To Marry McAllister

by Carole Mortimer - Bachelor Cousins 03 - To Marry McAllister

  Except Richard Latham had already done that…

  He had also been filled with a need to hit the other man because he was the one being allowed to protect Sabina!

  Sabina shrugged, still avoiding the directness of Brice’s gaze. ‘He agreed to be put under psychiatric care for his actions that night,’ she stated flatly. ‘Which is why it was never taken any further.’

  It was also the reason that the incident had never become public knowledge. Oh, Brice could see why Sabina preferred it to be that way. He just couldn’t rid himself of the mental image of a female celebrity who had been shot dead in similar circumstances a couple of years ago.

  ‘Look, Brice.’ Sabina sat forward agitatedly. ‘That’s all over now, and—’

  ‘Is it?’ he rasped harshly. ‘What about the letters you’re still receiving?’

  He was taking a risk on guessing she was still receiving those threatening letters, but one look at her stricken face and he knew that he had guessed correctly about that distinctive green envelope, the one that had arrived in the post and that she had reacted to so strangely that day he’d called to see her.

  His mouth twisted angrily. ‘I don’t think the psychiatric care has been too successful—do you?’

  The slenderness of her throat moved convulsively as she swallowed hard. She drew in a harsh breath. ‘Brice, I really would rather not discuss this.’ She shook her head agitatedly.

  ‘I can understand that,’ he acknowledged heavily. ‘But the man hasn’t stopped, has he? He’s obviously just biding his time until he has the chance to get to you again. He—’

  ‘Stop!’ Sabina cut in harshly. ‘Just stop this, Brice,’ she said shakily. ‘I— The letters have stopped. I haven’t received one for weeks now.’ She shook her head.

  ‘At a guess I would say you had received another one the day I called to see you and you were “ill” in bed,’ he guessed shrewdly.

  Sabina’s gaze flickered briefly across his face before being averted once again. ‘You’re very astute, Brice,’ she told him huskily. ‘I— That was the last one I received.’

  ‘Four weeks ago.’ He nodded. ‘How often were you receiving them before that?’ His gaze was narrowed questioningly.

  She swallowed again. ‘Every couple of weeks,’ she acknowledged huskily,

  ‘A little early to presume there will be no more, don’t you think?’ Brice rasped, the anger he felt towards this unknown man making him sound harsh.

  Sabina opened her mouth to say something, and then obviously thought better of it, shrugging instead.

  ‘Sabina…?’ Brice looked at her questioningly. ‘What is it you aren’t telling me?’ he prompted slowly, more convinced by the moment that there was something.

  She forced a bright smile to her lips. ‘Goodness, there must be lots of things I’m not telling you, Brice,’ she dismissed lightly. ‘We don’t know each other well enough to share confidences!’

  Didn’t know—! Brice drew in a sharp breath. He knew this woman well enough to know he was in love with her, that he thought of nothing else but her, night and day—how much better did he need to know her?

  ‘Thanks!’ he snapped irritatedly.

  ‘You’re welcome.’ She gave him that mischievous grin again.

  Brice gave her a reproving frown. ‘You’ve obviously been very busy the last three weeks.’ So busy that she had either been ‘out’ or ‘unavailable’ every time he’d telephoned her!

  Again he sensed that sudden wariness in her. Not that old fear that he now knew the reason for, just wariness. Why?

  ‘I did tell you weeks ago that my schedule is very heavily booked for the next six months,’ she returned noncommittally.

  ‘So you did,’ he drawled. ‘I haven’t been exactly idle the last three weeks myself,’ he added dryly.

  ‘Oh?’ She gave him a look of polite interest.

  A look Brice instantly resented. The last thing he wanted from Sabina was her politeness!

  ‘I’ve finished the portrait,’ he told her abruptly.

  She blinked. ‘My portrait?’

  He gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘None other,’ he drawled.

  A flush darkened her cheeks. ‘But—I—I didn’t finish sitting for it,’ she said agitatedly. ‘Besides, I—you— Richard told you he no longer wanted it,’ she concluded awkwardly.

