“Surprise.” He smiled at her expectantly.
“Yes, isn’t it?”
Rex’s expression quickly changed. “What’s up?”
“Apart from the fact that we have joint ownership of the property and you have opened it up to all and sundry without a word of warning...apart from that, well, you have shifted the goalposts on the agreement.”
“What goalposts?” He looked genuinely confused.
He really was expecting her to be over the moon because he’d thrown a party. She’d have been much more over the moon if they’d picked up where they’d left off the week before. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted more of his intimacy instead of this public display. It smacked of possession. “I agreed to four weekends with you in this house, you and me, negotiating the property deal.”
“We will be...negotiating...again very soon, my dear,” Rex promised, and there was a wicked gleam in his eye. “Don’t worry about that.”
Carmen fumed silently and struggled to find the appropriate thing to say—something that wouldn’t give him an even bigger ego. “What I mean is, I agreed to harangue this out with you, under certain terms and conditions, and now you have changed things. Filling the house with people was not on the agenda, nor do I find it conducive to our financial negotiations.”
He arched his brows. “So businesslike.”
She bristled. He sounded disapproving. “A pity you aren’t, too.”
“Hey, I did this because you said you wanted it to be like it was, with parties and people in the house.”
Carmen had said that, but she meant her friends, her parties. “You should’ve asked me, or at least informed me of your intentions.”
Rex frowned. “I thought this would make you happy.”
Happy, to be invaded by his buddies? But as she glanced around—which she did to make a point—she realized she did recognize many of the faces he’d gathered. It was the old set, people they used to knock about with years ago when they lived at the house together. There were friends from Rex’s university days, and neighbors, and people she knew from her final school days at the local secondary school in nearby Leemington.
“Our hostess, the lady of the evening, the lovely Carmen.” It was Nathaniel Dean who said that as he approached, and his warm smile undid some of the unease she felt.
With her animosity to Rex temporarily shelved, she welcomed Nate’s embrace. “Nate. I haven’t seen you in years.”
“You look amazing.” Nate looked her up and down and gave a sigh. “Carmen Shelby, totally the business diva. It’s good to see you again.”
Carmen looked at him and nodded. It was good to see him. Nate was Rex’s best buddy from university and he often used to come to the manor during the holidays, for weekends. Nate was the cricket buff, and whenever he was around, the lads would gather people to play cricket on the lawns at the front of the house. “And you, what are you up to these days?”
“Followed in my dad’s footsteps, sad to say. I vowed I never would, but boring old banking turned out not to be so boring, after all.”
“And the rest? Are you married? Girlfriend?”
Nate pushed his hand through his hair. “Bit of a sore point...the fiancée and I split up recently.”
“Oops. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Besides, gives me a chance to chat up beautiful women like you.”
Carmen laughed.
When she glanced back at Rex, he was looking at her with an expression that seemed to say, I told you so.
“Mingle,” Rex instructed her when Nate moved on, “you might even enjoy yourself.” With that he gave her a swift slap on the arse, propelling her in the direction of the large sitting room, the biggest reception area in the house, where most of the guests seemed to have gathered.
“You’ve got a damn cheek.”
Rex grinned, and then left her to “mingle,” as he put it.
In the large sitting room, Mrs. Amery was supervising, but there was a long table set out as a bar at the far end of the room, and a man she didn’t know was stationed behind it. Had Rex hired catering in for the event? Carmen had spoken to Mrs. Amery earlier that day, and she hadn’t said a word about it. If Rex had come down heavily on them and made it sound like the treat he thought it was, Mrs. Amery wouldn’t have thought twice about it.
“Miss Carmen, hello.” It was Leanne, and she looked elated as she carried a tray of canapés through the crowd. “Isn’t it wonderful? It’s like a housewarming party.”
A housewarming party that the owner didn’t know about, Carmen thought wryly to herself. “Isn’t this outside your working hours?”
“Oh, I don’t mind. In fact, we’ve had less to do this week. Mr. Rex brought people in, you see. Mrs. Summerfield said it was like having a holiday. They arrived with this amazing truck with these high-tech refrigerated shelves. Custom-made trays with delicious food ready to go.” Leanne nodded at the canapés.
Feeling rather sheepish—given Leanne’s enthusiasm for the event—Carmen looked down at the tray. It was top-notch food, first-class catering. She helped herself to some dim sum.
“Mrs. Amery said he was on the phone every day, organizing things,” Leanne continued. “He said he wanted it to be perfect for you.”
Carmen’s heart sank. He’d been trying to please her, he really had. And she’d been churlish and awkward, much like the week before when he’d given her the dress and she’d reacted so poorly. It was only to be expected, given that Rex was unpredictable and couldn’t be trusted. But both times she thought the worst of him when he’d been trying to do something for her. Not without strings, she reminded herself. Yes, everything came with strings, when it came to Rex Carruthers. Strings and complications.
When he checked on her, later in the evening, she’d been chatting with two of the Beldover women she’d known at school. Both were married with kids and were delighted to hear she was going to be in the area again. It felt good, and when Rex joined her, she clasped his arm. “Thank you, it’s lovely.”
