An Arranged Marriage

by C. M. Bryden

  Being an astute lawyer though, he wondered what else it was Jane was not telling him. What he wanted to know was, if there were other people involved in their lives, hers, as well as her husbands?

  The next morning, Andrew drove the two girls to the airport and waited until their flight had taken off and they were on their way. He shook his head, wondering how it would all turn out, knowing it was up to Jake now to do his best. As far as he was concerned he could do no more, it was out of his hands and up to the fates as to what happened next.

  Jane had clung tightly to her father as she’d kissed him goodbye, as if she was never going to return. She looked even paler and sicklier than the day before, belying the fact most women bloomed in pregnancy. He’d even laughed with Jessie that morning as they’d climaxed with their lovemaking, that he would soon be marrying a grandmother! But Jessie couldn’t be happier for her friend, she’d seen how much in love Jane had been with Jake and even he’d had the look of a man who’d found the woman of his dreams. It seemed wrong somehow that something should have happened to spoil their happiness in such a short time. As for herself, she would have liked to have had children, but at thirty-eight and not yet married, she didn’t expect to be a mother at all. She’d started to laugh as well, when Andrew jokingly called her ‘a soon to be grandmother’ even if it was only a step grandmother. ‘I never thought I would get married,’ she’d said, ‘and yet here I am, engaged to you and now I’m going to be catapulted straight into granny hood! Whoever would have thought that?’

  Jessie had become broody herself when she’d known Jane was pregnant. She’d begun to watch her friend on a daily basis, for the signs of changes an expectant mother experiences, wondering what it must be like to have a baby growing inside your body. She also wondered what Andrew would say if she told him she would like to have a baby with him? Perhaps he would think he was too old to be a father again? Considering Jane was twenty-five years old! But Andrew had been having the very same thoughts. Except he didn’t feel old and falling in love with Jessie had certainly given him a new lease of life. He’d even made up his mind should she ever broach the subject seriously he was more than willing to do the deed! First of all, though, he wanted them to be married, as he didn’t believe in children being born out of wedlock, but then he was old fashioned in many ways, unlike today’s youngsters, they don’t worry about being married before they have children! Neither did he want a “shotgun” wedding! He didn’t think Jane or Jessie would approve of that at all!

  The flight out to Italy was quite pleasant and by the time they landed Jane had recovered from her morning bout of sickness. To Jessie, her friend looked more like her normal pre-pregnancy self.

  They walked straight through customs with no problems, and were soon outside the airport main door where a car was supposed to be waiting for them. Jessie saw it first. A silver coloured Fiat “Ulysse”, a people carrier, with the hotel’s name “Villa Flateri” stencilled on its side.

  Jessie had taken control of the trolley with their luggage, leaving Jane to walk ahead into the sunshine, and had therefore been unable to see the expression on her friend’s face as she suddenly recognised the man standing by the vehicle’s open doors, obviously waiting for them!

  All Jessie heard was Jane’s sudden gasp as she saw and recognised Jake. The next moment, as she drew level with her, Jessie saw Jane’s already pale features change to a deathly pallor and, for a moment, she thought she would have to let go of the trolley and catch her friend, who she could see was just about to fall to the ground in a dead faint!

  Jake’s eyes had been riveted on Jane from the minute she’d walked into the sunlight. He’d watched her with such longing. He couldn’t get enough of her; from her sexy walk and her glorious auburn hair, in a shorter cut than he remembered and then he noticed how pale and drawn she looked. It was like watching a film in slow motion as Jane’s eyes suddenly recognised him. To Jake’s horror, her body started to sway. It was at this point his senses went into overdrive and he leapt forward, catching her in his arms just as her legs were about to buckle, only just preventing her from falling into a heap on the searing hot pavement.

  Jake said nothing. With his mouth set in a grim tight line, that betrayed his thoughts, he held his wife, looking down at her lightweight body lying prone in his arms, wondering what was the matter, surely it couldn’t have been her first sight of him, or could it?

