The Jilted Bridegroom

by Carole Mortimer

  While she watched Ben’s face as it went from white to grey she knew she had done that.

  ‘Ben—’

  ‘You had no right going into my bedroom and looking through my things.’ He turned viciously on his father.

  ‘Ben, you’ve committed a crime—’

  ‘What crime?’ he challenged. ‘I only removed my mother’s bracelet to my room for a few days.’

  Roger nodded. ‘At the same time implicating Sarah.’

  ‘And why not?’ Ben’s voice rose. ‘She wouldn’t go out with me, treated me like a child. And then Griff Morgan came along and she didn’t even seem to notice I was alive any more. I thought if I took the bracelet she would turn to me for support. And instead of that she went with him,’ he bit out between clenched teeth. ‘I only wanted—’

  ‘I think,’ Sarah cut in softly, her hands clenched into fists at her sides at this young man’s warped attempt to make her emotionally dependent on him if he couldn’t get her to be attracted to him in the normal way, ‘that it’s past time, Ben, when you learnt you can’t have everything you want. No matter how hard you plot and scheme for it.’ She frowned at the lengths he had been prepared to go to.

  ‘I only wanted you to like me—’

  ‘I do like you—or, at least, I did,’ she amended heavily. ‘I would never trust you with my friendship again. And that’s all I would ever have felt towards you, no matter what you might have done to make it more.’ She sighed. ‘And now I think I had better leave. But please take my advice,’ she pleaded with Clarissa and Roger. ‘For all your sakes!’

  She had reached the front door before Clarissa caught up with her, and she turned defensively to face the other woman, waiting for the verbal blows to fall. At least she was ready for them!

  Clarissa gave a rueful grimace, pale beneath her tan. ‘I can’t blame you for thinking I’ve followed you out here to hurl more abuse at you.’ Her voice was huskily soft. ‘I actually wanted to say how sorry I am. For everything.’

  Sarah certainly wasn’t ready for this!

  She stared at the other woman wordlessly, knowing what the apology had cost Clarissa by the strain about her eyes and mouth; she suddenly looked older than her forty-three years.

  Clarissa gave a self-derisive smile that contained no humour, only pain. ‘Roger and I had the most terrible argument the other night after you left,’ she revealed gruffly. ‘He told me he was on the point of leaving me, that there was no one else involved, certainly not you—’

  ‘I’m certainly not!’ Sarah gasped, as shocked by Roger’s admission as Clarissa must have been; he had always seemed so much in love with his wife.

  ‘I knew that.’ Clarissa squeezed her arm reassuringly. ‘Roger has always loved me, only me, and… I know it’s no excuse for the selfish bitch I’m become—but I suppose I’ve become complacent in that love, taken so many things for granted as I went my own selfish way, including Roger. But,’ her mouth twisted self-derisively, ‘the worm finally turned two days ago. And I realised he really meant what he said,’ she added bleakly. ‘That Roger might still love me, but that he could no longer live with the selfish bitch I’ve become over the years.’ She swallowed hard. ‘It’s only when you realise you might lose something you’ve taken so much for granted that you come to know how much it means to you. Without Roger my life would be nothing,’ she admitted with simple honesty. ‘We still have a long way to go, and I realise you might have thought just now was me acting with my usual bitchiness, but I hope you’ll realise I was simply a lioness trying to protect one of my cubs.’

  Clarissa was more like the leopard trying to change its spots overnight. But Sarah realised as she thought over the woman’s behaviour today, Clarissa was at least trying. And maybe this softer, more vulnerable side to Clarissa was the one her mother knew and felt such affection for. Sarah hoped so.

  She knew she and Clarissa would never become close friends themselves, that the two of them were too different, that they had no common interests, but she certainly didn’t wish the other woman any harm, sincerely hoped the problems of her marriage could be sorted out.

  But, given the problems this couple had with both Sally and Ben, it was going to be an uphill struggle!

  ‘It will work out.’ Clarissa accurately read Sarah’s doubts from her expression, smiling ruefully, some of the colour starting to return to her cheeks now.

