Arizona took another deep breath. ‘Why?’
‘Why what?’ Cloris looked at her, perplexed, and Declan ate the last of his breakfast serenely.
‘Why would we have forgotten, Cloris?’ Arizona said deliberately.
‘Oh, hadn’t you, Arizona? I thought you must have because you were talking about a bonfire tonight—’
‘Cloris, I had forgotten,’ Arizona said, goaded, ‘as you very well know, but the why is what I’m trying to establish!’
‘Oh, that!’ Cloris brightened. ‘Because of Mr. Holmes coming to stay unexpectedly, of course—not to mention, well, other things, but,’ she said hastily, ‘when I told Mrs. Hickson, she said it wasn’t a problem. In fact she said she’d be thrilled to have you to dinner tonight, Mr. Holmes. She said it would even up her table delightfully.’ Cloris paused, eyed Arizona nervously then suddenly came round the table and put her arms around her. ‘I’m so happy for you, pet, I know I sometimes can be trying and—well, all the same, I often think of you as a daughter, you’ve been so very, very good to the children and I hope you’ll be very, very happy.’ She withdrew her arms and wiped a tear from her cheek.
Arizona stared at her, thought, Oh, hell, I feel like a real heel! And put her arms around Cloris, saying huskily, ‘Thank you, I love you, too, you know, and I’m sure that of the two of us, I’m the trying one.’
‘Your Saturdays are pretty busy,’ Declan Holmes said as he steered the Saab towards the Hickson property, which adjoined Scawfell.
Arizona shrugged.
‘What with pony club, Brownies et al., I’m surprised you’re not exhausted,’ he added and glanced sideways at her.
Arizona smoothed the short skirt of her yellow silk cocktail dress. The Hicksons always dressed formally for their dinner parties, and she’d put up her hair. She wore sheer pale nylons and grey kid high-heeled shoes. She also said witheringly, ‘Well, I’m not. Physically, that is.’
‘But you’re all tense and wrought up mentally,’ he commented dryly. ‘It shows.’
Arizona laid her head back with a sudden little sigh. ‘Yes. Mightn’t you be if you were in my shoes?’
‘If I knew a bit more about you and why you’re so determined to hate me but still marry me, perhaps I could answer that.’
Arizona closed her eyes briefly. ‘Never mind, just take it as read,’ she said wearily. ‘Are you going to break the news to the Hicksons, as well?’
‘Would you like me to?’
‘No.’
‘Then I won’t,’ he said mildly. ‘We’re nearly there. From what I remember, Rosemary Hickson is an overwhelming, high-powered blonde.’
‘You’re not wrong—but she’s been a good friend,’ Arizona added thoughtfully. Then she said on a downbeat, ‘We are here.’
He stopped the car, but before he switched the engine off, he put a hand over hers and said surprisingly, ‘Look at it this way for a change, Arizona. You’re quite stunning, you have an unusual and beautiful name, you’re young, spirited and intelligent, you smell delicious—why not drop the weight of the world off your shoulders for an evening?’
Her eyes flew to his full of puzzled surprise. ‘I—’
‘Just give it a try.’ And he turned the key off, got out and came round to open the door for her. Arizona hesitated then swung her legs out, saw the way his blue gaze lingered on them then met her eyes expressionlessly—and she found herself looking away with a curious tingling of her nerves.
‘Darling, so lovely to see you!’ Rosemary Hickson gushed, as usual sporting her impressive bust in a very low-cut black dress. ‘And how are you, Declan—we have met before, so delightful to have you both, especially—’ she lowered her voice fractionally ‘—in view of the good tidings Cloris passed on this morning, although she did make me promise not to mention it—she wasn’t sure she should have said anything, you see, so I haven’t said a word to anyone else!’
Grey eyes met blue ones, and for a second outrage glinted in Arizona’s gaze but then—perhaps it all just become too much? she wondered—she found herself laughing just a touch hysterically. And felt Declan’s hand enclose her own as he said gravely, ‘How are you, Rosemary? Thank you for inviting me, and if you wouldn’t mind, we’d like to keep our engagement a secret for a bit longer.’
