Ruthless Husband, Convenient Wife

by Madeleine Ker

  ‘Not exactly,’ she cut in. ‘Watkins is Aubrey’s name. My stepfather. I’m entitled to use it.’

  ‘You used it to hide yourself from me.’

  ‘You should have taken the hint,’ she retorted.

  ‘Penny, you can’t bury yourself here. You can’t bury all the passion we feel for each other.’

  ‘Passion dies, Ryan. I didn’t have to bury it. It grew cold as soon as I managed to get away from you.’ He began to speak but she stopped him by raising a slender hand. ‘I thought you had understood, a year ago. It’s over, forever. Your following me here was a bad mistake. Please go, now. And don’t come back.’

  If she’d expected her little speech to make any impact on Ryan, she was disappointed. Those grey eyes, framed by such thick black lashes that they gave the appearance of smouldering like embers, considered her with all their force, all their damnable intelligence. ‘You don’t love me any longer?’ he asked quietly.

  ‘I don’t think I ever did,’ she replied.

  His hair was longer than it had been in London. Then, it had been cropped short and kept neat, as befitted a young, dynamic, self-made millionaire on his way up the dizzy ladder. Now it had grown. Thick black locks half covered his ears and curled round his powerful neck; dishevelled by the wind, his hair looked almost wild, like the pelt of some glossy animal. He had either made it to the top of the ladder, and no longer cared what he looked like—or this was a different, even more dangerous Ryan Wolfe from the one she had known.

  The tall and rangy body, too, looked leaner, though it was hard to tell, as he wore a sheepskin jacket against the bitter cold. The fleecy lining framed his sculpted jaw and muscular throat.

  Who knew, with Ryan? Perhaps he had lost a fortune in some disastrous gamble? He was studying her now with cryptic eyes, his thumb rasping across the unshaven stubble that dotted his lean jaw, a gesture she remembered of old.

  ‘Penny, please grant me one thing,’ he said, evidently struggling to keep his temper. ‘I want to see our child.’

  She felt an icy hand close around her heart. ‘Our child? What are you talking about?’

  ‘The child you bore,’ he said sharply. ‘The baby we made together. Where is he? Or is it a she?’

  Her knees were so weak that she almost had to sit down. ‘Don’t pretend you don’t know what happened, Ryan! That is cruel, even by your standards!’

  His face became like stone. ‘What happened? Tell me.’

  She looked into his eyes. Could it really be that he didn’t know? It was unlike him to play such cruel tricks, though he was capable of being very devious.

  ‘There is no child, Ryan,’ she said in a quiet voice. ‘I miscarried.’

  For a moment it seemed he did not understand. ‘What?’

  ‘I had a miscarriage at three months. I lost the baby.’

  His complexion was usually tanned, with ruddy touches on the harsh cheekbones and in his full mouth. But now she saw the blood drain from his face, leaving him white. ‘I don’t believe you.’

  She turned away wearily. ‘I got sick. Encephalitis. I was in hospital for two weeks. One of the side-effects was the miscarriage. It happened while I was in a coma, so I knew nothing about it until days afterwards.’

  His fingers bit into her shoulders, pulling her round to face his blazing eyes. ‘Is this true?’

  ‘I would not lie about this,’ she said bitterly. ‘Didn’t you get my letter?’

  ‘What letter?’

  ‘I wrote you a letter. When I was discharged from hospital.’ She saw by his face that he didn’t know what she was talking about. He had never received her letter. ‘I don’t know why you didn’t get it. I just assumed you had received it and didn’t want to reply. I’m sorry you had to hear it like this.’

  He covered his face with his hands. There was no doubting his emotion.

  For a moment, pity for him almost melted her own heart. She felt her eyes mist over, and the familiar hot lump of grief filled her throat. She lifted one hand to reach out to him. Her shaking fingers hesitated in the air, not quite having the courage to make that journey across so much space.

  At last, his hands dropped away from his face. ‘Tell me the truth,’ he said. ‘Did you end the pregnancy?’

  She was so shocked that she felt herself go limp for a moment. ‘No, Ryan!’

  ‘Did you get rid of our baby because you had no further use for me?’ Pain and anger had brought his dark brows down, and his mouth was harsh.

