Promise Me Love (Harlequin Treasury 1990's)

by Jennifer Taylor

  He was gone before she could remind him that he had promised that they would talk. She picked up the brush again and drew it through her hair, feeling a cowardly sense of relief that it had been put off until later when he got back. Frankly, she wasn’t that anxious now to hear what he had to say.

  * * *

  David still wasn’t back by the time the first guests started to arrive for the party. Beth had spent the afternoon helping Maggie get things ready before finally acceding to the older woman’s pleas that she should rest. She had gone upstairs and lain down on the bed, but she hadn’t slept. Her mind was too active to allow her that luxury. Until David got back and they had that talk it felt as though her life was hanging in the balance. Not a thought to let her rest easily.

  There were a few people in the hall when she arrived downstairs. She smiled politely at them then made her way to the kitchen, preferring to keep herself busy. Opening the kitchen door, she stopped abruptly when she found Maggie wrapped in Matthew’s arms. ‘Oh, excuse me.’ She started to back out of the room again, colour blooming in her cheeks when she saw Matthew’s amusement.

  ‘Don’t go, Beth. It’s my fault for stealing some of the hostess’s time. I’m sure her husband would have something to say about that!’

  He left the room and Maggie laughed as she smoothed her ruffled hair. ‘I never thought I’d live to see the day when Matthew would make a joke like that. He was always so jealous before that he would never have dreamed of making a comment like that! You are definitely having a good effect on him by being here, Beth.’

  ‘Me? But why?’ There was puzzlement on her face, but Maggie didn’t appear to notice as she picked up a tray of canapés and rearranged them.

  ‘Because of David, of course!’ She glanced up then and something about the bewilderment in Beth’s expression must have struck her. Her face went crimson and she looked away in obvious distress. ‘I’m so sorry, Beth. I shouldn’t have said that.’

  ‘Said what?’ Anger flashed in Beth’s eyes. ‘I am getting heartily sick of everyone making these veiled references to things I know nothing about! What is going on, Maggie? Tell me.’

  ‘I...’ Maggie glanced wildly round the kitchen, relief crossing her face when the front doorbell rang. ‘I have to go and answer that. Would you take this tray through to the sitting-room for me, please, Beth?’

  She was gone in a whirl of silk skirts and Paris perfume before Beth could stop her, hurrying along the hall. Beth picked up the tray, the light of battle shining in her eyes. This had gone on long enough; one way or another she was going to find out the truth and it didn’t matter whether it was David or Maggie or whoever who told her. She was sick and tired of being left in the dark!

  There were several couples in the sitting-room when she carried the tray through and set it down on the heavy, ornate sideboard. They smiled at her in a friendly manner then carried on with their conversations, leaving her to join in if she chose. Beth looked round, feeling that she should try to be sociable, but not comfortable with the thought of butting in on a stranger’s conversation. However, the decision was taken out of her hands when a tall, elegant brunette detached herself from the group and came across to her.

  ‘You must be Beth. Maggie’s told me a lot about you. I’m Marie, a friend of hers and the other godmother, although it beats me why Maggie should deem me suitable for that honour!’

  Beth laughed, taking an immediate liking to the woman’s warm friendliness. She was very beautiful with masses of thick dark hair which swung down her back and huge dark eyes. She was also strangely familiar. Beth stared at her for a moment then gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. ‘I have the feeling that I’ve met you before, but I can’t think where.’

  Marie grimaced, taking a sip of her wine before tossing her hair back and striking a deliberately sultry pose. ‘The latest edition of Vogue? Or maybe Paris Match?’ She grinned impishly. ‘I’ve done extremely well recently and been on the cover of several international magazines.’

  ‘Of course! That’s where I’ve seen you. It must be fabulous being a model.’

  Marie shrugged. ‘It’s a job and a well-paid one at that, but ask Maggie and she’ll tell you the same thing—that it can get terribly boring at times.’

  ‘Maggie was a model too?’

