She could now see him for exactly what he was, a middle-aged charmer who preyed on the adoration of naïve teenagers like she had been. Oh, he had surface appeal, but he was shallow, nothing like the god she had thought him to be four years ago. Next to Giles Jeremy was insignificant, merely a good-looking man she could look at objectively. Giles wasn’t the cold man she had once thought him, his emotions ran so deep it would take a lifetime to know all his complexities. If only she had a lifetime!
‘Come on,’ he grasped the top of her arm and began to pull her over to where Jeremy stood.
Leonie hung back. ‘Where are you taking me?’
His eyes were cruel. ‘To meet a friend of mine.’
‘No!’
Giles glowered down at her, a barely leashed violence about him. ‘What do you mean, no?’
She was breathing hard. ‘I mean exactly that—no. I won’t be put through this charade any longer.’
‘You’ll do what I want you to,’ he ground out softly, a pleasant smile on his face for his guests.
‘No…’
‘Yes!’
‘Giles, please! I don’t want to meet Jeremy again.’ Her eyes pleaded with him, but his features remained rigid, unyielding as the man himself. ‘Giles, please!’
He seemed to go white, his fingers tightened around her arm. ‘Why can’t you beg like that when I make love to you?’ he groaned, his eyes almost black.
‘Giles!’ She was conscious of no one but him, both of them seemingly lost in a battle of emotions.
He drew a deep breath. ‘You’re right, this is hardly the time for this. Let’s go and talk to your lover.’
Leonie went with him, mainly because she knew she couldn’t fight him in front of this room full of people. They seemed to have attracted more than their fair share of curious glances already, without her causing a scene.
Jeremy turned to smile at them as they approached, the smile not changing at all as his gaze ran appreciatively over Leonie’s slender curves. Leonie withstood that look with difficulty, expecting at any moment for him to expose her to the other people here. But he didn’t, his smile charming as he looked down at her.
‘You must be Leonora Carter,’ he said softly. ‘Emily has just been telling me about her beautiful assistant. I can see now that she understated rather than overstated.’
He didn’t recognise her! Leonie almost choked with relieved laughter. Jeremy didn’t even remember her! And why should he? According to Wanda there had been plenty of other women in her father’s life since Leonie, plenty of other girls fooled by his practised seduction.
She gave Giles a glance from beneath lowered lashes. His jaw was rigid, his expression giving away none of his inner feelings. She turned back to Jeremy, forcing herself to smile at him. ‘Yes, I’m Leonie Carter,’ she acknowledged huskily.
‘Jeremy Lindsay.’ He held out his hand politely.
The touch of his hand meant nothing to her either. Once upon a time she would have trembled even at this casual touch, now it left her cold, and she extricated her hand as soon as she could without seeming impolite.
‘Jeremy,’ Giles greeted tersely. ‘What have you done with your lively wife?’
As his hand was still on her arm Giles must have felt Leonie tense, but he gave no indication of it. Jeremy might not recognise her with the outward differences in her appearance, but a woman was less likely to be fooled by a change of hairstyle and a more sophisticated way of dressing. She could only hope that Glenda Lindsay had long ago forgotten her—after all, they had never actually met.
‘She wasn’t able to come with me, I’m afraid. Wanda telephoned at the last minute. Some crisis or other,’ he accepted a drink off Davenport, ‘that only a mother could deal with.’
Leonie’s interest had quickened at the mention of Wanda. It didn’t seem at all likely that Wanda would call her mother for help over anything. Unless it was something to do with Phil! She had to find out.
‘I hope you’ll excuse me for a few minutes.’ She gave a dazzling smile, looking at no one in particular, studiously avoiding looking at Giles. ‘I—er—I have to make an important telephone call.’
‘Who to?’ Giles’ fingers on her arm refused to be shaken off.
‘I—er—I forgot, I arranged to meet someone this evening. I have to let them know I won’t be going after all.’
‘Use the telephone in my study,’ he instructed tightly.
‘I—Thank you. Excuse me.’ She turned blindly away.
Davenport showed her into the meticulously tidy room, the predominant feature a huge mahogany desk and leather swivel chair. No doubt Giles did a lot of work at home—hadn’t he admitted as much when trying to put her off the idea of marrying him?