‘Of course! Of course! But I’m thrilled to be one of the first in the know. Now come and meet everyone—we’re twelve tonight so we should have great fun.’
But as she turned to lead the way, Declan held Arizona back for a moment and said very quietly, ‘All right?’
‘I…I’m working on it. Perhaps I will do as you suggested in the car.’
‘Good girl.’
‘Not so bad, was it?’
Arizona laid her head back against the leather car seat. ‘That’s the second time you’ve said that to me today.’
‘Was it?’
‘No.’ She closed her eyes and thought over the evening. Peter had designed the Hicksons’ home, so it was elegant and beautifully appointed. The food had been superb, the company entertaining and by some mysterious means, she’d transformed herself into the person Declan had advised her to be—untouched by the weight of the world, good company although with just a hint of reserve at times when she became conscious of the admiration she saw in the men’s eyes and the speculation she saw amongst the women of the party concerning her relationship with Declan. But for the most part it had been a relaxed evening for her, and she might have been not a widow with four stepchildren but the youngest member of the company who had charmed and held her own. ‘I feel like Cinderella now, however,’ she murmured involuntarily.
‘Thanks,’ he said dryly.
She glanced at him briefly. ‘Sorry, I should be thanking you for—well, I don’t quite know what, but I guess for bringing out the best in me for a while.’
‘Do you really mean that, Arizona?’
‘Yes, surprisingly I do,’ she murmured. ‘It’s a pity it can’t last.’
He pulled the car up in front of the house and turned to her. ‘It could, you know,’ he said quietly. ‘Take your shoes off and come for a walk with me. Just down the lawn to the cliff. If nothing else it will help dispose of a very rich meal.’
‘To around about the same spot where I made myself ridiculous this morning?’ she queried wearily.
‘Perhaps the moonlight on the sea and a clear, scented, beautiful night will help you to be less so.’
‘I wonder,’ she said barely audibly, dropped her face into her hands for a second then kicked off her shoes. ‘Okay, you’re on,’ she added with something more like defiance, and she got out of the car and started to stride across the lawn in her stockinged feet.
He caught up with her halfway to the cliff top and took her hand, resisting her attempt to pull away saying abruptly, ‘Stop it, Arizona.’
So she slowed with a show of obedience that was a mockery but said nothing. And he was right, when they got there, the moon was shining on a pewter sea and picking the crescent of beach up below, turning it to a dazzling white. There were night scents on the air, honeysuckle and jasmine mingled with the sea air, dew-damp grass.
‘It is…it is lovely,’ she said shakenly after they’d said nothing for long minutes, just drunk it all in. ‘Now do you understand why I’m marrying you, Declan?’
He hadn’t let go of her hand and his grasp tightened fractionally. ‘Is that why you married Pete? For Scawfell?’
‘Of course, I thought you knew. And his money.’ Her voice still shook slightly. ‘Although I may have miscalculated there.’
‘What about this?’ He released her but put his hands on her shoulders and stared at her narrowly. ‘This,’ he repeated very quietly and steadily. ‘Having a man run his hands over your skin.’ He did so, down her arms and back again, then slid his long fingers beneath the straps of her dress. ‘Being held and having your breasts touched, your nipples stroked, your beautiful mouth claimed.’ And he did just that, drew his hands down
the front of her dress to cup her breasts and run his thumbs over her nipples beneath the yellow silk and the lace of her bra—and as they hardened and she breathed erratically, he tantalisingly slid his hands away, around her waist, and pulled her closer so he could kiss her lips.
She kept them stubbornly closed then parted them involuntarily as his hands moved again, to her hips, to trace the outline of her bikini briefs beneath the thin silk, exploring, stroking, moulding her to him at the same time. He bent his head then and started to kiss her deeply.
It was, as she’d always feared and suspected it would be, impossible to remain unaffected. There was between them a surge of sheer magnetism, a physical match between the tall hard planes of his body and the soft curves of her own despite or perhaps even heightened by their mutual animosity. And it had been there ever since the first time she’d found him watching her out of those clever, sometimes so cynical blue eyes.
