o 53f50dedf5bfd441

by Ria

  practically lived up in

  Portia's attic room because her portrait made me feel that you were close.'

  ‘Oh, Rudolph,' she whispered in a choked voice as she went into his arms,

  shedding the tears she could no longer control as a fiery happiness swept

  through her at the knowledge that this was where she belonged. 'Darling, I

  love you so desperately.'

  'That's my Janey, tears and all,' he said with a touch of humour as she wept

  and laughed alternately against his broad, dependable chest. 'You don't know

  how much I've longed to hear you say that you still care.'

  'You must have known.'

  'I hoped,' he confessed hoarsely, forcing her ravaged face out into the

  open. 'I love you, Janey.'

  His kiss was infinitely satisfying to them both, but when he released her,

  her thoughts flew instantly to the lonely portrait in the attic.

  'Rudolph, about Portia,' she began, thrilling to the touch of his lips against

  the hollow of her throat. 'Did you know that her brother was my great-

  grandfather?'

  'Yes, I did some digging in the archives while we were in Cape Town.'

  'Why didn't you tell me?' she demanded incredulously, avoiding his

  conquering lips.

  'I intended it as a surprise when you were in a more susceptible mood,' he

  told her seriously. 'From the first moment I saw you I recognised the

  likeness between Portia and yourself. Your surname added to my conviction

  that there had to be a link somewhere, but it was only after our marriage,

  when you became so interested in her portrait, that I decided to make a few

  inquiries.'

  'It all seems so strange.'

  'Yes,' he smiled. 'The broken link has been restored.'

  'It sounds even stranger when you say it like that.'

  'Our love was meant to be, my darling.'

  'I'd like to believe that,' she sighed happily.

  'You can,' he said urgently against her lips, and this time her clamouring

  emotions could not be checked as she wound her arms about his neck and

  responded with a similar urgency to the demands of his embrace.

  'Pack a few things, Janey,' he instructed at length, pushing her away

  from him and straightening his tie.

  She stared at him in bewilderment with her emotions not yet under

  control, 'But, Rudolph-----'

  'The plane I chartered has been refuelled and is waiting to take us to

  Durban,' he interrupted smoothly. 'From there we shall eventually fly on to

  Cape Town to attend Alison's wedding.'

  'I shall have to buy something suitable to wear for the occasion,’ she

  gasped, unable to think clearly as Rudolph took command with a

  swiftness that left her breathless.

  'You can buy whatever you want in Durban, and in Cape Town for that

  matter.'

  'Andrew- ' she tried again, her hands fluttering helplessly.

  'Andrew remains here with Mother and Esme,' he said severely,

  capturing her hands and drawing her up against him. 'Consider this trip as

  our honeymoon.'

  His lips silenced any further protests she might have made and when he

  finally released her, she stared after him in a dazed fashion as he strode

  towards the door.

  'I'm going to inform Mother of our intentions. Be ready when I get back,'

  he threatened, blowing her a kiss before he closed the door firmly behind

  him.

  Janey's heart was beating so fast that she could hardly breathe as she rescued

  the items of clothing he had flung - to the floor, and packed a few things

  before she bathed her face and changed into something appropriate for the

  journey.

  She smiled briefly at her nervous haste as she went

  through to the nursery to find Dora in the process of putting Andrew to

  sleep. He reached out sleepily and clutched at Janey's hair as she hugged

  him swiftly and planted a kiss on his rosy cheek. No matter how much she

  disliked the idea of leaving him behind, she owed it to Rudolph to spend

  these few days alone with him. They had to find each other again among the

  maze of unnecessary misunderstandings which had kept them apart for two

  years, and they had to renew the promise of their love.

  Leaving Dora to cope, Janey returned to her room to stare dreamily out on

  to the garden with its sweeping lawns and colourful borders. This was her

  home now, and she would return to it with Rudolph, knowing at last that she

  belonged. Sybil never was and never could be a threat to her now that she

  had been utterly convinced of Rudolph's love.

  Her heart lifted with joy as she shed the tremendous weight beneath which

  she had laboured for so long. An almost forgotten warmth throbbed within

  her, lifting the corners of her mouth and placing a wealth of tenderness in

  grey eyes no longer cold and shuttered.

  'Ready?' Rudolph wanted to know moments later as he entered her room

  and lifted her suitcase off the bed.

  'Ready,' she laughed up at him, trembling at the sudden fires flickering in

  his eyes.

  He dropped her suitcase with a thud and drew her into a swift embrace, his

  mouth warm and demanding against the softness of her yielding lips, his

  arms curving her suppleness against the hardness of his body.

  'I need you, Janey,' he murmured urgently against her throat. 'I've been

  deprived of your warmth and your love for too long. Don't take it from me

  again, my darling.'

  She answered him in the only way she knew, by sealing his lips with her

  own, and conveying silently the promise he desired. A promise uncluttered

  by foolish doubts and fears.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  ?CHAPTER TWO

  .CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  .CHAPTER NINE

  !CHAPTER TEN