  ‘No!’

  He grasped her arms so tightly that she knew there would be marks on her delicate skin. But far more painful was the expression in his eyes, which tore her very soul in half. ‘Promise me!’

  She opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what words she could use that would persuade him she had not done the terrible thing he accused her of.

  But just then, the shop seemed to fill up with people.

  Ariadne came in from the workshop, calling out, ‘Pen, they didn’t have near enough yellow gladioli, so I got cream, is that OK?’

  And the shop door opened to admit Miles Clampett, carrying his carpenter’s tool kit in one hand and two cartons in the other.

  ‘I brought in your milk,’ he said, his alert eyes flickering from Ryan to Penny and back again. ‘Hello, earthlings! Hope I’m not interrupting anything?’

  CHAPTER TWO

  RYAN’S grip on her arms relaxed, and Penny stepped back.

  ‘Cream gladioli are fine, Ariadne,’ she said in a flat voice. ‘Thanks for coming, Miles. The damage is out at the back. Ariadne will show you.’

  Taking the hint, Ariadne led Miles through to the workshop. Both of them were clearly bursting with curiosity about their strange visitor and the palpable air of tension in the shop. Ariadne, who could be guaranteed never to let an eligible male pass unnoticed, gave Ryan an alluring smile as she passed by.

  Ryan gave her a curt nod by way of reply, and as soon as they were alone, he turned on Penny with burning eyes. ‘Penny, please swear that you are telling me the truth!’

  ‘I refuse to swear anything,’ she said, her lips numb. ‘Why shouldn’t you believe me?’

  ‘You threatened you would end the pregnancy!’

  ‘Yes, I know I said I would, but—’

  ‘I didn’t for a moment think you meant it.’

  ‘I didn’t mean it,’ she said passionately. ‘It was one of those crazy things people say when they’re desperate.’

  ‘You threatened to abort the pregnancy if I followed you,’ Ryan reminded her brutally. ‘Did I ever do anything to make you that desperate?’

  ‘I’ll say it once more,’ Penny said with a sensation like an iron band around her heart. ‘I contracted encephalitis. I almost died in that hospital. And when I was finally myself again, I had to deal with the loss of my baby. I would have done anything to avoid that. But there was nothing I could do!’

  ‘Everything OK, love?’ Ariadne asked, returning from the workshop, where Miles had started hammering industriously.

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Penny said in a dull voice.

  Ariadne was staring at Ryan Wolfe with unabashed interest. In the few moments she had been in the back, Penny noticed ironically, she had found time to apply lipstick, brush her hair, lose the army greatcoat and unfasten the top button of her blouse to reveal the luscious curves of her breasts. In the absence of any inclination on Penny’s part to offer introductions, she waltzed in where angels would have feared to tread.

  ‘And this good-looking gentleman is…?’

  Penny had no idea how best to answer that innocent question. My ex-lover. My nemesis. The phrases flitted through her head, but it was Ryan who answered.

  ‘I’m a prospective client,’ he said levelly.

  ‘Oh, goody,’ Ariadne purred. ‘Do you live locally?’

  ‘Yes.’ He glanced at Ariadne. A peony to Penny’s rosebud, Ariadne had curves that Penny would never match, and a coquettish manner to go with them. ‘I�
�m staying in Northcote Hall, on the Dover Road.’

  ‘Northcote?’ Ariadne repeated with interest. ‘Oh, we know it well, don’t we, Penny? Such a beautiful old place. Do you know the family?’

  ‘I’m renting the house for the moment,’ he replied. ‘I may buy it if it turns out to suit my purpose.’ He made it sound as though buying that beautiful country house was a mere bagatelle to him, and Ariadne positively glowed.

  ‘That’s wonderful news,’ she gushed. She was reacting to Ryan the way all women invariably did on first meeting him, Penny saw—greedy fish dying to bite that delicious bait, never seeing the steel hook that lay within.

  Ryan shrugged slightly. ‘The important thing is that I plan to do a lot of entertaining there. I’m not married, and I need someone to take care of my table arrangements, flowers, décor, that sort of thing.’

  ‘Our speciality,’ Ariadne beamed. ‘Isn’t it, Penny? We’re the best there is.’

