by Emma Darcy
When she drew back, her face was flushed, her eyes glinting with worry again. “You’re sure this is all right?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
It was all right.
He felt the love was still there, set at a distance but still there.
One way or another, he’d close that distance.
Nicole wasn’t going away.
She had agreed to marry him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HER wedding day—the day when she said the really big yes to Quin. The reality of it was all around her in this penthouse suite at the Intercontinental Hotel—her mother, Zoe and the bridesmaids all dressed ready to go to the ceremony. In another thirty minutes, a stretch limousine would be taking them to the venue. Three o’clock, Quin had said, and time was ticking away. Yet Nicole couldn’t quite shake the feeling she was in a dream.
“What kind of wedding would you like?” Quin had asked.
“I don’t know,” she had answered truthfully. “What do you want?”
“Something beautiful, truly memorable…”
“Why don’t you plan it, Quin?”
He’d frowned. “It’s the bride’s special day. I want you to be happy with it.”
“Then make it special for me.”
The challenge had tripped off her tongue, spurred by wanting to have some measure of how special the occasion was for him. Let him have his way. All his way. It might reveal quite a bit about how much she meant to him, too.
As Nicole sat still while the beautician moved around her, putting the last finishes to her bridal make-up, she couldn’t help thinking that if one put a money value on this wedding and that was the measure of how special it was to Quin, then it was spectacularly special. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure if he was putting on a show for her or for other people.
Her side of the guest list was relatively small. She had a few friends amongst the mothers of little girls at the dance school, and two of those were her bridesmaids, along with Jade. Her mother’s friends in the world of dance were not exactly numerous, either. Quin’s side not only carried a lot of people from the Sydney social set and important business clients, but quite a large contingent from Argentina—the Gallardo family and their close friends.
Not that it mattered, she told herself.
They were getting married.
That was the only really important thing.
“I’ve never seen you look so beautiful, Nicole,” Jade remarked, a note of awe in her voice.
Amazing what cosmetics in skilled hands can do, she thought, smiling at her friend. “You, too. I really like that burnt copper shade of red for your hair.”
Jade laughed. “Couldn’t leave it purple. Since I’m chief bridesmaid, it might have distracted from the bride.”
“Thanks for everything you’ve done, Jade. You and Jules. The dresses you designed and made are wonderful.”
“Well, we did have instructions from Zoe and Quin,” she said archly. “Got to say that guy has moved to a great address, Nic. Wherever he was in the past, what you have now is a man who’s totally committed to giving his woman a wonderful wedding. Namely you.”
Yes, he had moved, Nicole silently agreed. Certainly since he’d come out of hospital two months ago, he’d won over her mother with his kindness and consideration, bonded deeply with their daughter, and had set about introducing her to his friends, taking her out to dinners and shows, not concentrating their entire relationship on sex, which was still great, but no longer the only thing they shared.
“You do love him, don’t you?” Jade asked softly.
“Yes,” she answered unequivocally, looking down at the magnificent emerald and diamond engagement ring Quin had given her. For better or for worse, she thought, as long as we both shall live.
Zoe came dancing into the bedroom. “Is it time for your dress now, Mummy?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes,” the beautician answered, satisfied with the result of her artistry.
“I love your dress, Zoe,” Nicole said, thinking how well the deep blue suited her dark colouring.
She twirled to show it off. “It’s the same blue as the Ulysses butterfly. I told Daddy that was what I wanted. And then we decided the bridesmaids should be like the Australian sky, light blue in the morning, bright blue in the middle of the day, and dark blue after sunset. Wasn’t that a good idea, Mummy?”
“A lovely idea, Zoe,” she agreed, and it had been transmitted by Jade and Jules into beautiful floor-length georgette gowns with the three shades of blue graduating down from the light colour for the strapless bodice to the deeper shades in the skirt.
“And Daddy had these butterfly clips in my hair made specially for me,” Zoe declared proudly.
“They look very pretty.”
As did the blue silk butterflies adorning the hair of the bridesmaids. Quin’s idea, Jade had told her, to mark a very special day.
Her mother, dressed in a very elegant deep violet outfit to blend with the bridal party, made a brisk entrance. “It’s twenty to three, Nicole. We’re not going to be late, are we?” she asked anxiously.
“No, Mum. I’m all ready bar for the wedding gown, and as you can see, the dresser is taking it out of its plastic wrapping now.”
The wedding planner Quin had hired, had staff running everywhere, ensuring everything was perfectly done; the hairdresser, the beautician, the dresser, the florist. Nothing was overlooked and each step of the preparation was on schedule.
The gown was unzipped and held out for Nicole to step into. She stood up and discarded the wrap-around she’d worn through most of the afternoon.
“Wow!” Zoe cried, her eyes popping at the sexy underwear.
Nicole gave a nervous laugh, hoping Quin would appreciate her own personal contribution to their wedding later tonight.
“Is that bride stuff, too, Mummy?”