  Jessie looked across at them. She was in shock herself as she stood next to the luggage trolley, at a loss to know what to do next, since Jane had fainted.

  Jake, being Jake, took command of the situation, in his normal decisive manner and, before Jessie knew what was happening, he’d lifted Jane as though she weighed no more than a feather, placing her onto the front seat of the car and fastening her in with the seat belt, all in one smooth movement.

  With Jane recovering inside the car, Jake then turned his attention to Jessie who by this time had got herself seated and belted into the back seat. Once the luggage had been stowed, Jake pulled away from the kerb and all without a single word being spoken.

  The first thing Jane saw when she came to, was a busy road ahead and then, as she moved her head, she became conscious of being strapped in and could see it was Jake driving the vehicle. What she couldn’t understand was why he was driving the vehicle and where was he taking them?

  Aware Jane had come round, Jake looked sideways at her, content to leave her to recover, believing the flight, and then the sudden heat as she’d stepped out of the terminal had been responsible for her fainting.

  As she slowly recovered, Jane was left wondering what was happening, with only the occasional word passing between Jake and Jessie, as they discussed how long it would be before they arrived at the hotel.

  Jane began to take an interest in the passing scenery, surreptitiously giving Jake a sideways glance on one occasion, catching a glimpse of his amber eyes glittering at her, with a look she couldn’t understand.

  She had a sudden urge for him to stop the car that she might fling herself into his arms and kiss him until they were both breathless. She wanted to explore his finely chiselled features with her fingertips and her lips and then run her fingers through his hair, a shade longer than she remembered, but she couldn’t!

  Otherwise, he looked exactly the same, except for the tan he’d acquired since being away from her. He was wearing a washed out denim shirt, pale blue in colour and open collared that showed his chest hairs. All Jane wanted was to bury her face into his chest and breathe in his masculinity. The very thought of holding him close made her tremble with desire, as it always had, especially when she caught a waft of his aftershave, its aroma the aphrodisiac she’d missed over the past weeks.

  From the colour of his complexion it was obvious he’d been in the sun each day: unlike her skin, its pallor making her look like a porcelain doll.

  When Jake had first seen her walking out of the airport, he’d felt exactly as he had the first time he’d seen her walk into her father’s office. At that time his heart had suddenly lurched inside his chest cavity and he’d known immediately he was going to marry her: he still felt the same way. He was madly in love with her. He wanted her, but there was something different about her he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It wasn’t her looks, she was still the same beautiful woman, perhaps it was his imagination playing tricks on him, or maybe he hadn’t realised just how much he’d missed her.

  As he drove, towards the hotel, aware of her glances, Jake realised just how wrong he’d been, not to tell her he had a family! He vowed, when they were alone he would remedy his omission. He would then explain he had a mother, father, step-mother and step-father and two, half siblings, and then, he would have to confess and explain why he’d not told her of their existence! Afterwards, he would try to make up for his absence in the only way he knew. It might not be easy, but they’d once shared a vigorous and healthy sex life so instinctively he knew that once Jane was locked in his arms the
ir physical attraction to each other might be all that was needed to make his life right!

  As for Jane, by saying she would marry Jake as part of his bargain to help her father, she’d tacitly agreed to have a normal married life with him, one that included a sexual relationship. Giving herself to him had been easy; especially knowing she’d fallen in love with him. She’d even assumed he’d fallen in love with her, from his enjoyment of making love, but she still had the problem of believing he’d fallen in love with another woman and that, as far as she was concerned, was not going to be easy to overcome. Jake had a lot of explaining to do.

  Once they were on the open road Jake drove even faster, until they came off the main road and started to climb up the hills, to where the village and hotel were situated.

  It was fascinating for Jane, she’d never been to this part of Italy before and to Jake’s relief, she immediately fell in love with the area.

