Stolen Feelings (Island Romances)

by Margaret Mayo

  The only bad part about the situation was Alex at the other end of the beach. She sauntered over again later in the evening, and she and Cameron spent over an hour laughing and talking.

  Julie did not sleep well that night. It was agony to move in any direction, but more than that she was troubled by thoughts of Cameron and Alex. He couldn’t have made his interest in this stunning, long-legged blonde more clear.

  Again, at daybreak, they went swimming together. Julie did not see them, but she heard Alex’s excited voice, and she began to think that it might be a good idea if she did go home. There was only a certain amount of this she could take.

  Ian helped her get out of bed in time for breakfast, and once she was on her feet the pain in her ribs wasn’t so bad; however, the pain in her heart refused to go away.

  The two men were debating who should stay with her when yet another boat headed into the harbour. It dropped anchor and the usual dinghy made its way steadily towards them.

  Julie looked at Cameron, expecting him to show further resentment at yet another intrusion into their privacy, but instead he was watching the dinghy with interest. There was only one man in it.

  When he reached the shore and climbed out Julie felt her heart drop into her shoes. She tried to tell herself it wasn’t happening. That it was a dream, a nightmare. But it wasn’t. The man who came walking towards them was a very familiar figure indeed.

  Cameron extended his hand. ‘It’s good to see you, Roger.’

  ‘You too.’ The newcomer was tall and slim with sandy hair and green eyes and he looked as shocked to see Julie as she was to see him. ‘You didn’t tell me that you had these two working for you, Cameron. I know them well; we were once virtually neighbours. What a surprise, meeting again like this.’

  A surprise, indeed, thought Julie. He had accused her of two-timing him, he had broken her heart and made her so miserable that she had never thought to be happy again, and she definitely wasn’t pleased to see him now.

  Ian was equally as agitated and he glanced at his sister in concern, putting his arm reassuringly about her shoulders. ‘What are you doing here, Roger?’ He unconsciously voiced the question that was troubling her also.

  Roger smiled widely and happily. ‘Cameron’s invitation—what else? He and I go back a long way. Is your wife here, my friend?’

  Cameron’s invitation! To confirm his suspicions! To force the issue! He had somehow known that Roger was their friend also. There was a silence so loud that it hurt Julie’s ears. Ian’s arm tightened around her and she dared not look at Cameron. She wished the floor would open and swallow her up—swallow them both up.

  ‘I’m afraid not,’ muttered her brother uncomfortably.

  ‘She didn’t fancy the idea of coming out here?’

  ‘Something like that.’

  ‘And so your faithful twin came instead. Aren’t they enchanting islands, Julie?’ He gave no indication that they had parted on bad terms.

  ‘Very much so,’ she agreed quietly.

  Roger suddenly seemed to realise that something wasn’t quite as it should be. He looked at each of them in turn, a frown of puzzlement on his face. ‘Have I said something wrong?’

  ‘Am I right in believing,’ asked Cameron, his voice dangerously quiet, ‘that this is not Ian’s wife?’

  ‘Of course she’s not his wife,’ said Roger in bewilderment. They’re twins, and very close twins, I might add; they were hardly ever separated before Julie came on the scene.’

  ‘Julie being Ian’s wife, his real wife?’ questioned Cameron.

  ‘Confusing, isn’t it, both of them having the same name?’ asked Roger, smiling weakly now, unable to work out what was wrong.

  Julie wanted to die. She was right to have been worried. This really was the end. Cameron looked positively murderous.

  ‘I trust you have a very good reason for this duplicity?’ Cameron looked straight at her as he spoke, his tone so hard and condemning that she felt as though she was being whiplashed. The air positively crackled.

  ‘It was my idea,’ said Ian hastily, swallowing hard, looking desperately worried also. ‘My wife and I are—er—separated.’

  ‘Was that any reason to lie?’ demanded Cameron. His blue eyes had turned an icy grey, blasting Ian now with their coldness.

  ‘I thought that you—er—wouldn’t give me the job if you knew.’

  ‘And so, between you, you devised a little scheme to delude me into believing that you were husband and wife? Julie?’ His head snapped in her direction, his eyes sharp on her as he spoke.