It felt like sacrilege to be sitting in the comfort of his chair, but she soon forgot about that once she got through to Phil.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked as soon as he realised who it was.
‘Nothing’s the matter with me. I just wondered if there was anything wrong your end.’
‘Should there be?’ He sounded puzzled.
‘No. But I—I just had this feeling…’ She could hardly tell him Jeremy had put the idea in her head!
Phil laughed. ‘Feminine intuition? Well, this time it was wrong. Wanda and I were just about to go down to the local for a pint.’
‘Wanda’s there?’
‘She’s more or less moved in,’ he said ruefully. ‘I’ve tried throwing her out, but she keeps coming back.’
‘And I’ll keep doing it until he agrees to marry me,’ Wanda cut in.
So Wanda hadn’t telephoned her mother at all. That either meant Glenda hadn’t wanted to come here tonight and Jeremy had made up the excuse, or else Glenda had made that excuse to him herself. Whichever one it was she was at least glad Glenda Lindsay hadn’t turned up this evening.
‘I think marriage is the only answer, Phil,’ she teased her brother.
He sighed. ‘I think so too. How would you like to be one of the witnesses?’
‘Does that mean you agree?’ She was excited for Wanda, could hear the other girl laughing happily as she apparently hugged Phil.
‘I agree,’ he said defeatedly. ‘Although how we’ll live…’
‘Love has a way of making money unimportant,’ Leonie told him. ‘We’ll discuss the wedding arrangements on Saturday, if that’s okay with you?’
‘Yes, fine. I think Wanda’s already started writing out a list of things to be done. At this rate she’ll have the wedding arranged for Saturday!’
‘The sooner the better,’ Leonie laughed. ‘But a proposal through a telephone conversation is hardly romantic, Phil.’
‘No, I suppose not,’ he agreed. ‘I’ll get off the phone and do the romantic bit now.’
‘Okay,’ she smiled, not being able to picture her brother going down on one knee. ‘I’ll look forward to Saturday.’
The smile was still on her lips as she turned to leave the room. She gasped as she saw Giles standing in the open doorway. ‘You startled me!’ she accused heatedly.
He came into the room, closing the door behind him, that quiet click telling her of his anger more than if he had slammed the door. ‘I thought it would be Philip Trent you called,’ he said coldly.
‘I—Yes. I don’t have many friends in London.’ She frowned, his still anger frightening her more than his blazing fury.
‘We’re ready to go in to dinner now,’ he told her icily.
Leonie picked up her black evening bag from the top of the desk. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve kept you waiting.’
‘I’m used to it,’ he said bitterly.
She flushed, his double meaning not lost on her. ‘I’m ready now.’ She watched him nervously, not sure of his mood at all.
‘I’m always ready where you’re concerned.’ His eyes never left her lips.
‘Giles, please, your guests.’
‘Yes,’ he sighed, ‘my guests. Did it bother you that Jeremy didn’t
even know you?’ he asked suddenly.
This time she was ready for his lawyer’s ploy. ‘Not in the least,’ she said tautly.
‘Like hell it didn’t!’ he snapped viciously. ‘It bothered you so much you ran in here like a frightened rabbit.’
‘No! No, that isn’t true. I’m glad he didn’t recognise me. I only came in here because I had to talk to Phil.’
‘I heard,’ Giles said grimly. ‘We’d better go into dinner now. You and I can talk later.’
It sounded like a threat, so much so that Leonie was a nervous wreck throughout the meal. She even knocked her glass of wine over at one stage, although Davenport dealt with that as deftly as he dealt with everything else.
At least Giles hadn’t been cruel enough to seat her next to Jeremy, seating her between the plump and jolly Major Fenton, and the rather henpecked Joe Forsythe, who seemed to blossom away from his friendly but overbearing wife. The conversation of the two men was pleasant, and she could have enjoyed herself—if it weren’t for the fact that every time she looked up it was to find Giles’ gaze fixed on her broodingly.
Jeremy looked at her a couple of times too, although it was an impersonal gaze, no sign of recognition there. What she would have done if he had recognised her she just didn’t know!