  ‘Still is, or will be once she’s back to fighting weight, although I have my doubts about whether she will really want to tear herself away from that adorable baby when the time comes. She spent such a lot of time away from Janey out of necessity that I doubt she’ll want to do it this time and who can blame her?’ Just for a moment sadness crossed her face before she fixed the professionally bright smile back into place. ‘It might surprise you to learn that I would swap all the top modelling jobs in the world for what Maggie has. You can’t beat having the man you love and his child.’

  You couldn’t. Beth’s heart lurched at the simple truthfulness of the statement. What more could she want from life than David and his child? Deep sadness shone in her eyes and she heard Marie murmur in concern. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Beth. That was a crassly insensitive thing to say in the circumstances.’ She touched Beth’s arm in gentle apology. ‘Maggie told me about the baby you lost. It must hurt a lot.’

  Beth tried to smile, but her heart was aching. She had lost her child; was she destined to lose David too? If they couldn’t work things out then that would be so. There had to be a way to sort it all out. He might not love her as she loved him, but he cared something for her. He’d shown that today by coming after her down to the village. Maybe it had been partly to keep up the pretence about this marriage of theirs, but she’d seen his face, seen the genuine concern about what would happen to her if she left. There had to be something there that they could build on. To have David and maybe some day have his child to love was worth fighting for.

  Suddenly she needed him with a desperation that defied all reason, needed him to be there beside her. Ignoring Marie’s startled exclamation, she turned and hurried from the room and into the study to dial the factory number, letting it ring endlessly until she was forced to face the fact that David wasn’t there. She replaced the receiver, her hand shaking as emotion built up inside her. She’d held back her grief about the baby for so long, yet now it all welled up, intensified by her fears for the future. A sob rose into her throat and she bit it back, terrified of breaking down in such a public place. Blinded by tears, she ran into the hall and up the stairs to her room and threw herself down on the bed, sobbing as though her heart would break.

  ‘Beth? What is it? Don’t you feel well?’ Matthew’s voice was tinged with concern as he came into the room and stood by the bed, and that made Beth cry all the harder. So much concern from both these men—David and now Matthew—yet none of it could help.

  ‘Don’t, Beth. You’ll make yourself ill crying like that. Do you want me to get Maggie for you?’

  ‘No.’ Her voice was thick with tears, muffled by the sobs which racked her, and Matthew put a hand gently on her shoulder.

  ‘Is it because of the baby, Beth? Is this all too much for you?’

  ‘The baby, David, Maggie, you... It’s everything, Matthew!’

  His eyes darkened with concern and he sat down on the edge of the bed, gripping her shoulder tighter. ‘What do you mean? How do Maggie and I have any bearing on your being upset?’

  ‘Ask your brother. Ask David that, but of course you two aren’t really talking, are you? Why? What is this big secret, Matthew? What is this skeleton you’ve got hidden in your cupboard?’

  The thought made her giggle, the giggle rising to hysteria within the space of seconds. Matthew caught her by the shoulders and pulled her upright to shake her hard. ‘Stop it, Beth. Get a grip on yourself. David will be back soon, then we can get this sorted out once and for all.’

  ‘Will we?’ Her eyes were huge, her face ashen. ‘I don’t know if that’s what I want any longer. I don’t know how I feel apart from the fact that it hurts, Matthew.
It hurts!’ Her head dropped forwards on to his shoulder as a weary tiredness enveloped her all at once. If only David would come then maybe it would be all right, maybe they would be able to sort everything out. David had a way of making sense out of chaos. It seemed like an answer to a prayer when she suddenly realised that he was standing in the doorway. She jumped to her feet, wanting to run to him, but he wasn’t even looking at her. His eyes were locked on his brother and, even through her pain, Beth felt fear run through her when she saw the hatred in their silvery depths.

  ‘I wondered why you agreed to this weekend, Matthew, wondered why you should want us here, and now I know. Was this all planned? Were you just waiting for the right moment to seek your revenge?’ David laughed, a harsh, ugly sound that made Beth wince. ‘I have to hand it to you. Even knowing you as well as I do, I never expected this particular coup de grâce. You’re the expert, Brother, so how do you categorise this: divine law, retribution? I seduced your wife, so you planned on seducing mine to get even?’

