A Reckless Affair

by Alexandra Scott

  ‘Yes, on the very day you came back to Virginia. And it’s a she. She is Randy’s daughter.’

  ‘Oh...’ The tiny foal came over, put her tender mouth to Ginny’s hand before turning in search of her mother. ‘So incredibly gentle.’

  ‘And she’s for you. My present to you, so we shall always remember the day you came to me.’

  ‘Jake.’ Tears stung at her eyes. Her mind was filled with so many thoughts and memories, such a mixture of pain and delight, so many conflicting impressions. ‘You really want to give me Randy’s foal? His last one? When he meant so much to you?’

  Jake didn’t at once reply, but they stood there in the stable yard, looking at each other. His dark eyes had a passionate intensity. ‘Don’t you know, it’s because he meant so much to me that I want you to have her?’ Passion blazed unquenched between them, but when, after a moment, he bent his head, his kiss was cool, deliberately chaste. His voice was neither of those. ‘But now maybe we ought to go back to our guests. While we can.’

  The wedding day dawned fine—as perfect an autumn day, according to Martha, when she brought breakfast trays for Ginny and Kate, as Virginia was likely to produce even for a Vanbrugh wedding. A twitch of the curtain had proved her point as she’d gestured towards the bank of trees in every shade of gold, glorious and dramatic against a pale blue morning sky.

  ‘Mmm.’ Yawning, Kate pushed herself upright in her bed, reached for her napkin and spooned a sliver of melon into her mouth. ‘Mmm,’ she said again, this time with approval.

  ‘I suppose you’re still tired after the flight yesterday—but bless you, Kate, for making the effort.’

  ‘Oh, it was no effort I assure you, love. Especially when I was presented with my ticket. Only...’ She gave a tiny sigh. ‘I’m not sure I was wise to come.’

  ‘Oh?’ Startled, Ginny paused in the act of pouring coffee, glancing across at the other bed. ‘What on earth do you mean, Kate?’

  ‘Simply that I’m going to have to go back to London and all that entails—to the demands of an alarm clock and an exacting boss—and I’ll be remembering you, with breakfast trays being brought up by the devoted Martha. It’s more than enough to drive anyone mad with jealousy.’

  ‘Ah.’ Ginny grinned. ‘Is that all? Then let me reassure you. Jake and I are going to live in his flat in New York so we’ll be on our own. No Martha at our beck and call...’

  ‘But a lady of leisure nonetheless.’

  ‘Not that either. You see, I’ve decided I’d better go back to law school to try to bridge the gap between the two systems. I don’t want to abandon my career potential.’

  ‘I see...’ Kate finished her fruit, poured some tea, and began nibbling on toast and preserve. ‘I didn’t think you’d be considering a career, not when you’re marrying into such a wealthy family.’

  ‘I’m not saying I shall, but it would be good to have a choice. I refuse to let all that skill simply atrophy. That would break my heart after so many years of hard slog.’

  ‘What does Jake think?’

  ‘Jake wants me to do what I think right.’

  ‘So long as what you want doesn’t take you away from him?’ her friend judged.

  ‘Something like that.’ Ginny laughed, not minding the colour touching her cheek. ‘That would suit us both.’

  ‘Mum. Not hard to see the man adores you. Lucky Ginny.’

  ‘Yes, I do know how lucky I am.’ She owed so much to the Vanbrughs that she would never be able to repay.

  Kate interrupted her thoughts just a touch diffidently. ‘Are you feeling nervous, Ginny? Not just about the wedding, but, you know, taking the plunge—committing yourself?’

  ‘A bit, I guess.’ But not in the way Kate meant. Her colour deepened again, though she wasn’t about to make any confessions. ‘Excited, but with no doubts whatsoever.’

  ‘That I can appreciate, and it would be hard to understand if you said anything else. Not when you’ve nabbed the dreamiest man I’ve seen in years, and not when he has rich and charming parents who are almost as keen on you as he is, and...’

  ‘I admit everything, Kate, and I still can’t believe my luck.’

