‘Here’s your sherry, Estie.’ Shiloh had moved over to the bar. ‘What will you have, Danni? Ouzo and lemonade, wasn’t it?’
‘Oh, no. No, thank you, Shiloh. I’ll have a sherry, too,’ Danni said hurriedly, imagining what would happen if she drank ouzo on an empty stomach. And her stomach did feel empty. She had been far too over-stimulated to eat much lunch and somehow she didn’t think she’d make a very good impression on the O’Rourkes if she sat in a corner and went to sleep.
Shiloh’s father had moved across the deep pile carpet and it was Estie who introduced her husband to Danni.
‘So this is Danni,’ he said evenly.
‘Another beer, Conan?’ asked Shiloh, and took the empty glass from his father, his eyes watching his father’s face. Like a cat ready to pounce, thought Danni, watching the clash of some discordance between them.
‘I suppose it’s Coke for me,’ sighed Nathan. ‘Sure it won’t be too strong for me?’ he asked, not abashed by the frown his father turned on him.
‘Shiloh tells us you work in a library, Danni,’ Estie put in smoothly, sipping her sherry.
‘Yes, at Burleigh Heads,’ replied Danni, ‘and I enjoy it very much.’
‘It’s a career I would have enjoyed myself,’ said Shiloh’s mother. ‘I’m an inveterate reader. In fact, I’m reading a very enjoyable novel at the moment.’
Danni felt herself relaxing as she began to discuss favourite books and authors with Estie O’Rourke. Shiloh and Conan added little to the conversation, but Estie’s relaxed and friendly manner put Danni at her ease. By the time their housekeeper announced that dinner was ready Danni felt almost herself.
The meal was delicious and the conversation flowed quite normally, although Danni sensed an underlying reserve in Conan O’Rourke. But she told herself it was most probably his nature, for his wife seemed quite calm and amicable.
They had reached the dessert stage when Estie smiled across at Danni. ‘It’s nice to have a face now to put to your name. When the boys spoke of you I was extremely curious to meet you.’
‘Oh, dear. I hope everything they told you was good,’ Danni laughed a little self-consciously.
‘Yes, of course it was.’ Her smile widened. ‘Although I was a trifle confused as I couldn’t correlate, their conflicting descriptions. On the one hand you were a very nice looking librarian and on the other a competent and successful motor racing driver.’
Shiloh’s father wiped his mouth on his napkin. ‘Motor racing seems to be a strange occupation for a young lady,’ he said.
‘Yes, but I enjoy doing it.’ Danni felt the tension in the room. The air was so thick she could have cut it with a knife. Even Estie O’Rourke’s mouth seemed to be held stiffly as though she waited a little uneasily for her husband’s next statement.
Before he could comment Nathan beamed across at Danni. ‘Wow! Danni’s really something out there on the track. I don’t know how she has the nerve to do it. My heart was in my mouth most of the time just watching the race.’
‘I think I must have a screw loose somewhere, Nathan, don’t you?’ She laughed and fell silent when she saw the look of disapproval on Conan O’Rourke’s face.
‘Shiloh tells us that you two would like to get married,’ said Conan, turning his frown on his younger son before looking back at Danni.
Danni glanced at Shiloh and he spoke before she could formulate a reply. ‘We’ve decided on next Saturday. We’ll have a celebrant perform the ceremony out at Danni’s father’s property up in the valley. It’s a pleasant rural setting and there’ll only be our immediate families present,’ he said firmly.
‘Don’t you think you’re rushing into this?’ Conan looked straight at Danni. ‘You scarcely know each other.’
‘Didn’t you and Mum only know each other for a month before you got married?’ Nathan asked innocently and his mother laughed softly.
‘He has you there, darling,’ she said, her fingers squeezing her husband’s arm.
‘We weren’t discussing us,’ he said, if a little less confrontationally. ‘We were talking about Shiloh and Danni.’
Danni flushed under his steady gaze. ‘We’d like it to be next weekend. It seems to fit in with Shiloh’s business and the racing calendar.’
