by Gordon, Lucy
He turned away. He needed a moment to come to terms with his own rash action. He’d had no thought of marriage, but when he’d seen Kaye’s family bullying her he’d been overwhelmed by the desire to defend her against them, and had said the first thing that came into his head. He was a warmhearted, impulsive man, and it had led him into many rash decisions in the past. But this was the rashest, and now he was wondering exactly what he’d done.
Then the gambler’s instinct that had carried him through so many glorious risks in the past rose up in him again. He’d thrown the dice and seen how they fell, and he would carry it through to the end.
“I think that settles everything,” he said. “The wedding will be in three days.”
“You can’t fix up a wedding in that time,” Rhoda insisted.
“I can,” he said simply. “I’ll get a special license. Kaye will call you tomorrow with the full details. Kaye, I hope you don’t mind staying here in the meantime. We have a lot of arrangements to make.”
“Oh, yes.” Rhoda sniffed. “We all know where that will end.”
“I beg your pardon,” Jack said, a warning note in his voice.
Rhoda failed to heed it. “Lock your bedroom door, my girl, or your second wedding will get canceled as fast your first.”
“Please don’t speak like that in front of my daughter,” Jack said coldly. “Otherwise I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
Rhoda went scarlet with anger, but before she could speak Sam intervened, at his most mischievous. “Don’t you worry about Kaye, ma’am. My pal Bertie is staying here to protect her virtue.”
They all turned to look at Bertie, who was leaning back on the sofa, happily tipsy, totally useless.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rhoda said through gritted teeth.
“Honestly,” Sam persisted. “He’ll stand outside her bedroom door all night with a big stick, and if my son tries to have his evil way, Bertie will bop him one.”
“Sam, will you grow up?” Jack demanded, sounding harassed. “Bertie, I’ll be glad to have you stay. It will make Kaye happier, but I promise you, there’ll be no need for sentry duty. And you,” he added, turning to his daughter, “can wipe that grin off your face.”
“Yes, Dad,” she said woodenly.
“Kaye, why don’t you say goodbye to your folks now? Then Mary can show you upstairs.”
Kaye embraced her mother, receiving the smallest possible response. Paul hugged her and kept his arm around her waist until they reached the foot of the stairs. Paul’s prospects were improving by the moment.
In a daze Kaye climbed the wide stairs and went along the corridor until Mary flung open the door of a bedroom.
“We weren’t sure how things would work out,” she said, “so Jack said to have a room ready for you, just in case. I hope you like it.”
It was a large room, with floor-length windows at one end leading to a small balcony. Despite its luxury it had a homely feel.
“You’ve got a little bathroom through here,” Mary said, showing her. “And how would you like a cup of tea?”
“I could murder for a cup of tea,” Kaye said thankfully.
As Mary left the room Georgy came in, bearing a pile of clothes. “I’ve brought you some of my own gear,” she said. “We’re about the same size now.”
Kaye glanced through the pile with misgiving, trying to picture herself in clothes designed for a girl of fourteen. But Georgy’s taste was unexpectedly good, and she found some stylish green suede pants and a fawn shirt that went well with them. As the girl had said, they were the same size, except that Georgy’s figure was the more voluptuous of the two.
She helped Kaye strip off the white satin. “We’ll need to get you another wedding dress,” she said, considering. “In fact, we’ll have to go out this afternoon.”
“Georgy—” Kaye protested.
“We’ve got to buy things fast, if Dad’s planning a wedding in three days. That’s so like him. He makes up his mind and zoom! It has to be now, now!”
“Yes, I’m beginning to understand that,” Kaye said worriedly. “Doesn’t he ever regret these impulsive decisions?”
“If he does, he doesn’t let on,” Georgy said. “He says his instincts never let him down.”
“But my family pushed him into this. They didn’t give him any choice.”
Georgy hooted with disrespectful laughter. “Dad?” she shrieked. “He never does anything he doesn’t want to. If people try to push him he just gets more stubborn.”
