The Jilted Bridegroom

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘Virginia married money,’ Griff shrugged.

  ‘Oh, I wasn’t criticising,’ Sarah rushed into speech, ‘I just—’

  ‘Will you stop apologising every time you open your mouth? I’m sure it isn’t a usual characteristic,’ Griff chided—although surely he knew that it was his having been jilted only days ago that was making her behave so tensely. ‘It isn’t necessary,’ he assured her softly. ‘And I said that Virginia married money; I didn’t say that was the only reason she married Walter.’

  She was behaving ridiculously, had to relax, or she was going to make even more of an idiot of herself. But Griff was right, she was usually so capable and sure of herself. ‘I’m finding all this a little difficult,’ she admitted ruefully.

  He sobered. ‘All what?’

  ‘Well, what happened to you on Saturday—’

  ‘I asked you to forget about that,’ he sighed.

  ‘I’m trying to,’ she assured him. ‘I—I just find it a little strange being here with you too, that’s all. After all, you are a world-renowned reporter and—’

  ‘I would never have thought you to be the star-struck type,’ he teased.

  ‘I’m not,’ she scorned predictably. ‘It’s just that until yesterday you were just a name I read at the top of a newspaper article.’

  ‘I’m just a man, like any other,’ he dismissed easily.

  He wasn’t, and they both knew it, but she would at least find his company interesting; Ben had been the high-spot of the male company she had known the last ten days!

  ‘Sarah?’

  She looked up at him, smiling. ‘I thought you invited me for a swim?’

  He looked relieved that whatever the problem had been it seemed to have passed now. ‘A length and back,’ he challenged.

  It was a strictly fun afternoon, Griff good company, as she had thought he would be.

  He told her a little more about himself too, how he had travelled all over the world reporting since he was twenty years old. As he spoke of the last fifteen years he looked suddenly older, as if all that he had seen during that time was suddenly crowding in on him. But he hadn’t gone into detail about any of those experiences, talking only of the countries he had found so interesting.

  He took pity on her a little later and made her some lime juice rather than the ‘Morgan coffee’ that had caused her to shudder. His lime juice was definitely an improvement on that!

  She loosened her hair about her shoulders so that it might dry in the sun, her hair already a lighter blonde after several days’ bleaching in the hot sun, her skin tanned a golden brown, the bathing costume leaving her limbs and the gentle swell of the tops of her breasts bare.

  ‘I’ll have to be making a move to leave soon,’ she finally said languidly, reluctant to move, if she was truthful, having found such peace and relaxation in Griff’s company. After the maelstrom of the Forbes family it was like heaven on earth lying beside this pool!

  Griff lay on the lounger at her side, his eyes closed as he rested, if not slept. His chest rose and fell in steady breathing, his face looking younger in repose, the lines relaxed from beside his nose and mouth, his lips slightly parted.

  Almost as if he was waiting to be kissed…

  Sarah sat up with a start as a strange ringing sound came over the garden, only relaxing again slightly as she realised it was the doorbell. It was a strangely crude chiming bell for someone as elegant as Virginia Major.

  ‘After complaining you haven’t seen anyone for days you get two visitors in one day,’ she teased him lightly.

  Griff stretched lazily before sitting up. ‘It’s probably just the gardener again, wanting to be paid this time!’ He laughed at the distaste on Sarah’s face as the doorbell chimed again. ‘Changing the doorbell was “one of the little jobs” Virginia told me I could do, while I was here, to make myself useful!’ He stood up effortlessly. ‘I think, now that I’ve heard how awful it is, I’ll just leave it the way it is!’

  Sarah couldn’t help laughing at the wicked grin on his face. ‘That isn’t nice,’ she chided lightly.

  ‘Maybe I’ll just disconnect it during my stay here,’ he murmured thoughtfully as he crossed the lawn to the house.

  Being an only child herself, Sarah had never had a brother to tease and taunt her. The latter might not have been very good, but it still might have been nice to have had a brother she could turn to. He might have been able to warn her away from Simon before she’d got so hurt!

  ‘A friend of yours to see you, Sarah,’ Griff called lightly across the garden.

