‘Don’t you knock?’ Rhys complained, straightening up.
‘I shouldn’t have to. Put a sign on the door if you can’t keep your hands off her.’
Alix laughed, loving the banter between them, not unpleased at being caught. Todd took Rhys away with him and she only saw him again briefly when he came to say goodbye. They were alone then, too, and she clung to him, not wanting him to go.
‘I’ll soon be back,’ he told her. Putting his hands low on her hips, he drew her against him, moved, and watched her eyes darken as desire took hold. He smiled then, and leaning forward, whispered outrageously in her ear, ‘Keep it hot for me, urchin.’
Her face flamed, making him laugh, but then the phone rang to say that his car was ready, so he said goodbye and left.
The next thing to go wrong at the office was caused by Todd’s wife. Lynette came unexpectedly to the office to see him. Ordinarily Alix would have interrupted Todd, whatever he was doing, and shown her right in, but remembering the rumours and knowing what a hard time she’d been giving her boss lately, Alix told Lynette he was busy and made her wait. Lynette went off to the ladies’ cloakroom, came back in ten minutes, but again Alix said that Todd couldn’t be interrupted. After pacing the floor in growing anger for another ten minutes, Lynette just stormed into his room, where Todd was merely talking on the phone.
‘Did you tell Alix to keep me out?’ Alix heard her demanding of him furiously.
The door slammed and she didn’t hear any more, not specific words, that was; but she certainly heard their raised voices as the two had a real, stand-up fight. Soon, Lynette slammed her way out of Todd’s room again and would have marched out of the building, but she noticed Alix and changed her mind, coming striding over to her.
‘I won’t be coming to your wedding,’ she announced shortly.
‘Oh, won’t you?’ Alix tried hard to look disappointed.
‘No—because the whole affair is just a travesty anyway.’
Alix frowned in puzzlement. ‘A travesty?’
‘Yes.’ Lynette gave her a contemptuous look. ‘You stupid little idiot. Why do you think Rhys has put off your marriage as long as he possibly could? He doesn’t care about you. The only reason he’s getting married at all is because it was a condition of taking over from Todd. The company insisted on him being married if he wanted the job. He had to get married so he chose you, someone he could keep putting off until he had to, keep delaying the wedding until he actually took over Todd’s job.’ She laughed. ‘You look like a fish standing there with your mouth open! If you don’t believe me, ask Rhys yourself. He doesn’t love you. He never has and he never will. You’re just the silly chit who’s always adored him and will always let him do what he wants!’ She laughed again, then turned and strode triumphantly out of the room.
CHAPTER FIVE
ALIX didn’t ask Rhys; she asked Todd instead. But not immediately. Her first reaction was that Lynette’s outburst had just been rubbish, made up on the spur of the moment by a vindictive mind, because she’d been kept waiting. And because she’d rowed with Todd, of course; Alix wasn’t at all surprised that Lynette had taken it out on her; she’d always thought she was that kind of woman.
At first she sat in her chair feeling stunned, the way one did when confronted by unwarranted and unexpected rudeness, but then, insidiously, a whole lot of questions began to arise in her mind. Was it really true that Rhys needed to be married to take over the English branch of the company? The idea wasn’t as archaic as it sounded; Todd’s father had been a great man for traditional values, and he might easily have laid down that rule, feeling that family men were more stable, more likely to stay in the job and not get into trouble when abroad. But was it still part of company policy now, in this more advanced age? If it was, then a whole lot of disturbing facts seemed to fit. It was undeniably true that Rhys had said they would be married when he took over from Todd. Try as she might, Alix couldn’t wriggle out of that one. And it was also true that when Todd’s transfer to Canada was delayed Rhys took it that the wedding would also be delayed, and would have put it off for yet another year if she hadn’t brought things to a head and demanded they set a date.