  ‘Well...’ Kate considered. ‘That’s not to say he isn’t lucky too. I just wish I had seen him first, though I doubt if he would have noticed. I don’t suppose well-built redheads are his cup of tea...’

  ‘Well built!’ Ginny scoffed. ‘I just wish you would forget this phobia about weight—you must know you have the kind of figure men love...’

  ‘Yeah, Rubens and Edward the Seventh—but they aren’t round these days...’

  ‘And if they were you wouldn’t fancy them. But, incidentally, Jake’s best man—whom I haven’t met so far—is, I understand, very eligible. He’s two years older than Jake and he might even be looking for a wife. He ought to be arriving within the next hour. I hope he won’t be late, or—’

  ‘Well, speaking of that—’ With a determined move Kate rose and placed her tray on a stool ‘—I suppose it is one of my duties to make sure the bride is on time, so how would it be if I were to use the bathroom first? Then you’ll be able to take your time, beautify yourself before getting into your glad rags...’

  ‘Fine. Oh, and Kate, don’t forget, a hairdresser is due later on, so take your time in the bath and I shall just have ten minutes’ shut-eye.’

  ‘I’m actually beginning to feel rather excited.’ Kate, still wearing her dressing-gown, was on her knees on the carpet twitching the hem of Ginny’s gown. She looked up with a smile. ‘All those weddings I’ve been to and this is the first time I’ve felt even a twinge of excitement.’ She got to her feet and viewed the hem critically before deciding it was as it should be. ‘Must be something to do with being in Virginia. Oh, Ginny, you look... I hope “ravishing” isn’t too indelicate a word in the circumstances.’

  ‘Mmm.’ The nervy giggle faded to a half-smile as she turned to her reflection. Disagreement would have been hypocritical, but even at this late stage she would not risk tempting fate. ‘Fine feathers!’ she dismissed lightly, while deep down there was a grateful acknowledgement that the dress, bought in such haste in London, could hardly have been improved.

  Pale cream duchess satin, it had a scooped neckline edged with pearls, a skirt narrow in front with the slight suggestion of a train behind, and long tight sleeves.

  The hairdresser had insisted her hair was quite long enough for a chignon—a style which looked wonderful with the spray of cream roses holding the elbow-length veil in position. And she held the posy of flowers which had just arrived from Jake—roses and orchids in a cloudy haze of baby’s breath fern. It was just exquisite, while the message on the accompanying card...

  A tap at the door announced Marion’s arrival as Kate, make-up completed, was easing her dress over her head, struggling to reach the zip. ‘Let me help you with that.’ Quickly Marion completed the task and gave a final twitch to Kate’s eau-de-Nil gown before standing back, head to one side. ‘You both look perfectly lovely.’

  As she spoke, her voice not entirely steady, the eyes which met Ginny’s in a look of warmth and understanding were particularly brilliant. It was only Kate’s presence which held Ginny back from her instinctive wish to show Marion how she felt. After the long talk they had had yesterday so many questions had been answered, and the foundations of a deep relationship had been established.

  As a break from the preparations they had decided on a relaxing walk down to the stables, using the new foal as an excuse. But it had immediately become clear that Marion had planned the excursion for a more practical reason. ‘You know, Ginny, I don’t want you ever to blame Hugo for what happened between him and...and your mother.’

  ‘Oh, but I don’t,’ she’d said automatically, but not quite truthfully.

  ‘Well, it would be strange if you didn’t, my dear.’ Slowing her pace as they walked down the sun-dappled avenue, she slipped her hand through Ginny’s arm. ‘But I want you to know it was m
y fault at least as much as Hugo’s.’

  Ginny could think of nothing to say; she still found it difficult to comprehend how a man could deceive a woman like Marion.

  ‘Maybe you find that hard to understand.’ Marion sighed. ‘Attitudes have changed so much. But, you see, I did let Hugo down. When we married a wife was expected to follow her husband—just as he was expected to support her—and I married a soldier. I was proud to marry a soldier. I knew exactly what I was doing.

