by Susan Napier;Kathryn Ross;Kelly Hunter;Sandra Marton;Katherine Garbera;Margaret Mayo
‘I didn’t realise the bond was that close.’ Caitlin toyed with her wineglass. ‘And yet you didn’t come to his funeral?’ She had looked for him on that dreadful day, had been surprisingly disappointed not to see him at the graveside.
‘I was in Paris on business. I didn’t know he’d died until later that week; it was too late by then.’
‘I see.’
‘So what are you going to do about Murdo’s house?’ Ray changed the subject. ‘I know that inheriting it was a shock, but I’m sure the state of the place was an even bigger one.’
‘Yes. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t…that.’
‘I did try to tell him that the place had fallen into a state of disrepair, but I don’t think he was listening to me.’
‘He was good at that.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘If he didn’t want to hear something he’d just blank it completely. As my grandma would have said, he had selective hearing.’
Ray laughed. ‘You’re right, he did.’
‘And he was as cantankerous as hell sometimes…’ Caitlin smiled. ‘But, strange thing is, I’m really going to miss him. We grew quite close in the two years I looked after him.’ She looked up at him quickly. ‘Well, when I say we grew close I mean…he was like a father figure to me,’ she explained quickly.
‘Relax, Caitlin,’ Ray said with a shake of his head. ‘I think we have established that.’
‘Well…I suppose I still can’t get over the fact that you thought Murdo was in love with me…It’s just…wild.’
Ray shrugged. ‘He always did have an eye for a pretty woman.’
‘He was also very ill.’
‘Not too ill to try a spot of matchmaking, though?’
‘He had some very strange ideas sometimes,’ she murmured.
‘Yes, very strange,’ Ray said wryly. ‘I’ve been thinking about it and I suppose that’s why he left you his house. It’s a last-ditch attempt to throw us together.’
‘No…I don’t think so,’ Caitlin said quickly.
Ray met her eyes steadily. ‘Why not? It seems obvious now I think about it. Murdo always was stubbornly persistent when he got an idea into his head.’
‘Even so, I don’t think he would be that dogged.’ Caitlin’s voice was firm. She wanted to squash that suggestion in Ray’s mind the way she had squashed it in her own. Even entertaining that idea for a moment was highly embarrassing. ‘It’s totally preposterous.’
‘Totally.’ Ray met her eyes and smiled. ‘As is the thought of you living in that house. The place is uninhabitable and it will be hard work to put it right. Which is why I think it would be best all around if you sold it to me—’
‘Now hold on a minute…’ Caitlin cut across his sweeping statement, instantly on the defensive. ‘I’ve only just arrived, Ray, and I’m hoping to keep the house. I like the idea of living in the French countryside and I’m no stranger to hard work.’
‘I’m sure you are not. But you have to admit that the house would demand a lot of attention, you would have to organise builders and decorators and I bet neither you nor David speak French.’
‘I speak some French.’ She angled her chin up and met his eyes determinedly. It was one thing if she decided not to stay…quite another being told she was incapable of staying! ‘And I’m very handy with a paintbrush.’
To her annoyance he seemed to find that remark amusing. ‘I think you’ll need a little more than a lick of paint to put that place right.’
‘I’m not incapable.’
‘Then there is the land…’ Ray swept on as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘Over a hundred olive trees and a small vineyard—it all takes expertise and hard work.’
‘I didn’t know there was a vineyard.’
Ray nodded. ‘Murdo didn’t make the wine himself—he used to sell the grapes. It was a bit of a hobby for him, really.’
‘I could do that,’ Caitlin reflected thoughtfully.
‘Now, come on, Caitlin.’ Ray shook his head. ‘You’re not serious?’
‘Why not?’
‘Because, as I just said, looking after a place like that takes a certain amount of expertise.’
‘I could learn.’ She shrugged. ‘I could do anything I set my mind to.’
‘Maybe you could…’ Ray said slowly, noticing the light of determination in her eyes. ‘But why would you want to? You are a qualified nurse.’