  ‘I can’t see that it matters all that much,’ she said in a brave, strong voice, feeling the need to try and protect her brother. ‘You admit I’m efficient, Cameron. Ian’s doing his job successfully. Why is our being married so important?’

  His eyes glittered his impatience. ‘Hell, the job doesn’t matter; I’d have given it to you anyway if you’d asked. It’s the lies I abhor—the deception, the fraud. You attempted to make a fool of me, dammit.’

  “That wasn’t our intention,’ said Ian, his face still anxious.

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t,’ put in Roger politely.

  Julie gave him a wan, thankful smile, but Cameron threw him a look of extreme intolerance. ‘We’ll continue this conversation some other time. Ian, you go and carry on with your work. Julie, make yourself scarce. Roger, thank you for coming. How about a drink?’

  Julie could not get over the fact that Cameron had actually invited Roger here. Did he also know that Roger had been her boyfriend? About his accusations? Did he know everything? She glanced worriedly at Ian and he looked wretched also, but he gave her a further reassuring hug before striding away to do as he was bidden.

  Julie went into her tent and lay down, a hundred questions crowding into her mind at once. What would their future hold now? Would Cameron send them both home? Was this the end of Ian’s hopes and aspirations? She felt so sorry for him, so sad, so extremely sad. It almost outweighed her own problems.

  Although it was a relief that the truth was out, any chance of something growing between her and Cameron had been ruined because of their lies. If only Ian had been honest from the beginning. If only she hadn’t gone along with his brainless idea. If only, if only…

  Roger came to find her an hour later. ‘I never thought we’d meet again like this, Julie.’

  ‘Neither did I,’ she said with a wry twist to her lips. What had happened between her and Roger seemed of no consequence compared to this latest tragedy.

  ‘For what it’s worth, I didn’t mean to spoil your little game.’

  She lifted her shoulders. ‘I think Cameron already knew.’

  ‘And I was called in to confirm it,’ he added ruefully. ‘Actually, lying to Cameron was the worst thing either of you could have done. He cannot tolerate lies.’

  Julie sighed unhappily. ‘I guess this is the end for me and Ian.’

  ‘Perhaps he’ll calm down,’ said Roger, though she could see he did not really believe it.

  He was silent for a few moments, deep in thought, and then he looked at her and said, ‘In one way I’m thankful to Cameron for bringing me out here, because it’s given me the opportunity to put matters straight.’

  How could he ever hope to do that after the things he had said, the claims he had made? Didn’t he know how much he had hurt her?

  ‘I want to apologise, Julie.’ His green eyes were imploring on hers. ‘I gave you a hard time, and I was wrong. I discovered that later. I was totally wrong, totally out of order. You were telling the truth when you said there was nothing between you and Tod Martin.’

  Her eyes flashed at him cynically. ‘Of course I was. I never lie.’ And then she realised what she had said and gave an embarrassed laugh.

  He looked at her long and hard and said hopefully, ‘I guess it’s too late to put back the clock?’

  If Julie hadn’t been hurting so much from her ribs, and if she hadn’t been feeling so desolate ov
er her and Ian’s deception, she would have told him to get lost. Instead she smiled weakly. ‘I’m afraid so, Roger.’

  ‘I’ve ruined my chances?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He grimaced ruefully. ‘It’s a pity. I was a fool not to trust you. You’re a wonderful girl, Julie. Some man’s going to be very lucky.’ Again there was silence between them, each deep in their own thoughts.

  Julie knew she would never get married now. Cameron was the only man she wanted and she would rather remain single than settle for second-best.

  ‘Cameron’s asked me to stay over,’ said Roger at length, ‘but I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be fair on you and me, for one thing. I’ll go back to Santa Cruz; I’m staying there for a while. I guess I’ve been an unwitting pawn in your game. You and Cameron will have a lot of talking to do.’

  All the talking in the world wouldn’t mend matters, Julie thought dismally. It wouldn’t excuse the lies and the deceit. ‘Help me up,’ she said, ‘and I’ll come and see you off.’

  He willingly gave her his arm. ‘Cameron said you’d cracked a couple of ribs. Hard luck. I bust some myself a few years ago, I know how painful it is.’