They took their coffee into the sitting-room, and several of the men had a brandy too, including Giles. Leonie had watched him through dinner, had seen the way Davenport filled his glass with wine again and again. He didn’t seem any the worse for the alcohol he had consumed, but no one could be completely sober after drinking that much. His gaze was even more brooding now, his expression quite unpleasant a couple of times when she looked his way and caught him looking right back at her.
‘Leonie!’
She stiffened as Giles called her name across the room, making her the cynosure of all eyes. ‘Yes?’ she asked calmly, her inner turmoil not apparent.
He put his hand to her. ‘Come here.’
Leonie had been talking to Maggie Forsythe, Joe’s bossy wife, and she was very aware of the curious look the other woman gave her. Which wasn’t surprising! How dared Giles talk to her like this in front of all these people!
‘Leonie?’ His mouth was a taut line, a nerve pulsating in the hard line of his jaw.
It was a test of will, a duel, she knew that, but with everyone looking at her she had no choice but to go to him. ‘Excuse me,’ she smiled at Maggie, and walked unhurriedly over to where Giles stood next to Emily. As a gesture of defiance, an effort to show him he hadn’t quite won this battle, she ignored the hand he held out to her. Seconds later she realised her gesture had been a waste of time; his arm passed about her waist, his hand resting possessively beneath her breast. She remained rigid against the hardness of his side, her eyes blazing.
Everyone was still watching this curious interplay between them, Emily with an air of expectation about her. That expectation was soon satisfied.
‘I’m glad all of my close friends are here,’ Giles raised his voice in tone so that everyone in the room could hear him, ‘because I have a special announcement to make.’
Leonie looked up at him sharply, noting that the smile on his lips didn’t reach the steel of his eyes.
He looked steadily down at her. ‘Leonie has consented to be my wife,’ he announced very clearly.
If he hadn’t been holding her up she would have fallen down. Had he really said he intended marrying her? It would seem so, by the warm congratulations coming their way. She accepted Emily’s hug dazedly.
‘Just friends, indeed!’ Emily snorted disgustedly.
Leonie blushed, unable to answer. ‘I—We—I—’
‘I understand,’ Emily patted her hand. ‘You didn’t want to ruin the surprise.’
‘It’s certainly that!’ Jeremy had joined them without Leonie being aware of it. ‘You were very secretive about your fiancée, Giles,’ he teased the other man.
‘Wasn’t I?’ Giles drawled, his hold on Leonie still as firm.
‘Is one allowed to kiss the future bride?’ Jeremy quirked one eyebrow enquiringly.
Leonie recoiled. She didn’t want him to kiss her, the very thought of it nauseated her.
Giles’s eyes glittered dangerously, but his expression remained calm. ‘Go ahead,’ he invited harshly.
She forced herself to accept the touch of Jeremy’s lips on hers, tensing as he seemed to linger over the caress. Giles had obviously noticed it too, for his fingers dug painfully into her rib-cage.
In the end she was the one who had to move away, laughing lightly to cover the tension that had suddenly gripped them all. ‘I think Giles should have been the first one to kiss me after announcing our engagement. Darling?’ Her expression was completely challenging, her lips raised invitingly.
‘I’m only too glad to oblige,’ he drawled, bending his head to claim a kiss that completely obliterated the touch of Jeremy’s mouth on hers. He lingered even longer than Jeremy had, so much so that teasing comments started all around them.
Leonie was starry-eyed by the time he released her, although the malevolent look in Jeremy Lindsay’s narrowed blue eyes soon wiped the smile off her face. The expression was quickly gone, so quickly that she thought she must have imagined it. Of course she had imagined it, there was simply no reason for him to look like that.
‘Shall I serve the champagne now, sir?’ Davenport enquired stiffly.
‘Champagne?’ Emily echoed excitedly. ‘How lovely!’
‘Only the best for Giles’ fiancée,’ Jeremy said smoothly.
‘But of course,’ Giles agreed curtly.
‘Don’t you have a ring, Leonie?’ Jeremy asked her, looking pointedly at her bare hand, the wedding ring Tom had given her being now locked away in her jewellery box.