‘I feel like a change of direction.’ She toyed with her glass of wine. Nursing had been rewarding, but recently she’d also found it exhausting both emotionally and physically. And after the trauma of her breakup with David she felt like a whole new start. ‘Actually I was thinking that I could convert the…building into a small guest-house.’
For a moment Ray’s eyes seemed to narrow on her. ‘And what does David think about that idea?’
Caitlin frowned. Why did he keep bringing David into this? It really irritated her. ‘Nothing is set in stone yet,’ she said noncommittally. ‘I’ll have to take a closer look at the property in daylight.’
‘You mean he’s not too happy about it,’ Ray said dryly.
She met his gaze frostily. ‘This is my decision, not David’s.’
‘Call me old-fashioned, but I thought when you were engaged to be married you made joint decisions,’ he said bluntly.
He watched the rise of colour in her cheeks and then reached to refill her wineglass. ‘Sorry, it’s none of my business.’
‘You’re right, it’s not.’
For a moment Ray was silent. He ran one finger around the rim of his glass thoughtfully. ‘It seems to me that the house is causing you problems already. And it’s going to get worse. The place is a mess and it is certainly no place for a woman on her own.’
‘You are very patronizing, do you know that?’ she said quietly.
‘Well, I’m sorry if you feel like that.’ He looked up at her then, his eyes incisive and direct. ‘But I’m just being honest. So let’s cut to the bottom line, shall we? I want that land and the offer I made to Murdo is still open.’
‘I haven’t decided what I’m doing with the house yet, Ray. I haven’t had time to think—’
‘Well, let me help you think more clearly.’ He cut across her impatiently and then named a sum of money that made her breath catch.
For a moment she didn’t say anything, she was too stunned to make a reply.
He glanced over and met her eyes. ‘It’s a generous offer considering the condition of the place.’
‘I’m sure it is,’ she murmured, totally taken aback.
‘Well, think about it.’ His mouth twisted in a sudden grin. ‘When you’ve taken a look at the place in daylight you can give me your answer.’
In other words he was quietly confident that once she had assessed the level of work needed she would take his money. Caitlin would have liked to toss her head defiantly, tell him she didn’t need his money, that she was staying. She didn’t like that smug attitude that said clearly that he didn’t think she was up to the challenge, and she didn’t like giving up so easily on her dream for a new life. But she had to be sensible. The mess of her relationship with David had left her savings sadly depleted and she didn’t know if she could afford the renovations the house needed.
‘Okay.’ She inclined her head. ‘I’ll consider it. But I feel I should tell you that selling the house isn’t a straightforward option.’
‘Why not?’
Caitlin shrugged. ‘Apparently Murdo put a few provisos in his will covering that possibility.’
‘What kind of provisos?’ Ray asked.
Caitlin noticed the sudden tensing of his attitude and had to smile. Ray obviously thought that throwing money about could solve any problem. But maybe he had reckoned without Murdo’s steely determination. ‘I don’t honestly know.’ She shrugged. ‘I was so overwhelmed by Murdo’s generous gift that I didn’t pay much attention to the details. It was something about waiting six months. Or I had to live here for six months…’ Sh
e shrugged. ‘Something along those lines.’
Ray drummed his fingers impatiently against the table. ‘Well, I suppose we’ll get around all that. With the help of a good lawyer there are usually ways around most problems.’
‘Maybe.’ Caitlin sipped her wine and couldn’t resist adding. ‘But that’s if I decide to sell.’
‘Once you’ve looked at that place again I think you’ll agree that I’ve offered a very fair price.’ Ray lifted his glass in a salute.
Caitlin straightened her cutlery. She didn’t feel like drinking to that toast. The thought of a new beginning in France had been all that had kept her going these past few weeks. It had been the one ray of hope in an otherwise bleak future. Going back to England didn’t seem like something to feel overjoyed about.
‘I haven’t made any promises,’ she said quietly. ‘And I have to tell you I won’t be rushing to find ways of breaking Murdo’s will. I respected him too much for that.’
‘You are obviously a woman of great integrity,’ he said.
She glanced over at him, unsure if he was being facetious. ‘For a gold-digger, you mean?’