  Santa Maria, the peaceful Tuscan village soon came into view and, within minutes, Jake was driving up to the main door of the hotel, with Jane wondering what his connection with this place was, and how come he knew she would be arriving that day? It all seemed rather suspicious to her way of thinking. Suddenly she was sure her father had been involved, but why?

  As soon as the car stopped and Jake had turned off the ignition, she asked him the whys and wherefores and, after quickly glancing in her direction, he admitted the hotel did indeed belong to his mother and stepfather.

  ‘You have a mother, and a stepfather?’ She’d asked, her eyes round with astonishment; her eyebrows rising as her mouth pursed in anticipation of his answer.

  ‘Yes. I have a mother and a stepfather. I also have a father and a stepmother, as well as a half-sister and a half-brother, and lots of assorted aunts, uncles and cousins.’

  ‘And you didn’t think to tell me? Do they know about me, or am I a secret as well?’

  ‘Well yes, they do know about you now, but they didn’t until a week ago. It isn’t what you’re thinking.’ He started to explain, but Jane was having none of this.

  ‘Is this really how you run your life Jake, by subterfuge and deceit?’

  ‘No Jane, I don’t run my life that way, but when certain things happen you have to go with your instinct and mine was to do the most stupid thing ever and not tell you, or them, the truth.’

  It took several minutes for him to explain that his stepfather had had a car accident and that he’d had to come out to help his mother run the business that was no longer just a small village restaurant with a small guesthouse but a large and expensive holiday and spa complex.

  Sitting beside him, Jane didn’t know quite what to believe; but by then it was getting hot in the car and Jake wanted to get them inside the hotel where it was cooler, afraid the heat would upset her again.

  Jessie, meanwhile, had been sitting in the back of the car, somewhat intrigued as she’d listened to all Jake had said, wishing at the same time they could have something refreshing to drink and a cooling shower.

  The hotel was the most beautiful building, inside and out Jane and Jessie had ever seen and, between them, they’d certainly seen quite a few. The stone used in the renovations matched the original local stone of the village, enhancing the buildings and now, after it had been cleaned, all the stonework gleamed in the sunlight. The main building was an old, yet stylish building, originally the manor house of the village. It blended in with the scenery, as though it had been there forever and even as they walked from where Jake had parked the people carrier, Jane could see the old buildings fitted in perfectly with the original. She couldn’t wait to explore the main house and the outbuildings that surrounded it, and then to assess it all, if that was still the reason for her being there.

  Jake checked them in at the reception desk and had their bags taken to their rooms, leaving them to rest and enjoy a cooling iced tea on a shaded patio at the back of the building, where the sound of humming insects added to the air of somnolence that surrounded them; without a doubt, they could both have fallen asleep quite easily, it was so calm and serene, a perfect hideaway from the stresses of everyday life. After they’d finished their drinks and Jake had returned, he escorted them to their rooms. Jessie’s was the first. Hers was a ground floor room, with an en-suite bathroom and a sitting room that opened out onto a terrace with stunning views of the surrounding countryside, and down to the valley below; its terrace was shaded from the sun by an awning, stretched over a pergola and covered by scented climbing plants. It was idyllic. All Jessie wished for was that Andrew could be with her. Within minutes, she’d undressed and had stretched herself out on the large bed, leaving the patio doors open, allowing a soft breeze to gently waft the curtains. Within minutes of her head resting on the pillows she was sound asleep and dreaming of Andrew.