  ‘No!’ Beth’s voice was no more than a whisper when she wanted to scream the word aloud. She pressed her hands over her ears, wanting to blot out the ugly sound of David’s voice saying those dreadful words, but it was impossible. They echoed inside her head, swelling to such a pitch that they seemed to fill every part of her mind so that she could think of nothing else. ‘I seduced your wife.’ Was it any wonder that these two men hated one another?

  She backed away from them, her whole body shaking as her world fell into ruins, shattered by that one starkly cruel statement. But neither seemed to notice as they stood locked in their own private hell.

  ‘How far were you planning on going, Matthew? Surely you didn’t intend to talk Beth into bed with you, here in your own home?’ He smiled, his lips drawing back into a snarl. ‘Or did you? Could it be that your desire for revenge wasn’t solely focused on me, but on Maggie as well? You must have lived with the thought of this for all these years, like a festering sore that needs lancing to heal, and what better way than to have her come into this room and find you here just as you came that time and found Maggie in my bed?’

  David’s voice was painting pictures in her head, pictures she didn’t want to see, and Beth moaned in distress. David and Maggie lovers? She couldn’t bear it, couldn’t bear to face up to how far he’d tricked her.

  She turned and ran from the room, pushing past a couple who were coming up the stairs, her one thought to get away from this nightmare. Wrenching the front door open, she raced down the drive then stood panting at the bottom with tears rolling down her face as she tried to decide where to go next.

  ‘Beth!’ His voice was harsh, cutting into the wildness of her distress, making her panic to get away. With a sharp little cry, Beth turned and ran along the road, stumbling in her high heels.

  ‘For God’s sake, stop! Stop, I say!’ He caught her roughly around the waist and swung her bodily off the ground, holding her tightly as she fought wildly to get free.

  ‘Put me down, do you hear me, David...put me down!’ She twisted and turned in his grasp, but he was far too strong for her to break away. With a sobbing moan she went limp in his arms, her whole body shaking with emotion.

  ‘If I put you down will you promise not to run off again?’ He shook her slightly, staring down into her face. ‘Beth...can you hear what I’m saying to you?’

  She nodded, her face paper-white in the glare from a nearby streetlight. ‘I can hear you, David. I’ve heard everything you’ve said since you got back. Every single word!’

  His face went rigid, his eyes like pewter. ‘We need to discuss what you heard, or rather, what you thought you heard, but not here. Come along.’ He caught her arm to lead her back to the house, but Beth pulled back.

  ‘No! I’m not going back there to be humiliated again!’

  He glared at her, tall and dangerous-looking in the dim light. ‘Nobody is going to do anything at all to hurt you, Beth. Don’t be silly.’

  ‘Silly? Is that what you think I am...silly? Because I object to being made to look a fool? How you must have been enjoying yourself these past few months, David, enjoying the way you were deceiving me for your own despicable purposes. No wonder you wouldn’t tell me what that quarrel with your brother had been about. That really would have let the cat out of the bag, wouldn’t it? And that was something you didn’t dare risk or it might have upset all your plans!’

  ‘I have no idea what you mean. I appreciate the fact that you’re upset, but once we’ve had time to talk then you’ll soon see that this has been a huge mistake.’

  ‘Oh, will I, indeed? Why? Because you’re going to tell me yet more lies? I don’t think so!’

  She whirled round to walk back down the road, but he caught her again and half dragged her up the drive, stopping beside his car to open the door. ‘Get in.’

  ‘And if I refuse?’

  ‘Then, Beth, reluctant though I am to do so, I shall be forced to make you. Now spare us both that indignity and get inside.’

  Beth hesitated for a moment, wanting desperately to tell him to go to hell, but there was something about the set of his jaw that warned her he would do exactly as he had said. In silence she slid into the seat and sat numbly, while he climbed behind the wheel and started the engine with an angry roar and drove out on to the road.

  ‘Where are you taking me, David?’ she demanded, harshly. ‘Haven’t you done enough for one night without abducting me into the bargain?’

