‘I’m afraid it is true,’ Hannah said softly.
He swore viciously and slammed his fist on to the edge of a chair. ‘But why? Why are you marrying him? I can’t believe that you love him, and he as sure as hell doesn’t love you.’
‘I do love him,’ she whispered.
Drew snorted and paced across the room. ‘Since when?’
‘Since yesterday, I suppose,’ she told him reluctantly. ‘At least, that’s when I discovered it.’
‘With a little help from my brother, I’ve no doubt,’ he sneered. ‘I think you’re making a big mistake, Hannah, but what’s just as galling is the fact that you’re going to live at the Hall. You’re going to live in my property! I can’t believe that Aunt Kate made Jordan my trustee. Didn’t she think I was capable of running the estate?’
‘I’m sorry, Drew,’ said Hannah softly, ‘and if it’s any consolation, I feel as guilty as anything about that part of it. But it’s only until Jordan gets it on its feet again, and then he’ll hand it over to you. He’s really doing you a favour.’
‘Maybe,’ he muttered sullenly.
It was the first time Hannah had seen Drew anything but laughing and carefree and happy, and really she couldn’t blame him. The estate was obviously the real issue, not the fact that she was marrying his brother, and she could understand his very real hurt. But she also knew that he was not yet capable of running it himself. For his age he was very immature; all he was concerned about was having a good time, and he saw the estate as another way of getting money to do it. It was a shame. He was such a nice boy. She really did feel sorry for him.
Hannah’s next warning came from Riva on the day she went back to work following Daniel’s attack of tonsillitis. The girl came storming into her office almost within minutes of Hannah arriving.
‘I don’t know how you’ve managed it,’ she raged, her face ugly with anger, ‘but I do know one thing―it won’t last. Nor will Jordan be true to you. Your marriage won’t stop him seeing me!’
This was one of Hannah’s fears too, despite his avowal of loyalty, but she had no intention of letting the blonde siren know that. ‘You’re mistaken,’ she smiled confidently. ‘Jordan and I are deeply in love.’
Riva’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘He’s actually told you that he loves you?’
‘Of course,’ Hannah lied.
‘Jordan always told me he didn’t believe in love,’ Riva frowned.
Hannah shrugged. ‘He’s obviously changed his mind. Perhaps he was waiting for the right girl to come along?’
‘Maybe you were the one who did the persuading,’ sneered Riva, ‘but he’ll come to his senses, you just wait and see. He’ll soon realise that a snivelling kid and a frigid bitch who’s still in love with her dead husband are no comparison to the sort of pleasures he gets from me!’
Hannah flinched at her harsh words and felt the sharp sting of tears, but she tossed her head and held them back. ‘How dare you speak to me like that? Jordan loves my son and Daniel loves Jordan. We’re going to be very happy.’ And how dared Jordan tell Riva about Roger! That hurt more than Riva’s caustic comments.
‘Of course we’re going to be happy.’ Jordan appeared from nowhere and put his arm about Hannah’s shoulders, and she wondered with a sinking heart how much of the conversation he had heard.
Riva muttered something and left the office, and Jordan released Hannah instantly. ‘I’m sorry she subjected you to that,’ he said. ‘It was most unbecoming of her.’
Hannah shrugged, more disappointed that he had let her go than concerned about Riva. Those few seconds’ contact had quickened everyone of her senses, and she wondered how long she would last without letting him know how deeply she felt.
The day after she promised to marry him she had woken with a lovely warm feeling inside her, with a sense of relief. It would be good to have a man to make the decisions, to assume some of the responsibility for Daniel, to share her bed! Her thoughts had halted at this stage. There would be no nuptial bed―it would be wrong to share with a man who did not love her. She had made a silent vow there and then that until Jordan declared his love she would sleep alone. Even if it meant for ever!
‘And it was very brave of you to lie and say that we loved each other,’ Jordan went on. ‘You made it sound very convincing.’
Swift, guilty colour reddened Hannah’s cheeks and she turned away. ‘I had to say something to put her in her place,’ she muttered.
‘I thought there might have been an element of truth in it?’ he questioned softly. He was behind her, his mouth close to her ear, his breath warm on her cheek.
‘None at all,’ she retorted sharply.
‘That’s a pity. I reallywould have liked to start married life without competing with Roger.’
She turned at that, her blue eyes dancing fire. ‘You had no right telling Riva how I felt about him. It was a despicable thing to do!’
‘I didn’t tell her,’ he said, his lips tightening. ‘It was a calculated guess.’
‘And I’m expected to believe that?’ Hannah asked scornfully. ‘Really, Jordan, what sort of an idiot do you take me for?’
‘You’re no idiot, Hannah. I wouldn’t be marrying you if you were. And by the way, don’t make any plans for Sunday, because I’m taking you to see my parents. I think it only right that they should meet you before the wedding.’
