by Betty Neels
‘I thought that you might do that.’ He sounded unconcerned and she felt a prick of peevishness.
‘Why should you think that?’
‘You’re my wife, and, even though you weren’t aware of it, you were in love with me—still are, I hope.’ He crossed the room and took her hands in his. ‘Although you didn’t know that for a long time, did you?’
She stared up at him. ‘No, no I didn’t and when I did, I thought that you and Nikky loved each other—she told me…’
‘My dearest love, if I were to tell you, just once, that I have never loved, nor ever shall love Nikky, would you believe me, so that the whole tiresome thing can be forgotten? There are so many other things I would rather talk about and we have wasted so much time.’
He drew her close in a satisfying, gentle hug and kissed her. ‘Can’t I ever talk about her again?’ demanded Matilda into his shoulder.
‘Well, perhaps when I am an old man and you are a delightful old lady, we might discuss it, but not, of course, when the grandchildren are around.’
‘But we haven’t any children,’ observed Matilda, unaware of the silliness of the remark.
‘Easily remedied, my darling.’
She leaned back to look into his face. ‘I think I’m going to cry,’ she said in a watery voice. Then, when she saw the look of love and tenderness in his face, she added, ‘But I don’t think I will.’
She put up her face to be kissed instead; so much more pleasant. Indeed, she was enjoying it so much that she didn’t hear Cribbs come softly in with the tea tray, and, after a swift pleased look, go softly out again.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3924-1
THE DOUBTFUL MARRIAGE
Copyright © 1987 by Betty Neels.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.eHarlequin.com