  ‘I meant to have him the first time I met him, at a summer ball at West Point. I meant to be a good wife and make him happy. But then I found I hated army life, and after a while I came back home to live here with my parents, where I’d been born and brought up. I was selfish. I see that now. But at first Hugo didn’t mind. He wanted me to be happy, too, and there were so many demands on high-flying officers—always flying off to Washington or to one of our embassies abroad.

  ‘In the meantime I had had it confirmed I’d never be able to have children—that must have made me more difficult still. Even when Hugo came on leave I could hardly lift myself out of depression. I think being able to adopt Jake might have saved my reason—does that seem completely heartless, when it was only by his mother’s death...?’

  ‘No. No, I can understand that.’

  ‘But even then I handled it badly. I became an obsessive mother and, though I didn’t mean to, I neglected Hugo. We were living apart, he came home only on furlough, and it must have seemed to him I was more interested in the child—someone else’s child—than I was in him. A classic situation—and I ought to have had more sense—but there you are. We are none of us as clever as we like to think we are.’

  ‘Well, it’s much easier to see things clearly from a distance.’

  ‘Mmm.’ Marion sighed as they began to walk the last few hundred yards towards the stable block. ‘Anyway, by the time Hugo was posted to Vietnam things between us were distinctly rocky. His last leave had been so strained that even my parents had noticed something was wrong. Afterwards I learned he had gone back three days earlier than he needed, and had gone deep-sea fishing so he could relax. What can I say? Except that to the end of my days I shall regret what happened, and if he had been killed—as he so nearly was—’ She shuddered. ‘I try not to think of that.’

  ‘Well...’ it was Ginny’s turn to give a comforting squeeze ‘—if it makes you feel better I would say you now have a truly happy marriage.’

  ‘Yes, now we have. We have been so fortunate to have a second chance—but it was Hugo’s injuries, all those months in a military hospital that mended things for me. I left Jake here with my parents and spent that time near the hospital on the West Coast until I could bring him home. We had lots of time to talk, amid all the pain and trauma. He told me there had been someone else but that it was over. I was so frightened when I thought of life without him...’

  ‘Thank you, Marion, for telling me all this.’

  ‘Oh, and one last thing.’ The eyes she turned towards Ginny shone with affection. ‘When Hugo told me the truth about who you were it was a shock—it would be silly to deny that—but now I’m positively glad, because I know you’re going to make my son very happy.’

  ‘I promise I’m going to do my very best.’

  ‘And that’s what I want more than anything in the world.’ They stood smiling at each other, both rather emotional. Marion had looked beyond her. ‘And now, I think, if you turn round, you’ll see him walking along to meet us, so you go on. I’m sure this is one occasion when I shan’t be missed. I’ll cut across this way—I can see Miguel and I want to have a word with him.’

  But that had been yesterday. And today, once again, Marion was offering all the encouragement Ginny would have expected from her own mother. ‘You’re both ready, then?’ Head to one side, she scrutinised them for any tiny flaw, then nodded. ‘Quite perfect. Everyone is waiting for you downstairs, and... and Hugo is waiting to give you away, my dear.’

  Slowly, with infinite care for the dresses, the little group descended to the hall, where Hugo was ready to join them, and then went through the salon towards the French windows, which were open to the gardens where the guests were seated in the warm midday sunshine.

  Ginny could see the clergyman standing waiting for her to walk along the gold-coloured carpet. She could see the tall outline of the man with whom she was about to exchange lifelong vows—and the back of his head, and another dark-clad figure standing beside him.

  From somewhere out of sight music began to play—something so familiar and evocative that into her mind, unbidden, came images of her mother, of Tom, her father... Tears stung and her hand began to shake.

  Then it was clasped, steadied by one just as firm, just as sure as Tom’s would have been. The tears were blinked away. She turned to give Hugo a little smile of reassurance, saw the relief, the confidence—perhaps even love—in his expression. And certainly, when he spoke, his voice was filled with tenderness and understanding. ‘Are you ready now, Virginia?’

  ‘I’m ready.’

  She turned for a last exchange with Kate, then they were walking down through the banks of flowers to the soaring music from ‘Lohengrin’. And as she reached Jake he turned towards her, his mouth curving slightly upwards, eyes gleaming as they absorbed details of her dress. His hands reached out and his fingers linked with hers, his father having relinquished his claim on the other side.

