‘No?’
He was suddenly much too close, the air completely still around them, as if they were the only two people in the world.
Elizabeth wanted to resist as he took her into his arms, wanted to call him all the terrible things she believed him to be. But she was breathless, her resistance gone as he pulled her closer, a magic that stripped her of every ounce of strength and will-power that she had, completely taking over. A magic she had sought so desperately last night in Giles’s arms…
She didn’t need to seek any further, the magic had found her, her gaze held by his, her body moulded to his, her lips trembling slightly as she watched him lower his head towards her.
It began as a gently exploratory kiss, but as she leant weakly against him the caress deepened, becoming a demand, a command, for her uninhibited response.
Her arms were clasped about his neck as his hands slowly caressed the length of her spine, her shoulders, the rounded softness at the base of her spine, drawing her into him, his thighs as firm and hard as a rock, his arousal pressing against her.
She felt dizzy as her lips tingled from the light caress of his tongue, hearing a whimpering sound, and realising it was herself begging for more. Begging Quinn Taylor for more!
She wrenched away from him, breathing hard as she stared at him with self-disgust. She had kissed him, had wanted to go on kissing him. Oh God, how could she, how could she have wanted this man’s lips on hers, his hands touching her!
‘Elizabeth, it’s OK.’ He frowned his puzzlement as he read the vehemence of self-contempt in her eyes. ‘We didn’t do anything wrong,’ he soothed. ‘It isn’t as if you’re engaged to Giles Soper,’ he encouraged as she still breathed raggedly.
Elizabeth’s mouth twisted. ‘Is that what it takes to stop you, Mr Taylor?’ she rasped disgustedly. ‘A ring on a woman’s finger to show previous ownership!’
‘No, of course not,’ he said impatiently, still watching her frowningly. ‘Your grandfather told me there’s nothing serious between you and Soper, and I—’
‘Maybe you should have asked me that,’ she snapped with dislike.
He thrust his hands into his pockets, those long, sensitive hands that had caused such turmoil within her seconds ago. ‘Is there?’ His steady blue gaze compelled she answer truthfully.
She had never intended doing anything else! ‘No, there isn’t,’ she bit out. ‘But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to fall into bed with the great star Quinn Taylor either!’ she told him contemptuously.
He drew in a ragged breath, controlling his own anger with effort. ‘We were just a man and woman enjoying each other, and you know it,’ he rasped. ‘If you want to tell yourself otherwise that’s up to you,’ he drawled coldly. ‘But while you’re deluding yourself, I’ll know what really happened.’
‘Nothing happened, Mr Taylor,’ she said harshly. ‘Nothing at all!’
‘Elizabeth—’
‘Excuse me,’ she turned on her heel and walked away, trembling so badly she wasn’t sure how she made it back into the house.
‘Still pleasant out, is it?’ her grandfather mocked as she entered the drawing-room through the open french doors she had left by earlier.
She gave him a fierce glare, daring him to say anything else. With a gently indrawn breath he wisely kept quiet.
She hadn’t needed his mocking taunt to know he had seen her and Quinn together in the garden, had guessed that he had as soon as she entered the house. But if he tried to make anything of it he was going to be very sorry. Unwittingly it was Marni, a much more mature-looking Marni in a fitted knee-length dress of sky-blue, who goaded her further.
‘Have you seen my father anywhere?’ she queried lightly. ‘He wasn’t in his room when I went to call for him just now.’
Elizabeth swallowed hard, a flush darkening her cheeks at her grandfather’s suddenly innocently questioning look. He would be well advised not to push her any more tonight!
She turned to Marni. ‘He—’
‘I was just taking a walk outside,’ the man himself answered his daughter. ‘And to answer your question, Gerald,’ he drawled as he came further into the room, ‘it’s very pleasant out.’
Elizabeth’s eyes widened at the challenge. What had happened between them hadn’t been in the least pleasant, it had been—well, it had been— She didn’t want to think what it had been!
