THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (27 page)

One
Saturday morning Gabriella answered the doorbell to find Jamie Wright
standing in the porch. In baggy cords, a Fair Isle sweater and with
his sandy hair hidden under a grey tweed hat he looked very different
from the inebriated morning suit clad figure she had last seen at her
wedding and for a moment she stared at him without recognition.

He
grinned. “Who's this, she's thinking? What is he selling?”

“
Jamie!
Sorry, I hardly recognised you! But come in, how nice to see you. And
what a pity you've missed Rod. He's in Munich for a trade fair. He's
not due back until tomorrow night.”

“
Ah
well, not to worry. I was coming this way in any case. On my way up
to Scotland. Thought I might scrounge some lunch – or take you
out somewhere if the cupboard's bare.”

“
The
cupboard is never bare in this house, Jamie. Mrs Priddy always cooks
masses.” She linked her arm through his and led him down the
hall. “Do you like casseroled pork? Come and meet my mother,
she'll be so pleased to see you again.”

As
they ate and talked she began to see why he and Rod were such good
friends. He was a likeable man with a sensible, down to earth
approach allied to a droll sense of humour.

He
was going to Scotland to shoot, he told them. “The estate
agency business is about as buoyant as a beached whale at the moment
so I thought I'd play hookey for a week or two. And as I'm just as
likely
to shoot a ghillie as a grouse, I decided on the northernmost reaches
of Scotland where my reputation as the Western World's worst marksman
can't have preceded me!”

Gabriella
laughed. “I'm sure you're not that bad. Anyway, you look the
part.”

“
Those
who can, do. Those who cant, dress up to look the part. Ah well, at
least I enjoy myself and even if I don't bag anything it'll be more
rewarding than trying to sell property.”

“
Is
it really that bad in London?”

“
Dreadful.
But then, it's no better anywhere else.”

“
We
sold our little house quite quickly,” said Mrs Stevens.

“
Then
you were lucky.”

“
Rod's
holding on to his apartment until a new company moves here in the
Autumn.”

“
He's
wise. Rod's apartment has a definite upmarket appeal. He should find
quite an interest amongst their executive staff.”

After
lunch he sat back, hands on stomach, and groaned. “My
compliments to the cook but I've eaten so much I don't think I can
drive!”

“
Come
and walk it off round the garden,” suggested Gabriella.

“
This
place is very beautiful,” he said as they strolled around. “Rod
told me you used to live here.”

“
Yes,
from when I was a baby until about eight years ago. I love it very
much.”

“
I
can see why.” He fell silent for a while and then, with an air
of embarrassment, he said, “Gabriella, at the wedding –
I'm afraid I rather put my foot in it, didn't I?”

“
What
do you mean?”

“
Afraid
I don't alweays watch what I'm drinking at these do's, and I got a
bit silly, didn't I?”

“
Kissing
me, you mean? Don't worry, Jamie, I didn't mind at all.”

“
No,
not that. Thought Rod would have told you, you see. Not that I don't
understand his not mentioning her after all he'd been through.”

“
You
mean Caroline?”

“
Herself.
The lovely Caroline.”

“
Rod
hasn't really told me much about her,” she said carefully.

“
Not
surprised. He's a loyal sort of bloke, doesn't like to run people
down – although why he should have any scruples about Caroline
after the way she ditched him God only knows.”

“
Ditched
him?”

“
For
his boss, no less. But I reckon old Turvill got what he deserved.
From what I hear she's spending his money as if tomorrow is a dirty
word.”

Gabriella
turned to face him. “Jamie, I'm completely bewildered. Did you
say Turvill? Jeremy Turvill?”

“
That's
right. Don't tell me you've met him?”

“
Jamie,
will you tell me the whole story?”

“
Well,
if Rod hasn't said anything - “

“
Please,
Jamie.”

He
shrugged a shoulder. “There's not a lot to tell, really. They
met when Rod was about twenty six and he fell pretty heavily for her.
She was – is – a beautiful woman. I don't know if she
ever really loved him but she recognised that he was going places.
She was very ambitious for him, always pushing him to get on, get
promotion – you know the sort of thing. He was working for
Minerva Engineering at the time and most of the social life of the
company revolved around Caroline. Turvill had got rid of his wife a
year or two before, so Caroline was very much the Queen Bee, and did
she love it! A new dress for every function, jewellery – it's a
wonder Rod didn't go bankrupt!”

