‘Is that true?’ He gave her a smile of deep gratification, then eyed her bare feet in disapproval, and picked her up to perch her on the table.
‘I’ve been to a vintners’ dinner in Oxford,’ he informed her. ‘Didn’t Marina say?’
‘No, she didn’t!’ said Saskia indignantly. ‘I thought you were driving down from London. Mother told me you’d be late and that she wasn’t required to wait up for you, so she went off to bed with Sam relatively early.’
‘As anyone with three-year-old twins is likely to do, Sassy,’ he said with a grin. ‘If she let you think I was driving from London through this fog I think your clever mother was conducting an experiment, don’t you?’
‘You’re probably right,’ said Saskia wrathfully. ‘I shall have something to say to her in the morning!’
‘How about thank you?’ he suggested, then picked her up again and walked towards the door, switching out the light as he went. ‘I’m certainly grateful.’
‘What are you doing?’ she gasped in his ear.
‘Finding somewhere more comfortable.’ He went into the morning room, nudging the door closed behind them, then sat down with her on the sofa in the faint glow of the street light filtering through the curtains. ‘Now,’ he said purposefully, shifting her more comfortably, ‘while we have privacy, let’s talk, Sassy.’
‘What about?’
‘Let’s continue the conversation we were having when your friend arrived last night.’
‘We weren’t having a conversation, Luke. You had just picked me up—’
‘I’ve just done that bit, so we may as well go on from there,’ he said firmly. ‘There’s absolutely no point in trying to make out you don’t care, Sassy, because a minute or so ago you proved beyond doubt that you do.’
She nodded. ‘Which is why I was so mad when you suspected me of trying to force your hand. On the subject of marriage,’ she added, just to make things clear.
‘You weren’t very keen to listen the other night when I came to make amends,’ he pointed out.
‘Did you expect me to be?’
‘I hoped. I just didn’t put it over very persuasively.’
‘That’s an understatement.’ Saskia began to giggle, and stifled it against his chest.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Carol. She had a very interesting evening, from the time she walked in on us to the time you reappeared later with coals of fire in the shape of my beautiful dress.’
‘It was in the car. So I turned round at some stage on the way home and brought it back. I knew what I was doing, but I was angry,’ he admitted gruffly.
‘I know you were. It was a very effective last word, Lucius Armytage. I cried myself to sleep afterwards.’
Luke stared down into her tear-stained face, and let out a deep sigh. ‘In which case shall we stop making such a mess of things and start again?’ He sat her upright so he could take off his jacket, then pulled her down with him until they were lying full-length together on the comfortable old sofa.
Saskia burrowed closer. ‘Yes. But no more marriage proposals, please.’
He stiffened, then forced himself to relax. ‘What, then?’
‘Could we just live together for a while? I could contribute—’
‘Contribute what, precisely?’ he demanded.
‘Some furniture for the house. I appreciate how expensive—’
The rest of her words were lost against Luke’s mouth, and it was some time before he raised his head. ‘Saskia, there are several reasons why my house is a bit empty. First of all some basic work had to be done—roof repairs, sanding the floors and so on—most of which was completed while I was on my travels. Those same travels were part of the reason why I haven’t bought more furniture. But after I met you in Italy I decided to wait until you helped me choose.’
‘Really?’ Saskia stared into the intent face so close to hers. ‘I thought maybe the money was a problem.’
‘Not for a few tables and chairs, Sassy.’ He grinned. ‘I’m pretty successful at what I do, you know.’
‘Very. At everything you do,’ she said fervently, and wriggled closer.
Luke drew in a deep, unsteady breath and held her still. ‘And my grandmother left me some money. Not a vast amount, but good to have behind me. I used some of it to start up the mail-order part of the business, but most of it is invested for such future programmes as furnishing my house and other requirements I shall leave unspecified for the moment.’
‘What requirements?’ she demanded.
Instead of answering, Luke began to kiss her again, and Saskia responded with such uninhibited enthusiasm that conversation flagged for some time, the need for physical contact greater than the need to talk. For now, even though kissing and caressing was as much as they could allow themselves in the circumstances, it was enough to solace them both for the misery of the past three days. Neither saw the door open a crack, then close again silently, and it was a long time before Saskia remembered her former question.
‘What other things are you saving for, Luke?’
‘School fees.’
Saskia buried her head against his chest to stifle her laughter. When she raised her head at last he was smiling down at her smugly.
‘Isn’t that jumping the gun a bit?’ She sobered. ‘Unless—’
‘No unless about it. Whether you marry me or not I want my children to be yours too, Saskia. I love you. It came as a surprise when I found out, I admit, but love you I do, until death us do part, married or not.’
Saskia threw her arms round his neck, tearful again as she kissed him with unrestrained fervour. She drew back, looking him in the eye. ‘Then in that case could we perhaps rescue me from my lie?’
‘And get engaged?’
She nodded, rubbing her cheek against his. ‘No announcement, or anything like that. This is just for us. And Sam and Mother. I just want a ring of some kind.’
‘Whatever kind you want,’ he said promptly, and got up reluctantly, pulling her to her feet. ‘Come on, my darling, time for bed—or the twins might come down and find us.’
‘Let’s hope we don’t meet them on the stairs!’
Luke resumed his jacket and put an arm round her as they crossed the hall to climb the two flights of stairs to her room.
‘I wish I could sleep here with you,’ he said, closing the door behind him.
‘From tomorrow night we shall share a bed every night. If you want. I hope you do. Which reminds me,’ she said, chuckling. ‘I’d better get in touch with Carol in the morning and tell her she’s out of luck.’
‘Because she’s losing you for a flatmate?’
‘No. Because I want you for myself after all. She was very impressed with all that caveman stuff she walked in on—said if I didn’t want you I might pass you on to her.’
‘Don’t I get a say in it?’ he demanded irefully.
‘None at all. You’re mine!’
There was silence for a moment as the words hung in the air between them.
‘Are you actually admitting,’ he said with care, ‘that you love me, Sassy?’
‘Of course I am. It may have taken the encounter in the bathroom at the villa to remove the blinkers from your eyes, Lucius Armytage—’ Saskia gave him a smile as crooked as his ‘—but I’ve loved you all my adult life. Until you walked in on me in Italy nothing would have made me admit it. But from the first day Sam introduced you to us it took just one look for me to—’ She broke off as they heard a tap on the door.
‘Can I come in? Are you decent?’ called Marina softly.
‘Yes, on both counts,’ said Luke. He opened the door, and bent to kiss Marina’s cheek. ‘Anything wrong?’
Marina looked from her dishevelled, radiant daughter to her tall, grinning stepson and heaved a great sigh of relief. ‘For the moment, nothing in the entire world.’ She smiled in delight. ‘How about coming down to our room for a glass of champagne? Sam’s awake and wants to celebrate. Hi
s birthday, for starters. Any other suggestions?’
eISBN 978-14592-5235-6
A RUMOURED ENGAGEMENT
First North American Publication 1999.
Copynght © 1997 by Catherine George.
All nghts reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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Printed In U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
About The Author
Title Page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Copyright
A Rumoured Engagement Page 16