  Brice’s eyes narrowed angrily. ‘Do you think so little of my artistic talent that you believe I’m incapable of painting a subject without having them sit in front of me for hours at a time?’ he rasped.

  ‘No! But—’ She made a dismissive movement. ‘Why bother when you no longer have a—a client, to sell it to?’ She gave a perplexed frown. ‘I suppose that I could always—’

  ‘It isn’t for sale!’ Brice cut in harshly.

  He had sat and finished Sabina’s portrait for his own sake, for the sake of his sanity, it had felt like at times. Painting her image on canvas had been his only way of feeling in the least close to her this last three weeks!

  And, even if he did say so himself, it was a wonderful portrait; Sabina painted against the background of that room at his grandfather’s castle, a wistfully beautiful Sabina, surrounded by the mystery that was such a part of her.

  There was no way that Brice would ever sell it. To anyone. In the circumstances, it was just as well that Latham had changed his mind about wanting it—Brice would have had a difficult time telling the other man that the portrait was not for sale!

  Sabina shook her head. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Brice’s mouth twisted sardonically. ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘No.’ She looked more puzzled than ever. ‘What are you going to do with it?’

  ‘I’m not sure…’ he answered slowly. ‘I may exhibit it.’ Although the thought of letting Sabina’s portrait out of his possession for a moment, even to a reputable gallery, told him that he probably wouldn’t do that, either. Perhaps he would just hang it in his bedroom—it was the closest he was ever going to get to having Sabina there!

  ‘Let me know if you decide to do that.’ Sabina nodded. ‘I would love to come along and see it.’

  ‘You can come to my home at any time and do that,’ Brice returned harshly.

  Sabina gave a tight smile, shaking her head. ‘I think I’ll wait for the exhibition.’

  He shrugged. ‘Please yourself,’ he bit out tautly.

  The atmosphere between them had changed over the last few minutes, Brice realised frowningly, Sabina having lost most of that effervescence he had noticed in her earlier. And he wanted it back!

  ‘Sabina—’ He broke off abruptly, becoming very still as he watched her lift her coffee-cup to her lips, totally stunned as he realised there was something else that was different about Sabina this evening. Something he should have noticed earlier, but hadn’t.

  Her left hand was bare of the huge diamond ring that, to Brice, had clearly represented Richard Latham’s possession of her!

  Sabina looked at Brice enquiringly, realising as she did so that he was staring transfixed at her left hand. Her bare left hand.

  There were several excuses she could have given him for her engagement ring not being there: she never wore it when she was modelling and had forgotten to put it back on after the show; it was at the jeweller’s being made smaller—she had lost half a stone in weight the last three weeks, much to the chagrin of the people she worked with, who had had to alter the clothes she modelled—or she could just say she had forgotten to put it on this evening. But none of those excuses would have been the truth…

  ‘Where’s your ring?’ Brice finally seemed to collect himself enough to ask.

  Sabina made a show of looking down at her bare hands. What was Brice going to think if she told him she didn’t have the ring because she was no longer engaged? The truth, probably, you idiot, she instantly remonstrated with herself—that she and Richard were no longer together! And that Brice was the reason for that…?

  She sat
up straighter in her armchair, her gaze very direct as she looked across at Brice. ‘I have no idea what Richard has done with it since I gave it back to him,’ she told Brice evenly.

  He gave a pained frown. ‘You gave Latham back his engagement ring?’

  ‘Yes,’ she confirmed shortly. ‘I didn’t think it was right to keep it as we’re no longer engaged,’ she added dryly.

  ‘When did you give it back to him?’ Brice prompted slowly, very tense now.

  If she said, Three weeks ago, the time she and Richard had returned from Scotland, then Brice was going to assume that he had something to do with the engagement being broken—either that Richard had guessed they had been in each other’s arms that day, or—worse—that Sabina had broken the engagement because of her realised feelings for Brice. That last reason might be the correct one, but she didn’t have to be stripped of all her pride!

  Brice leant forward in his chair. ‘I’ve been calling the house the last three weeks to speak to you,’ he told her harshly. ‘The housekeeper told me you were unavailable!’