  She turned with a frown, her eyes widening with alarm as she saw Ben Forbes standing at Griff’s side.

  CHAPTER THREE

  WHAT on earth was Ben doing here?

  As his censorious gaze ran over the length of Sarah’s body dressed only in the borrowed black bathing costume it became obvious what he believed she was doing here!

  And maybe the situation did look damning to his eyes; she and Griff had obviously been lounging beside the pool together for some time, from the empty coffee-mugs and glasses on the ornate white table.

  But they hadn’t been doing anything wrong, and even if they had it would be none of Ben’s business.

  She had to be entitled to some time off from the family, surely?

  She still couldn’t get over Ben’s being here at all. He had never been to the Major villa before, as far as she was aware. Certainly not while she had been here.

  ‘I thought I would just come over and see what was keeping you,’ he explained defiantly at her questioning look. ‘You had been gone so long that I thought there must be something wrong,’ he added accusingly.

  Sarah’s mouth tightened angrily at all the things he left unsaid but nevertheless implied. She had spent a lot of time with him the last ten days, hadn’t had much choice in the circumstances, but to her he was just the eighteen-year-old son of her mother’s friend. And yet he was trying to make her feel guilty about a completely innocent afternoon spent in the company of another man. It was too ridiculous to be taken seriously.

  All Ben had actually achieved was making her feel angry at his arrogant behaviour. It smacked too much of his mother’s selfishness!

  ‘Well, as you can see,’ she told him hardly, ‘I’m perfectly all right and enjoying an afternoon in the sunshine.’ And you and your mother can make of that what you will, Sarah added to herself silently; considering this was the only time she had had off since they’d arrived here, she knew she had to be entitled to it.

  Tall and dark, although not as tall or dark as Griff, Ben looked slightly older than his years. Although his actions this afternoon showed he certainly wasn’t more mature in his behaviour!

  She hadn’t seen much of Ben over the years; first of all he had been away from the family at boarding-school, and then at college, but she had been pleasantly surprised by how nice he could be this last week or so.

  But what she didn’t accept, couldn’t accept, was that he had actually dared to come here, checking up on her. Because she certainly didn’t believe the excuse he had used about thinking something might have happened to her.

  ‘As I can see,’ he repeated coldly before shooting a knowing look in Griff’s direction. ‘I thought you were supposed to be over here working.’ He met Sarah’s furious gaze challengingly.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Just exactly what did he mean by that remark? This whole incident was turning into one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.

  ‘I’ve finished watering the plants,’ she answered abruptly. ‘If you come with me, Ben, I’ll just show you to the door,’ she added firmly, crossing the lawn to his side, wishing she had a robe she could pull on as he continued to look at her assessingly, not particularly wanting to scramble into her shorts and top as if she had something to hide.

  Griff shot her a frowning look as she passed him to grasp Ben’s arm firmly as she forced him to turn and walk back through the villa to the front door.
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  ‘I’ll see you back at our villa,’ she told him through gritted teeth.

  ‘What are you doing with him?’ Ben demanded, for the moment seeming unaware of the imminent danger of Sarah’s temper if she should completely lose it.

  ‘I’ll see you later, Ben,’ she repeated in a voice so meticulously steady that it should have been an indication of her fury.

  One that Ben still didn’t pick up on! ‘Mother isn’t at all happy about your disappearing act— Sarah!’ he yelped as she opened the door and pushed him outside before he could even think of stopping her, the door as quickly closed in his face.

  Sarah stood just inside the villa, breathing deeply, too angry to even move just yet. How dared he do that to her? His damned family seemed to have the impression she should be grateful they had brought her to the south of France with them at all!

  She couldn’t think what had made Ben behave in that way. Until a few minutes ago she had thought him the nicest of the Forbes family; now she wasn’t so sure…

  Facing Griff again after that embarrassing scene wasn’t going to be easy. She hated to think what conclusions he must have made from Ben’s behaviour…!

  Griff wasn’t beside the pool when she got outside again, and so she quickly took advantage of his absence to go inside the changing-room and get back into her own clothes.