  Looking at the firm resolve in the other woman’s face, Sarah couldn’t help but believe it would too!

  Clarissa leant forward impulsively, kissing Sarah warmly on the cheek. ‘Margaret should be very proud of you,’ she said wistfully. ‘I would be if you were my daughter. And I hope you find your happiness with Griff.’

  Sarah had been recovering slowly from the real affection she sensed in the other woman’s kiss, but Clarissa’s remark about Griff sobered her instantly, reminding her all too forcefully that Griff had been talking to Sandra as she’d left him earlier.

  ‘I had better go,’ she said abruptly. ‘I really wish all of you well.’

  ‘I know you do.’ Clarissa nodded. ‘Say goodbye to Griff for us.’

  Sarah could be saying goodbye to him herself in the very near future—there was no longer any reason for her to stay on in the south of France!

  Except that she loved Griff…

  And by now he could have patched up his differences with Sandra, might even now be packing to go to the other woman. They would probably be returning to England on the same plane—Griff to Sandra, she to the loneliness of loving Griff herself.

  She didn’t want to go back to the villa to find that out just yet, deciding to go for a long walk instead, putting off the dreaded moment for as long as possible.

  When the drops of summer rain began to fall on her bare arms she knew she would have to go back, knew from experience that there would be quite a shower before it was warm and sunny once again. In the meantime she would get soaked.

  There was a red car that she hadn’t seen before parked next to Griff’s outside the villa. Yet more reporters, Sarah would hazard a guess.

  But at least if he had visitors Griff couldn’t have already left!

  She had only time to let herself in and walk into the hallway, turning to close the door behind her, when Griff burst out of the lounge, his expression one of barely controlled fury.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ he demanded without preamble.

  ‘I—’

  ‘You disappeared from here this morning without even saying goodbye, and I know you left the Forbeses over an hour ago, because I called them,’ he accused. ‘So where have you been?’

  ‘I—’ Sarah gasped, her eyes wide.

  For standing in the doorway behind Griff, totally recognisable from the original photograph of her Sarah had seen in the newspaper, was Sandra Preston!

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  SARAH’S first thought, ridiculously, was that this woman must have been telephoning Griff from the airport this morning to have got here so quickly after talking to him.

  She turned back to Griff, trying to read from his expression how the other woman’s visit had affected him. But he was still glaring angrily at Sarah, so it was difficult to tell!

  ‘Stop bullying the poor girl, Griff,’ Sandra Preston drawled, moving forward to tuck her hand cosily into the crook of Griff’s arm.

  They looked so much an established couple like that, Sarah realised achingly.

  Sandra had the naturally tanned skin that often went with that particular shade of ash-blonde hair, her eyes so deep a blue that they looked almost violet, looking tall and slender in the fitted yellow sundress.

  With a start of surprise Sarah realised the other woman had a huge diamond engagement ring on her left hand. Griff’s ring…?

  Sarah straightened, meeting Griff’s gaze without flinching. ‘You were busy talking on the telephone when I left this morning.’ The pointed look she gave the other woman told him she knew exactly who he had been talking to to
o. ‘I had already told you I was going to see the Forbeses to straighten things out. I’ve done that,’ she added flatly, ‘but I needed to go for a walk afterwards,’ as much to get the nasty taste from her mouth as not returning back to see Griff straight away.

  His eyes were narrowed. ‘You were right about Ben?’

  ‘Yes,’ she confirmed abruptly. ‘As I said, it’s all sorted out. And now I’m sorry for interrupting the two of you. I’ll just go and—’

  ‘You didn’t interrupt anything,’ Griff rasped, disentangling himself from Sandra Preston’s clinging hand to cross to Sarah’s side and lightly clasp her arms. ‘Are you all right?’ he probed gently.

  She was going to be. One day. When she got over loving this man.

  If she ever did…

  ‘Yes,’ she dismissed briskly, looking uncomfortably over his shoulder at Sandra Preston, surprising a venomous glitter in the other woman’s eyes. ‘I’m sure you and Sandra have a lot to talk about,’ she excused again, the smile she attempted turning out brittle, but it was the best she could do in the circumstances.

