She was doing it again! Stop this, she inwardly berated herself, picking up her own cup of coffee and sipping it, grateful for the distraction. Poor Anthony; it seemed he was being pushed into this marriage from all sides!
Her coffee drunk, the conversation concluded to her satisfaction—whatever that might be!—Celia excused herself, saying that she had some flowers to arrange and they were having guests to dinner this evening.
It was just Annie’s luck that as she left the sitting-room immediately after Celia Anthony should be descending the stairs. They had parted in Rufus’s study the previous evening, Anthony giving her a brief kiss on the lips before he went back to join his mother and Davina. A mother and a fiancée who had been discussing his forthcoming marriage. To say Annie was confused was putting it mildly!
Anthony gave her a searching look. ‘Anything wrong?’
Yes, he was going to be married at Christmas, a matter of months away! And last night he had kissed her—again. Of course there was something wrong! But she was as much at a loss over what to do about it as she had been yesterday, down on the jetty.
‘Anthony, I think we need to talk,’ she began. ‘Your mother has just told me—’
‘About the wedding!’ His grimaced his own feelings about that subject. ‘Don’t worry, Annie, it won’t happen.’
She looked up at him with dark brown eyes, lashes long and silky. Because of her? She wasn’t sure she wanted that responsibility, her own feelings towards him in total confusion. Since Rufus’s arrival …
‘And when do you intend telling Davina that?’ she challenged. ‘When the two of you reach the altar?’
Anthony’s mouth tightened at the undoubted rebuke. ‘I think that’s my business, don’t you?’ he snapped resentfully.
Not because of her, she realised thankfully, noticing things about him today that hadn’t been visible when she’d been blinded by his charm and obvious good looks. With his anger came a slight twist of cruelty to his mouth, a coldness to his eyes, and—
‘Hey, stop looking so worried,’ he cajoled smilingly, that cruelty and coldness instantly gone, the laughter back in his eyes. ‘I’m not really angry with you.’ He grasped her arms lightly. ‘Just a bit frustrated with the situation. Come on, Annie,’ he encouraged softly. ‘Smile for me.’
She was still confused, and it wasn’t a situation she was comfortable with at all. ‘I—’
‘Trouble in paradise?’ mocked a voice that was becoming increasingly familiar, Annie turning with a start to see Rufus coming down the hallway towards them, a sardonic grin curving those sculptured lips.
He looked taller than ever today, almost predatory in a black silk shirt and black denims, his dark hair long and unruly, even his eyes appearing black.
Annie had seen him only briefly earlier when he’d come to collect Jessica for her game of chess, and she found she was looking at him differently with the knowledge of what his marriage to Joanne must have been like. His arrogance was unmistakably an integral part of his nature, and she could only wonder at the blow his pride must have taken when he’d realised Anthony had been Joanne’s lover—first …!
His eyes rested on her as he reached the two of them, one brow raised in silent query. It was a question Annie would never answer, wishing she didn’t have knowledge of his wife at all, that Anthony had never told her. It gave Rufus a vulnerability she would never have associated with him otherwise.
Rufus’s gaze hardened as he turned to his brother. ‘You were born a century out of time, Anthony,’ he rasped contemptuously. ‘This fascination you have with the female members of the household staff—no offence intended, Annie,’ he added mock-apologetically before turning back to Anthony with cold black eyes. ‘It would have been more understandable a hundred years ago—although no more acceptable!’
Anthony had released Annie the moment his brother had first spoken, a flush to his cheeks now. ‘At least I can appreciate a beautiful woman when I see one!’ He returned the insult.
Rufus remained unmoved by the open retaliation in his brother’s voice. ‘You’re engaged to a beautiful woman,’ he replied. ‘I suggest that in future you stick to her.’ He took a firm grip of Annie’s arm. ‘And leave innocents like Annie alone!’
She felt like a bone argued over by two equally determined dogs! Besides, she didn’t like the way Rufus, when it suited him, treated her as being no older than Jessica …
‘That’s rather a big assumption to have made on my behalf on so short an acquaintance,’ she told him pleasantly as she quietly but firmly moved out of his grasp, meeting his gaze squarely.