  Ben’s visit aside—if only that were possible!—she really would have to be leaving soon.

  Griff would probably be glad to see the back of her now—he certainly wasn’t in the mood for unexpected visitors, supposed friends of hers, invading his privacy. Damn Ben!

  One thing she knew for certain: she would make very sure when she saw him later that he knew she wouldn’t allow him to repeat his behaviour.

  Slight noises coming from the kitchen alerted her to Griff’s whereabouts, and she entered the room a little apprehensively.

  Griff turned to smile at her, having pulled on denims and a loose T-shirt himself since leaving the poolside. His head tilted quizzically to one side as he saw her anxious expression. ‘Whatever you do, don’t apologise,’ he said ruefully.

  ‘But—’

  ‘No buts,’ he teased lightly. ‘I suppose I should have realised there was bound to be a boyfriend somewhere—’

  ‘Ben isn’t my boyfriend!’ Sarah cut in protestingly. ‘He’s—’ she broke off abruptly, realising what she was doing. It was surely of no interest to Griff Morgan whether Ben was her boyfriend or not! Although she would rather he knew the facts as they were rather than the erroneous impression Ben’s behaviour just now must have given him. ‘He’s Clarissa’s son,’ she stated firmly. ‘The friend of my mother that I’m here to help out.’

  ‘Not the nine-year-old, definitely,’ Griff mocked.

  ‘No,’ she conceded tightly. ‘But he’s definitely a boy too!’

  Griff’s mouth quirked. ‘A little over-anxious, maybe,’ he acknowledged. ‘But then, he has a serious case of being attracted to you.’

  Sarah’s cheeks were flushed at the idea. ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

  Griff gave her a searching look before shrugging dismissively, as if the subject was of little interest to him anyway. ‘How about helping me get a meal ready?’ he suggested lightly. ‘There’s salad, and—’

  ‘I can’t stay, I’m afraid,’ she said regretfully, wishing she could stay and share the salad and French bread he had out on the work-top, having come to love the bread especially since coming here. ‘I have to go back and get the family meal,’ she grimaced.

  ‘Oh, well. Another time,’ Griff accepted easily.

  Too easily as far as Sarah was concerned. He might have at least acted slightly disappointed by her refusal, even if he wasn’t really!

  ‘Do you want me to come in tomorrow?’ she frowned. ‘Or do you think you can manage now while your sister is away?’

  He shrugged. ‘I probably could manage—although I can’t guarantee that the plants would survive! But I’m also not sure yet how long I shall be staying, so maybe you had better continue to come in as you have been.’

  Very informative. He certainly wasn’t giving anything of his plans away. ‘That’s all right, then,’ she said flatly, wishing the afternoon hadn’t taken such a down-turn. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she added lightly.

  ‘Perhaps.’ He nodded vaguely, continuing to prepare the salad.

  ‘Bye,’ she prompted frustratedly. They had been getting along so well together until that untimely interruption. ‘I’ll see myself out, shall I?’

  ‘Sorry.’ He straightened, smiling lightly. ‘I’m forgetting my manners.’ He walked out to the door with her. ‘Virginia would be horrified,’ he added mockingly.

  ‘I’m hardly a guest,’ Sarah said drily.

  ‘I’ve enjoyed your company,’ he told her warmly. ‘I only hope I haven’t caused too much trouble between yourself and Ben.’

  ‘I told you— Oh, never mind,’ she dismissed irritably; if he didn’t want to believe there was nothing between herself and Ben then nothing she said was going to convince him otherwise. Unless she told him she was here recovering from a disastrous love-affair herself, and she had no intention of doing that! ‘Thanks for the swim.’ She nodded abruptly.

  ‘Any time,’ he smiled, standing in the doorway, watching her as she walked over to her car.

  Sarah wanted to say something, anything, so that the afternoon shouldn’t end in this flat way. But there was nothing she could say that wouldn’t look as if she was romantically interested in him.

  And, attractive as he was, she really couldn’t allow herself to be attracted to him.