Meet his parents! Hannah swallowed a sudden hard lump in her throat. ‘Have you―have you―fixed the date?’ she asked haltingly. This was the first time she had seen Jordan since the night she had agreed to marry him. She had expected him to call at the flat again, but he never had. And why should he when it had been no ordinary proposal? she asked herself frequently. Why should he bother with such niceties? And yet his neglect hurt. After discovering she was in love with him she had dearly wanted to spend more time with him. Even Daniel had asked where he was, and it had been difficult thinking up excuses to keep him satisfied.
She had arrived at the office this morning with her heart thumping and every nerve on red alert, and when Riva appeared before she had had time to speak with him she could have screamed. And now she was waiting to hear when they were going to get married!
‘A week today at eleven in the register office,’ Jordan answered, adding cynically, ‘I thought a church wedding would be a mockery, considering the way we feel about each other.’
Hannah felt disappointed, and yet he was right. Besides, she and Roger had had a white church wedding, and it would feel disloyal to do it allover again with someone else ‘You’re not giving me much time,’ she protested.
‘To do what?’ he asked with a frown. ‘Buy yourself a new dress? Does it take that long? Everything else has been taken care of.’
‘I was thinking about my flat. I—’
‘I’ve already seen your landlord,’ he cut in abruptly. ‘You have nothing to worry about.’
Hannah could not believe that he had made all these arrangements without consulting her. It was all so different from when she and Roger had got married. Half the excitement had been in planning and organising things together. Now there was none of that. A chill crept over her, and she wondered whether she ought to back out now while she still had the chance.
‘I suggest we catch up on some work.’ Jordan’s crisp tone interrupted her thoughts. ‘Melanie has been doing her best, but she’s not half so efficient as you.’
For the rest of the week he worked her like a slave. He wanted every loose end tied up before their wedding and subsequent move to Derbyshire. Every manager had to be briefed, every problem solved, every letter answered. There was no time for personal conversation, no time for intimacies. He worked late each evening, piling up the work for when Hannah arrived the next day.
On Friday afternoon he told her he would be at the office all day on Saturday too, but he would pick her and Daniel up at eleven on Sunday for their visit to his parents.
Hannah was dreading this visit almost as
much as she was dreading the wedding. What if they didn’t like her? What if they didn’t approve? They were going to live so close, it was obvious they would be seeing them quite frequently. Jordan had told her nothing about them, so she really had no idea what to expect.
‘Have you bought your dress yet?’ he asked suddenly, and when Hannah shook her head he pushed a slip of paper into her hand. ‘Get yourself and Daniel something nice.’
It was a cheque for an amount that made Hannah’s eyes widen, and she was about to refuse when she realised that on Monday she would be his wife, so why not use his money? She had been worrying how she would find enough for a suitable outfit, and now her problem was solved.
‘Thank you,’ she smiled, and wished he would take her into his arms and kiss her. It had been a strange week. He had been as distant from her as when she first went to work for him, and at times it didn’t seem possible that she was going to be Mrs Jordan Quest. In fact she began to wonder whether she hadn’t dreamt the whole thing.
‘Come here.’ It was almost as though he had read her mind, for his hands slid around her waist and his mouth touched hers gently. ‘It’s been a long week, Hannah.’
‘Yes,’ she whispered briefly.
‘But very necessary. You’ve worked like a Trojan, and I appreciate it. I can leave it all now with a clear conscience. But we still have a battle on our hands at Stowley Hall. Life won’t be much easier there.’
‘I don’t mind the hard work,’ she assured him. It was the togetherness that worried her. Living with him for twenty-four hours a day, trying not to show the love that she felt for him, the love that was growing daily despite the way she had been ignored this last week. If only he loved her too! If only he wasn’t marrying her for convenience’s sake.
When she found herself crushed against his hard chest she felt sudden fear that he might feel her deranged heartbeats, and she struggled to free herself. But, when her head lifted, his smouldering dark eyes observed the trembling of her lips and the faint colour staining her cheeks, and with a pleased smile he claimed her mouth again, ignoring her attempts to reject him.
The kiss lasted no more than a few seconds, but in that time the raw heat of his body fused them together; Hannah felt as though she was being consumed by the intensity of emotion that swept through her. And, although she wanted to renew her struggles to escape, her limbs would not obey her command. She had become captive to his kiss.
But it was the very tonic she needed. She shopped on Saturday with a much lighter heart, Yvonne accompanying her, Yvonne advising and eventually choosing the stunning outfit for her marriage to Jordan.
Her neighbour was full of enthusiasm over the wedding. ‘I only wish I could meet someone like Jordan―handsome and rich and generous. You’ve definitely fallen on your feet. I’m certainly going to miss you, Hannah, Danny too, but it will be good for him out in the country.’
On Sunday morning Hannah felt almost as nervous as if today were her wedding day. She had thought hard about what she ought to wear, feeling sure that none of her homemade dresses would be suitable, and in the end had bought a crepe de Chine suit with what was left of the money from Jordan.
She looked at herself now in the mirror. The dress had a scooped neckline and a softly flowing skirt, and when she slipped on the hip-length blouson jacket she looked totally unlike her normal self. In a subtle black flower pattern on white, it was far dressier than anything else she possessed. It made her appear taller and more elegant, and at the last minute Hannah wondered whether she had overdone it.