  ‘Actually, we have very little to say to each other,’ Griff dismissed, turning to face Sandra now, his arm slipping easily about Sarah’s shoulders. ‘In fact, I think nothing at all,’ he challenged.

  The other woman looked disconcerted for a few seconds, but that look was quickly replaced by a teasing smile. ‘I know you’re a little cross with me at the moment, Griff.’ She pouted as he gave a disbelieving snort, the pout a little childish on a woman who must be thirty, possibly a little older; somehow, from the photograph Sarah had seen of her, she had expected Sandra to be younger than that, but, close to like this, she could see that she wasn’t. ‘But I’ve said I’m sorry.’ She looked at him appealingly with wide violet-coloured eyes. ‘I don’t see what the problems are to our sorting things out between us.’

  His mouth twisted. ‘Apart from the basic ones, which I’ve already made perfectly clear,’ he ground out, ‘there is one other big problem.’ His arm tightened about Sarah’s shoulders, and he looked down at her warmly.

  Sarah couldn’t exactly blame him for using her as an emotional shield; he had very recently been badly hurt and humiliated by this woman. And she, Sarah, did owe him for all the help he had given her. But he could badly regret being this cruel to Sandra once he had thought this through sensibly; the other woman had obviously changed her mind and wanted him back, and revenge for hurt pride wasn’t worth losing her again, surely?

  ‘You’re just being ridiculous about this, Griff,’ Sandra snapped irritably. ‘You don’t even know this girl.’

  Girl? She was probably seven or eight years younger than the other woman, but even so…

  ‘That’s where you are totally wrong,’ Griff drawled. ‘I knew her the moment I met her.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘It’s over between us, Sandra,’ he continued coldly. ‘I’m going to marry Sarah.’

  Sarah looked up at him sharply. ‘I wish you would stop—’

  ‘Do you really want a rebound love?’ The other woman looked at her scathingly. ‘Never knowing whether Griff only wanted you as a salve to his injured pride? Never quite sure how long he’s going to stay—-?’

  ‘That’s enough, Sandra,’ Griff cut in harshly. ‘When I marry Sarah it will be forever.’

  Sandra’s mouth firmed into an ugly scarlet gash. ‘You’ll regret this!’

  He looked down at Sarah. ‘I don’t think so,’ he said confidently.

  Sandra turned briefly and picked up the yellow clutch-bag that perfectly matched the colour of her dress. ‘My father will see that you suffer for this,’ she spat out, all outward signs of the repentant fiancée gone in her anger.

  Griff looked at her pityingly. ‘I don’t think so—your father is a gentleman.’

  She wrenched the engagement ring off her finger. ‘I should have given you this back last time!’ She thrust the ring into Griff’s hand. ‘Maybe your little innocent would like it,’ she added insultingly.

  ‘You chose this monstrosity,’ Griff bit out, looking down at the diamond ring with distaste, ‘you may as well keep it.’ He took her clutch-bag, opened it, and dropped the ring inside before pushing the bag back into Sandra’s hand. ‘Keep it as a reminder of our lucky escape.’

  ‘Why, you—-!’ Her hand was stopped from making contact with his face as Griff easily grasped her wrist. ‘You’re a fool, Griff Morgan,’ she scorned as she wrenched free of him. ‘We could have had a good marriage, had tremendous fun together, and instead you want to settle down in Suburbia with a little secretary—’

  ‘Sarah is a nurse, actually,’ he cut in mockingly. ‘And the sort of fun you’re talking about I can do without!’

  Sandra gave Sarah a scathing glance. ‘I think you’re going to have to!’

  Sarah felt a warm colour in her cheeks. Really, she had been insulted by experts during this time in France. And most of it undeservedly.

  She could quite easily understand Griff’s hurt pride, but did he have to keep telling people they were getting married? He was going to look very foolish when they didn’t!

  Sandra looked at them both coldly. ‘What an utterly boring couple you’re going to make,’ was her parting shot, the door slamming loudly behind her.

  ‘Whew.’ Griff relaxed slightly, his arm falling away from Sarah’s shoulders. ‘What a life-saver you are, Sarah.’ He gave a strained grin. ‘I thought I was never going to get rid of her.’