  Griff was only here at all to get over the fickleness of a woman—he wouldn’t be interested in becoming involved with another one. And even if he was it would only be in a temporary way, a fleeting affair to rid himself of the memory of the beautiful Sandra. Sarah was no longer willing to be second best to another woman, had learnt her lesson the hard way.

  And wasn’t she actually appreciating Griff’s company more than she usually might because of the tension and unhappiness she was experiencing at the Forbes villa?

  Oh, she had no doubt she would have found Griff Morgan fascinating at any time, but in the circumstances he was becoming like a lifeline she was starting to cling to while the madness at the Forbes villa seemed to get worse and worse.

  It was a situation she would have to be wary of.

  She gave Griff a brief wave of her hand as she drove out of the driveway, determined not even to glance in her mirror today.

  Her tension rose even as she approached the pink and white villa, knowing by the air of quiet slumber outside that the family must have already deserted the poolside and be inside somewhere.

  Sarah didn’t doubt that inside the villa would be far from quietly slumbering!

  Clothes that had been brought up from the poolside lay scattered all over the lounge, the tray of glasses at least having been brought up too but put down haphazardly on the coffee-table, one of them having fallen over, its red contents—whatever they were!—staining the plastic tray.

  Sally and Stephen were seated at the dining-room table, squabbling over whose turn it was to go at chess. Stephen ended that particular argument by tipping the board over and scattering the pieces everywhere. Sally let out a wail to arouse the whole household, and indeed Clarissa, at least, appeared from the kitchen, wielding a sharp-looking knife in one hand and a tomato in the other—Sarah could only hope she intended to use the knife to slice the tomato!—her face flushed with harassment.

  ‘What on earth is all the noise about in here n—? Sarah!’ She pounced furiously as she spotted her across the room, blue eyes narrowed accusingly. ‘Where the hell have you been all afternoon?’ she demanded resentfully.

  It had been obvious to Sarah after spending only a couple of days in the constant company of Clarissa Forbes that her gentle mother didn’t really know her old school-friend very well at all, that the other woman’s languag
e left a lot to be desired, and that she could be an out and out cat when thwarted. She was the complete opposite of Sarah’s mother. And yet the friendship had flourished all these years. It was anyone’s guess why!

  But there was no way Sarah was going to tell Clarissa about Griff Morgan’s presence in the neighbouring villa if she didn’t have to; the poor man wouldn’t have a minute’s peace if Clarissa found out they had such a well-known neighbour.

  She shrugged now, not at all perturbed by the other woman’s aggression. ‘Didn’t Ben tell you?’

  ‘Ben?’ Clarissa echoed sharply. ‘Why the hell should—? Stephen, will you stop that whining?’ She finally lost her temper with the ‘crocodile tears’ that had begun to fall as soon as his mother had come through from the kitchen, Stephen being determined he wasn’t going to be the one caught in the wrong, and if he got in first he wasn’t likely to be!

  ‘But, Mummy, he—’

  ‘Don’t you start, Sally,’ her mother snapped irritably. ‘Well, at least you’ve turned up now.’ She turned back coldly to Sarah, crossing the room to thrust the knife and tomato into her hands. ‘I have one of my headaches.’ It was said accusingly. ‘I need to lie down if Roger and I are to go out to dinner this evening. The children need their tea,’ she added dismissively before flouncing unconcernedly from the room on her way to her bedroom, the chaos she had left behind her completely forgotten now that she had found someone to shift the responsibility on to.

  Within minutes Sarah had Stephen and Sally organised laying the table—much against their will, and still bickering and fighting, but they were doing it!—and she had the steaks cooking beneath the grill as she tossed the salad in a bowl.

  ‘So you’re back, are you?’

  She took her time turning to face Ben, deliberately so, knowing that if she didn’t she was really going to lose her temper with this particular young man.

  He looked hot and sweaty, as if he had been for a long walk since he’d left her. And perhaps he had, but Sarah had far from forgiven him for causing her such embarrassment earlier.

  ‘Yes, I’m back,’ she answered him calmly. ‘But if you ever talk to me like that again, in or out of company, you will know the full force of my anger.’ Her words were all the more effective because of the quietness of her voice. ‘Now do I—?’