How can I handle this, she found herself thinking chaotically, when I don’t even know what it is, love or hate, a new war or—but I must. And she managed at last to draw away, although not completely. He allowed her to rest against the circle of his arms and take several unsteady breaths before she murmured ingenuously, ‘Oh, yes, but I must say I hadn’t expected you to be so expert, Declan. I’m quite impressed—yes, quite impressed.’
Oddly enough, it gave her no satisfaction that he called her a bitch then in cold clinical tones and released her. In fact, instead, she felt something shrivel inside her, although she said, albeit a bit raggedly, ‘But you knew that, too, didn’t you—do you still want to marry me? I’ll understand if you’ve changed your mind. You know, I’ve been thinking, if you kept Scawfell for the children, you could always keep me on instead of getting them a new governess. After all, that seems to be the one thing you admire me for—’
She stopped because he’d turned away from her for most of her speech but he turned back and for a moment she was frightened by what she saw in his eyes. But he said almost leisurely, ‘Oh, no, Arizona. If you want Scawfell and the children, it has to be on my terms or not at all.’
‘But I don’t understand.’ She stopped again as she heard the note of fear in her voice. ‘I mean… why?’ And heard something else in her voice that made her cringe inwardly, a sort of desperate uncertainty.
He laughed softly. ‘For the pleasure of bringing you to your knees, for one thing, Arizona. You see,’ he drawled, ‘you’ve resisted all my efforts to make some sense of this, so I’m afraid that now, my dear, you’re going to have to put up with the consequences—me and Scawfell. Or nothing.’
And he walked towards the house without a backward glance.
She was awoken the next morning by Sarah and Richard leaping onto her bed. ‘What the…what are you doing?’ she said groggily.
‘Waking you up, sleepyhead!’ Sarah replied obligingly.
Her twin brother added, ‘It’s six o’clock!’
Arizona groaned as they slipped in on either side of her. ‘It’s also Sunday! What have I done to deserve this on a Sunday morning?’
They giggled and enveloped her in a bear hug, and Declan walked in on them.
Arizona froze but the twins released her and sat up interestedly. ‘Hi, Declan,’ they chorused, and Richard said, ‘We were wondering, since you’re going to marry Arizona, what we should call you. I mean is it okay to go on calling you Declan?’
‘Because we don’t think we should call you Dad really,’ Sarah said.
‘Declan will do fine,’ he murmured. ‘Do you always wake Arizona up at this ungodly hour of the day?’
‘Well, you’re here, too,’ Richard pointed out, and Arizona couldn’t help the slightly ironic glint that came to her eye as his gaze caught hers.
‘I’m here to tell her that Daisy’s crying,’ he said to the twins, but returned the irony directly to Arizona.
She sat up. ‘What—’
‘That’s what we came to tell her!’ Sarah said triumphantly. ‘We think she’s sick or something.’
‘Well, why didn’t you say so!’ Arizona scrambled out of bed, once again caught in her teddy bear’s picnic nightshirt, and was in no way mollified as Declan reached for the dressing gown lying across the bottom of the bed and handed it to her gravely.
‘Daisy—Daisy, darling, what’s wrong?’ Arizona knelt beside the bed and smoothed Daisy’s forehead. Declan and Richard and Sarah stood behind her.
‘You’re not going to go away, are you, Arizona?’ Daisy wound her arms around Arizona’s neck and pressed her hot, wet cheek to Arizona’s.
‘No, Daisy, I told you—’
‘Ben’s gone,’ Daisy wept.
‘Only for the weekend, sweetheart, and not because he was cross with you, I promise you.’
‘But you’re getting married, you told me so yesterday—I don’t know what that means—and I feel horrible.’
‘Daisy, Daisy,’ Arizona said gently and unwound her arms, ‘let me have a look at your chest, honey bunch, because I think I may know why you’re feeling horrible.’ She opened Daisy’s pink pyjama jacket, and the rash on her little chest was quite visible. ‘Is your throat sore, pet?’
Daisy nodded, still weeping copiously. ‘And my head.’
‘Measles?’ Declan said quietly, behind her.