  Nice to know she was good for something!

  ‘I’m going to get my things together now,’ she told him dully. ‘And then I’m going to telephone the airport and see if I can get a flight home.’

  ‘It’s already done,’ Griff told her cheerfully. ‘I made the booking this morning.’

  Sarah looked at him with widely hurt eyes; he couldn’t wait to get rid of her now, could he?

  ‘For both of us,’ he added, instantly dismissing her theory.

  ‘You’re going back to England too?’ She frowned. ‘But I thought you came here to work.’

  ‘We both know that wasn’t my initial reason for coming here,’ he drawled. ‘And the book can wait a week or two longer, as it’s already waited this long. There are some things I have to clear up in England before coming back here.’

  ‘Oh. I see.’ Sarah nodded dully, all her hopes finally dashed; he was going back because he had business in England; it was pure coincidence that he was returning with her.

  ‘I doubt it,’ he drawled. ‘But you will.’

  That sounded a little ominous, but Sarah could read nothing from his expression as he just grinned at her conspiratorially and refused to be drawn any further.

  * * *

  Travelling with Griff was even more hectic than travelling with the Forbes tribe had been!

  Somehow several more of Griff’s ex-colleagues had managed to find out which flight they were on, and they were mobbed by reporters as soon as they left Customs at Heathrow Airport.

  The flight over itself had been made worse by the fact that Sandra had been on the same flight as them, returning to England herself, her trip to France having been a wasted one. It was a possibility that neither Griff nor Sarah had thought of!

  Although it turned out to be lucky for them once the reporters realised who Sandra was, all rushing off to interview her, their curiosity in full flow.

  ‘Your address?’ Griff prompted Sarah as they managed to get into a waiting taxi.

  Sarah gave it to him distractedly, knowing the time had come for them to part. On the drive down to Nice, even on the flight over, she had been able to put such thoughts from her mind, but now she realised it was only half an hour or so until they parted, probably never to meet again.

  That was why she was surprised when Griff paid the taxi fare and got out on to the pavement beside her.

  ‘Do you live around here too?’ She looked at him incredulously once they were alone; it would be too ironic if they had only lived around
the corner from each other all the time!

  ‘I do now,’ he grinned. ‘How big is your flat?’

  ‘My—-? Griff, you can’t stay with me,’ she protested as she realised what he was implying.

  He picked up both their suitcases. ‘Where else would I stay but with my wife?’

  ‘Griff, I’m not—’

  ‘But you will be,’ he said confidently, looking up admiringly at the Victorian building where she had her flat. ‘How many bedrooms do you have?’ He began to walk up the steps to the main door.

  ‘One.’ Sarah stumbled after him. ‘But—’

  ‘It will do,’ he nodded. ‘As a start. We’ll have to move eventually, of course, but—’

  ‘Griff, will you stop this now?’ She felt like stamping her foot in frustration at this ability he had to listen only to what he wanted to hear. And at the moment he wasn’t making the slightest bit of sense! ‘There’s no one you need protect yourself from here, Griff,’ she reasoned gently as he turned to look at her. ‘And the more people you tell we’re getting married the worse it will be when we don’t.’

  He put the suitcases down on the top step, his arms folded challengingly across the front of his chest. ‘I’m not taking no for an answer,’ he told her stubbornly. ‘Even if I have to camp out on your doorstep until you say yes!’

  ‘Griff, why are you doing this?’ she groaned, her face pale.

  ‘Why?’ he repeated incredulously. ‘Because I love you, you silly woman.’

  Sarah could only gaze at him for several stunned seconds, and then she shook her head sadly. ‘You can’t—’

  ‘Love you?’ he finished questioningly. ‘Of course I can,’ he dismissed impatiently. ‘You’re everything that any man in his right mind could love.’

  ‘An innocent.’ She made that sound as insulting as Sandra Preston had earlier. ‘Suburban. Secretary material. Boring.’ She clearly remembered all of the barbs, because all of them had struck home, perfectly illustrating her unsuitability for Griff, her lack of attraction for him.