‘Are you saying you aren’t an innocent?’
They might have been the only two people standing there, their eyes locked in silent battle.
She wasn’t a complete innocent, had had her share of boyfriends in the past, but in the true sense of the word, in the way that Rufus meant—
‘Anthony, darling.’ Davina Adams strolled down the stairs behind them, a tall, willowy blonde of twenty-eight, and beautiful, as Rufus had already stated. ‘My headache is better now.’ She smiled at her fiancé, her wide blue eyes seeming to take in the tension surrounding the three at the bottom of the stairway—then dismissing it. ‘Shall we go for that drive into town now? We could have some lunch out too,’ she continued lightly. ‘Rufus. Annie.’ She acknowledged them rather belatedly before turning back questioningly to her fiancé.
Annie had met Davina for the first time over the weekend, and she was no nearer getting past that outer façade of charm to the real person beneath than she had been then. Perhaps it wasn’t a veneer. But if that was the case, then Davina was a very shallow person, seeming to have no other interests than shopping, and her own appearance. But, nevertheless, she was very beautiful …
‘Fine,’ Anthony agreed easily. ‘If you’ll excuse us?’ he threw carelessly at Annie and Rufus, Davina clinging to his arm as the two of them left the house.
‘When Davina says jump, he jumps,’ Rufus drawled into the silence that followed their departure.
Annie looked up at him frowningly. Exactly what did he mean by that remark?
‘But she is very beautiful,’ Rufus added.
‘Yes,’ Annie agreed flatly.
‘And rich.’
‘Yes …’
‘It’s a fact of life, Annie—’ Rufus shrugged ‘—that my brother has already gone through most of his inheritance, and that he does have expensive tastes. And there’s no getting away from the fact that Davina is a very wealthy young woman.’
Annie frowned. ‘And I’m obviously not?’
Rufus frowned too now. ‘I don’t believe we were discussing you, Annie,’ he said curtly. ‘Were we …?’
This man was an investigative reporter, and it had never been more obvious to her than at this moment how good he was at his job. She had just given him information he hadn’t asked for, had confirmed, without actually saying the words, her own interest in Anthony! Albeit an interest she was no longer sure of …
‘No,’ she responded briskly. ‘Shall I go to Jessica now?’ She deliberately resumed her role as his employee. ‘I’m sure you must have things to do.’
‘I do.’ He nodded, still looking at her intently. ‘Apparently I’m taking you out for lunch. The two of you. At Jessica’s request,’ he added—as if he sensed the refusal she had been about to make.
Her refusal had been purely instinctive, a wish not to spend any more time in Rufus Diamond’s company than she needed to. But his mention of Jessica reminded her of exactly what she was doing here!
‘Of course,’ she accepted coolly. ‘I’ll just go up and get Jessica’s coat.’ She turned to ascend the stairs.
‘Annie …?’
She had almost reached the top of the wide staircase—almost escaped what now felt like an emotional battering. Rufus Diamond was not a relaxing man to be around; in fact, he was the opposite. She felt as if she constantly had to be on her guard around him.
&nbs
p; She drew in a deep breath, turning slowly. He stood exactly where she had left him, tall and infinitely powerful, despite the obvious grandeur of the surrounding reception area and wide curved staircase. Master of all he surveyed!
‘Yes?’ Even to her own ears her voice sounded apprehensive!
He grinned at her, that slightly wolfish grin that was so disarmingly charming. ‘I’ll beard the lioness in her den and tell Celia we’re all deserting her for lunch!’
Her breath left her in a relieved sigh at the innocuousness of his comment—the first indication she had had that she was still holding it in! ‘Fine.’ She nodded dismissively.
‘Oh, and Annie …?’
She had reached the top of the stairs now, had thought he had finished with her, turning impatiently as she realised he hadn’t. Was he doing this on purpose? The laughter in those deep blue eyes seemed to say he was!
‘Yes, Rufus?’ she replied ruefully.