“Really?” Kaye said hopefully.
“I promise you, Dad wasn’t pushed,” Georgy said. Her voice was kind, making her look and sound oddly mature.
“Tea up!” Mary called, reappearing with a tray.
There were sandwiches and biscuits as well, reminding Kaye that she’d eaten nothing since she got up that morning. Suddenly she was ravenous. The nightmare had lifted and the world was full of hope again.
Chapter Three
There was a knock on the door. “Can I come in?” Jack called.
“It’s okay, she’s decent,” Georgy called back.
Jack nodded his appreciation when he saw Kaye. “They’ve all gone,” he said, “so we can start making plans. Sorry to simply take you over like that, but it wouldn’t have been a good idea for you to go home with your mother.”
“No,” Kaye agreed, shuddering at the thought.
“But Kaye doesn’t have any clothes,” Georgy said, “so I think we should get her some this afternoon.”
“Good thinking.” Jack pointed to the discarded wedding dress. “Was that bought or hired?”
“Bought,” Kaye told him. “Lewis insisted on it, and kept telling me how much he’d spent.”
“Fine. Mary, please return it to Lewis Vane.”
Georgy giggled. “What will he do with a wedding dress?”
“I don’t know, but it belongs to him,” Jack said. “I’m leaving him no excuse to make trouble.”
“Lewis doesn’t like to let anything go to waste,” Kaye observed. “He’ll probably save it for his next bride.” She shuddered, and gasped, “Oh, I’m so glad to be free of him.”
She sat down suddenly, shaking, and hid her face in her hands. Georgy and Mary made instinctive movements toward her, but Jack discouraged them both with a look. A slight gesture in the direction of the door sent them out.
He sat down beside Kaye and put both arms around her in a bear hug that was immensely comforting. “Hey, there,” he said. “No need to get upset.”
“But only this morning when I got up—I thought—”
“You thought you were going to marry Prince Charming, and now you’re stuck with me instead,” he teased.
She gave a little choke of laughter. “If you knew how I dreaded the thought of marrying him—and now... I can’t believe the nightmare may be over.”
“What’s this ‘may be’? Vane won’t bother you again, I promise.”
“But is Paul safe, really safe? Jack, you don’t know how spiteful Lewis can be when he’s thwarted.”
“I’ve said I’ll take care of him for you.”
“And for Paul?”
“Yes, for Paul, if that’s what it takes to make you happy.”
“You must think I’m crazy. I know Paul is a bit immature, but it’s not all his fault. Mom’s spoiled him.”
“Is she the only one?” he asked gently. “How come he thinks he can hide behind your skirts?”
“Because I’ve always let him,” she admitted. “Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I’ve looked after him all my life. He was such a lovely little boy—”
“And now he’s a grown man who should be standing on his own feet,” Jack said firmly. “The best thing that could happen to him would be a spell in jail.”
“Oh, no—you promised. Jack, you promised!”
For a moment her face was wild with fear and he stared at her, shocked. “It’s all right,” he said at last. “I gave you my word and I’ll keep it. Kaye,
I won’t let him go to jail. Trust me.”
“Of course I do,” she said shakily.
The sound of the car returning prevented further talk. He hurried down to meet Harry in the hall. Without a word Harry handed his boss a brown envelope, and Jack went through the contents quickly.
“Fine,” he said at last. “Did he give you any trouble?”
“He tried arguing a bit,” the giant said. “I just stood and looked through him until he gave up wasting energy.”
“Go and have something to eat. It’s going to be a busy afternoon.”
He returned to Kaye and in silence handed her the evidence that incriminated Paul, watching her whole body relax as she studied it. At last she looked up, and Jack caught his breath at the blinding joy he saw in her face.
“You did it,” she breathed. “You really did it!”
“I told you I would.”
“It’s finished,” she said in a disbelieving voice. “Oh, Jack, thank you so much.”
“Don’t I get a kiss as a reward?” he asked, grinning.
It had been half a joke, but the next moment she tossed the papers onto the bed and threw herself into his arms in a passion of emotion.
