THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (15 page)

“
Honeymoon,”
Gabriella repeated. How could she have overlooked something so
obviously expected of the bridal couple. The prospect filled her with
dread and she wondered frantically if she could plead pressure of
work to avoid it. But her mother would find it strange if she and Rod
didn't at least disappear for a weekend.

“
My
mother wants us to have a honeymoon,” she told him that night.
With their days so busy they had taken to meeting in the evenings for
dinner or a drink and to compare notes.

He
laughed. “Your mother's wishes shall be granted. In fact, I've
already booked something.”

“
Really?
Might I ask what? And where?”

“
No,
you may not. It's a surprise.”

“
I
don't think I appreciate that sort of surprise. In fact, in the
circumstances I find the whole idea of a honeymoon quite
distasteful.”

A
corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. “But it's expected
of us, darling. Don't worry, you can always like back, shut your eyes
and think of Englands.”

Her
cheeks flamed. “I don't find that in the least funny!”

“
No?
I thought it was quite a good pun. I'd forgotten you had so little
sense of humour. Ah well, at least I can still enjoy getting a rise
out of you.”

“
I'd
like to know exactly what you've arranged.”

His
eyes teased. “Warm seas, blue skies, velvet nights with the
soft music of guitars beneath our window ...”

“
If
you think we're going to – to -”

“
No,
Gabriella, I don't think we're going to – to anything! Really,
my dear, if you think I intend to force myself on someone so cold and
unwilling, you're quite mistaken. You'll be relieved to know that
I've booked separate bedrooms – adjoining, I'm afraid, but it
would have seemed odd to ask for rooms at opposite ends of the
hotel.”

She
bit her lip. Why did he always succeed in putting her in the wrong?

“
How
long will we be away?” she asked.

“
Just
a week. I don't think either of us can afford to leave Englands for
longer at the moment.”

“
And
of course you wouldn't want to be away from Sue.” The words
were out before she could stop them but she was unprepared for the
suddenness with which he reached across the table for her wrist and
pulled her towards him until their faces were only inches apart.

“
You
jealous bitch!” he hissed. “If I'm taking Sue Landon –
and maybe a dozen others – to bed, why should it bother you?”

“
It
doesn't,” she lied. But it did. And she hated herself for
caring.

They
parted that night in an angry silence and she slept badly, tossing
and turning as she relived the things they had said to each other.
But in the morning he was waiting for her when she arrived.

“
Can
we talk privately?”

She
braced herself, his scathing comments still echoing in her mind.
Unnecessarily as it happened. This morning he was concerned only with
Englands.

“
Telling
Jenny they were not to be disturbed, he closed Gabriella's door.

“
I'm
not happy about Frank Fuller,” he said abruptly. “He's
being very negative about these changes we want to make.”

“
Frank's
used to having a free rein in Production but I'm sure he'll come
round when he realises all the benefits. Most people don't like
change.”

“
It's
more than that. He's opposing me every step of the way and I think
he's been working on his people too. The whole department has become
pretty hostile. And something else – I know most of our
machinery is old but we're having more breakdowns than would seem
reasonable. Little things mostly, but each one halts production and
we're slipping behind.”

“
Sabotage?”
Gabriella found that hard to believe.

“
I
hate to think so but – I'm worried about Werner. If we let him
down this time it will be the end.”

“
Rod,
don't you think it's time we told the staff we're the new owners? As
long as they think we're only acting managers we'll never have any
real authority.”

“
We're
not the new owners yet.”

“
But
what could go wrong now? Ben had no relatives so no one's going to
turn up and contest the Will, and Mr Brewster said the papers are all
ready to sign as soon as we are.”

Rod
frowned. “I'm just reluctant to make any announcement until
it's definitely in the bag.”

She
stared at him, trying to read his face. “You think I may still
back out of the marriage, don't you?”

He
hesitated.

“
There's
no way I could back out now, whatever my personal feelings. Too many
other people are involved, my mother, Jenny and Rachel, the Vicar –
and everyone here knows now.”

“
You're
absolutely sure, Gabriella?”

“
I'm
absolutely sure. Look, I gave my word, but if you want me to give it
again I'll do so.”

His
dark eyes bored into hers. Then he relaxed. “All right. We'll
call a general meeting. Three o'clock today?”

“
Fine.
It'll be a relief to tell them. Several people have asked if Englands
is going to be sold and I haven't been able to give them an answer.”

“
The
vultures are already gathering,” said Rod. “One of them,
anyway. Minerva Enginerring. I'm seeing them at noon. They want to
take me to lunch. I think you should come too.”

“
All
right. It'll be interesting to hear their proposals.”

“
They
know the set up here – that we're responsible for running the
Company, although they think it's only temporary. They also know
we're getting married, by the way.”

“
Do
they?”

“
I
wonder who told them.”

****

Concealed
behind the oversized menu at Blanchards, one of the most expensive
restaurants in town, Gabriella wondered what it was about Jeremy
Turvill, Managing Director of Minerva, that she disliked so
intensely.

Charming
almost to excess, his manners were excellent – rushing to open
doors for her, beating the waiter to pull out er chair at the table –
and he was full of compliments. But none of them rang true.

She
was hardly more impressed with Ellis Kemp, his Finance Director. The
man seemed colourless, with little to say, but his eyes were cold and
watchful.

Rod,
true to form, kept up a stream of genial small talk, making sure that
Gabriella was included and that Turvill and Kemp were aware that he
and she were very much equal partners at Englands. Although so far
there had been no talk of business.

Turvill
clicked his fingers and a waiter moved silently forward to pour more
wine.

“
And
now a toast,” he said. “To Rod and Gabriella and their
future happiness. I understand you're to be mazrried in a matter of
weeks.”

“
That's
right, Jeremy,” said Rod. “But how did you know?”

Turvill's
eyes, a bright blue with a curious flatness to them, turned vague.
“Can't remember now, can you, Ellis? But you know what company
grapevines are like. Someone must have mentioned it. Anyway, Rod, I
must congratulate you. You're marrying a beauty. Brains, too.”
He lifted his glass to Gabriella.

Stretching
her mouth into a weak reflection of his warm smile, she wished that
she could disguise her true feelings more easily. It might have been
better if she hadn't come. Well, at least the food was good, she
thought, tucking into the Sole Veronique the waiter placed before
her.

“
Of
course, you know that Rod and I are old pals?” Turvill was
saying.

She
looked up. “No, I didn't know.”

“
Oh
yes. Rod was with us at Minerva for many years. One of our shooting
stars until he suddenly upped and left us for Englands. Wanted a
challenge, he said. Well, you certainly got one there, didn't you,
old chap?”

Rod
smiled. “It's been interesting.”

“
But
not very rewarding, perhaps. Here you are, with Ben Englands dead, a
lot of clapped out machinery, some major production problems and your
European distributors threatening to desert you.”