Summoning all her strength, she wrenched herself away from him and ran towards the house. He caught her up as she was pushing open the side door into the hall and she turned to confront him. 'Go away, Blake, I don't want you here,' she hissed.
She didn't know how he would have replied, for at that moment Catriona opened the door from the inside, smiling at them both, but, it seemed, particularly at Blake.
'You found her, then?' She shook his hand. 'Welcome to Edinburgh, Blake. You know it, I expect?'
She was playing the hostess, ignoring any emotional undertones, taking care not to meet Maggie's accusing eyes.
Blake took his cue and followed Catriona as she led the way into the drawing-room, where James was dispensing drinks. James had evidently been primed by his wife, for he, too, greeted Blake amiably and put a drink in his hand, enquiring about his journey. Nobody seemed to notice Maggie's silence.
'What'll you have, Sis?' her brother asked. 'This is something of an occasion, we must celebrate.'
The situation was getting more and more false by the moment. Maggie felt she was on the verge of bursting into hysterical laughter, and a drink might help. 'Gin and lemon, please,' she said, and swallowed it down quickly.
'Jessie and Jean are having their tea in the kitchen,' Catriona said. 'Wolfing down your ginger biscuits, Maggie. Swimming always gives them a terrific appetite.'
'I'll go and see them,' said Maggie, seizing on any opportunity to get out of range of those magnetic grey-green eyes that she could feel on her, even though she didn't see them.
'Yes, do,' Catriona smiled. 'You go along with her, Blake, the girls would love to see you. James and I have to attend to our livestock and close up the greenhouses.' Catriona kept chickens and grew all her own vegetables. 'It's going to be a chilly night. Come along, Jimmy.'
James followed her out of the room. Blake met Maggie's eyes and smiled ironically. 'Too bad!' he drawled. 'You can't get away from me, can you?'
Maggie said as nastily as she knew how, 'You read me like a book.'
'I wish I could,' he said, following her into the kitchen.
The girls screeched with pleasure as Maggie went in, and became suddenly shy and silent as Blake appeared behind her.
'Hullo, you two,' he greeted them amiably. 'Enjoying the ginger biscuits? Got one to spare for a weary traveller?'
Jessie stood up and offered the plate of biscuits politely. 'Do have one,' she said, in her best grown-up manner, 'I'm sure you'll like them.'
'I'm sure I will, if Auntie Maggie baked them.' He perched on the free end of the big table, swinging one leg and looking very much at home. 'And what have you been doing at the swimming baths? Breaststroke, butterfly, crawl?'
'Daddy says I crawl like a—a cattypillar,' giggled Jean. Both the girls lost their shyness at that, and Blake was given an excited account of the various accomplishments of the session, both girls talking at once. He listened with every sign of interest. Quite one of the family! Maggie thought, barely able to control a desire to run out of the kitchen. Instead, she went across to the sink and busied herself washing up the cooking utensils she had used, and had already washed once.
Blake went on acting the jolly, affectionate uncle to Jessie and Jean and they went on lapping it up until Maggie cold have screamed, 'Don't listen to him, he doesn't mean a word of it.' She wished she knew why he was taking such pains to be charming to her family. Certainly he hadn't done so before. Before the wedding he hadn't bothered to visit her home, except one duty visit, and certainly hadn't put himself out to ingratiate himself with her parents.
And now, after all that had happened, he suddenly appeared and professed to love her, made himself charming to her family, and showed every sign of wanting to keep her with him. It didn't make sense.
Her mind was so busy with the problem that she didn't at first take in what Jean had just said. Then, in the abrupt silence that followed, the words formed themselves into a sentence, with awful clarity.
'Have you come to take Auntie Maggie away?' Jean had piped, and Maggie could still hear the childish voice echoing through the kitchen.' 'Cos we don't want her to go. We want her to stay here and have her baby.'
CHAPTER NINE
The silence continued, spreading out like a pool. Even Jessie didn't seem to have anything to say. Maggie couldn't look at Blake, she went on polishing the baking tray furiously, with her back to him.