He embraced her in return, enjoying the feel of her eager body pressed against his. He’d held her once before, on the island, when they’d so nearly made love. Nobody would ever know what it had cost him to call a halt. She’d been melting and lovely, and he’d ached to feel her beneath him, welcoming him into her.
It had taken all his self-control to push her away and try to speak in a normal voice. Her grief had touched his heart and he’d almost weakened, but stronger than desire had been tenderness, and the need to protect her.
Now she was in his arms again, reminding him of all he’d given up with regret, promising everything for the future. Her face was raised to his, happy, inviting, and he smiled as he laid his mouth over hers. He’d meant it lightly, but she felt so good that he stayed as he was, enjoying the sensation, tempted to explore further but knowing that this was the wrong time.
His problem was solved for him by the sound of the door opening, and Georgy’s voice saying, “Whoops, sorry!”
“Come in,” Jack said in a resigned voice, releasing Kaye. He smiled into her eyes, which were bright and ardent. “Soon,” he whispered, and she nodded eagerly.
“Dad, I don’t think you ought to do that,” Georgy said in a shocked voice. “After your promise—”
“Cut it out, young lady,” he warned her, and Georgy giggled.
The promise had been half a joke, but it alarmed him slightly to realize that it could go hang. If his daughter hadn’t burst in he might have yielded to temptation. He was a man who lived an intensely physical life, his sensations always close to the surface. Those few brief moments of holding Kaye against him had aroused not only his desire but also his curiosity. He remembered the night of their “almost loving” clearly enough to be tantalized by his unexpected bride.
Her build was still delicate, but she’d filled out a little since then, become a woman. The lush wedding dress had concealed the details, and in any case, he’d been watching her face, with its fascinating mixture of youth and sadness. But now she was nearly his, and he was intrigued to know if he was going to regret his rash action. Watching her peachy complexion and the sparkling light in her gray eyes, he rather thought he wasn’t.
“Still sure you want to be her stepmother?” he asked, trying to speak normally.
“I’ll take my chances,” Kaye said, and his sharp ears detected that she, too, was a little breathless.
“You’d better go and get kitted out. I’ll have to entrust you to Georgy’s tender mercies, as I can’t spare Mary.”
“I’ve got some clothes at home,” Kaye said, uneasy at throwing herself entirely on Jack’s charity. “I mean, things I paid for myself.”
“I appreciate that, but I don’t want you to go back there. Better for us to start from scratch.”
“We’re going to have a great time,” Georgy said, thrilled at the prospect of a shopping trip. “You’ll need things to wear on your honeymoon—”
“I’m afraid that’ll have to come later,” Jack interrupted. “I’ve got the boat trial in a few days, and I can’t put it off, because my option’s running out.”
“Dad crashed a speedboat last month,” Georgy explained. “He got pretty smashed up, so of course he can’t wait to try it again.”
“Yes, I saw it in the paper,” Kaye said, recalling. “You’re going back so soon? Isn’t it dangerous?”
“Of course it’s dangerous,” Jack said, baffled.
“It’s no fun otherwise,” Georgy translated. “It’ll be terribly exciting. Dad always drives to the limit.”
“Go and call a cab, Georgy,” Jack said. “I can’t even spare Harry this afternoon.”
The room was quieter when Georgy had vanished. Jack smiled awkwardly. “You’ll get used to her. Sorry about the honeymoon.”
“I hadn’t even thought about it,” she assured him. “There’s too much to take in at once as it is.”
“Yes, let’s go one step at a time,” he said with a touch of relief. “I’ll leave you to get ready.”
“Won’t all the shops will be closed by now?”
“It’s only one o’clock.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Kaye rubbed her eyes. “So much has happened already today that I’ve lost my bearings.”
“Me, too. I spent last night on a plane, and went straight to the church from the airport. My head’s still in New York and my stomach’s lost all track of time. But the day’s still young, and we must make the most of it.”
