“Do we go straight out, now?”
“Yes. Tell me what you need from the house, and you won’t have to go in.”
Conspiring with David was incredibly sweet. In no time at all they were in the grey car and sliding down the drive on to the road. Love and security, thought Susan as she looked at David’s lean profile, were the most precious things in all the world; yes, even for a man. How different he was, now that they were sure of each other!
“I do hope everything goes well for Paul and Wyn,” she said presently. “He must be in love with her, mustn’t he, or he wouldn’t have gone off like that.”
“I don’t know if it’s possible for a man to be in love with two women at the same time, and it was certainly a powerful emotion he had for Deline. No man would allow himself to look such a fool, if he knew any way of avoiding it.”
“I’m so thankful Wyn didn’t see it. He was like someone entranced, but he didn’t hesitate once he’d heard about Wyn’s accident. I’m afraid you shook him, rather.”
“I didn’t have to lay it on nearly as thick as I expected,” said David, consideringly. “He does care for that girl.”
“And if Deline has gone by the time he gets back the rest should eventually fall into place. There’s still the beastly eight hundred a year, though.”
“We’ll overcome that,” said David carelessly. “For one thing, I can make the Bartlett’s place a partnership, and Paul will get his salary for running the farm, as well. The only way to belittle Wyn’s income is to give him one that’s better.”
“You’re buying me, Mr. Forrest.”
“No, darling. When you want to get a lot out of a man you dazzle him with prospects. Some time soon we’ll hear from that mother of yours, and on our honeymoon we’ll fly over and see her. There are other places I want to show you—in fact, it’ll take all of six weeks. During that time Paul will have to do his best for both Willowfield and Bartlett’s. He’s certainly not going to marry till we get back!”
“But Wyn could stay with him at the cottage.”
He shook his head, his smile was mocking. “Darn it, let them be engaged for a while. One way and another we’ve done a good deal for brother Paul. I even insisted on the trip into Mozambique in an attempt to break up that cloying relationship between him and Deline. In any case, it wouldn’t be good for him to marry on the crest of his remorse.”
“You’re ruthless,” she said, “in both good ways and bad.”
“But you love me.”
She looked at him. “So much,” she breathed.
He braked. “A cue, I think,” he said tenderly, “for me to tell you again how much I love you. I’ll never tire of doing it.”
And Susan knew, with every pulse of her being, that she would never tire of hearing it.
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