No
wonder he got so angry when I asked Mr Brewster for £7000,
Gabriella thought ruefully.

“
Anyway,
the time came when Rod decided he wanted to get out of Minerva and go
it alone, start his own business. Somehow he'd managed to keep some
savings out of Caroline's clutches and with the house as security he
hoped to borrow enough to get started. Of course, that didn't suit
Caroline at all. No more fancy clothes, no more trips four times a
week to the hairdresser. She might even, Heaven forbid, have to take
a job! So she began to cast her big blue eyes around and who should
they light upon but Jeremy Turvill! You've never seen anyone file for
divorce so quickly. And of course when it came to dividing up the
assets she had to have half the house, even though Turvill had a ten
bedroomed mansion and more money to spend on her than even she could
use up.”

“
So
Rod couldn't start his business.”

“
That's
right.”

“
And
that's when he came to Englands?”

“
Right
again.”

“
Thank
you for telling me, Jamie. I appreciate it.”

“
He
was crazy about Caroline. I think he would have had her back right up
to the day she married Turvill.” Jamie looked at her, his round
cheerful face sober. “He's a good chap, Gabriella. I'd hate to
see him hurt again. Look after him.”

She
understood now Rod's reluctance to discuss Caroline with her. It had
been a long and painful episode and her own comments must have rubbed
salt into the wound. She wished she could ask Jamie more. She would
have liked to delve into Rod's past with this man who perhaps knew
him better than most. But she knew any further questions would only
embarrass him.

“
I'll
try,” she said.

When
Rod returned she greeted him with a warmth that was not entirely
assumed and that brought a glimmer of surprise to his eyes. Several
times during the Sunday evening she caught him looking at her.

They
talked about Jamie. Rod was disappointed to have missed him. “He's
a good chap,” he said, echoing Jamie's own words. In front of
the others Gabriella could not mention Caroline but she had made up
her mind to talk to Rod when they were alone. He deserved an apology.

Before
ten o'clock he was yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Sorry. It's
been a hectic few days. I think I'll say goodnight.” He bent to
kiss Mrs Stevens' cheek.

“
Goodnight,
Rod dear,” she said. “Why don't you go too, Gabriella? We
can manage here.”

“
I'll
just clear the table for Mrs Priddy,” she said, anxious
suddenly to postpone the moment when she would have to tell Rod she
had misjudged him. She filled a tray and carried it to the kitchen,
then stacked the dishwasher and wiped the table and counter tops.
After putting away a few bowls and packages she looked around the big
square immaculately clean and tidy kitchen with its oak dresser and
painted pine cupboards. There was nothing more she could do. She
would have to go up.

Rod
was in the shower. While she waited she undressed and put on her silk
nightdress, then sat at the dressing table and brushed her hair until
it stood out around her small face like a flossy cloud. She thought
she looked thinner, but that wasn't possible, not with Mrs Priddy's
cooking. She wondered if Rod would come into her room. Sometimes when
there was anything of importance to discuss he would do so, and
tonight she hoped he might. Somehow she felt it would be easier to
make her apology on her own ground. But tonight he went straight
through to the dressing room.

She
waited a few minutes and then tapped lightly on his door and opened
it. He was already in bed, sitting up with a file of papers spread
out on the duvet in front of him. In the narrow single bed he looked
very large. His upper body was bare and she saw that his powerful
shoulders, chest and arms were still deeply tanned. An intimate image
of his body as she had seen it in Madeira suddenly returned to her,
coppery brown all over but a paler area which his swim trunks had
covered, and the memory brought treacherous colour flooding to her
cheeks.

He
smiled at her, one eyebrow raised. “Do come in,” he
drawled. “Is this a formal visit?” He swept the papers
together and deposited them on the floor. “Come and sit down,”
he said, patting the bed beside him.

With
the only chair in the small room draped with his clothes she had no
option but to accept his invitation. She perched gingerly on the edge
of the bed, hands clutched together in her lap.

“
When
Jamie was here we talked about – about Caroline,” she
began.

“
Really?
How interesting for you both.” Rod leaned back against the
pillows and gazed narrowly at her. His eyes had that shuttered look.