by Jane Corrie
She eventually located a dress that was not too creased in the earlier rush of packing, and was ready in well under the given time.
Her assumption of the type of restaurant Pierre would take her to proved correct, as within a short time they were drawing up outside the same plush establishment that he had taken her to the evening before, but what a lot had happened since then, she thought happily as her hand was caught in his as they walked towards the entrance.
'By the way,' Pierre said casually, 'what on earth gave you the idea that I was engaged to Paula?'
Cara's small hand tightened in his strong one. 'Something you said to me when you asked me to stay on at the villa,' she said as they went through to the dining room. She frowned in an effort of memory. 'You said you particularly wanted the place occupied at that time, or words to that effect, and I thought it was because of Paula.'
It was not a very lucid explanation, and she knew it, and waited for the inevitable comeback.
'I think, perhaps,' answered Pierre in an amused voice, 'that you'd better do a little more explaining, my love.'
Cara waited until the waiter had pulled out her chair and seated her before going on with the story. Oh, dear,' she sighed, 'I suppose I'd better confess all,' and went on to tell him about the London restaurant scene. 'I couldn't help overhearing what was said,' she explained. 'I was waiting for a friend of mine and she was late in turning up, and you were making a lot of noise at your table. Well,' she went on carefully, 'when someone teased you about your island bride, and how you ought to tell Paula about her,' she swallowed, 'I knew it was me they were talking about.'
Pierre nodded slowly. `So that was it.' His eyes looked lovingly into hers. 'That explains why you tried so hard to keep your distance from me, and why you were so reluctant to take the villa. It must,' he said with a wicked grin, 'have been a shock when you discovered my identity.'
Cara smiled at this, then said gravely, 'Well, I can see the funny side of it now, but I was absolutely horrified at the time, I can assure you.' She gave him an accusing look. 'I do remember that you were amused, I probably had my mouth open.'
Pierre's grin widened showing his white even teeth. 'All I remember is that I thought you were adorable. I thought about you long after you were gone. I think,' he added on a more sober note, 'that that was why I was so furious with you when it
looked as if you had some underhand scheme in mind. I felt let down—if that's the way to put it— I suppose I was half in love with you by then, and the thought of you being just another mercenary female was a bit hard to take, particularly as I had carefully made plans to ensure that I had a valid reason for keeping in touch with you by leasing you the villa.' His eyes twinkled again. 'I confess I did overdo the urgency of wanting the villa occupied. I had to put it that way so -that you couldn't refuse me. And what did I get for my pains?' he added in mock dismay. 'Pushed into an engagement with another female! '
Cara's eyes travelled over his lean strong features. Just how well did he know Paula? she wondered.
Pierre saw the query in her eyes and caught her hand lying on the tablecloth. 'Not that well,' he said gently. 'Paula used me to keep her more persistent admirers at a distance. I was a great friend of her brother; we went to school together. Oh, I knew that she hoped that one day I would look on her as more than a friend, and because I escorted her to various social occasions many people thought that it was just a question of time. For my part,' he looked down at the gleaming silver on the table, 'well, I suppose my outlook on marital bliss was somewhat soured, in fact I didn't believe it existed outside of novels.'
He was silent for a few moments and Cara gave his hand a slight squeeze to show him that she understood his feelings. He looked up at her. 'I loved my mother, and I loved my father,' he said slowly, 'and it was inconceivable to me that they could ever part, they were so right for each other.' He gave a
light shrug. But you know the story, it's as old as time. The affair didn't last either, that's what was so hurtful. A year perhaps, then it burnt itself out, but it was too late then, my mother was in France and there was no hope of a reconciliation, not on her part anyway. She had too much pride to take him back. Two wasted lives because a man could not resist a beautiful grasping siren.'
He turned Cara's hand over so that her palm was towards him and studied the delicate lines that crisscrossed over the palm. 'Falling in love with you has helped me to understand that part of it,' he said, his eyes leaving her palm and meeting hers. 'I want you in the same way I suppose my father must have wanted her. No matter if you were as she was, out to get every sou I possess.' He kissed her palm caressingly, making shivers of anticipation run down her spine. 'I have to thank providence that you are as sweet and as generous as the other one was mercenary and possessive. You proved that to me when you left the villa and tried to walk out of my life when you could have capitalised on the engagement announcement, only I wouldn't let you go—not now— not ever.'
Cara was grateful for the wine waiter's intervention just then as her heart was too full for words, but her thoughts were echoed in her lovely wide eyes as she sat back and listened to her one and only love order champagne.
Cara was never to remember just what the following meal consisted of, but she did remember standing under the stars a little while later with Pierre's arms around her and his demanding lips crushing
k
hers, and in the midst of her new-found happiness came Maaua's teasing, but now prophetic remark, 'My granddaddy was never proved wrong!'