  And then she heard his name as he was invited to make his commitment.

  ‘Hugo Jacob Vanbrugh, do you take Virginia Sophie Browne...?’

  The order of the names was reversed and she heard her own voice making the responses with the same firm certainty he had shown.

  She knew then it was right—what had happened all those years ago had been ordained, had been meant to lead to this perfect moment. She knew she had come home.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE helicopter lifted, causing such a downrush of air that Jake put his arm about her in protection. They waved to the pilot and stood watching a moment longer as the machine rose, diminished and quickly disappeared among the encircling hills before they crossed the verandah of the log cabin which was to be home for the first few days of their married life.

  ‘Jake,’ she gasped as he swept her off her feet, shouldered open the door and carried her inside before slowly releasing her, allowing her toes to touch the ground. ‘Jake...’ Breathless, she shook her head in attempted reproof in the split second before his mouth closed on hers.

  ‘At last...’ Cradling her face between his palms, he gazed down soberly before a faint smile curved his lips. ‘At last I’ve got you to myself. I had begun to think this time would never arrive...’

  ‘But, Jake...’ Smiling dreamily, she linked her arms about his neck. ‘It couldn’t possibly have been arranged sooner.’ She was enjoying being provocative. ‘Even as it is, my feet haven’t touched the ground since...since that day in London, and...’

  ‘And speaking of that...’

  She gave him another glance of mock reproof. ‘And your mother must have been in a flat spin trying to cope with all the arrangements. First the evening reception, then the wedding itself.’ Sighing reminiscently, she laid her head on his shoulder. ‘It was the most perfect wedding imaginable.’

  ‘Mmm.’ The arms around her tightened; she felt his mouth move against the crown of her head. ‘But that was all down to just one detail—that you were the bride, I the bridegroom. Ergo perfection.’

  ‘You liked the dress?’ Dreamily she began a review of the perfect day—remembered her pleasure in the dropped-pearl earrings, a twenty-first birthday gift from her grandmother.

  She grew serious for a moment. Yes, in all the important aspects she had been her real grandmother, just as Tom had been her true father. And she was confident that neither of them would have stood in the way of her present happiness.

  ‘I loved the dress.’ He sounded tolerant, amused, indulgent—exactly, she decided with a touch of
self-satisfaction, how a newly married man ought to sound.

  ‘Oh, and Jake—thank you for the lovely flowers. They looked so perfect with the dress.’

  ‘It was a pleasure, my darling.’

  ‘And Kate’s dress—’ she went on. ‘It really suited her, didn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, I adored Kate’s dress. And my mother’s dress. In fact. I loved every single thing about the wedding.’

  ‘And it was so touching when your father said in his speech how much he had always longed for a daughter and now he had one...’

  ‘And you and I know he meant every word.’

  ‘Yes.’ Her voice was all at once thick with unshed tears. ‘He told me exactly that the previous day. I still have shivers when I think how much of a shock my sudden appearance must have been. At the time he must have wished he’d never heard of me—but now, I do believe, he is happy about it. And I agree with him—it’s a secret we shall share, just the four of us.’

  ‘No one else need ever know of it.’

  ‘No. I hope not... Oh, did I tell you about my compliment from the Colonel? He told me I had the definite look of an actress he used to know.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure he put a few through his hands when he was younger. Did he mention her name?’

  ‘Mmm, but it didn’t mean much to me. Oh, it’s not important. I’ll tell you all about it some other time.’

  ‘I’m just relieved that the parents had some inkling as to how I felt. If they hadn’t...’

  ‘Don’t!’ she implored, with an involuntary shiver which made his arms tighten as if a threat still existed.

  ‘But if it hadn’t been for Mother’s intuition they might never have shared your secret with me—would never have seen the need.’

  ‘So many if’s. If it hadn’t been for the whole sequence of events, I would not have come to New York in the first place—most certainly I would not have bluffed my way into your offices, past the formidable Karen Lavery.’