‘I—’
‘Yes, she has a ring,’ Giles interrupted. ‘It won’t be ready until Saturday. It had to be altered.’
‘I see,’ Jeremy said dryly. ‘Well, congratulations, both of you. When is the wedding?’
‘Next month,’ Giles informed him. ‘I’ve waited long enough for my bride, I don’t intend waiting a moment longer than I have to.’ His expression was possessive as he looked down at her.
‘Glenda will be sorry to have missed meeting your future wife,’ Jeremy said thoughtfully. ‘I know, you’ll both have to come over to dinner one night.’ He looked at them enquiringly.
Leonie paled. The last thing she wanted was to meet Jeremy and his wife socially, especially at a dinner party that might only be for the four of them. ‘Giles—’
‘Perhaps we can arrange something another time, Jeremy,’ he responded to her plea. ‘Leonie isn’t living in London at the moment. Maybe later…’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Let’s all drink a toast,’ Emily raised her glass of champagne. ‘To Giles and Leonora.’
Leonie withstood the good wishes for the next ten minutes or so, relieved when the conversation once again became general and the limelight was off Giles and herself. ‘Why?’ she asked him in a fierce whisper.
He didn’t even look at her. ‘You said you wanted to get married.’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Not now, Leonie,’ he said tautly. ‘Wait until our guests have gone, we can—talk then.’
‘But they aren’t our guests, Giles, that’s the whole point. You—’
‘Not now, Leonie.’ He turned to glare at her. ‘You’ve got what you wanted, now just shut up.’
‘Giles—’
‘Leave me alone! Just stay out of my way for the rest of the evening.’ He walked off.
‘I really must congratulate, you, Mrs Carter,’ a familiar voice remarked softly behind her.
She spun to confront Jeremy Lindsay. ‘You’ve already done so, Mr Lindsay,’ she smiled to take the sting out of her words.
‘So I have.’ He twiddled his glass between his fingers. ‘But we’d all begun to think—all of Giles’ friends, that is—that he was going to
escape the net.’
‘Maybe he wants to be caught in it.’
‘Maybe,’ he nodded. ‘The bait is certainly attractive enough.’
‘Thank you,’ she accepted coolly, not liking his insulting tone one little bit.
‘Mm,’ suddenly his gaze was razor-sharp. ‘But then it always was, wasn’t it, Leonie?’
If anything she went even whiter, her breath all seeming to have left her body at once, and at a time when she couldn’t inhale either. ‘I—I’m sorry?’ She tried to appear calm, knowing that she failed. ‘What do you mean, Mr Lindsay?’
His mouth twisted. ‘I mean that you were always attractive, but now you’re beautiful. Does Giles know who you are?’
She gave a light laugh. ‘What a strange question, Mr Lindsay!’ He knew—Jeremy knew exactly who she was! Not remembering her had all been a pretence, and he had fooled everyone, including herself. And she hadn’t imagined that look on Jeremy’s face a few minutes ago when Giles had kissed her, he really had looked at her as if he hated her—or Giles, or both.
Giles was watching them! He acted as if he were listening to Maggie Forsythe, but really he was watching every move she and Jeremy made. He was cold with anger, absolutely rigid with it, and he would never let her get away with talking to Jeremy alone like this, even if she hadn’t been the one to instigate the conversation.
‘Not so strange, Leonie,’ Jeremy drawled at her side. ‘Being engaged to marry someone like you could damage his career. His career means everything to him, you know.’
She did know, had always known. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Lindsay,’ she still tried to bluff her way through this. If she didn’t admit to anything then he surely couldn’t openly expose her. ‘I don’t understand what you mean by a woman like me.’
‘You know, Leonie,’ he scorned. ‘You know exactly what I mean.’
‘No—’
‘Yes! I understand you’re staying with Giles’ aunt?’ His eyes were narrowed.
She frowned her puzzlement. ‘I work with her.’
He nodded. ‘Very well, I’ll be in touch.’
‘Oh, but—Jeremy!’ She stopped him walking away from her. ‘What do you mean to do?’ She dropped all pretence, knowing full well that he knew exactly who and what she was.
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