‘Oh, yes, the racing.’ Shiloh’s father’s lips curled derogatorily. ‘When my son told me he was getting married I thought, in fact, I hoped, he’d finished with these lunatic plans of his, but I can see I was wrong, more’s the pity.’
‘Conan.’ Shiloh’s voice was cold and controlled. ‘We decided not to debate all that tonight.’
‘You decided we wouldn’t,’ exclaimed his father. ‘I can’t understand why you would possibly want to continue with that senseless sport when it all but killed you last year. Need I remind you about what you put your mother, your whole family through? If I’d had to live with that day on my conscience like you have had to I’d never want to see another race track, let alone begin racing again!’
Danni’s face paled. It was as though the final item of proof of her suspicions had been laid before her. If Shiloh’s own father believed him responsible for that crash then surely he must be guilty. And why should Shiloh want to continue racing anyway? If Chris Damien took him on he was a fool.
Through her lashes she watched Shiloh’s face for his reactions, but if she expected to see any sign of guilt in his face she was sadly disappointed. The only outward sign he gave that he was disturbed was a certain paleness about his mouth.
Conan O’Rourke turned back to Danni. ‘Surely you don’t want your husband taking a car out on to the track, a car that he’s determined to have kill him before he’s much older? That’s if he doesn’t kill someone else in the process,’ he added bitterly, his face flushed with anger.
‘Racing is something I like to do,’ Shiloh said flatly, his jaw set.
‘Oh! It was something young Christie and Rick Mathieson liked to do too, and what consolation was that for their families? Does it mean anything to them?’ Conan’s eyes flashed to Danni and his face paled. ‘Mathieson?’ he repeated softly.
‘Rick was Danni’s brother.’ Shiloh’s voice held no expression and Nathan looked down at his plate with embarrassment.
Danni was incapable of uttering a sound and she looked across at Shiloh, her face white, seeing Rick there between them again.
‘Conan! Shiloh! Please!’ Estie’s be-ringed fingers moved agitatedly at her throat. ‘What will we gain from raking over painful memories? You’ve upset Danni and she’s our guest and our future daughter-in-law. I think we should allow them to sort it out for themselves, Conan. All of this is getting us nowhere.’
Conan’s eyes moved from his son’s face to Danni and he sighed again. ‘My apologies, Danni. I was unaware …’ He coughed. ‘I didn’t intend to make any mention of all this, but, as you can imagine, I feel most strongly about it. Shiloh’s my son and I feel it’s time he came into our engineering business.’
‘Ofâ Of course,’ Danni murmured. ‘I can understand your feelings, Mr O’Rourke.’
Shiloh’s mother relaxed visibly and hurriedly led the conversation back to less volatile topics, although the brief altercation at the dinner table lay over them for the duration of the evening.
By ten o’clock Danni was trying valiantly to stifle her yawns. The entirely unreal day had taken its toll and she felt emotionally drained, desiring only to climb into bed and have the blessed relief of a dreamless sleep.
‘Want to go home?’ Shiloh asked her softly.
‘l am a little tired,’ she said. ‘If your parents would excuse me.’
‘Of course, my dear,’ said Estie, standing up, trying not to appear relieved. ‘We’ve enjoyed meeting you, haven’t we, Conan?’
Her husband added his assurance to this and Danni tried not to give a thankful sigh as she walked out into t
he courtyard behind Shiloh.
Nathan made to follow them along the wide pathway to the garage.
‘And where do you think you’re going, Nathan?’ asked Shiloh.
‘I thought I’d come along for the ride. Why?’ he asked innocently.
‘I don’t remember asking you,’ remarked Shiloh.
‘Oh, let him come, Shiloh,’ said Danni quickly. To be alone with Shiloh again tonight was more than she could contend with.
Shiloh frowned and then shrugged his shoulders. ‘Seems I’m outvoted.’ He turned to his brother. ‘All right, if you want to be cramped up in the back seat of the Lotus, it’s your lookout.’
Neither Danni nor Shiloh added much to the conversation on the short drive to Danni’s house except to answer Nathan’s questions where necessary. In fact, Nathan did enough talking for the three of them.
Shiloh walked around the front of the car and held the door open for Danni. She was barely on the footpath when Nathan had climbed out of the back of the car and stood beside them.