Mercifully he didn’t gloat. “I’m glad.”
Did she see a shadow pass through his eyes? It disturbed her. Had he been upset by her reaction? “I’m sorry—” she lowered her voice for his ears only “—it was just such a shock when I was expecting to be...alone with you.”
“As long as you’re enjoying it I’m happy.”
“I am.” She smiled. She really was.
Then a familiar face beyond him caught her eye. She froze. “You invited Amanda Mason?”
Rex took a sip from the bottle of Italian beer he held. He didn’t even look Amanda’s way. “Yes, of course. You were best buddies at school.”
He just stood there, nonchalant as anything, saying that. Carmen couldn’t believe it. But he didn’t know that she was aware the two of them had some sort of relationship back then, that Carmen had unintentionally discovered that they’d slept together, here in the manor.
“Can I get you another wine?” He took the empty glass from her hand.
“No, thanks.”
He looked so caring. She forced a smile.
Amanda was on her way over.
“Go, mingle,” Carmen told him. There was no way she could face the pair of them together, not without a few minutes to prepare for it.
Rex strolled off.
Amanda’s gaze went in his direction.
Carmen sighed.
Amanda Mason had been her best friend for a long while. When Carmen transferred to the secondary school in the neighboring town of Leemington, she and Amanda had hitched up because they were from Beldover territory, so they traveled to and from school together. They began to hang out, outside school hours. Amanda was a wild child, and they used to run her parents ragged up at their farmland, borrowing the quad bikes and churning up
the lane when they were bored. They’d been good pals, but their close friendship had been hard to maintain after Rex slept with Amanda.
It was jealousy. Carmen hurt, plain and simple.
It would have destroyed their friendship completely if it had continued, but Rex split with his dad shortly after and then he was gone from their lives. Until now. Even after Carmen had left for university, she’d stayed in touch with Amanda for a while. Amanda had even come down to London and they went out clubbing, but once Carmen had committed to learning her mother’s business inside out, that came first and she didn’t have time for a lot else.
Amanda arrived at Carmen’s side, even though she’d been watching Rex. She wrapped her arm around Carmen’s waist possessively, drawing her closer. “It’s wonderful to have you back,” she said, and then glanced back toward Rex.
Carmen wondered, somewhat bitterly, if anything ever changed. Amanda had been a great friend, except when Rex was on offer. Then all she could do was push past Carmen to get to him. “How are you keeping these days, still at home?”
Amanda grimaced. “Afraid so. I moved out for a while, when I got married.”
“Married? I never heard.”
“It didn’t last long enough to talk about.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t know what I was thinking, marrying a vicar.”
Carmen couldn’t restrain her reaction; she burst out laughing. “Amanda Mason, a vicar’s wife?”
Amanda grinned. “I told you it wasn’t worth discussing.”
“Oh, no, I’m sure it is. We’ll have to get together so you can fill me in on all the sordid details.” Carmen was tickled at the thought.
“Yes, we ought to get together.” Again Amanda’s gaze sidled over toward Rex. “Life suddenly looks a whole lot more interesting now that you guys are back in town.”
When Carmen followed her gaze, Rex looked over and waved at them both.
“Never was there such a fine man in Beldover parish,” Amanda said, apparently to herself.
“Was it the Beldover vicar you got hitched with?” Carmen asked, hoping to blot out the memories that were evoked by the silent communication across the reception room. She figured it couldn’t be the local vicar because he was in his late sixties.
“Good Lord, no. He was the new vicar in Leemington last year. Everyone was talking about him so I had to go check him out.”
“Sounds as if you checked him out pretty thoroughly.”
Amanda’s attention was elsewhere, but it was mainly on Rex. “I couldn’t resist. Biggest mistake of my life. Never mind, the divorce has come through now so I can do as I please again and I don’t have to worry about shocking the Women’s Institute or the upstanding members of the parish.”
Carmen looked again at Rex. Biggest mistake of my life? She knew that feeling. How had she managed to fall into this situation when she knew what he was like? There were several women buzzing around him now, plus Amanda was waiting to pounce.
Carmen didn’t torture herself by watching when Amanda gravitated in his direction, joining the scrum of women around him. She wandered away, took some time out before she mingled again. It was just like it always was, believing he was flirting with her, except now he’d taken things to a whole new level. Even though she’d vowed not to get emotionally involved, it was fast becoming apparent that she was, and that even a few weekends together was a big mistake, for her.
Within the hour, Amanda was back at Carmen’s side. She was loaded, and she had that look about her—a look that Carmen remembered well. She was on a mission, and usually there was a man at the end of it.
“Tell me,” Amanda asked, “is this a permanent arrangement, you two sharing this place?”
Carmen wondered if Rex had informed everybody of their personal business, or whether Amanda had wheedled it out of him. She did have a knack with men. “We haven’t finalized anything as yet. At the moment this is just a temporary arrangement.”
“It must be so difficult for you, you poor love.” Amanda peered into Carmen’s eyes when she said that.