The grin widened, those laughter lines appearing now beside his nose and mouth. ‘Don’t bother to change on my account; you look good in denims too!’
The appreciative look he gave her told her he had been watching her as she’d walked up the stairs, and she was suddenly very conscious of the fit of her jeans as they clung to the curve of her bottom and long, slender legs.
‘I wasn’t about to,’ she told him waspishly, finally making good her escape, but she could hear his laughter following her as she hurried down the hallway to collect coats for Jessica and herself, hot colour in her cheeks as she realised she was the reason for his amusement.
And she now had to spend the next few hours in the man’s company! Wonderful! She was already starting to regret her earlier wish that Rufus would stay longer this time; now she hoped he would soon leave again!
Although later she felt really guilty for wanting that as she watched Jessica’s pleasure in having her father’s company for a few hours. Jessica obviously adored him, and the affection was more than reciprocated. Whatever might have gone wrong in his marriage, Rufus Diamond loved his daughter very much.
Annie stood slightly outside of the relationship, feeling slightly superfluous as Jessica turned to her father for all her needs.
‘You look sad all of a sudden.’ Rufus softly interrupted her reverie, another indication Annie had that he had been watching her without her being aware of it. ‘Nothing I’ve said or done, I hope?’ He quirked that left brow of his in the disconcerting way he had, looking at her closely.
They had gone for a drive before stopping off at a pub for a light lunch, where Jessica was in her element seated between the two adults, her good humour unmistakable. And Annie had realised, in the last few minutes, that if Rufus ever decided to return home permanently she would no longer be needed. At the same time she knew how selfish her thoughts were, that it would be much better for Jessica to have her father at home with her than to be in the care of a hired nanny.
‘No,’ she assured him wistfully. He hadn’t said or done anything; he just was who he was, and Jessica adored him.
Rufus still looked concernedly at her over the top of his daughter’s head. ‘Sure?’
‘Sure.’ She gave him a bright, meaningless smile. He wasn’t to blame for the fact that she had become so fond of Jessica, the thought of ever being parted from her was like a physical pain. Not to become too emotionally involved with her charge had been part of her training, and at the kindergarten that hadn’t been too difficult to do, but now …
‘Has anyone ever told you that you have the most expressive eyes …?’ Rufus muttered.
She gave him a startled look, suddenly feeling, as their gazes locked and held, that they were the only two people in the noisy, crowded room.
‘The most amazing eyes!’ he muttered again, shaking his head, as if he was under a spell he wanted broken.
‘I thought you said they were expressive?’ Annie murmured huskily.
‘Expressive! Beautiful! Amazing …! God damn it—’
‘Granny said not to use that word unless in prayer,’ Jessica said reprovingly to her father—reminding the two of them that she was there! ‘And you weren’t praying, Daddy.’ She grinned up at him teasingly.
Rufus looked down at his daughter for several stunned seconds, and then he smiled at her, lightly ruffling her hair. ‘In a way, that’s exactly what I was doing,’ he told her softly, his expression enigmatic as he glanced across at Annie.
Annie gazed back just as enigmatically at him—because she didn’t understand him at all! One minute they had been discussing the fact that she had gone very quiet, the next—Her eyes …? There seemed to be no connection between the two to Annie.
‘I prayed last night too, Daddy.’ Jessica continued the conversation, taking it at its face value. ‘I prayed you wouldn’t go away again for a very long time. What were you praying for?’ she added guilelessly, completely unaware of the heart-wrenching effect her words had had on both adults.
Annie now felt even more ashamed of her earlier thoughts, and as she looked across at Rufus she wondered how he felt at learning just how upsetting his daughter found his long absences.
His face was softened with love as he looked at Jessica. ‘I prayed for the same thing, love,’ he told her gruffly.
Jessica nodded in that totally adult way she sometimes had. ‘Perhaps if we both pray for the same thing it might happen. I prayed for a new mother for a long time, and that didn’t happen. But maybe that was because I prayed on my own,’ she said consideringly, wrinkling her nose up in thought, again completely unaware of the bombshell she had just dropped into the conversation. ‘What do you think, Daddy?’ she looked up at him, her brow furrowed.