  Sabina gave a rueful smile. ‘I suppose that’s technically correct—I haven’t lived at the house for several weeks. Look, Brice, it’s very late,’ she added firmly, bending to pick up her bag, ‘and it’s been a long evening, so if you’ll excuse me—’

  ‘No, I won’t excuse you!’ he burst in forcefully, his expression grim. ‘You can’t just get up and leave after telling me you’ve broken your engagement to Latham!’

  ‘Of course I can,’ she told him reasoningly. ‘Anyway, the engagement was broken by mutual agreement,’ she added hardly. ‘It’s no big deal, Brice,’ she dismissed lightly as Brice still scowled. ‘In fact, I’ve quite enjoyed these last few weeks of freedom,’ she added with some surprise.

  Something had changed inside her the night her engagement to Richard had ended, a reassertion of her old confident self, her independence, the fear she had lived under for these last months also coming to an end that night. For a very good reason…

  Her mouth tightened. ‘I like being my own person again, Brice,’ she told him dismissively. ‘I’ve moved into my own apartment,’ she explained. ‘I do what I want, and go where I want.’ She shrugged. ‘I must admit I had forgotten how good that feels,’ she concluded softly.

  And she had. After the attack she had lived in dread of something like that happening again, had been only too glad of Richard’s offer of protection. She just hadn’t realised the price he’d expected her to pay for that protection…

  But these last three weeks of standing on her own feet she had regained the confidence she had lost after the attack, had been determined that she had to do that. And she had succeeded. Much better than she had anticipated.

  Her apartment had been chosen and paid for, furniture moved in, she had even resumed some of her social life with some of the other models, had decided that she simply couldn’t live in fear of the attack being repeated, that she wanted to live the full life she had known before.

  She was even—although she doubted Brice would believe it—looking forward to attending her mother’s engagement dinner next weekend, was truly pleased for her mother and Hugh.

  She had telephoned her mother and arranged to have lunch with her a week ago, and the two of them had talked together in a way that they never had before, had attained a closeness that Sabina cherished. And her mother, Sabina knew, would never repeat any of that particular conversation to Brice…!

  ‘I see,’ Brice answered her slowly. ‘Then there’s no point in my asking you to have dinner with me tomorrow evening?’ he added harshly.

  Sabina was about to facetiously agree with him that there wasn’t, and then she wavered as she saw the intensity of his expression as he waited for her answer.

  She drew her breath in softly, the tension between them now so heavy she felt as if she could reach out and touch it. ‘Why would you want to do that?’ she delayed huskily.

  ‘Because it’s too soon to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me!’ he bit out self-derisively.

  Sabina’s eyes widened with shock as she stared at him disbelievingly. Had Brice just said—? Had he really just—?

  She shook her head dazedly, couldn’t speak, daredn’t speak. Was Brice telling her that he loved her?

  ‘I take it that’s a no to spending the rest of your life with me,’ Brice rasped hardly as he obviously saw that shake of her head. ‘Okay, then I’ll settle for the dinner together I originally asked for!’

  He was going too fast for her—she was still trying to get over the shock of his last statement! How had he jumped from dinner to a lifetime together? Had she missed something?

  ‘Could we just go back a few steps, Brice?’ she said slowly, looking at him uncertainly now. ‘I know you’ve flirted with me the last couple of months, that you’ve even kissed me—’

  ‘Let me just put you straight about something before you continue, Sabina,’ he cut in firmly. ‘I don’t flirt. I never have. I never will,’ he stated flatly.

  ‘But—’

  ‘As for the kisses,’ he continued as if uninterrupted. ‘It was a question of kissing you or putting you over my knee and spanking you—I chose the more pleasurable option. For myself!’

  Sabina swallowed hard, a bubble of happiness starting to build up inside her as she listened to him. A fragile bubble she was very much afraid would suddenly be burst!

  ‘Brice, could we get out of here?’ She frowned. ‘Go somewhere where we can talk less publicly?’ The lounge of this busy hotel was still full of people, despite it being after midnight.

  He looked at her for several long minutes before answering. ‘Can I have your agreement to have dinner with me tomorrow first?’ he finally said slowly.

  If what she thought—hoped—was true, he could have her promise for more than that!