‘Would you mind waiting in the car while I see Danni to the door?’ Shiloh gave his brother a push.
Nathan went to protest, looked from one to the other, nodded knowingly and grinning, subsided into the seat Danni had vacated. ‘Okay. ‘Night, Danni. See you at the wedding.’
‘Yes. Goodnight, Nathan,’ she said, and moved quickly up the pathway to the house, conscious of Shiloh’s long strides right behind her. At the top of the steps his hand covered hers as she went to insert the key in the lock.
His lips moved to find hers in the darkness and she turned her head so that his kiss fell on her cheek. Then his hands were on either side of her face and his lips captured hers almost in desperation. ‘How am I going to last out this week?’ he murmured. ‘Mmm, I’ve been wanting to continue our little interlude in my room all evening.’ He kissed her again as Danni’s hands went around his waist of their own volition. ‘I could go on like this all night. However, I can imagine my nosey young brother putting a time limit on our goodnight.’ His lips moved over her eyes to her earlobes down over the softness of her neck and when she moaned responsively his arms crushed her to him, his lips returning to her lips, his kiss searing her mouth, drawing forth a response which frightened her with its intensity.
He tore himself away from her and leant back against the railings of the steps. ‘Roll on Saturday,’ he laughed huskily.
‘I’d better go inside.’ Danni was still trembling from his kiss. ‘Goodnight, Shiloh. I enjoyed meeting your parents.’
‘Danni, about my fatherâ’ He stopped and swore softly under his breath. ‘No matter,’ he said quietly. ‘What are your plans for tomorrow?’ His hand on her arm detained her, his thumb moving gently over her smooth skin.
‘I thought I’d go out to Mallaroo. I’d like to spend some time with Pop,’ she said quickly, hoping he wouldn’t want to accompany her.
There was a slight pause. ‘All right.’ His hand slid down her arm and he raised her hand to his lips. ‘By the way, do you need this ring for a few days?’ He touched the simple dress ring she wore on her right hand.
‘No. Why?’
‘I’ll use it to gauge the size for your rings. I’ll pick them up in Sydney next week if you don’t mind leaving the choice to me.’
Danni nodded. ‘You’re going to Sydney again?’
‘Yes.’ There was a strange note in his voice, almost as though he didn’t want to go. ‘I’ll be back by Saturday, though. Wild horses won’t keep me away!’ He kissed her lightly on the cheek.
Danni slept deeply and soundly that night and rose early to drive out to Mallaroo. All morning she kept her mind away from any thought of the wedding. She wouldn’t allow herself to think about it. She went about the farm with her father and although he also made no mention of Shiloh or the wedding it lay between them, causing a tension that tugged at Danni’s heart.
It wasn’t until she was sitting alone on the patio after lunch that she saw Dallas Byrne’s red head moving towards the house. Her father had not yet returned from the workshop where he was overseeing the reshoeing of one of the horses.
Danni’s heart sank. She could tell by the stiffness of Dallas’s body as he strode purposefully towards her that he had heard about her wedding and she wished fervently that she didn’t have to face him. The very last thing she wanted to do at the moment was to discuss it all with Dallas.
‘Danni, what’s going on? Your father tells me you’re getting married next weekend,’ Dallas’s face was tense with anger, ‘to that bastâ, to that damned O’Rourke guy. Is it true?’
‘Yes, Dallas, it’s true. Shiloh and I have decided to get married,’ Danni told him quietly.
‘Have you gone stark raving mad, girl?’ He stood aggressively in front of her. ‘If you believed only half of the reports about the crash you’d have to agree that he killed your brother,’ he said brutally.
Danni put her hands over her ears. ‘I don’t care what half the reports said. We’re getting married next weekend, and surely it’s no business of anyone but Shiloh and myself.’
‘It’s criminal that he should be walking around free. If it was anyone else they’d be in jail,’ retorted Dallas.
‘I don’t want to discuss it, Dallas. No matter what you say, it won’t change a thing.’
Dallas stood impotently in front of her, his face red with anger and hurt, and Danni had to drop her eyes.