Annie could have laughed at the totally stunned expression on Rufus’s face. He’d obviously had no idea that Jessica had hungered for a new mother—and he had no idea how to respond to her either.
Annie took pity on him. ‘I think the two of us should go to the ladies’ room and wash our hands after that delicious meal,’ she told Jessica quickly. ‘It will give you a chance to show off your prowess on your crutches,’ she added encouragingly as she saw the slightly rebellious look on the little girl’s face.
The crutches had been supplied by the hospital on Sunday, and Jessica took great delight in using them whenever she could, especially when she had an audience, as she did in this crowded pub.
It certainly diverted Jessica’s attention from a subject her father obviously found uncomfortable, to say the least; he still looked slightly bewildered as Annie stood up to accompany Jessica across the room.
‘Where the hell did that come from?’ he said in a low voice before Annie could move out of earshot.
She turned to him with a sympathetic smile. ‘It’s one of the reasons I like working with children so much; you never quite know what they are going to say next!’ It was obvious Rufus certainly hadn’t expected this!
‘A new mother!’ he repeated incredulously.
Annie’s smile widened. ‘I shouldn’t worry about it.’ She patted his arm comfortingly. ‘She’s obviously given up praying for that!’
‘Thank God!’ He gave a relieved sigh, taking a much needed swallow of his beer.
Annie’s smile faded as she turned to follow Jessica. She had forgotten how disastrous his marriage to Joanne had been; no wonder he didn’t find the subject of a replacement in the least funny. It obviously wasn’t an experience he cared to repeat. And who could blame him …?
He seemed deep in thought on the drive back to the house, manoeuvring the black Mercedes as if on automatic, and Jessica, tired from her trip out, fell asleep in the back of the car.
Annie was glad of the brief respite to be able to think of her earlier conversation with Anthony. He hadn’t seemed the same today, certainly hadn’t liked her comments about his forthcoming wedding. But what was going to happen about that? Did he intend going through with the marriage? He said not, but—
‘He isn’t worth it, you know.’ Rufus gently int
errupted her reflections, the fact that he seemed to know what—whom!—her thoughts were about proving he wasn’t as lost in introspection himself as she had thought he was.
Colour warmed her cheeks. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she denied awkwardly.
He sighed. ‘Yes, you do. I don’t know how he does it.’ Rufus gave an impatient shake of his head. ‘But every woman that comes within twenty feet of Anthony seems to fall for his charm—such as it is! However, no matter what he may have told you, Annie, he is going to marry Davina. Celia will see that he does,’ he told her gently.
Celia …? But—’Why?’ Annie was perplexed.
Rufus shrugged. ‘For the reasons I’ve already tried to explain to you.’
Because Davina was wealthy. And Anthony had expensive tastes. It didn’t seem a very good basis for a marriage to her. And it really didn’t seem any of Celia’s business whom her son married. Oh, it would be better for everyone if Celia approved of her son’s choice of wife, but surely it was more important that Anthony approved of her!
‘I don’t understand.’
‘You will,’ Rufus assured her grimly. ‘I’m just trying to make things as painless for you as possible. Or is it too late for that?’ He quirked dark brows.
Was it? She didn’t know. Yes, she had been charmed by Anthony from the first, flattered by his attention in the preceding weekend visits. But his arrival with Davina this last weekend had totally thrown her. Now she wasn’t sure what she felt.
‘I hope to God it’s not, Annie,’ Rufus continued harshly. ‘My brother has ruined too many lives already to add you to that number!’
His own marriage was top of that list, Annie felt sure. But surely that hadn’t been Anthony’s fault—Was it ever …? She didn’t know any more, needed time to think, to work things out in her own head.
But there was no time for thinking once they got back to the house. Jessica needed to be seen to; the two of them were to have tea together up in the nursery as there were guests coming to dinner. And thankfully Annie didn’t see anything of Anthony; she needed some time to herself before she saw him again.
Diamonds Are Forever: The Royal Marriage ArrangementThe Diamond BrideThe Diamond Dad Page 21