“It sure is!” Jade answered, laughing at Zoe’s innocent remark. “I just hope you’re going to love the dress, Nic.”
She’d never seen it. She’d been fitted for it with the underlining for the bodice, not once with the dress itself. A froth of white georgette was pooled on the floor. There seemed like many layers of it. Nicole stepped into the space at the centre of it, careful not to snag her high heels in the fabric. She fitted her arms through shoestring shoulder straps as the gown was pulled up her body. Then the dresser zipped it into place and Nicole stared at her reflection in the cheval mirror placed ready for her to see herself.
The bodice was tightly fitted from her breasts to her hips and intricately and beautifully beaded with tiny crystals creating the shape of a butterfly. There was a centre split in the front skirt to just above knee high for easy walking up any stairs, which might have been difficult with so many floating layers of georgette. At the back, the skirt fell gracefully into a train, making it very bridal.
Her mother heaved a happy sigh. “You look wonderful, Nicole.”
“Spectacular!” Jade said with satisfaction. “Are you happy with it?”
“Yes. It’s…it’s stunning!” Nicole said dazedly. “Thank you so much.”
“The concept came from Quin. Jules and I simply translated it as best we could.”
Quin had gone to so much personal trouble to get everything right for her. Right in a very meaningful sense. Surely no man tried to please a woman so much if he didn’t love her, but he’d never said the words. He would today, in the wedding ceremony. Would he mean them, or would he just be repeating the traditional marriage vows?
“Now your flowers,” the dresser said, handing Nicole the three red roses she was to carry as her bouquet.
Not hot-house buds. These roses were in full bloom and strongly scented. As was the one that had been positioned in her hair, just above her left ear. Jade had told her Quin didn’t want a bridal veil to be worn—nothing to hide her hair, just a red rose to enhance its natural beauty.
Red roses for love.
Please let it be true, she thought
The bridesmaids’ bouquets were handed out, posies of roses in every colour. “Because butterflies like lots of pretty colours, Mummy,” Zoe informed her.
Nicole’s nerves were fluttering as they were all led down to the waiting limousines which would take them to the wedding venue—still a closely guarded secret.
It was another stunning surprise when they were driven only a short distance—to the Sydney Opera House!—and escorted up to the northern Concert Hall foyer which featured the fantastic arch of windows overlooking the harbour. Rows and rows of white-sheathed chairs had been placed on red carpet—all of them filled with wedding guests. White pedestals held spectacular arrangements of red roses. The whole scene was fantastic.
But Quin was no fantasy. He broke away from the standing line of groomsmen at the front, and looking heart-wrenchingly handsome in his formal black dinner suit and snow-white dress shirt, he strode confidently down the make-shift aisle to claim her, his megawatt smile shining, telling her he was brilliantly alive.
“Happy?” he asked, his grey eyes smoking warmly with pleasure in her.
“Yes.” She returned his smile, openly expressing her pleasure in him. “Very happy.”
“Good! Today I’m trying to make up for all the romance I didn’t give you, Nicole.”
Romance…was that love?
“You truly are a star player, Quin. In this, as well as everything else,” she said, feeling overwhelmed by all he done to make their wedding special for her—beautiful and very memorable.
“You count most of all,” he murmured huskily, taking her arm and linking it around his.
Those words kept fizzing in Nicole’s mind like a cocktail of joy as Quin walked her down the aisle to the marriage celebrant. Her mother and Zoe had already gone ahead to take their chairs in the front row. Her bridesmaids brought up the end of the little procession and lined up beside her as she and Quin halted beside his groomsmen.
The ceremony was short, but very emotional for Nicole. Both Tony Fisher, Quin’s best man, and Jade delivered moving readings about love and marriage. Someone with a beautiful voice sang “All The Way.” When Quin spoke his vows, his voice vibrated with deep feeling, bringing tears to her eyes. She only just managed to blink them away as they signed the marriage certificate, composing herself to meet the well-wishers who crowded around them afterwards.
The fabulous surprises weren’t over.
They kept coming.
After leaving the Opera House, they boarded a luxurious catamaran and cruised the harbour. Wedding photographs were taken with the background of the great coat hanger bridge and a glorious sunset. French champagne flowed, gourmet canapés were served, and the guests partied happily, many wanting their photographs taken with the bride and groom.
Quin’s elderly but still very distinguished-looking grandfather, Juan Gallardo, welcomed Nicole into the family, congratulated his grandson on acquiring such a beautiful wife, and remarked that he could understand why Quin had decided to make Sydney his home. Even Buenos Aires could not outshine such a splendid city. And, of course, since the woman of his heart was Australian…yes, he understood…but Joaquin must bring Nicole to Argentina for a visit sometime in the near future.
Quin’s mother had a lovely time, busily showing off Zoe to all her Gallardo relatives. “My grand-daughter…” she kept saying proudly.
Nicole was pleased to see her own mother mingling happily with her old associates from dancing competitions, no doubt catching up on all the professional gossip and swapping stories about especially talented dance pupils coming up. It was good to know she was really getting back to normal, interested in business and people again. Even better, that she seemed to have picked up an admirer who was dancing attendance on her.