He came slowly across the room and put both hands on her shoulders. 'Well, Maggie,' he said, 'are you coming back to Hong Kong with me to have your baby?'
He turned her round to face him and she met his eyes. There was laughter lurking in them. 'This is absolutely ridiculous,' she said weakly.
'I agree,' he said solemnly. 'Suppose we go somewhere to discuss the matter in private?' He turned to the two little girls. 'We'll let you know later,' he said. He put an arm round Maggie and propelled her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
They halted on the landing. 'Which is our room?' he asked blandly.
'My room,' she corrected. 'I haven't invited you to stay.' She had herself under control now. Of course, Blake would have to know about the baby; it was just unfortunate that he should have taken Jean's remark as a joke. It would make it all the harder to tell him, and she had a horrid fear that he would be angry.
He followed her in and closed the door. Then he stood looking round the big, airy room. 'Nice bedroom,' he said. 'We should be very comfortable here for a day or two. Catriona has invited me to stay until the weekend. Monday was the earliest I could book a return flight to Hong Kong for both of us on the same flight. I thought we could travel down on Saturday and look in on your parents before we leave.'
Maggie sank down into a chair by the window. 'Aren't you taking a lot for granted?'
'It's the only way with you, my girl. If I don't keep my eye on you you're liable to do all sorts of crazy things.' He came and stood behind her chair. 'Like having your hair cut in this chic style. I like it.' He ran his fingers through her short hair and at his touch a thrill ran through her right down to her toes, but she sat rigid, her back to him, staring out of the window into the darkness outside. 'You knocked me for six when I saw you at Ling San's party,' he went on. 'I always knew you could look gorgeous if you wanted to. But you never bothered before, did you? You were always so busy giving the impression of a capable young woman engineer.'
She looked up then, startled. 'Is that how you saw me? A girl trying to prove myself in a man's world?'
'Sometimes,' he said, smiling. 'And sometimes I saw you in the way a man usually sees an attractive woman. And you probably know how that is.'
She flushed deeply. 'I—I didn't think you saw me at all,' she said, 'except as a good colleague.'
'Oh yes,' he moved his fingers from her hair and slid them down her neck to her shoulders and over her soft, swelling breasts. 'Lots of times I looked at you and wondered what you'd say if I made—er—certain improper suggestions. But you never gave me the slightest encouragement, and I just didn't know. I didn't want to risk spoiling our working relationship, so I suppose I went on taking the easy ladies. But they never amounted to much.'
'Until Fiona?'
He moved away and sat down on the dressing table stool, close to her.
'Yes, until Fiona. I suppose a man is allowed one crazy adolescent infatuation in his life. She played hard to get at first, and that was a challenge. Oh yes, for a few insane weeks I heard the siren song all right.'
'A few weeks! Oh no, it lasted longer than that—you brought her out to Hong Kong. You left the party at Ling San's to be with her. You never told me what you were doing. That was why I left—I couldn't take any more. I saw you together—kissing.'
Blake glared at her. 'You saw nothing of the sort. I was trying against my better judgment, to get Fiona out of an unholy mess she'd got into. You may have seen her expressing her gratitude, but that was all. I couldn't wait to get the business finished and get back to you, Maggie. I wanted t
o talk to you, to break through the wall that we'd put up between us. I wanted to make love to you again. God, how I wanted to!'
He leaned forward and put his hands at her waist, urging her out of her chair towards him. She looked at his eyes, his mouth, and suddenly she relaxed. All her resistance went and a warm tide of longing ran through her. She let herself be drawn towards him, held against him, and she could feel him begin to tremble as their bodies touched in intimate contact.
He put up his hands and smoothed back her hair. 'Maggie?' he questioned huskily, and she lowered her mouth to receive his kiss.
She kissed him back hungrily. This didn't make sense, but it didn't matter. Blake was here and she was in his arms now, and he was carrying her towards the bed, pulling her clothes off with deft urgent hands. Her arms seemed to move of their own accord, going up round his neck as his mouth claimed hers again in a long kiss, then moved downward to caress her throat, her breast, while his hands set off little explosions along her nerves. This time there was no brutality in his lovemaking. His hands moved slowly, touching her with experienced fingers, rousing new, overwhelming sensations in her body; giving as well as getting, the ultimate pleasure. Maggie's surrender was complete and asked no questions. It was enough that this was happening to them, that they should be sharing this joy.