With those unwelcome thoughts in her mind, Alix had to try to face up to the other taunt that Lynette had thrown at her: that Rhys didn’t love her. But heart took over from head with that one. No way! Everything screamed out a rejection. Of course he loved her! If he had to have a wife, then Rhys could pick any girl he chose. He was so good-looking and attractive to women that they were always throwing themselves at him. Why, Alix remembered once when they’d gone out to dinner at a restaurant and she’d gone to the cloakroom for five minutes. When she came back she found some girl, a total stranger, had actually come across to the table to talk to him. And had the audacity to give him her phone number, too! Rhys had laughed when Alix had been indignant and said, ‘Don’t worry, urchin, I don’t look at other women when I’m with you.’
But that memory was disturbing, too. At the time she had been completely happy with it, but now, because of that rotten Lynette, even that reassurance sounded ambiguous.
Alix pushed it out of her mind. Rhys loved her. Maybe not as much as she loved him, and certainly not for as long, but he definitely loved her. He’d told her so. Not often. But he had told her. Alix’s thoughts went back to that precious night when they’d walked down to the meadow, soon after they’d become officially engaged. Rhys had kissed her then, and told her he loved her because of her innocence. But that wasn’t quite right. She frowned, concentrating, dusting off the memory. No, what he’d actually said was that her innocence was what he loved about her. The same thing, then? Or was it? Before Lynette’s outburst Alix would never have questioned it, but now it sent her hurrying into Todd’s office without even knocking at the door.
‘Is it true?’ she demanded coming up to his desk.
He looked up in surprise from where he’d been sitting with his head in his hands. ‘Huh?’
‘Is it true that Rhys can’t take over your job from you unless he’s married?’
‘What?’ Todd frowned, straightened, then looked into her face, pale, and sharpened by tension. ‘What put that idea into your head?’
There was a slight wariness in his voice but Alix was too strung up to notice. ‘Your wife. Lynette. She told me. She said that——’
Lifting a hand to stop her, Todd rose and came round his desk to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ‘Alix, honey, I’m really sorry. I’m afraid Lyn and I had a real humdinger of a fight just now. She went out in a hell of a temper and I’m afraid you got in the way. If Brenda had been in the office she would probably have had a go at her instead. I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to be involved in this. But—well, I guess you know, things have been getting worse between us lately.’
‘I guessed,’ Alix admitted. ‘But——’
‘I think it’s going to come down to a court case for possession of the kids,’ Todd went on. ‘I’ve been trying everything I know to try and avoid that, but Lyn won’t go to Canada and she won’t even compromise.’
‘I’m very sorry,’ Alix said. ‘I really am. But, Todd—is it true?’
‘Is what true? Oh, you mean about Rhys. Hell, Alix, he’s the best man for the job. You know that. Anybody who works as hard as he does for the company deserves it.’
‘Yes, but——’
‘Do you really think I wouldn’t have given him the job just because he wasn’t married?’ Todd went on. ‘This is business, Alix. You have to be practical.’ He shook his head, went over to the cabinet and poured himself a drink, a stiff one, Alix noticed. ‘You want a drink, kid? You look as if you could do with one.’
She nodded, suddenly feeling weak and shaken, and sank down into one of Todd’s deep leather armchairs. ‘She shouldn’t have said that,’ she said tremulously. ‘All those things.’
‘What things?’ Todd came over and put the glass in her hand, took a good slug of his.
Remembering that Todd and Lynette were still married and that, presumably, he still loved her, Alix said, ‘It—it doesn’t matter.’
Todd sighed. ‘You might as well tell me, Alix. What other poison has she been spreading?’
Painfully, finding it hard to even say the words, Alix said, ‘She told me that Rhys didn’t love me. That he never had.’
Todd burst into laughter. ‘Can you beat that? Well, that proves that Lyn was so angry she just said the first things that came into her head. Everyone knows the guy’s nuts about you. Why, he bores the pants off people, the way he never stops talking about you.’
‘Really?’ Alix lifted glowing eyes to meet his.
‘Sure. But you know that; I don’t have to tell you.’
She smiled. ‘Yes, of course. It just came as rather a shock to be told, just a few days before your wedding, that the bridegroom doesn’t love you.’
Todd nodded in rueful admiration. ‘I have to give it to Lynette; she really knows how to hit you where it hurts.’
‘But she fights dirty,’ Alix pointed out wryly.
‘Yeah.’