“Difficult? Oh, well, yes, deciding the future of the house is a big thing. For everyone involved. Even the staff are in limbo until we come to an agreement.”
Amanda smirked. “No, no. I meant it must be difficult having to be around Rex Carruthers, especially after he rejected you so horribly.”
Carmen froze. Every atom of her body warned her not to respond, not to let Amanda rile and provoke her. Don’t let her get to you. She repeated the instruction several times over, but it wasn’t working.
“Don’t be silly,” she managed to say.
Amanda had known about Carmen’s crush on Rex, but that had been overruled now. Far from rejected this time—in fact, quite the contrary. It was a defensive reaction, but it was the truth. She wasn’t going to broadcast that to Amanda, though. No matter how much her pride wanted to blurt it out, she didn’t want her personal business spread all over Oxfordshire.
Amanda waited for more.
“We’re adults, we’re old friends, and we have to sort out an inheritance issue.” She shrugged and took a sip of wine.
Amanda snorted. “You can’t fool me that easily, Carmen Shelby. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see that you’ve still got the hots for him. It was written all over you the moment you walked in the door.”
Amanda had been observing? Carmen felt trapped. “That’s not the case.”
She knew she could handle it and keep her facade, but the conversation was rubbing at old and familiar hurts. Most of all she wanted to react badly, tell Amanda exactly what they’d been doing and that there had been no rejection involved. Luckily it was in her nature to be outwardly guarded and cautious.
“Rex is a free spirit, even you know that.” Carmen couldn’t resist the little barb, although it was likely too subtle for Amanda given her current state of inebriation. “He’s not the sort of man to get tangled up with for long.”
The comment was a lament, too. I should have known better. This sort of thing was inevitable when she let her emotions become involved with a man like Rex Carruthers.
Amanda knocked back the remaining wine in her glass and deposited the empty on a tray as one of the catering staff went past. “Oh, I would happily get tangled up with him again. He was bloody good in the sack.” She smiled smugly. “Of course, you wouldn’t know that. Poor little Carmen, left on the shelf.”
Mustering every bit of pride she owned, Carmen braced herself. She’d had enough. “It’s a good job that I don’t give a damn what you think. You really have become more cruel and twisted over the years.”
The swipe about being left on the shelf was the last straw. She was alone out of choice. Besides, the only reason Amanda was able to use that as a weapon was because she had a failed marriage on her résumé.
Nevertheless, it took Carmen’s deepest reserves to stand there and speak so boldly, when inside she was crumbling. Because everything Amanda inferred was true in one sense or another. Rex had rejected her, and now he was only sleeping with her to burn out the old desire between them. Circumstances had made that convenient for him to do. He hadn’t pursued her before. He hadn’t even kept in touch. That was the sort of man he was.
I know all these things, so it shouldn’t hurt.
But it hurt because she wanted him. Carmen didn’t want to be here with these people, not in their weekend time. She wanted to be here with Rex. Alone. I want what I was promised. Yes, whatever the circumstances, she wanted every moment of their time. Possessive, angry emotions were threatening to overwhelm her. She wanted to run, but she forced herself to stay. She’d tough this out, and then she could step away having maintained her dignity.
“Oh, look, Rex is waving at me,” Amanda said, swaying as she did so.
“Good for you,” Carmen muttered.
Amanda swung around to face her. “Suck it up, buttercup. I’ll be screwing him again before you even get off the starting grid.”
It hurt too much.
Carmen turned and walked away.
CHAPTER NINE
THE FRIENDLY WAVE and the forced smile Carmen gave Rex as she disappeared from the party didn’t fool him for a moment.
Something was badly wrong.
She’d seemed to relax over the course of the evening, which was a mercy after the fraught tension she’d given off when she’d arrived. Things hadn’t gone exactly to plan, and Rex regretted organizing the party. Later, when he’d seen her enjoying herself and happily chatting with the guests, he felt a bit better about it. He was still eager to get her on her own and explain things properly. He’d seen her expression change as she chatted with Amanda. He’d been watching. And when Carmen headed off, there was such a pained look in her eyes that he felt it, physically.
That look hit him like a lumbar punch. What had Amanda said to her?
Amanda had always been out of control. In retrospect he probably shouldn’t have invited her, but he thought she might have matured. Sometimes she used to screw with people’s heads for entertainment. In his youth it had a certain appeal; he’d even identified with it. Now, it appalled him. It made him wonder if he’d been as bad as she was. His instinct was to boot her out, but Rex wanted to know what had happened.
He didn’t have to wait long to find out.
When Carmen slipped away, Amanda shrugged and sauntered his way, obviously trashed and on the prowl.
“I see Carmen is as frigid and frustrated as ever.”
Irritated, Rex shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I do. She used to share everything with me, sad little virgin that she was, fixated on her stepbrother.”
Too much information. Rex tried to process it while he decided what to say. He was fuming. She’d obviously said something hurtful to Carmen. In fact, she was still running off at the mouth, loading on the insults about Carmen being a frustrated spinster because of her unrequited desire for the unattainable stepbrother.
The Burlington Manor Affair Page 12