She was saved any further embarrassment on the subject as dinner was announced, although she deliberately broke etiquette by entering the dining-room with Marni, leaving the two men to follow behind them, knowing that she would otherwise have been forced to walk at Quinn’s side.
‘That’s a beautiful dress you’re wearing,’ she complimented warmly, smiling as the other girl raised mischievous brows questioningly. ‘It makes you look at least—oh, sixteen or so,’ she added teasingly.
Marni grinned, her hair newly washed and gleaming almost silver down her spine, the very light make-up she wore adding to her maturity. ‘Dad says I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to grow up—or be thought grown up. But that’s easy for him to say when he’s old enough to have all the fun.’
It was impossible not to like this girl, her friendliness was captivating. ‘I bet he never even thought about sliding down the banister,’ she drawled, and was rewarded by Marni’s giggle.
‘That’s where you’re wrong, Elizabeth,’ he suddenly spoke softly behind them. ‘As soon as I came into the house the other day I thought it must be a marvellous place for kids to grow up. Didn’t you find it so?’
She turned to him sharply, searching the bland query of his face. Did he know? Had he somehow guessed…? No, of course he hadn’t, he would have recognised her straight away if he had been going to do so.
‘I really didn’t spend that much time here as a child,’ she answered evasively. In fact she had only been up to the Hall once when she was a child, and that had been when her uncle came up to see the estate manager about something, a time when she hadn’t even got out of the car, let alone seen inside the beautiful mellow grey-stone house. Children from the village and surrounding farms didn’t, as a rule, go inside Farnham Hall! ‘Shall we begin dinner?’ She indicated the small round table that had been prepared for the four of them in the comfort of the family dining-room rather than the larger and more formal room they had used for the dinner party last night and for the lunch with Quinn Taylor and his manager that first day. It was further evidence that her grandfather considered Quinn a friend as well as a guest.
She somehow managed to avoid further conversation with Quinn during the meal, although she was aware of his gaze on her many times as she chatted easily with Marni, her initial liking for the other girl deepening as Marni showed herself interested in many of the same things as she was. They both dismissed the current fashions as unfeminine, and their tastes in music were similar too, although Quinn’s music stayed firmly out of the discussion, Marni too polite to bring it up, and Elizabeth determined not to do so.
‘Do you have the feeling we’re slightly superfluous?’ her grandfather finally drawled to Quinn.
The other man smiled. ‘I had a feeling the two of them would get on together,’ he said.
And he didn’t sound at all perturbed at the prospect! ‘In that case I take it you’ll have no objections if Marni would like to come shopping with me tomorrow?’ she prompted coolly.
‘Really?’ Marni pounced eagerly. ‘That would be great!’ She turned to her father, her eyes glowing, waiting for his answer.
Elizabeth wondered where the other girl’s mother was that the thought of going shopping with another female should make her look so pleased. She knew that Maggie Taylor had divorced her husband several years ago, and it seemed that Marni must have stayed with her father—unless she was just with him for the summer holidays?—but surely she saw her mother sometimes? Maybe Maggie Taylor didn’t like to shop, not all women did, although she knew girls of Marni’s age did. She, too, waited for Quinn’s
answer.
Would he allow the fact that they had friction between them to influence his answer? She couldn’t believe he would be that petty, no matter how much her behaviour towards him irked him.
‘Why not?’ he shrugged. ‘If Elizabeth is brave enough to face shopping with you I’m certainly grateful enough to miss the usual battle we have when you shop for clothes,’ he drawled.
Elizabeth’s brows rose; she was unable to picture him accompanying a teenager on a shopping-spree. But, being a chameleon, he probably adopted the role very easily. As he chose to adopt each new role as easily, including that of puzzled lover when she had rejected him before dinner!
Marni wrinkled her tiny nose at her father. ‘You still think I have braces on my teeth—and should dress accordingly!’
‘It wasn’t so long ago that the braces came off, young lady,’ he drawled.
‘And boy, was I glad to get rid of those!’ Marni grimaced with feeling.