  Whether Ryan had arrived with this story already concocted, or whether he was making it up as he went along, Penny couldn’t tell. ‘We’re already far too busy,’ she said in a clipped voice. ‘I’m sorry, but we really can’t take on any new clients at the moment.’

  Ariadne didn’t miss a beat. ‘Please forgive my associate,’ she said, patting Penny’s shoulder, ‘she suffers from a rare speech impediment that makes her say no, no, no when she means yes, yes, yes. How often were you planning on entertaining…? I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.’

  ‘Ryan Wolfe,’ he replied. ‘And I generally need to throw at least one dinner party each week, generally on weekends. Around twelve people, sometimes more.’

  ‘Perfect,’ Ariadne said. ‘We’re all dying of boredom here. I hope you’re going to bring all sorts of wonderfully interesting people to our little backwater! By the way, I’m Ariadne Baker. You obviously already know Penny Watkins. We’re the best you could get, Mr Wolfe. Penny’s doing the Lord Mayor’s banquet tonight, as a matter of fact—the flowers, the place settings, everything. If you can take a peek into the Hall tonight around seven, you’ll see what she’s capable of.’

  ‘I might just do that,’ Ryan said meaningfully.

  ‘I know she’s just a baby,’ Ariadne gushed. ‘A mere twenty-three. But so much talent, and with me to guide her—’

  ‘I understand,’ Ryan said drily.

  ‘When do you want to have your first dinner party, Mr Wolfe?’

  ‘Well, I’m still refurbishing the house. It needs some tender, loving care. If I can get it looking halfway decent, I might ask one or two people to dinner on Saturday.’

  ‘We do weddings on Saturdays,’ Penny said shortly. ‘We always have our hands full. Sorry.’

  Ariadne squirmed. ‘But we can make space! If you give us the job, your party will be beautiful, believe me. All your parties will be beautiful.’

  ‘Sorry to interrupt again.’ It was Miles, his arms sprinkled with wood shavings. He leaned in the doorway, giving them all the benefit of the knowing smirk Penny had once thought so amusing. ‘Only, Hippy Dave has smashed your door good and proper. I’m going to need some planks.’ He rubbed thumb and forefinger together meaningfully. ‘The lumber yard won’t give me credit for my handsome face.’

  Penny felt like an automaton as she broke away from the conversation, which had taken a nightmarish turn. ‘How much do you need?’ she asked, opening her purse.

  ‘How much have you got?’ Miles grinned. Before she realised what he was doing, he came over to her and threw an arm familiarly around her waist. Pulling her intimately close, so he could look in her purse, he dipped a sawdust-coated hand deftly inside, and came out with three or four notes. ‘This’ll do,’ he said.

  While they’d still been going out, a few weeks back, that might just have passed as acceptable, but right now he knew he was about ten miles out of line.

  And then he kissed her soundly on the cheek. ‘Thanks, darling,’ he said wickedly. ‘For an earth woman, you are surprisingly un-hideous.’

  He walked out, looking very pleased with his sense of humour. Of all the times for him to decide to play the fool! She caught Ryan’s smouldering gaze on her, and felt his contempt. Unable to explain anything, she gave him a defiant look.

  ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you,’ she said coolly. ‘Whatever Ariadne may think, we’re very busy, and we won’t be taking on any new clients.’

  ‘Penny!’ Ariadne said urgently. ‘Of course we can take Mr Wolfe on!’

  Ryan held Penny’s eyes for a moment longer, then checked his watch, a wafer-thin sliver of gold she had not seen before. ‘I have to be in London in two hours. But I’ll be back. I will attempt to persuade you otherwise. I can be a very generous employer.’

  ‘We’re interested,’ Ariadne said, obviously getting desperate as Ryan moved towards the door, ‘we’re very interested, Mr Wolfe! Won’t you take one of our business cards?’

  The grey eyes examined her. ‘Please call me Ryan,’ he said coolly. ‘And I won’t forget to come back. I’m sorry to leave so abruptly. My timing is a little off key lately. I hope you’ll get used to it.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ariadne said, ‘we can work around your schedule, I’m sure!’

  Ryan nodded his thanks, then stared into Penny’s eyes. His gaze was intense. ‘I’ll get back in touch. And when I do, I will want an explanation, Penny.’