They sat and sipped their drinks, both looking gloomy, both with their thoughts on the same woman. Alix didn’t know what Todd was thinking, but hers were full of bitterness and hate. She felt physically and mentally shaken by what had happened. How could anyone be so cruel? What real harm had she ever done to Lynette, for heaven’s sake? But the woman had openly flirted with Rhys and then had the nerve to turn round and say with absolute certainty that he didn’t love her, Alix. While all the time Lynette herself was having an affair with some unknown man! For the briefest of seconds a cold finger of dread entered Alix’s heart but was instantly dismissed—no, not dismissed, wasn’t allowed to even take hold.
Finishing the drink in one mind-numbing swallow, she set the glass down and said jerkily, ‘It’s my hen party tonight.’
‘Yeah, I heard. Quite a few of the girls are going, aren’t they?’
‘Yes.’
‘Here.’ Todd fumbled some money from his wallet. ‘Buy them all a drink on me.’
‘Thank you.’ Alix looked at the notes without really taking them in, but said automatically, ‘That’s far too much.’
‘Are you staying in London tonight?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then get drunk. Forget about Lynette.’
She laughed rather shakily. ‘I just might do that. It should be a good night.’
‘I hope so. It’s a pity Rhys isn’t going to make it back for his party. Still, we’ll all——’
‘What did you say?’ Alix broke in.
Todd slowly lifted his eyes to look at her. ‘You—haven’t heard yet?’
‘No, I haven’t heard anything,’ she said curtly. ‘Is it true? Rhys is actually not coming home for his stag party?’ Her voice rose in indignant anger.
‘It seems that a small hiccup had cropped up in Lithuania. Something he feels he has to deal with. I thought he must have spoken to you about it when he rang this morning.’
‘No. He didn’t,’ Alix said shortly.
‘The line was real bad. Maybe he got cut off. Or maybe he thought he’d tell you when he rings tonight.’
Her chin lifted. ‘Yes, I expect that’s what he means to do. He’d want to tell me himself.’
‘It’s no big deal, Alix,’ Todd said bracingly. ‘He’s lucky to have an excuse to get out of it. Everyone gets lousy drunk and usually ends up in gaol. The bride is real lucky if the groom sobers up in time for the wedding.’
She managed a smile. ‘Yes, of course. That’s probably why he’s done it. He’ll tell me tonight, I expect. Well, I’d better get back to work.’
Going back to her own office, Alix gazed at the pattern of letters on the monitor screen, but didn’t attempt to form them into words. What was happening to her? Her happy, normal world was suddenly being invaded by doubts, falling apart. But through all the turmoil of emotions that beset her, there was one shining certainty to which she held fast; she loved Rhys, loved him with all her heart and soul. And Rhys was going to marry her in just a few days so what the hell was she worrying about? Damn Lynette and her lies. And what did it matter if Rhys couldn’t make his stag night? It was, after all, only a glorified term for a booze-up with his friends. Hardly the end of the world.
By telling herself things like this, Alix was able to argue herself into a better mood, and was able to smile and make a thank-you speech when she was presented with the wedding gift from everyone at work. But she was far from being her usual happy self when she met up with Kathy and the girls that night. Alix had never been drunk in her life; a bit tight perhaps, but never really drunk. That night, though, she drank more than she ever had before, and because of it had a really good time, forgetting doubts, remembering only that she would soon be Rhys’s wife. Most of the girls from the office were openly envious, which was intoxicating in itself, and Kathy had to firmly put Alix into a taxi at midnight and send her home to the flat.
Alix fell into bed, blissfully wondering what would happen if Rhys came home unexpectedly and found her there. But then she remembered that Rhys wouldn’t be home for a couple of days at least, and fell asleep with tears on her cheeks.
The hen party had been timed to coincide with Alix’s last day at work before the wedding. Which was just as well as she slept very late the next day and felt decidedly delicate when she woke. As she travelled down to Kent, sitting on the train, Alix was unable to keep Lynette’s lies out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried. And they would stay with her, she realised, until she saw Rhys again. Then he would laugh away her fears, tell her not to be such a little idiot. His very presence would be enough to reassure her. And on their wedding-night, he would not only tell her, but be able to show her just how much he loved her.