‘You couldn’t go through life looking like Bugs Bunny, honey,’ her father teased.
The cameraderie and affection between father and daughter was such an obvious thing it gave Elizabeth an ache in her heart. How could Quinn be this gentle with his daughter and yet have hurt a man who had liked and respected him so much his betrayal had destroyed him? She couldn’t begin to understand this man—and she didn’t want to.
She was deep in thought as they sat in the drawing-room drinking their coffee, giving a start of surprise as Quinn folded his long length down beside her. She was instantly on the defensive.
‘No Giles tonight?’ he prompted softly, her grandfather and Marni engaged in a conversation about the famous Calgary Stampede the young girl had recently attended.
‘He had a business dinner to attend with the owner of one of the horses he trains,’ she supplied stiltedly.
He drew in a ragged sigh at her distant manner. ‘Elizabeth—’
‘Darling, why don’t you play something for us?’ her grandfather prompted as Marni drifted off to look at the display of fans Elizabeth had collected in a cabinet.
She glanced awkwardly at Quinn; the last thing she wanted was to do anything that might jog his memory of her from the past. To do that might bring about her hurling accusations at him so ugly that she didn’t even like to think about them.
‘Not tonight, Grandfather,’ she refused softly. ‘I—I’m a little tired.’
‘Oh,’ he looked disappointed. ‘She plays beautifully, Quinn,’ he confided in the other man.
‘I’m sure Mr Taylor isn’t interested in the fact that I can manage to play a tune so that it is usually recognisable,’ she dismissed.
‘Darling, you’re much better than that,’ her grandfather reproved.
‘I’d like to hear you play,’ Quinn put in softly.
She shot him a resentful glare. ‘I’m really not that good.’
‘I’ll even turn the music-sheet for you,’ he encouraged huskily.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ she told him haughtily as she stood up to move to the grand piano that stood at the far end of the room.
She chose something light and fluffy, the theme tune from a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film, knowing that although it was hardly a classical piece it was a tune her grandfather was particularly fond of. Both of them were addicted to the old black and white movies, especially ones that starred this engaging couple.
She faltered slightly as Quinn sat down beside her and played in unison with her, years of poised control coming to her rescue as she pulled herself together and resumed playing with her usual competence.
Time could have slipped back six years as they played the duet, in perfect accord, Quinn obviously familiar with the piece as he played without even glancing at the music in front of them.
But six years ago she had been a naïve young girl totally captivated by his magnetism and charisma, tonight she knew him for the selfish bastard he was.
Her fingers came crashing down on the keys. ‘I really am rather tired,’ she told her grandfather apologetically as he gave her a frowning look. ‘I’ll see you all tomorrow.’ She kissed her grandfather on the cheek, giving Marni a strained smile, not meeting Quinn’s gaze as she gave him a coolly dismissive nod before going to her room.
Oh God, she knew, she knew exactly what sort of man Quinn Taylor was, knew that if it weren’t for him Fergus would still be alive today. But she also knew—had realised it earlier when she was in Quinn’s arms, knowing it beyond a doubt as she was fully aware of him as they played the piano side by side—that the adolescent love for him, that she had believed had died the moment she found out about his duplicity, hadn’t died at all. Despite all that he had done, she had continued to love Quinn Taylor all these years, still loved him!
The tears silently began to fall.
CHAPTER FIVE
ELIZABETH had debated calling off this shopping trip with Marni with the excuse that she had a headache, but she was glad now that she hadn’t; the other girl was full of enthusiasm, her company stimulating and enjoyable. She didn’t doubt that if she had stayed at home this morning her grandfather would have tried to question her about what he had witnessed in the garden last night between her and Quinn. So far she had managed to avoid being alone with him, not giving him the chance to probe into yet another painful memory of Quinn Taylor.
How a man so incredibly self-centred could be the father of this enchantingly candid young girl was beyond her. She could only assume that it was Maggie Taylor’s influence in Marni’s early years that had produced such a totally unaffected young woman.