  But she didn’t say that, just nodded, still too stunned to dare to believe what Brice was saying to her.

  ‘Good enough,’ Brice bit out forcefully, standing up. ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  Sabina shyly took the hand he held out to her as she got slowly to her feet, leaving her hand nestling within the warm confines of his as they walked out into the night.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  BRICE had never felt so nervous in his entire life as he poured Sabina and himself a glass of brandy. Admittedly Sabina had left the hotel with him, driven them both back to his home, but he was still uncertain of her motive for doing so. Did she just want to let him down gently, away from that crowded hotel? Or was it something else?

  ‘There we are.’ He crossed the sitting-room to where Sabina sat in one of the armchairs, handing her the glass of brandy before taking a sip of his own. Although the fiery liquid did little to warm him; he felt like a prisoner awaiting sentence!

  ‘Sabina—’

  ‘Brice—’

  They both spoke together, smiling ruefully at each other as they both stopped at the same time too.

  ‘You first,’ Brice invited, remaining standing, feeling too restless to sit down. Sabina might no longer be engaged to Latham, but that didn’t mean he stood a chance with her himself. In fact, the comments she had made earlier about enjoying her freedom seemed to imply the opposite. Although she had at least agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow…

  Sabina drew in a deep breath before speaking, her brandy remaining untouched in the glass. ‘There are some things I have to tell you before—before—’

  Before ‘passing the sentence’? Brice wasn’t sure, after all the weeks of tension, that he could get through this. Before he had been tied by the fact that Sabina was engaged to another man, that loyalty alone—he didn’t even want to think about Sabina being in love with Richard Latham—meaning she couldn’t, wouldn’t respond to Brice’s interest in her. But now that excuse was out of the way, there was still no reason to believe Sabina might be interested in him!

  ‘Then tell me,’ he rasped more harshly than he meant to, wincing as he saw the
way she tensed at his tone. ‘I’m sorry,’ he sighed. ‘I’m afraid I’m not the most patient of men,’ he acknowledged ruefully.

  ‘I would never have guessed!’ She gave a slight smile. ‘Anyway,’ she began again, ‘as I’ve already explained, I am no longer engaged to Richard.’ She looked straight at Brice now, blue gaze unblinking. ‘The engagement was broken exactly three weeks ago. The moment we returned from Scotland, in fact,’ she admitted ruefully.

  ‘Go on,’ Brice encouraged huskily, almost afraid to breathe now in case he broke the moment.

  She sighed, taking a sip of the brandy before continuing. ‘I was the one to broach the subject, but—Richard had reached the same conclusion. I—’ She gave a pained frown. ‘I saw a Richard that day I hadn’t known existed. A man who will go to any lengths—any lengths,’ she repeated with a shudder, ‘to add what he considers unique to his already vast collection.’ She looked up at Brice now, her eyes glittering brightly with unshed tears. ‘You said earlier that it was too soon to know whether or not those horrible letters had stopped. I can assure you that they have,’ she said gruffly. ‘Because Richard was the one sending them!’

  Brice stared at Sabina, unable to take in exactly what she was saying. How could Latham have been responsible for sending those letters? For one thing, there had definitely been a man last November sending her letters and making threatening telephone calls, because he had been put under psychiatric care after his attack on Sabina. Secondly, Latham was supposed to be in love with Sabina, and he must have known how much receiving those letters upset her…

  Or was that the point? Brice wondered sharply. Hadn’t Latham’s own nephew warned Brice about ever tangling with him, that his uncle was a fierce collector of priceless objects? And Sabina, although certainly not an object, was certainly priceless!

  Sabina gave a humourless smile as she saw the obvious bewilderment on Brice’s face. ‘Hard to believe, isn’t it?’ she said shakily. ‘I still find it difficult to believe I could ever have trusted such a man!’ She shook her head self-disgustedly. ‘But it is true, Brice. Richard and I argued that day when we returned from Scotland. Richard said some things that were—’ She swallowed hard. ‘He was angry because he guessed— He was angry,’ she repeated flatly. ‘And in the course of that anger he told me that once I had agreed to marry him he had been the one to take up sending me those letters.’