  But not so unrelenting as the pain in her heart, thought Julie.

  ‘Can I have one last kiss, for old times’ sake?’ he asked with a pleading smile.

  He took her carefully into his arms and his kiss was gentle and apologetic, and then Alex came into their camp. Julie had no choice but to introduce them, and it amused her to see what an impact she made on Roger. He could not take his eyes off her.

  She was the sort of girl who flirted with any new male, but it was to Cameron she turned once Roger had headed back to his dinghy. Julie resumed her seat beneath the awning and shortly afterwards Alex, dismissed by Cameron, returned to her own end of the beach.

  ‘Why, Julie? Why?’ Cameron stood looking tightly down at her, his face hard and unreadable. ‘Why wasn’t I told the truth?’

  She grimaced and shifted uneasily in her seat. ‘Ian thought he wouldn’t get the job, and he really was desperate to come out here. It’s something he’s always wanted to do. Charles Darwin is his hero and—’

  ‘That hasn’t answered my question,’ he cut in sharply.

  ‘Ian thought you wouldn’t entertain his application if you knew that he and his wife were separated.’ Julie tried to keep her voice level. Arguing with Cameron now would make matters even worse—if that were possible!

  ‘I wouldn’t have been happy,’ he agreed. ‘Lord, he hadn’t been married five minutes. What went wrong?’

  ‘She ran off with his best friend,’ answered Julie unhappily. ‘He still loves her, though, and he’d have her back tomorrow if there was half a chance.’

  Cameron grunted. ‘Does no marriage ever last? What is wrong with everyone?’

  Julie knew he was thinking of his parents, as she frequently did of her own. It was a sad world. But she wasn’t prepared when he thumped his fist on the table in front of her. She jumped, jarring her ribs painfully as she did so.

  ‘It’s the deception I find intolerable.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.

  ‘Apologising doesn’t put matters right,’ he rasped, his eyes savage on hers.

  It was difficult to believe that only yesterday, earlier this morning, even, he had been a different man. The compassion in him, his gentleness, his kindness, his very real concern, had warmed her through and through. Now she felt chilled to the very marrow.

  ‘Did Ian really think I wouldn’t find out?’

  Julie nodded.

  ‘He’s an idiot; you didn’t even behave like lovers. I actually knew before you got here that you weren’t his wife.’

  Julie’s eyes popped wide. ‘You did?’

  ‘One hears a lot of things through the grapevine. Ian should be careful who he speaks to.’

  ‘And yet you didn’t say. I don’t understand.’

  ‘I thought I’d play along with your little masquerade,’ he told her brutally, ‘see what sort of a mess you got yourselves into. I think it was Sir Walter Scott who said, “O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!”. I’ve enjoyed seeing you squirm, Julie.’

  She closed her eyes, unable to look at him, not wanting to see the cruel anger on his face.

  ‘Have you nothing to say for yourself?’

  ‘What can I say?’ she asked in a miserable whisper.

  ‘Indeed,’ came the harsh response. ‘And not only that, I’ve had to put up with someone who doesn’t think twice about amusing herself with more than one man at a time.’

  Her head jerked. ‘What are you accusing me of now?’ She was totally confused.

  Blue eyes gleamed maliciously. ‘Roger told me the whole story, long before I even gave Ian the job. He was bitterly humiliated, not to say jealous. He had to talk to someone and I happened to be there. Oh, yes, I knew all about Ian’s sister.’ His lip curled derisively as he spoke, and Julie wanted to crawl under her chair.

  Nor was she given a chance to defend herself. ‘And let me tell you this, Miss Julie Drummond,’ he went on, his tone bitterly acrimonious, ‘if I had known about this little deception before you left England, then I sure as hell wouldn’t have given you the job.’

  ‘Nor Ian?’ she asked wretchedly.

  He shook his head in exasperation. ‘If he’d been honest in the beginning he would have got it; there’s no doubt about that.’ His eyes lashed her with their hardness. ‘Why the hell he thought it necessary to devise a cock-and-bull story like this, I’ll never know.’

  Julie found the whole situation deeply discomfiting. She knew he had strongly suspected, but she had never been sure. She felt such a fool now.

