Turbulent Covenant

by Jessica Steele

  All barriers down, Tiffany gave him a playful dig in the ribs and was rewarded with a kiss that might have gone on and on had Ben not been stronger than her. He returned to what he had been saying, his eyes showing delight as he looked down at her slightly flushed and beautiful face. The temptation to play you along was too much for me, I'm glad to say,' he continued, 'and then before I knew what was happening, you started weaving a spell.'

  Tiffany couldn't believe all this was happening to her, and she looked at him lovingly. 'When did it start?'

  `The first inkling I had was when you told me about Nick Cowley. I couldn't understand why, when I'm as aware as the next man what life is all about, I should feel all uptight at the thought of his daring to suggest that you go away with him for a mucky weekend.' Ben hugged her to

  him as she wriggled uncomfortably at that. 'Oh, I know you were all set to go with him, but you'll forgive me, darling, I hope, if I say you are a bit dim when it comes to playing with the big boys—a fact for which, I might add, I'm very grateful.' He pressed a light kiss to the side of her throat. 'I knew you were special when I asked you to marry me, and by the time our wedding day arrived, I knew I was going to keep you with me for ever.' He smiled down at her ruefully. `Even if you did have so little faith in me that you couldn't see further than Shelia Roberts' half-given information— I don't know that I shall forgive you for that.' He dropped his teasing tone, and Tiffany saw some of the warmth leave his face. 'After all,' he said, in that `no nonsense' tone she was familiar with, 'I ignored her, and put her in her place incidentally, when she told me of your mad fling with Michael Croft in Singapore.'

  `Michael Croft? But I ...'

  `Went out to dinner with him.'

  `But I didn't know it was going to be just him and me,' and she went on to tell him everything that had happened from start to finish.

  `I trust you, Tiffany,' he told her when she came to the end. 'You didn't have to explain.' He gave her that rueful look again, and said, 'Well, perhaps you did, but I've always had an inner conviction that you wouldn't play around while married to me. Though that letter from Cowley followed by your decision to end things between us rocked me sideways—I'm afraid whenever I thought of Cowley and you, my worst instincts came to the fore.' His hand stroked the side of her face. Will you forgive me, sweetheart, for what happened after I handed his letter over to you?'

  `Of course.' She'd forgiven him before he had told her he loved her, there was no question of not forgiving him anything now. 'Nick was only writing to apologise for being

  so horrible at Patti's party,' she explained, and was silenced as Ben kissed her. They were silent for some time as one kiss wasn't enough.

  Again it was Ben who drew back. Tiffany's face was glowing with the ardour of his lovemaking, and she smiled shyly at him. 'I've loved you for so long, Ben,' she confessed. 'I was terribly jealous of Holly Barrington to start with.'

  `Holly?' Ben exclaimed, startled. 'Good God, why?'

  `Oh, I know now there was nothing between you and Holly, but when I first met her she was making an awful fuss of you.'

  `Darling, I've known Holly since she was a tot. One of these days when she gets tired of running, she's going to say "Yes" to Ian Repton—you remember Ian?' Tiffany did, Ian had been best man at their wedding, but she had never suspected that he and Holly ... 'You like Holly, don't you?'

  `Oh yes—who couldn't ...?'

  `That's good, because until Ian finally ties the knot, I've a pretty shrewd idea Holly will be dropping in to see you from time to time when we've settled in at Linwood.'

  `I'd forgotten—you're returning to Linwood at the end of the summer, aren't you?'

  `We are, darling—I never had any plans to return without you.'

  Suddenly Tiffany was near to tears. It was all so wonderful, and she found herself confessing, 'I thought you wanted our marriage to end—I thought when you spoke of taking over the running of the estate that you were hinting that it wouldn't be much longer before you had our marriage annulled.'

  She blushed scarlet when he told her, 'You can get all ideas of an annulment out of your head,' and was thrilled when he threw back his head and laughed at her expression.

  The times you've nearly had your come-uppance, young lady ! She didn't need to ask what he meant nor to which times he was referring.

  `Yet when I had toothache, you took me into your bed and didn't ...' Her voice tailed away as she was unable to finish the sentence.

  `Darling, I know you're not experienced in these things, but there is a difference between love and lust. You were so obviously worn out with pain that only an animal would have taken advantage of the situation. Though,' he reflected with the honesty she knew was part and parcel of him, 'I was in a cold sweat when I woke up—thank God you didn't wake up until after I got out of bed !'

  `I was awake before you, Ben,' she confessed quietly.

  He stared at her disbelievingly. 'And you let my hand stay where it was?'

  The colour rioted through her face again. 'I ... I knew it was quite innocent, b-but I didn't know what to do about it. I knew you'd be horrified if you knew, and before I could make up my mind what to do, you awoke and it was obvious you were more agitated than I was.'

  `My Tiffany,' Ben murmured. 'Not only do you have a most beautiful face and body, my lovely girl, you also have a beautiful mind.' And he kissed her reverently. It was a moment to cherish, and Tiffany felt the prick of tears at the back of her eyes, then Ben was lifting her out of the chair.

  `I don't particularly want to go downstairs again, sweetheart—I shouldn't think the reporters are still in the hotel, but just in case, would you mind if we had dinner sent up?'

  `Dinner up here sounds fine,' she agreed, her lovely eyes shining.

  `Good.' Only then did Ben take his arms from around her. 'I'll get in touch with Woody on the phone—he's got my bag somewhere. Then a bath and then ...' Once again

  Tiffany was in his arms, the place she wanted to be. 'Sorry, darling,' he said, not sounding very apologetic. 'I've waited so long to have you willingly in my arms—I can't seem to help myself.'

  Tiffany's eyes were aglow as they answered the love in Ben's smouldering grey eyes. The phone call to Woody could wait.