,' she said. 'Nothing so dramatic. Simply because I wasn't

going to live my life on your terms.'

His brows lifted. 'Did I impose any conditions? I can't recall

them.'

'You made me become your wife,' she said, her throat

tightening. 'That involves—obligations.'

'Ah,' he said softly. 'In plain words, you didn't want to sleep

with me.' He gave her a meditative look. 'Admitted! We didn't

have a conventional courtship, but you never gave the

impression at the time that you found me particularly

repulsive.'

Cally bil her lip. 'Well, you know now.'

'In fact,' Nick went on, as if she hadn't spoken, 'mere were

moments when the indications seemed distinctly favorable. Or

did I imagine that?'

No, thought Cally, a tide of unwilling colour rising in her

face. You didn't imagine it—damn you.

She said stiffly, 'You'd naturally prefer to think so, of course.

You wouldn't want a dent in that irresistible image of yours.'

'If I'd ever been conceited enough to entertain such a notion,'

he returned icily, 'you'd have shattered it for ever when you

ran away.'

'But I'm sure you've had consolation,' she flung at him, and

could have bitten out her tongue. She had not meant o say

that.

'Why, darling—' Nick's tone changed to mockery '— did you

really expect me to soothe my wounded feelings by staying

celibate?'

'And do you really expect me to care—one way or the other?'

As long as I'm not there to see it...

The thought flashed, unbidden, and was instantly suppressed.

Even to admit as much damaged the mental and emotional

barriers she'd so carefully constructed against him, and she

couldn't afford that.

In fact, she couldn't afford any of this...

She took a deep breath. 'Nick-let's slop here and now, or we

shall only say things we'll regret. Why don't we just — draw a

line, let our respective lawyers deal with the rest of it?'

'Because you're assuming,' he said, 'that I share your wish for

a divorce.'

She said, slowly and unsteadily, 'You can't mean that. You

can't wish to stay married lo someone who— who won't—live

with you.'

'Of course not.' He sounded almost brisk. 'Naturally I want a

wife who'll share my home and my bed.' He smiled at her, his

eyes touching her—stripping her, she realised, as her heart

began to flutter in panic.

'In fact, I want you, my sweet,' he added softly. 'Come back to

me, and in return for your charming—and willing company,

I'll tell Matthew Hendrick to save your precious terrace and

include it in the development. Turn me down, how ever, and

the demolition crew move in next week. And that's my final

word.'

He paused. 'So the future of Gunners Terrace rests entirely

with you, darling.'

'You can't do this,' Cally protested, her voice hoarse with

incredulity. 'You're making me responsible for other people's

lives—other people's happiness. It—it's emotional blackmail.'

'Now, my viewpoint is slightly different,' he said. 'Because

you stood beside me in church and made certain vows. I

remember it perfectly. You were wearing a while dress with a

lot of little buttons down the front of it. Frankly, I was

fantasising about undoing them all—with my teeth,' he added,

with a kind of sensuous reminiscence that made her shiver.

'Now, at last, I want those vows fulfilled, and I really think,

my sweet, that I've waited long enough. Even you must agree

that our wedding night is long overdue.'

She said numbly, 'You mean you'd—you'd actually force me

to—to...'

'I've no intention of using force,' he told her coolly. 'It's high

time that delightful body of yours discovered what it was

made for. And, if memory serves, the last time you were in

my arms you thought so too.'

Her head went back sharply, as if he had struck her. 'What

you're suggesting is obscene. Unthinkable. You can't think for

one moment that I'd agree.'

Nick shrugged. 'You came here tonight, Cally, of your own

free will, wanting a favour. Quite a sizeable one at that. I'm

now telling you the price ticket it carries. Whether you pay it,

of course, is your choice alone. It depends on ho w strongly

you feel about the survival of Gunners Terrace—these people

you claim to care about so deeply.'

'You think I'll save them at the expense of my own life?'

'Not The whole of it,' he said. 'Just the year you stole from me

when you ran away. You see, I still have use for you u, and

that should be enough time for you to repay some of the debt

you owe me—and give me what I want.'

She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. 'I don't

understand. You're saying now that you want me to com e

back to you, but only for a limited period?'

He said quietly, 'Just as long as it takes for you to give me a

child. So make your mind up quickly, because the staff f here

is waiting to close.'

She stared at him, stunned and incredulous, her brain churning

wildly. She was dazedly aware that what he'd said was

correct. The other tables had emptied while they were talking

and she hadn't even noticed. The waiters were gathered now

in a small group at the end of the room, chatting among

themselves.

While she sat in this pool of lamplight, like a fly trapped in

amber... Listening lo him, but not believing what she w as

hearing. She heard herself laugh, the sound strained and alien.

She said, mastering her voice somehow, 'You want me— lo

have your baby? You can't honestly be serious. It's ludicrous.

Totally impossible.'

'Ah,' he said, 'but I am perfectly serious. This is a question of

inheritance, Cally. I want an heir— someone to come after

me. Son or daughter. I don't mind,' he added with a curt shrug.

'And that's good and sufficient reason...?' She choked over the

words.

'I inherited Wylstone Hall because I was Ranald Tempest's

only relative,' he said. 'But we were almost complete strangers

to each other. 'Whatever I leave will damned well go to my

own flesh and blood. Not some distant relation —someone

I've barely met.'

He paused. 'Achieve this one thing for me, Cally, and then I'll

release you from the marriage. I won't fight the divorce. In

Money, she thought. He means money. I'd probably never

have to work again unless I wished it.

'And afterwards?' she asked, her voice shaking. 'If I should—

have a child, what happens then?'

'That's open lo negotiation,' he told her curtly. 'But I suggest

that in principle we share joint custody. At first, anyway.'

She stared back at him. She said faintly, 'You must be—

insane.'

'Why? Because I want my wife to have my baby? It seems a

fairly normal course of events to me.'

'But we don't have a normal marriage.'

'Not at this moment, perhaps,' he said softly. 'But all that

could change very soon.'

She said in a low voice, 'Is that— why you married me?

Because you thought I was young and strong, and you could

breed from me?'

Nick shrugged. 'We all have our own priorities,' he said. 'But

rest assured that I also found you— highly desirable.'

Her arms went round her body in an involuntary gesture of

self-protection, and she saw his mouth twist

She said hurriedly, 'But surely there are other women...' She

paused, swallowing. Trying to blot certain images from her

mind. 'I mean— you could divorce me quickly and find

someone else. Someone who'd make you happy. Want to give

you..’

'Let me be blunt,' he said. 'I've had lime lo think during our—

separation, and I've discovered I've no real taste for being a

husband. One unlucky foray into matrimony is quite enough,

and I have no plans to replace you." Hi e was cynical. 'Don't

they say, "Better the devil you know"?'

'Yes,' she said numbly. 'Sometimes—they do.' But it doesn't

have to be true.

'Besides, you clearly can't wait to get away from me,' he