‘Looks like it. She’s very hot. Daisy, guess what, I’m going to call Dr. Lakewood, now you like her, don’t you? And she’ll help us make you feel better.’
‘Am I sick?’ Daisy said, suddenly looking more alert. ‘Sam Johnson had to go home early from school the other day because he was sick.’ She sat up with her blonde hair sticking to her forehead, her cheeks flushed but her eyes brighter. ‘Will this make me more important? It did for Sam, Teacher made him lie down next to her on a cushion until his mother came!’
‘Oh, tremendously important, darling!’ Arizona said with a loving smile, while Sarah and Richard cast their eyes heavenwards but came to perch on the end of their little sister’s bed.
‘You’ll have to stay in bed for days, Daisy. We know because we had it when we were six—’ Arizona breathed relievedly when Sarah said this ‘—but we’ll read you stories and play games with you.’
‘But you’ll look after me, won’t you, Arizona?’ Daisy said anxiously.
‘Of course. Don’t I always?’ Arizona said lightly as she dropped a kiss on her head and stood up. ‘Now I’m just going to ring the doctor, then I’ll come straight back and make you more comfortable.’ But as she turned around, it was to see a curiously intent look in Declan Holmes’s eyes as they rested on her. She thought, as she moved past him, I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that, but at least I’ve got something else to think about!
It was four o’clock in the afternoon before she stopped and sat down to have a cup of tea on the front veranda, where Cloris had set it out on a white-clothed table. Tea and crumpets. Sarah and Richard had homemade lemonade before racing off, leaving her alone with Declan. It was a hot, bright afternoon.
‘Phew!’ She sat down and lifted her hair off her neck.
‘Hot?’ he queried and poured her a cup of tea.
‘Hot and bothered, but she’s asleep now, and a lot less emotional,’ she added wryly.
He said nothing.
‘Thanks for taking the twins off my hands,’ she said a few minutes later.
‘Not a problem,’ he murmured and smiled suddenly. ‘I’ve had quite an—instructive day. They’re inexhaustible, aren’t they?’
Arizona laughed. ‘You’re not wrong. It’s strange—’ She stopped.
‘What is?’
She looked at her cup and cursed herself inwardly for letting her tongue run away with her unwittingly.
‘Arizona?’ he prompted quietly.
She looked up at last and shrugged. ‘I had no idea how I was going to face you today, that’s all.’
‘Saved by a case of measles, of all things.’
She searched his expression for mockery or irony
, but his eyes were enigmatic. ‘I guess so,’ she said expressionlessly.
‘Were you really worried, Arizona?’
She hesitated. ‘I couldn’t help wondering where we would go from—there.’
‘And I couldn’t help wondering how much of what you said last night was…believable.’
‘Not at the time, you didn’t,’ she countered dryly then bit her lip.
‘True,’ he agreed reflectively. ‘But when I saw you with Daisy this morning, it struck me that there are two sides of you, Arizona, that don’t match at all.’
‘Yes, well, that’s me,’ she tried to say flippantly and moved restlessly.
‘Tell me some more about your mother.’ He stretched his long legs out and clasped his hands behind his head.
‘No.’
He raised his eyebrows quizzically. ‘I can always find out.’
A glint of anger lit her grey eyes. ‘How despicable,’ she taunted.
‘Not if there’s some deep dark mystery—’
‘There’s not. She was simply a… rather foolish woman, and I have no ambition to follow in her footsteps,’ Arizona said abruptly.
‘Do you mean she threw everything up for love and suffered accordingly?’ he hazarded. ‘Is that why you thought you’d do things the other way around?’
‘Now why would I imagine you’d believe anything else?’ she marvelled.
‘Well, until you tell me otherwise, what am I supposed to believe?’ he drawled.
‘All right, yes,’ she said moodily.
‘So you hate your mother,’ he said after a pause.
‘No, I don’t.’
‘Do you keep in touch with her?’
‘Yes, I do. But, thank heavens, she’s somewhere even you would have difficulty finding—look, how are we going to go on?’ she asked curtly.
‘I don’t have any change of plan in mind. Do you?’ he queried politely.
Married for Real (Harlequin Presents) Page 5