They had shopped until Marni declared herself satisfied with her purchases, styled young enough for her years, and yet hinting at the maturity that was about to come. Marni had superb taste in clothes, revealing that Quinn had only been teasing his daughter the previous evening about the terrible ordeal it was to take her shopping. She had even taken the young girl’s advice and bought several things for herself that she might otherwise not have bought.
They had lunch in a quiet restaurant away from the hubbub of the main street, both opting for a quiche salad, Marni tucking into hers with gusto.
‘I’m still growing,’ she excused herself as Elizabeth ate hers at a more leisurely pace. ‘But not outwards, I hope.’ She looked down critically at her slender figure.
Elizabeth thought of her own plump figure at that age. ‘You look fine,’ she assured. ‘Have some more if you’re still hungry.’
‘Better not,’ the other girl refused with a rueful smile. ‘I don’t want to be too late back, actually; Dad usually needs some moral support about now,’ she revealed indulgently.
Elizabeth frowned. ‘If he hates performing so much why does he put himself through it? I can’t believe he needs the money,’ she said, knowing Quinn was reputed to be worth several fortunes.
‘Dad doesn’t hate performing.’ Marni sipped her juice. ‘He just gets nervous beforehand; once he’s out on stage he’s as calm and confident as can be. And you’re right about the money,’ she grinned, sobering slowly. ‘But he isn’t personally making any money from this concert.’
Elizabeth frowned. ‘I can’t believe my grandfather struck such a hard bargain that he took your father’s share of the profit too.’
‘Oh, he didn’t,’ Marni dismissed smilingly. ‘Dad does several concerts like this a year that go towards—Well, he has a pet project that the money from those goes to,’ she explained with a shrug.
‘Like a charity, you mean.’ She still frowned.
‘Something like that,’ the other girl nodded.
No doubt his accountant had advised him it would be a good move tax-wise in the bracket he was in. And it didn’t hurt his image any either!
‘We had better be getting back, then,’ she said stiltedly.
Marni gave her a puzzled look. ‘I haven’t done something to upset you, have I? If you still have doubts about the red dress—’
‘I don’t have any doubts left about the re
d dress,’ she hastened to reassure her. ‘In fact, I’m going to wear it tonight,’ she encouraged, knowing how sensitive one could be at this age, realising her swings in moods must be puzzling Marni immensely. ‘I just thought we should get back before your father becomes a nervous wreck without you!’
Marni’s grin returned. ‘You act as if you don’t believe me,’ she drawled as they left the restaurant after paying the bill. ‘Have you ever thought what it must be like going out on to that stage to look at all those thousands of faces?’ She gave a shiver. ‘I couldn’t do it.’
Neither could Elizabeth. ‘But surely after all these years your father is used to it?’
‘Dad has a theory,’ Marni shrugged. ‘The day he isn’t nervous about being able to please all those people should be the day he stops trying.’
It made sense, and yet it was still difficult to picture Quinn as the nervous type. But then, she and Marni probably saw Quinn in a completely different way anyway.
The traffic was very heavy as they approached the Hall, people already arriving for the concert later tonight so that they could get a good view of the stage. Elizabeth waved acknowledgement of several of the estate workers as they took over directing the traffic into the appropriate fields for the day, several policemen already on the scene as they too helped.
‘Looks as if it’s going to be a big crowd,’ Marni said excitedly.
‘Yes,’ she agreed tonelessly.
Quinn still wrote songs, and occasionally sang those by other people, although not very often, about love, and laughter, and sadness, songs that were completely attuned to people’s emotions. She didn’t know how he could express such lovely emotions when he was nothing but a selfish bastard who took what he wanted and damn the consequences!
She and Marni separated in the entrance-hall of the house, the younger girl taking her parcels and bags up to her room before joining Elizabeth and her grandfather for afternoon tea.
Her grandfather was alone as she entered the morning-room, and she inwardly stiffened as she saw his eyes begin to gleam satisfaction at having her alone at last.
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