‘No good is going to come of this marriage, Danni.’ Dallas’s hands gripped her shoulders painfully. ‘Rick’s death, it will always be there between you. Can’t you see that?’
‘Dallas, please! You’re hurting me.’ Danni pulled away from him.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing to me?’ He strode across to the edge of the patio and stood with his back to her, hands on hips.
‘Look, Dallas, I didn’t set out to deliberately cause you any distressâI like you too much for that. We’ve been good friends and I’d like us to stay that way. I told you right from the start …’ Danni’s voice faded away.
Dallas sighed. ‘I know. It’s my own stupid fault.’ He turned and walked back to stand in front of her. ‘But I do feel there’s something not right about this marriage. Even I can tell that you’re no more in love with O’Rourke than I am.’ His lip curled. ‘So why the almighty haste? Has he got some hold over you?’ A thought crossed his mind and his face turned a shade redder. ‘My God, you’re notâYou can’t be, well, pregnant, can you? I mean, you haven’t known him long enough, have you?’
‘Of course I’m not pregnant. And I resent that, Dallas,’ Danni finished angrily, and he had the grace to look a little ashamed of himself.
They fell silent for a few moments.
‘I’m sorry, Danni, I shouldn’t have … Do you still want me to head off with the car tomorrow week as planned?’ he asked.
‘Of course. Why wouldn’t I want you to?’
Dallas shrugged. ‘I thought you might be going to give up racing. That’s all.’
‘My marriage doesn’t change anything. I’ll be racing at Oran Park in two weeks as planned and I’d like you to stay with me. I can’t do it without you,’ Danni appealed to him. ‘I mean that, Dallas.’
‘Okay.’ He walked towards the steps. ‘I have to get back to work.’ He turned when he reached the bottom. ‘And none of this changes how I feel about you either, Danni. If you need me for anything, any time, I’ll be there.’ He smiled crookedly. ‘And that includes picking up the pieces afterwards!’
Picking up the pieces afterwards. The words echoed in Danni’s mind as she stood on the patio gazing out over the green lawns, absently running her hand over the smooth railings. Picking up the pieces. Somehow she couldn’t see Shiloh breaking, and in the cold light of day she had grave doubts that she would come out the victor in any confrontation she had wi
th him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Danni stood in her bedroom at Mallaroo. She wore a long pale blue dress that left her shoulders bare, the bodice moulding her firm young breasts, and the skirt cascading to the floor in soft drifting folds. Her dark hair fell in liquid waves about her lightly tanned shoulders.
She wore no veil, yet in three-quarters of an hour she would be married. In her adolescent dreams she had always seen herself in a church, in traditional white, the organ playing, an aura of happiness radiating from everyone, her father proud and straight beside her, her brotherâ She closed her mind and blinked a mist from her eyes.
There was no happiness inside her. Any sensation she experienced when she allowed herself to think was one of numb acceptance of the way things had to be. If a part of her wished that her girlhood dreams were being fulfilled she hastily buried those thoughts beneath a cold determination. For today she would have her revenge on Shiloh O’Rourke.
She shivered and a small sliver of doubt found a tiny chink in the tight web of control she had fixed about her, and that sliver of doubt began to grow within her. Memories of the touch of Shiloh’s mouth on hers came back to haunt her and her hand moved tremblingly to touch her parted lips. And Dallas’ words spun about her mind. Picking up the pieces.
Pulling herself stiffly together, she mustered all her self-possession. More thoughts along those lines and she would fall completely apart.
No. At all times she must remember Rick, remember that had it not been for Shiloh O’Rourke Rick would have been here today. None of this would be happening if Rick was here today, taunted an inner voice, and she experienced an hysterical desire to laugh and laugh and never stop. In fact, she could feel the sound rising in her throat when there was a tap on her door and Lisa walked in.
‘Oh, Danni, you look divine! I’m so happy for you.’ Lisa’s eyes were bright with tears. ‘I knew it. I just knew it the moment I saw him that he was the one for you. It’s so romantic!’ She clasped her hands together and Danni tried to put some warmth into her smile.
Race For Revenge (Lynsey Stevens Romance) Page 11