  His broad shoulders, snugly clad in sheepskin, swung through the door. It slammed shut.

  Ariadne hurried to the blind to peer out. ‘Look at that car! My God! Sex on wheels!’

  ‘It’s just a car, Ariadne,’ Penny replied wearily.

  ‘I’m not talking about the car, baby.’ She watched as the sports car accelerated away, then turned to Penny with bright eyes. ‘I never met anyone who was truly magnetic before. But that man is! If I was a bunch of iron filings I’d be coating him in a fine layer!’

  ‘You practically were,’ Penny retorted.

  ‘It’s going to be such fun working for him! Why are you so anti?’

  Ariadne tilted her head on one side. ‘You know him, don’t you?’ she said, her eyes narrowing to green slits. ‘He didn’t just walk off the street at eight o’clock in the morning. Who is he?’

  ‘He’s nobody.’ Tension was slowly ebbing out of her. The shock of being with Ryan after nearly twelve months of separation—and all that had happened in that time—had left her feeling weak. She sat behind the desk and rested her forehead in her hand, feeling nauseous.

  ‘Oh, yes, he’s nobody, all right,’ Ariadne said scornfully. ‘The most wonderful hunk to ever set foot in this staid old town, and he’s nobody? Who are you trying to kid?’

  Penny looked up at Ariadne. Though Ariadne was practically a partner in the business, and a good friend, she knew nothing about her time in London or any of its consequences. She didn’t know a thing about Ryan, about their break-up, about the encephalitis or the miscarriage.

  And if she knew what Ryan’s world was like, and the nature of the ‘wonderfully interesting people’ he was likely to bring to this staid old town, she would be even more stupidly infatuated with him.

  ‘I knew him some time ago,’ she said tersely. ‘It ended badly. That’s all.’

  ‘I knew it!’ Ariadne exulted. ‘And now he’s come back to find you?’

  ‘I think it’s just a horrible coincidence,’ she lied.

  Ariadne gave Penny a shrewd look. ‘He’s rich, right?’

  ‘When I knew him, he was very rich,’ Penny confirmed.

  ‘So when he throws a dinner party, it’s really a big occasion?’

  Penny made a face. ‘Yes.’

  ‘And he’s going to do this every week? Honey, whatever happened between you and him, we can’t afford to turn down that kind of money! We’ve got bills to pay, remember? Light, rent, flowers, the vehicles?’

  ‘I remember,’ Penny said, pressing her fingers into her eyes.

  ‘So when he comes back to you—you are going to say a big yes, aren
’t you?’

  Penny got up and walked out of the back. ‘We’ve got work to do. Let’s see these cream gladioli you’ve bought.’

  ‘You will, won’t you?’ Ariadne pressed, catching up with Penny. ‘You will say yes to the money?’

  ‘Money is nice, isn’t it?’ Penny said, swinging the back door of the van open to reveal a colourful mountain of fresh flowers. ‘But it depends what you have to do for it in return. Sometimes the price is just too high. Come on, we’re late already, and we’ve got a lot of work to do.’

  Ryan’s arrival that morning had released a flood of memories and emotions that she’d been valiantly holding back behind some mental dam deep within herself. Though the day was so busy that she hardly had a moment to draw breath, Penny thought about him every second. Thought about what had existed between them, what they had shared and lost.

  Most of all, she thought about the expression in his eyes when he’d accused her of aborting their child.

  Naturally, he would see it like that.

  It was true that she had made that horrible threat. But of course she’d never had any intention of ever carrying it out! She’d been desperate, and could think of no other threat that would stop him from following her. What had happened to her had seemed like a fateful punishment—though she’d already been sick with the brain inflammation that had almost killed her when she’d said those words.

  Why had her letter never reached him? She remembered writing it.

  When he didn’t reply, or come to her, she’d just assumed that he had been unable to forgive what she’d done.

  That his silence was his answer.

  But in those agonised days after she’d been discharged from St Cyprian’s, her mind had not been working properly. Perhaps she had never posted it. Perhaps even writing it had been a dream.

  Certainly, Ryan had never come to her, though she had thought he would. She had been so alone, with no comfort and no hope.

  He had not come, and she had moved on.