His lips twisted wryly. ‘I thought we’d bypassed that.’
‘So did I. But your tone leaves me in some doubt.’
For a moment their eyes met across the table. There was something forceful about the way he looked at her, something that made her raise her chin slightly and defiantly. ’So as I said before…I’m not making any promises. I’m a woman who enjoys a challenge and that house might be just what I’m looking for.’
There was a flicker of some emotion in the darkness of his eyes and then a grin tugged at the sensual curve of his lips. ‘I can suddenly see why Murdo might have thought that you and I would be well suited.’
‘Can you?’ Caitlin was taken aback by the observation. ‘Why’s that?’
‘Because I also enjoy a challenge, Caitlin.’
Disconcerted, Caitlin looked away from him. She didn’t know what to say to that.
Outside the thunder growled threateningly, filling the silence between them. The lights flickered.
Suddenly Caitlin felt as if she had endured enough for one day, she just wanted to escape to the sanctuary of her room. ‘Anyway, I think I’ll turn in now if you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all.’ He picked up their empty plates and brought them over to the sink. ‘Would you like a coffee before you retire?’
‘No, thank you, I’m really tired.’ She was just getting up from the table when her mobile phone rang. It was lying on the counter and Ray picked it up for her. ‘You put it down when you were laying the table,’ he said, and then glanced at the screen before handing it over. ‘It’s your fiancé.’
‘Thanks.’ She felt her heart thud with apprehension as she took the phone from him. Then as she turned from Ray’s line of vision she clicked the disconnect button. There was no way she wanted to have a conversation with David tonight.
‘We got cut off,’ she said as Ray looked over at her inquiringly.
Before she could switch the phone off completely it rang again. ‘I’ll just take the call in the other room, if you don’t mind.’ Hastily she stepped out of the room and walked down the corridor, turning her phone’s ring tone onto silent.
The lounge was still in darkness, the fire had almost burnt out—just a fragile orange glow remained. Caitlin sat down on the edge of the sofa and tried to pull herself together. Just the thought of talking to David made her feel sick inside. She couldn’t face it…There was too much pain inside her…too much hurt altogether.
It was quiet in the room; the only sound was the rain against the windows. Back in her apartment in Manchester there was always a constant rumble of traffic despite the double glazing. Was that where David was sitting now as he tried to phone her? Did he regret his behaviour?
Although she was furious with him, there was a part of her that also felt sorry for him. He obviously needed help.
‘Are you okay?’ Ray’s voice from the doorway made her strive very hurriedly to compose herself.
‘Absolutely.’ Her voice wobbled a little and she swallowed hard before continuing. ‘Everything is fine.’
He switched on one of the lamps and looked at her, his dark eyes searching over her face.
‘The weather is shocking in Manchester, apparently,’ she lied cheerfully and forced herself to smile.
‘I know you didn’t speak to him, Caitlin,’ he said calmly.
‘Of course I spoke to him.’ She sat ramrod straight and watched as he walked over to throw a log on the fire.
‘No, you didn’t, you hung up on him.’ Ray stimulated the dying embers of the fire with a poker, prodding it back to life until the flames crackled greedily around the wood.
She met his eyes with a tinge of annoyance and decided to just sidestep the issue. She didn’t want to talk about this and it was none of his damn business anyway. ‘I don’t know where you have got such strange ideas from. Now, thank you for dinner, I’m going to bed if you don’t mind.’
Unfortunately as she headed for the stairs she had to walk past him and that was when he reached out and took hold of her left hand, halting her in her tracks.
‘The strange ideas started when I noticed this.’ She looked down and watched as he lightly traced his thumb over the white band of naked skin on her third finger. ‘It’s a bit of a give-away, Caitlin,’ he said softly. ‘I noticed it straight away over dinner. If you were my fiancé I wouldn’t want you to walk away without the symbol of our betrothal visibly in place.’
She stared down at her finger, the finger that had worn David’s ring for three years, and a shivery feeling raced through her, but strangely it wasn’t caused by the thought of her broken engagement—it was caused by the way Ray was touching her and the strange intimacy of his tone.