There was nothing Nicole could do about the empty nest syndrome. She and Zoe would be moving in with Quin after the honeymoon and her mother would be alone in the Burwood house. At least running the dance school should keep her occupied most of the time and they’d meet there several days a week. They weren’t dropping out of her life.
The catamaran docked at Mosman, almost directly across the water from the Opera House and they were transported to another mystery location—the landmark Taronga Centre at the Taronga Zoo, once again overlooking Sydney Harbour.
The reception room was decked out in traditional white linen with red roses on all the tables. They feasted on Sydney rock oysters, Tasmanian salmon and chocolate coated strawberries with King Island cream, and were entertained by a live band backing a great singer. A three-tier wedding cake—a decorator’s wonderful work of art—waited to be cut. Before that happened, however, came the speeches.
Tony Fisher stood up and soon had the guests laughing with his charm and wit, finally declaring that only his good friend, Quin, could have danced the elusive and lovely Nicole off her feet and into wedlock. He called for a toast to the bride and groom, which was heartily raised and drunk.
Quin rose from his chair.
Nicole held her breath, her heart hammering her chest. He’d made their wedding day unbelievably special—the ultimate peak of romance. Would he top it now with what she most wanted to hear?
“Earlier this evening my grandfather, Juan Gallardo—” he gestured to the table where the old man sat “—rightly recognised Nicole as the woman of my heart.” He turned and smiled at her, and her own heart stopped its wild pounding and flooded with pleasure. She even started breathing again as he resumed his speech to the guests.
“When I first met Nicole seven years ago, what instantly flashed through my mind was…this is my woman. Fortunately the desire for us to be together was mutual and she did become my woman. She filled that role, giving me her love for two years, but I made the huge mistake of not really appreciating how big a gift that was. I didn’t share my heart with her and I made her feel as though she was no more than a possession which I picked up and put down at my convenience. So I lost her…”
The sadness and regret in his voice was poignant and the dead silence in the room respected his feelings. Nicole was stunned that he was revealing so much and found herself flushing at his use of the bitter accusations she had thrown at him.
“I not only lost my woman, but I also lost the child she bore me—our beautiful daughter, Zoe—who has known from her mother all the love I didn’t value enough.”
Her stomach contracted at the acknowledgment that she had loved him. Did he know she still did?
“Five years passed before our paths crossed again, more than long enough for me to know how empty all my achievements were without her at my side. I would have done anything to win her back and this was where Fate smiled kindly on me. Nicole needed help and I could give it. Which earned me time with her. Time enough to demonstrate I would not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
He was humbling himself in front of all these people, humbling himself to atone for the hurt he’d inflicted. Nicole would not have asked it of him. Yet she was totally captivated by the deeply personal confession.
“I learnt the importance of sharing. I learnt that open communication is the cornerstone for trust and understanding. I learnt that the gift of love is infinitely precious and must always be nurtured and cherished, never neglected.”
He paused, then fervently added, “I hope I can carry these lessons into the future that Nicole has granted me in becoming my wife today. I certainly aim to because I don’t want her to ever doubt how very much I do love her and will always love her.”
There it was! He’d said it! And there wasn’t a skerrick of doubt in her mind about it as he turned to her once more, smiling his love, shining it straight into her eyes, her soul.
“Nicole is more than the woman of my heart. She is the Queen of my heart,” he stated emphatically, then held out his hand to her. “Will you do me the honour of dancing with me, my love?”
An incandescent happiness was bursting through her. “Yes,” spilled joyfully from her lips as she took his hand and rose from her chair, wanting to be taken into his embrace, feel him close to her, pour out her own love for him.
All the guests stood up from their tables, wildly applauding them as Quin led her onto the small dance floor. The band began playing the sentimental evergreen tune of Moon River—and she and Quin were together again—truly, deeply together—as they waltzed around the floor in perfect unison, every step a harmony of the heart.
They were not aware of being watched by all the guests wearing benevolent smiles, some of them wiping emotional tears from their eyes. They were only aware of each other—the strong sexual chemistry they’d always had, now enhanced by the magical feeling of so much more bonding them for the rest of their lives.
“I love you, too, Quin,” she whispered, her eyes openly avowing what she had kept hidden in her heart, frightened of having it crushed again.
The fear was gone.
Quin had demolished it.
“Thank you for such a perfect day,” she added, loving him all the more for giving it to her.
“You make it so,” he murmured.
“I’ll treasure it in my memory for as long as I live.”
“We’ll build a treasure house of beautiful memories, Nicole.”
She smiled. “Like our very own butterfly tree.”
He smiled back. “Yes. Our very own.”
They danced on to the music of love in their hearts, knowing they would always dance together because the love would last forever.
ISBN: 978-1-5525-4520-1
THE SECRET BABY REVENGE
First North American Publication 2006.
Copyright © 2006 by Emma Darcy.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
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