'My little love,' he groaned close to her ear. 'My darling—' and she cried out in an ecstasy of fulfilment.
Later they lay quiet together in the darkened room. Maggie was the first to regain her senses. She stirred in Blake's arms and murmured, 'What will Catriona think?'
He rolled towards her and rubbed his rough cheek against hers. 'I'd say she would be making an informed guess as to what we're doing. But if you like I'll go down and check.'
She giggled. 'It might be polite, as guests, to find out what time she wants us to appear for supper.'
Lying back lazily, she watched him while he dressed, revelling in the strength and suppleness of his tall body, in the way his muscles rippled beneath the thin stuff of his shirt. He picked up her comb from the dressing-table and raked it through his dark hair. 'Am I fit to be seen?'
'You look wonderful,' she sighed, and he came over and kissed her behind her ear and whispered, 'That's what I like to hear.'
He made for the door. 'What shall I tell Jean about the baby? She's a priceless kid, isn't she? They do so love to make up fairy stories. I imagine babies figure strongly in hers.'
Maggie put her hands behind her head on the pillow. 'But it wasn't a fairy story, you know.'
Blake was arrested half-way to the door. He spun round. 'What?'
'There is a baby,' she said. 'Or will be in about seven and a half months.'
'You mean—' He came back slowly and sat on the bed, staring at her in silence until belief dawned. 'But— oh lord, we shouldn't have—' he gestured towards the tumbled bed. 'Should we?'
'I don't know,' said Maggie happily. 'But we can't undo what we did, thank goodness.'
Very gently he stretched out and touched her cheek. 'Gosh!' he exclaimed, and he sounded like a boy again. 'It's amazing and wonderful. You're glad?'
'If you are,' she said, and saw the answer in his face. She gave him a little push. 'Now, go along and enquire about supper,' and he went, a dazed look on his face.
When he had gone Maggie got up and showered and put on the prettiest of the two dresses she had brought with her. She had only had time to cram a few things into her hand-satchel, and fortunately she had hit upon one that she liked particularly. It was a very fine wool, in a dark honey colour, with long, fitting sleeves, a moulded bodice, and a box-pleated skirt that opened out when she walked. She brushed her hair into its new style, admiring once again the clever way that Ling San had cut it so that it fell naturally into soft waves that clung to her head and round her ears.
She put on a light make-up; nothing more was needed—the eyes that looked back at her in the mirror were brilliant, the cheeks delicately pink. She had never seen herself look so—so sparkling and radiant. But then she had never been told before that the man she loved loved her. She was bubbling over with joy; she wanted to sing and dance and shout her happiness from the roof-tops so all the world would know.
Blake came back into the room. He stood for a moment with his back to the door, gazing at her as she sat at the dressing-table. 'You look wonderful, Maggie,' he said unevenly. 'I'd like to—' He came across and stood behind her, meeting her eyes in the mirror, his hands slipping over her shoulders to mould themselves round her breasts. 'But I suppose we must be careful now. I shall look after you very well, my darling.' Soberly he added, 'Try to make up for all those bad old times.'
She covered his hands with hers and turned her head up to him, inviting his kiss. It was a very gentle kiss, a butterfly brushing against her mouth, her temples, her closed eyelids. She couldn't have imagined such tenderness in the tough, arrogant Blake. But it left her weak and trembling and wanting more.
She got to her feet. 'We'd better go down,' she said. 'Before—' She left the rest unsaid and he sighed ruefully.
'I suppose so. Catriona says supper in about fifteen minutes. The girls are in bed and would like you to go and say goodnight to them.'
Jessie and Jean were sitting up expectantly in their two small beds. In their flowery pyjamas, with their dark hair falling to their shoulders and their cheeks petal-soft, they looked good enough to eat, Maggie thought, as she kissed them both and hugged them tightly.