She pulled away from him. ‘How very observant of you.’ She tried to keep her voice brisk, but it had a quaver to it that wasn’t normal. ‘If you noticed it straight away, why did you keep asking me about David?’
‘Because I thought it better you tell me about it in your own time.’
‘Dear Abby eat your heart out,’ Caitlin muttered sarcastically.
‘Dear who?’ One dark eyebrow rose. ‘Who is this Dear Abby?’
‘She’s an agony aunt. I was being facetious.’
Ray’s lips twisted wryly. ‘You don’t need to hide behind sarcasm, Caitlin, and you don’t need an agony aunt.’
‘I suppose you are going to tell me what I do need now,’ Caitlin murmured.
Ray reached out and put a finger under her chin, tipping her face up so that she was forced to look at him. ‘You need a good friend, and in the absence of Murdo and everyone else you’ve left behind in England…If you need to talk, I’m a good listener.’
‘I don’t need to talk.’ She stepped back from him because the touch of his hand against her skin was starting to do crazy things to her senses. ‘I’m fine…absolutely fine.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do.’
‘So Murdo was right all along. David wasn’t the man for you.’ The steady, serious way he looked at her made the shivery feeling inside her intensify.
She looked away from him in confusion. ‘Well, maybe…’
‘So you must just tell yourself that you have had a lucky escape.’
Caitlin thought about all the plans and dreams she’d had for the future…about the wedding…the baby she had wanted. ‘I don’t feel very lucky,’ she murmured huskily.
For just a second, the veil of composure slipped from Caitlin’s expression and Ray saw a glimpse of vulnerability in the beautiful eyes that looked up at him. Then she pulled herself sharply up. ‘Anyway, I’ll wish you goodnight,’ she continued on briskly.
‘Goodnight, chéri.’ His voice followed her as she moved away. ‘Sweet dreams.’
Chapter Three
DESPITE the fact that she was so tired, Caitlin couldn’t sleep. She tossed and tur
ned and her mind seemed to catapult from the life she had left behind to her strange new surroundings. She lay listening as the rain lashed against the window and thought about the house down the road with its crumbling walls and ramshackle rooms. Had she made a mistake coming to France?
When she finally fell asleep her dreams were a confused tangle of places and people. She could see David, his grey eyes glinting with amusement as he asked her if she really intended living in that house. ‘Come home, Caitlin,’ he whispered earnestly. ‘Come home and we’ll be married, this is madness.’
Then suddenly she was walking down a church aisle in her cream dress. She could see the scene vividly, could hear the organ playing, could even smell the scent of the roses in her bouquet. Her best friend Heidi smiled at her and waved. ‘I knew it would all work out well in the end,’ she whispered.
Her mother was wearing her new blue outfit with the matching wide-brimmed hat that she had searched the length and breadth of London for; she wiped a tear from her eyes as Caitlin passed. ‘You look wonderful, darling; see, I told you it was just nerves.’
Then as she reached the top of the aisle she could see David waiting for her. He looked very handsome in his dark suit, hair glinting in a shaft of light shining down from one of the windows. He turned slowly and smiled at her. Only it wasn’t David, it was Ray!
She woke up, her heart racing with shock, and sat up. The pretty room with its primrose-yellow walls and floral bedclothes was unfamiliar to her. Sunlight streamed through the open curtains, reflecting on the mirror of the dark wooden dressing table, and glinting into her sleepfilled eyes.
It took a moment before she realised where she was, another moment for her to realise that her heart was racing because of a dream. She lay back against the pillows and sighed. What an absurd thought! Marrying Ray indeed! Even if he were the marrying kind, which she strongly suspected he was not, he was definitely not her type.
She flung the bedclothes off and walked over to the window. The rain clouds had gone, replaced by a clear, freshly washed blue sky. A misty haze of heat shimmered over the undulating countryside criss-crossed by vineyards and lush green fields awash with crimson poppies. The scene was so beautiful that Caitlin could hardly wait to get outside. Her bad dream forgotten, she headed for the shower.