  ‘Besides,’ he went on brusquely, ‘you and Ian look alike. There’s no mistaking that you’re brother and sister.’

  ‘No, we don’t,’ insisted Julie.

  ‘Oh, yes, you do,’ he returned, ‘from certain angles. It’s the jaw mainly, and the occasional expression. Why on earth did you go along with his insane suggestion?’

  ‘Because I love him.’

  ‘Not many sisters would do that.’ There was grudging admiration in his voice.

  His anger seemed to be abating, he was beginning to sound quite reasonable, and she felt faintly hopeful, but it lasted for no more than a few moments. He swung away, and when he turned back his eyes blazed out of a face that was set like a mask.

  ‘I can accept that Ian’s marriage has failed, Julie; I don’t hold that against him. But I cannot accept the lies, the attempted deception. I have waited, with remarkable patience considering the circumstances, for you to tell me the truth.’

  He paced up and down in front of her as he spoke, his whole body projecting his outrage. ‘The fact that I had to get Roger out here to actually bring things to a head makes me very angry indeed. It makes me wonder what type of a person you are. Have you no integrity?’

  ‘Ian wanted the job so desperately,’ she whispered, all her pain showing in her face.

  ‘Then it’s a pity he didn’t stop to think twice about the consequences of such an imbecilic action,’ he rasped. ‘And a pity that you didn’t knock some sense into him. I have reached the limit of my patience, Julie. I have finally had enough of the pair of you.’ His eyes were damning, cutting her down to the lowest of the low. ‘I am, of course, sending you both home.’

  Julie gasped, her eyes wide and disturbed. She had expected it, but even so the shock was numbing.

  ‘Naturally, I realise that you’re in no fit state to travel, and there is the fact that I need my book finished by the end of the month. You’ve proved yourself indispensable in that direction, so there is a respite. But make no bones about it,’ he grated, ‘the two of you leave here immediately after that.’

  What could she say? Julie looked down at her hands, twisting the ring she had bought for the deception.

  ‘Another give-away,’ derided Cameron shortly. ‘It’s not the fi
rst time you’ve done that. A woman who has been married for almost two years would not play with her ring. She would be used to it. If you want to play games, Julie, then you should take the time to learn the rules.’

  ‘Ian will be devastated,’ she said. ‘Can’t you reconsider?’

  His eyes flashed scornfully. ‘Your brother should have thought of that before plotting such deceit.’

  ‘But does it really make any difference?’ she pleaded.

  Cameron looked at her coldly. ‘Not as far as work goes.’

  ‘Then why can’t you—?’

  ‘I’ve told you why,’ he grated. ‘Now let that be an end to it. Can you manage if I go and find Ian? There are things I have to say to that young man.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

  It was the end of her dreams, the end of everything. Soon, all too soon, she would be back home in England—Ian too. And they would have nowhere to live because their house had been let for the next twelve months, and she would never see again the man that she loved. What a mess everything was all of a sudden.

  She tried to type but it was impossible, far too painful yet to sit and work. She spent her time thinking, occasionally walking, sitting on the edge of the lagoon and dangling her feet into it, but she could see no way out of the situation.

  Discovery had been her biggest nightmare and now it had happened. Cameron had reacted exactly as she had thought he would. Ian’s confidence that he would never find out had been sadly misplaced. Why, oh why, had she ever agreed to such a lunatic idea?

  Despite the considerable pain she was in every time she moved, Julie managed to prepare their evening meal. She had actually expected Cameron back long before this; she had not thought he would spend the whole day with Ian, not after what had happened.

  When the two men appeared Cameron’s face was still grim, and he disappeared immediately inside his tent. Ian, looking extremely unhappy, sought Julie out. ‘I’m sorry this had to happen, Sis.’

  ‘Have you managed to persuade him to change his mind?’

  Her brother shook his head. ‘I’ve apologised over and over again, I’ve virtually grovelled at his feet, but it’s made no difference. The man’s adamant. Lord, I was a fool, thinking I could get away with it. If only I’d been honest with him. It was only because I mentioned I was married that he suggested Julie came too. I somehow got hold of the wrong idea, and now I’ve ruined everything.’