Mistress at a Price (36 page)

‘
But she was seeing Liam,
’
Cat said numbly.
‘
She has been for weeks. You must know that.
’

‘
I knew it, all right,
’
her father said with a touch of grimness.
‘
I watched them together and felt sick. Once again she seemed to have turned away from me to a younger man. And then a few weeks ago I walked into her dressing room and found them together. He had his arm round her, and she was crying on his shoulder.
’

He grimaced.
‘
I assumed he
’
d done something to hurt her, and lost it completely. Threatened to punch his lights out
—
the whole bit. He stayed totally calm, totally in control, and told me it was time that Vanessa and I started talking
—
being honest with each other. That we
’
d done enough damage already
—
especially to you. That because of us you
’
d developed a phobia about marriage and commitment. That emotionally you wouldn
’
t let him near you, even though you were the only wife in the world that he
’
d ever want.
’

He paused.
‘
Darling, is that true? Was it our fault?
’

Her throat tightened convulsively.
‘
I think it began there
—
but there were other factors.
’
She stopped, looking down blindly at their clasped hands.
‘
Liam didn
’
t ask me to marry him, Dad. Not ever. He just
—
walked away.
’

‘
He hoped you
’
d care enough to follow,
’
David said gently.
‘
To give him some sign that you wanted him to stay. Your mother was the only one who gave him hope. She was convinced that you loved him, but were fighting your true feelings, and that all you needed was time. And, in turn, he reassured her that I wasn
’
t interested in Sharine or anyone else. But I didn
’
t seem to be interested in her either, and that
’
s why she was crying when I walked in.
’

‘
So
—
what happened?
’

‘
He left
—
and we talked
—
well, at first anyway.
’
For a moment her sophisticated father looked almost shy.
‘
And now here we are.
’

As if on cue there was a tap on the door, and a middle-aged woman peered in at them.
‘
The registrar is ready for you, Mr Adamson,
’
she said, with a touch of reproof.

‘
We
’
re coming.
’
David took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at Cat
’
s white face. He gave her a grave look.
‘
Aren
’
t we?
’

She hung back.
‘
I
—
I
—
don
’
t know…
’

‘
Do you love him?
’
David asked sternly.

She looked at him, her lips trembling into a smile.
‘
Yes. Oh, yes I do. I
—
I
’
ve been so miserable.
’

He kissed her on the forehead.
‘
Then come and be happy instead,
’
he said, and led her out of the room.

She stood rigidly beside Liam, not daring to look at him, listening almost without hearing as her parents remade their vows to each other, aware only of him. Of his nearness, and the abyss that still separated them.

Oh, God, she thought. I love him so desperately, but what can I say to him? How can we ever put things right between us?

Then, at the moment when David placed the ring on his wife
’
s finger, she felt Liam
’
s hand brush hers, and suddenly her shaking fingers were entwined with his, so warmly, so tightly, and with such strength that she knew that no words were needed
—
no explanations and no excuses
—
because this was how they would spend the rest of their lives.

And that her days of walking alone were over for ever.

She looked up at him, her eyes misted, and saw that, although he was smiling, there was a tear on his face too.

‘
You may kiss the bride,
’
said the registrar.

Liam turned to her.
‘
May I?
’
he whispered, his eyes loving her, longing for her.

‘
Yes,
’
said Cat, and went into his arms, lifting her mouth to his.

EPILOGUE

The following September

THE bathroom was lit by candles, their flames burning steadily in the warm, still air.

Cathy tilted the flask of fragrant oil and poured a few drops into the palm of her hand. She began slowly to massage it into her skin, paying particular attention to her breasts and the curve of her stomach.

Music floated in from the bedroom next door, and she leaned back, sighing, letting the warm water caress her, sipping iced mineral water from the carafe on the table beside the bath. Waiting for her mobile phone to ring.

When eventually it did, she picked it up, smiling.
‘
Darling, at last. You seem to have been gone for ever.
’

Her smile widened as she listened.
‘
You
’
ll be here in twenty minutes? Oh, that
’
s wonderful.
’
She paused, laying a caressing hand on the gently swelling mound that sheltered his child.
‘
We
’
ll be waiting for you, my love. Both of us. So hurry
—
please.
’