  Jake meanwhile, had opened the door to Jane’s room and ushered her in; her cases already set on an ottoman, waiting her attention. He closed the door and, with his eyes never leaving hers, he walked towards her. Her first instinct was to ask him to leave but, before she could say anything, he’d reached out and pulled her into his arms. He said nothing. Placing one hand on her face he turned her towards him and bent to kiss her mouth. Her traitorous body responded and, before she could protest, his lips were on hers: her body pressed into the curve of his arms, her body reacting as it always did whenever he held her. She could feel his arousal against her; at the same time her blood was surging through her as it had always done when confronted by him. Remembering their wedding night, and how it had felt when he’d first claimed her and now, even as she was making plans to divorce him, how she wanted him, not only wanted to be in his arms but to have him inside her; her body clamoured for him. Arching her body into his, she moaned softly, as he caressed her body crying out for him. He removed her top and her bras, releasing her breasts, enlarged by her pregnancy, fondling them, nipping at her nipples, teasing them as they protruded, as though asking for more. He kissed and suckled them as Jane gasped, thinking she would faint with pleasure, sure he would notice the difference, but Jake was too intent on giving pleasure as well as receiving it. Jane stroked his back, urging him to remove his clothes in her wantonness, wanting access to his body, mimicking the way he caressed her. Over and down she went, moving her hands down to his waist and then further down, to his buttocks, loving their firmness until, without hesitating she found his manhood, which, by then, was enlarged and throbbing. Jake removed her hand and lifted her up in his arms before carrying her across the room where he placed her on the bed. Taking his time, he made love to her with rhythmic strokes, bringing her to her climax, before his own.

  Jane had moaned, and called out his name, her emotions soaring with the intensity of her orgasm, staggering not only her but also to Jake who, having reached his own climax had wanted to yell and shout out his love for his wife. Unable to believe the depth of his emotions, Jake held her in his arms surreptitiously wiping a tear away from his eyes.

  As for Jane, she couldn’t believe she’d given in to him so easily. She felt exactly as she had on their wedding night, as though her body had been made just for him, and his for hers!

  It was some time later when he made his excuses he would see her later and left her alone, to do as Jessie had done: to stretch out on the king sized bed, leaving the patio doors that went out onto the terrace open, allowing the sheer curtains to flutter and billow in the breeze and for Jane to think of what had just happened, and the reasons why she’d let it happen, especially when she’d decided to divorce him!

  Jake had made no enquiries as to why she hadn’t been in touch with him; it was as though he lived on another planet, in a place where he could have any woman he wanted without committing himself.

  It was some time before Jane woke, this time alone in her room, with the sun already going down. She could hear voices on the terrace as guests enjoyed their pre-dinner drinks. She stretched languorously, sated from her lovemaking with Jake, who’d left her while she slept and
gone she knew not where.

  Jessie was already waiting in the reception area, talking to Jake when Jane appeared, a transformed woman. She was no longer pale and wan, but appeared vibrant and refreshed, leaving Jessie to wonder if this was perhaps down to Jake, or just an afternoon sleep?

  Both women had dressed for the occasion with great care. Jane looking particularly spectacular, wearing an emerald green silk trouser suit, an old favourite, only this evening, the trousers were held together by a large safety pin; thankfully, the matching top covered her thickening waist sufficiently for no one to notice she was pregnant, a fact Jake still didn’t know, nor had even guessed.

  It was while she’d been dressing Jane realised her call to visit the hotel probably wasn’t what it appeared after all. Had Jake masterminded it, if so, why?

  Intrigued, she then wondered if his new lady was staying in the hotel as well. Just because they’d made love that afternoon didn’t mean he loved her, did it? He’d certainly left her rather speedily she thought, in fact as soon as they’d made love and, from his appearance, she could tell he’d showered! Was that to remove any evidence he’d been with her?

  And now she was waiting to be introduced to Jake’s mother, her new mother-in-law, how farcical was that?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Convinced his marriage was back on track, all Jake wanted for his life to be complete, was for Jane to meet his family. After he’d left her room, and before he’d returned to his own in one of the converted barns to get ready for the evening, he’d entered the kitchen and spoken to the chef. The kitchen staff were all busy, preparing the evening’s feast, such was the quality of the business.

  Jake had already delegated Sara to be in charge of the private dining room and, as he passed the dining room he could see she’d surpassed herself. A large round table had been covered with a white damask cloth with the best silver used for the place settings, along with two small bowls of fresh flowers from the garden, placed in the middle of the table, along with ivory candles just waiting to be lit.