As soon as she got home, too, Alix began to forget Lynette. The house was full of wedding presents that she had to open and list, there was her dress to try on for the last time to make sure she hadn’t put on—or lost—any weight, a hundred and one last-minute things to be done, to be checked and double-checked. Alix dived into them like an eager cross-channel swimmer, losing herself in the preparations, and letting her mind think of nothing else.
They had the wedding rehearsal at the cathedral, with a young clergyman having to stand in for Rhys. But Rhys had rung to apologise, to swear he’d be back in plenty of time, to say that he knew she’d understand. So what else could Alix do except say yes? She didn’t tell him about Lynette’s lies, didn’t even, by a supreme effort of will, ask him if he loved her. Just because things had been spoiled for her, Alix saw no reason why she should inflict it on Rhys as well.
The eve of the wedding arrived, and along with it came two friends from college who were to be bridesmaids, and several relations and friends of her parents, all of whom were staying over. The house was full, as was Rhys’s, and Rhys’s grandparents had arranged for them all to go to a local restaurant for a buffet dinner. Rhys was due to fly in that afternoon and Alix expected him to come over straight away, or at least to phone. When he didn’t she guessed that he had got caught up in talking to relations, opening presents, all the things that she’d had to do a couple of days ago, so she didn’t worry. She would see him tonight at the buffet party, and although they wouldn’t be alone, at least they’d be together.
Opening her wardrobe to select a dress to wear, Alix looked with excitement at all the new clothes hanging there that she’d bought for the honeymoon. Rhys had kept the destination a secret, just said that they’d spend a few days in England to recover from the wedding, then go somewhere hot and exotic. Alix guessed it would be the Seychelles, a place she’d often said she would like to go to, and had bought some gorgeous clothes. Her mother would pack them for her and she would pick them up on the way to the airport after their few days in England.
Selecting one of the new outfits in the soft blue that Rhys said looked good on her because it matched her eyes, Ali
x dressed carefully, her heart singing with anticipation at seeing Rhys again. She and her parents got to the restaurant early to meet all the guests, but Rhys’s parents were late, which was most unusual of them. When they did arrive with all the people staying at their house, there was a troubled frown on his mother’s brow which she couldn’t hide behind a transparent smile.
‘Rhys rang from Vilnius, Alix dear. You’re not to worry, but he’s going to be a little late. There’s some hold-up with the plane. He might have to drive to another airport, but he’ll get here as soon as he can.’
Alix blinked and clenched her fists, but she managed to smile and say, ‘What a shame. We’ll just have to start without him.’
He didn’t turn up at the restaurant that evening, and the next morning it looked as if they might have to start the wedding without him, too!
Alix woke early and immediately shot out of bed to see what the weather was like. The climate had been kind to her, it was a perfect early summer day, cloudless and still. There was dew on the grass and flowers in the beds were opening their petals to the sun. Perfect! Her next thought was of Rhys. Had he got home OK? She ran to her other window, from which she could see his bedroom, and gave a great sigh of relief; the curtains were drawn and the window partly open. Rhys always slept with his window open, so he must have arrived home at last.
Her anxieties stilled, Alix turned back into her own room. It was too early yet to get up, but she was much too full of excitement to want to go back to sleep. More than anything she longed to see Rhys, to be alone with him for just a few minutes, to feel the comfort of his arms around her, because, despite all her efforts, the shadow of doubt still lingered in her mind.
On impulse, she quickly pulled on a tracksuit and ran through the sleeping house, let herself out and ran across the garden, the dew wet on her bare feet. She went through the gate in the hedge, picked up some small stones from the border and threw them up at Rhys’s window. Nothing happened. It occurred to her that if he’d got in really late he might be heavily asleep. Well, that was just too bad; she needed him so he would have to wake, and she threw up more stones that rattled satisfactorily against the panes. Now, at last, the curtain was pulled back. A head appeared and the window was pushed wide. It wasn’t Rhys; it was his grandfather.
To Have And To Hold (Mills & Boon Vintage 90s Modern) Page 9