  He swore softly, cutting her a hard look as he turned the car on to the main road. ‘All I want is to talk to you so that we can work this out.’

  ‘Talk or lie? I don’t think there is anything you have to say that I want to hear! I heard enough back at the house. In fact, I heard more than enough and frankly I don’t want to hear another word you have to say because it will all be lies!’

  ‘I have never lied to you, Beth. Once we’ve had a chance to talk then I’m sure we can work this misunderstanding out.’

  ‘Misunderstanding?’ Anger rose, bringing with it a biting pain that made her want to lash out and hurt him as he’d hurt her. ‘I’ve heard it called some things, but a “misunderstanding”? You used me, David, to try to end a feud that you had started by sleeping with your brother’s wife, and you call that a “misunderstanding”?’ She laughed harshly, her face a deathly pale mask. ‘I have to admire your nerve even though I hate you for what you’ve done!’

  ‘I have done nothing, Beth. Nothing!’

  ‘No? Oh, forgive me for sounding sceptical, but do you honestly expect me to believe that? You married me, David, so that you would have the perfect cover for your plans. I gave you an outward aura of respectability, helped lull everyone into thinking it couldn’t happen again, but what were you really planning on? Resuming your affair with Maggie once Matthew’s suspicions had been allayed? Under cover of this nice respectable marriage of ours anything would have been possible! No wonder you didn’t want me to tell anyone the truth about this marriage, or about who really was the father of my baby! How could you have done that, David? How could you have used not only me but my child?’

  Tears slid from her eyes, running silently down her cheeks at that cruellest of betrayals.

  ‘No!’ He slewed the car to a halt, turning in his seat to face her, his grey eyes burning with anger. ‘You know damned well that isn’t true, Beth!’

  ‘I don’t know anything apart from what I heard. Want me to remind you? “I seduced your wife, so you planned on seducing mine?” That seems to sum it all up, David!’

  ‘What you heard me saying wasn’t the truth. It was what Matthew had always believed, but it never happened. I never had an affair with Maggie, although lord knows I would have sold my soul to the devil at one time to do so!’ He ran his hands through his hair, his voice hollow as he continued. ‘The truth is that Maggie was always in love with Matthew. I never existed for her except in the role of a friend. It took me a long time to accept that, but once I did,
I wasn’t foolish enough to think that I could change it, nor would I hope to change it in the future.’

  ‘And you expect me to believe that? Obviously Matthew doesn’t or he wouldn’t still be carrying on this quarrel. If he was confident that there was nothing between you and Maggie then he would end it here and now.’

  ‘Would he?’ He laughed shortly. ‘Your faith in human nature is touching, Beth, but misplaced. I don’t doubt that my brother realises that there was never anything going on between Maggie and me; she would have made sure that he did believe it. But nothing can change the fact that at one time I thought I was in love with her. He knew that only too well, and it isn’t something either of us can forget easily. It’s a man’s nature to be possessive about the woman he loves, and Matthew loves Maggie all right.’

  ‘And that’s the real reason why you two are still enemies?’ She shook her head. ‘You tell a fine tale, David Kane, but you forget that I heard every word that was said tonight...every word that you said! Matthew found his wife in your bed and yet you still sit there and claim that you never slept with her? Come on...spare me any more lies, please!’

  ‘I have never lied to you, Beth, and I am not lying now.’

  ‘I’m afraid that I don’t believe you. All along the line you refused to discuss your real reasons for marrying me, but now they are so obvious. I was a convenient cover for the affair you were hoping to resume with Maggie!’

  ‘You really think that?’ He laughed scornfully, his face filled with derision. ‘You’ve seen how Maggie looks at Matthew. She’s crazy about him, just the same as she’s always been.’

  ‘Maggie’s feelings aren’t at question here. It’s how you feel...what you were planning to do!’ Suddenly she felt unable to cope any more, overcome by the horror of what had happened. ‘There is nothing left to say, David. It’s over, the whole foolish arrangement. I blame myself for being stupid enough to go along with it in the first place.’