But it was too late to change. Jordan was already at the door, Daniel running to let him in. Her heart gave its now customary surge and she smiled faintly and self-consciously as he looked at her. His appraisal was swift yet thorough, and the warmth in his eyes set her adrenalin flowing. ‘You look beautiful, Hannah,’ he told her. ‘You’ll knock my mother for six.’
‘You don’t think this is too dressy?’ she asked, nervously pulling at the hemline of the jacket.
‘Heavens, no, it’s perfect. Mother will love you, Is the outfit new?’
She nodded. ‘I hope you don’t mind―there was some money left after I’d bought our―er―wedding clothes, and as I had nothing else really suitable I—’
‘Hannah, stop!’ Jordan took her fidgeting hands into his. ‘That money was yours to do with as you liked, and I absolutely approve. Once we’re married I’ll open you a bank account and you can buy whatever clothes you need. It’s time you had money to spend on yourself. I want my wife to look good, to turn heads wherever we go. I want every other man to be jealous of me.’
Hannah was not sure she could live up to that, indeed whether she wanted to. Although she was pleased with her appearance today, and it did give her confidence a boost to see herself looking so smart, she had never considered herself a very glamorous person. She was fortunate that her naturally wavy hair always looked good, even when she cut it herself; and she had never lost her figure even after she’d had Daniel. But as for anything else―well, she had never really thought too much about it.
‘Shall we go?’ Jordan asked with a smile, still holding her hands, still looking into her beautiful cornflower-blue eyes, still setting her pulses racing.
She nodded, and Daniel, who had been watching and waiting, dashed across to the door and opened it.
Hannah grew more and more uneasy with every minute that passed. ‘What are your parents like?’ she asked. ‘Do you look like either of them? Are you sure they’ll like me? I really don’t think this is a very good idea.’
‘Hannah, stop fretting! You make it sound like an ordeal. I assure you they’re very normal, and my mother―well, how can she help but like you?’
There was something in his tone that made Hannah look at him sharply. He kept saying his mother would like her, but he never mentioned his father. Was his mother a very difficult person? Was it her approval he was anxious to obtain? Oh, dear, she felt sick.
‘And I do actually take after my father,’ he added. ‘We’re very much alike, in temperament as well as looks. Quick, Daniel, look, there’s a Shetland pony.’ They never returned to the conversation.
The cottage was well back off the road, surrounded by well-tended gardens which were a riot of colour at this time of year; a single-storeyed, brick-built building, with shining windowpanes, and roses and honeysuckle climbing everywhere. Hannah liked it on sight, but her feet dragged as she followed Jordan down the path.
Both his parents came to the door to meet them, Mr Quest Senior grey-haired and distinguished-looking, his handshake firm, his eyes friendly, Mrs Quest taller than Hannah had imagined, a dominating, beautiful woman with perfectly coiffured white hair, and a carefully veiled expression on her face. ‘So you’re Jordan’s―fiancee?’ she said, when they were inside, her slight pause indicating that she did not approve. ‘Mmm, no ring, I see?’ She completely ignored Daniel.
‘Mother—’ started Jordan.
His mother gave him a chilling glance that matched any he had given Hannah, and she saw where he had got his arrogance from. ‘I believe it’s all been rather sudden,’ went on Mrs Quest, her finely plucked brows arched. ‘I don’t approve of that. I think people need time to get to know one another. Marry in haste, repent at leisure, isn’t that what they say?’
Hannah glanced in horror at Jordan, an icy chill chasing down her spine, Daniel’s hand clutched tightly in hers. She wished she had never agreed to come.
‘Is there any reason for this hasty marriage?’ Mrs Quest asked her son coldly. ‘And why have you left it until the last minute to bring―Mrs Carpenter to meet us?’ She made it very clear that the fact that Hannah had been married before was another black mark against her.
Jordan’s voice matched hers for coldness. ‘I thought I was doing you a courtesy, Mother, but obviously I was wrong. Don’t bother to come to the wedding tomorrow, because you won’t be welcome. Come, Hannah, Daniel, let’s go. I’m sorry I’ve subjected you to this hor
rendous display of bad manners.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
HANNAH allowed Jordan to usher her towards the door. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. What a dreadful woman his mother was! If she had known something like this was going to happen she would never have agreed to visit them.
‘Jordan, wait!’ Mrs Quest’s voice had lost some of its imperiousness. It was much quieter now and carefully controlled.
Hannah felt him go rigid at her side, his hand tightening on her arm.
‘I spoke out of turn―I―I’m sorry. But you know how fond I am of Riva. I always wanted you to marry her, I always thought you would. I―what happened?’
‘Nothing happened,’ Jordan told her coldly. ‘Riva and I are still friends―and that’s all we’ve ever been, you should know that. I’m marrying Hannah, and if you can’t accept her then there’s no point in prolonging our visit.’
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