Jean said perkily, 'Isn't Uncle Blake going to kiss us too?'
He laughed delightedly. 'I never refuse an invitation from a lovely lady.' He suited the action to the word and Jean hung round his neck, her shyness forgotten.
'I like you,' she announced shamelessly. 'You're my favrit man from now on.'
'Jean!' her sister remonstrated severely. 'You mustn't say things like that, it's rude.' She looked at Blake, her small face serious. 'Is Auntie Maggie going away with you?' she enquired, biting her lower lip.
Blake nodded soberly. 'I'm afraid so, poppet. But we'll bring the baby to see you as soon as we can.'
Jessie swallowed and smiled bravely. 'Mind you do,' she said in a fair imitation of her mother's voice.
Outside the bedroom Maggie smiled ruefully. 'Poor darling, she was so looking forward to being a little mother to him—her—' She nestled her head against Blake's shoulder. 'What do you want, a girl or a boy?'
He bent and kissed the tip of her nose. 'Twins,' he grinned. 'One of each. Or is that being too greedy?'
They were still laughing when they walked into the dining-room together, arms entwined.
Supper was something of a celebration meal. If James and Catriona had had any doubts about the happy resolution of Maggie's worries they were obviously satisfied that now all was well. James opened a bottle of the vintage wine he kept in the cellar for special occasions and Catriona produced one of her superb steak and kidney puddings.
'Here's to you both,' James raised his glass, and added with a twinkle, 'All three of you,' and Maggie blushed and smiled up at Blake. He smiled into her eyes and kissed her and she felt as if the stars out in the sky had come right down into the room.
'I'm so glad, love,' Catriona said warmly as Maggie followed her into the kitchen when the meal was over. 'I was really getting a bit bothered about you, and when Blake rang up this morning from London and explained that it was all a big mistake it seemed like the answer to a prayer.
Maggie nodded. 'It was stupid of me to run away like that, I see it now.'
Her sister-in-law picked up the coffee tray. 'Don't blame yourself. We all do foolish things sometimes, especially at the beginning of a marriage. We're particularly touchy just then.' She smiled. 'Too often we fash ourselves into quite a state when five minutes' straight talking would clear it all up.'
Maggie remembered those words later, when she was lying curled up in Blake's arms in the big bed upstairs. The curtains were drawn back and the moonlight was throwing mysterious shadows
over the room. Blake's head was black against the whiteness of the pillow. Maggie reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair. 'Blake—?'
He moved sleepily and gathered her closer. 'Um?'
'Darling, I know you're dying to sleep off your jet-lag, but before you do there's something I want to know before I can go to sleep too.'
He yawned hugely. 'If you must—' he said.
'I must,' she told him firmly. 'Catriona and Maggie may be convinced by your story, and you may have convinced my father. But there's quite a lot you forgot to tell me, isn't there?'
He groaned. 'Wouldn't it do in the morning?'
'No,' said Maggie. 'This is one time you don't wind me round your little finger. You left me in Macau on what was supposed to be our honeymoon, and went back to England, to another woman. You were crazy to get rid of me and marry her. Now, suddenly, you tell me you're in love with me.'
'So I am,' he murmured. 'Shall I show you?'
'No.' She pulled herself out of his arms and wriggled over to the far edge of the bed. 'I want to know, Blake.'
He raised himself, thrusting a hand through his rumpled hair. His face looked white and drawn in the moonlight and it was all Maggie could do to stop herself putting her arms round him and telling him it didn't matter.
But it did matter, and she would never have any peace until she knew the score. 'I must know why you suddenly changed your mind,' she said.
'Wretched female,' he grumbled. 'Won't let a fellow get his sleep. Is there any coffee left in that flask?'
She poured him some of the coffee that Catriona had thoughtfully left in their room. Blake took a deep swig of it and said, 'That's better. Now—you want a rundown of my movements from the time I left Macau— and left you with Nick Grant.' He stopped abruptly. 'God, if I'd known the risk I was running, leaving you with Nick!'
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