It was Kaye’s second experience of buying clothes at her groom’s expense, but it was a world away from the first. For one thing, there was Georgy, who was her mother’s daughter when it came to a really imaginative spending spree. Despite her youth she had a shrewd sense of style.
She concentrated on Dorrell’s, a huge store in London’s luxurious Mayfair area, where Jack had an account. The staff knew her and fell over themselves to serve her. When they learned that Kaye was the future Mrs. Masefield they treated her with new respect. Jack’s name was barely mentioned, but she felt she was learning more about him by the minute.
Dresses, shoes, coats, underwear: the pile grew as Georgy signed papers with gay abandon. At first Kaye demurred, but her protests grew fainter as she saw that the girl was also seizing the chance to augment her own wardrobe. Besides, she herself looked like a dream in her new clothes. And that was how she wanted to look, for Jack.
They finished up in the store restaurant, in a state of near collapse. “You look as if you need refueling,” Georgy remarked kindly.
“I do. I’m dead on my feet,” Kaye admitted.
Georgy ordered them a hearty meal, and while they were eating it she began to ask Kaye about herself. “I know we met before,” she said, “but that was six years ago. It’s like starting again. Just think of your being ready to marry that creep, just for Paul. You must be awfully fond of him.”
“Yes, very.”
“Is he as nice as he looks?”
Kaye realized that Georgy really wanted to talk about Paul, so she obliged her with stories from their childhood, choosing those that showed her brother in the best light.
After a while the conversation turned to their purchases.
“What do you think of that green dress I bought?” Georgy wanted to know.
“Far too old for you. Your father will say the same.”
The girl gave a shrug of her slim, elegant shoulders and pronounced airily, “Dad’s going gaga in his old age.”
“Old age?” Kaye echoed. “Oh, right. He must be all of thirty-seven.”
“Well, not until his next birthday, actually,” Georgy conceded large-mindedly. “But this stepmother business, ‘keep Georgy in order,’ that sort of thing. It’s a laugh. Look, I’m happy for him to marry you. I think you’re a really nice person. But I li
ve my own life. Okay?”
“You seem to have it all sussed out,” Kaye said mildly.
“I have. I’m not a kid anymore, but he won’t see that. I mean, dragging me back here the way he did. Henri didn’t like it.”
“Henri?”
“My boyfriend. He’s dreamy.”
“I thought Paul had caught your eye.”
“Oh, sure, but a woman really needs more than one string to her bow, don’t you think?” Georgy asked with a world-weary air.
Kaye smiled. “How would your father feel if I took that literally?”
“Oh, not you, of course. You’ve made a commitment to Dad, but I’m still playing the field. Henri’s missing me wildly, passionately, desperately.”
“He’s been in touch?”
“I called him.”
“Georgy, you shouldn’t have done that,” Kaye said instinctively.
The girl bristled. “I do as I like.”
“Of course, but it wasn’t ‘cool,’” Kaye said, hastily recovering lost ground. “You should have waited for him to call you.” Kaye was improvising madly, for cunning behavior was foreign to her, but it was vital for Georgy to feel she was on her side. “Never look eager.”
Georgy considered. “I guess you’re right. Hey, you’re not bad for an ‘old.’ Anyway, I expect Henri will be here soon to take me away. That’s why it’s so disgusting of Dad to make me go back to school. Would you believe, I have to wear a uniform? I’ll just die if Henri finds me looking like a schoolgirl.”
“What do you mean, ‘back to school’? Didn’t you go to school before?”
“Are you kidding? School’s for wimps.”
Kaye began to understand why Jack needed her so badly.
They arrived home to find a mountain of deliveries already there. Mary greeted them with the news that the special license was sorted out, and the wedding was set.
“Of course,” Georgy said gleefully. “Things always happen the way Dad wants them to. Where is he?”
“He’s had to go out, but Sam’s in. I’m off home now. See you in the morning.”
“But tomorrow’s Sunday,” Kaye objected. “Don’t tell me he keeps you working on Sunday, too.”