“I want you to look at her,” he urged, “and realise why she means so very much to me.”
Celina took a deep, painful breath. With the greatest difficulty she forced herself to look at the picture.
The next moment a gasp broke from her.
It was a picture of herself.
“I don’t – understand – ” she stammered.
Looking closely at the picture she could see that it had been produced recently.
“Who painted it?” she asked in wonder.
“My mother. She has been working on your portrait these last few days. She has always been a talented artist.”
Light dawned on her.
“Is that why she has been studying me and giving me those intent looks?”
“That’s right. She was making sure that she caught a good likeness. She knew exactly what I wanted.”
“And what did you want?” she asked slowly.
“A portrait of the woman to whom I have given my heart. I wanted to give it to you. But before you accept it I want to tell you the story, so that you can understand why we are both here.”
He took her hand and walked over to one of the tall windows, from where they could look out over his beautiful acres.
After a moment’s silence he began,
“When I was very young I found it marvellous to go to the theatres in London and to meet those who sang and danced. They were a fascination I had never known and I went wild, indulging myself with every pleasure.
“Next I found France was even more exciting than England and there were even more women who were beautiful and exciting. I possessed a title and money and of course they drew me in, knowing that I would spend freely on them.
“None of them, I may tell you, lasted very long and it was years before I found one woman who seemed to fascinate me more than any of the others.”
Celina felt now he had come to the most important part of his speech. She clenched her hands together until they hurt.
“She was beautiful and enticing and everywhere she went men rushed to her side.”
He sighed.
And then he continued,
“I was proud and delighted that she favoured me and I gave her clothes and jewellery, some of which were family heirlooms. I wanted to be magnificent in her eyes.
“She was a professional dancer, but I thought everyone would come to accept her because she meant so much to me. I asked her to be my wife, not once but many times. But always there seemed to be a reason as to why she could not make up her mind to marry me.”
He sighed again and there was silence for what seemed a long time.
“Finally I learnt the reason for all her delays and excuses. She had been married for nearly five years to a Frenchman who lived in the country and seldom came to Paris.”
He drew breath before resuming,
“She went back to him sometimes and then returned to Paris, where she amused herself with me. I only found out the truth when Pierre Vallon became one of her admirers and stole from her the jewels I had given her. I had him arrested. He swore vengeance and the rest of the story you know.
“He was the thug who came the other night and tried to kill you. If he had done so, I would have been completely to blame.”
Celina could not speak and after a moment he went on,
“I had already become intrigued by you – the decisive way you acted over the tenants and the way you managed to keep me guessing as no other woman has ever been able to do.
“But it was only when I saw Vallon attack you that I finally understood the truth – that you mean more to me than words can say. You were fighting for me, my darling, and now I want you to know what you mean to me and how much I love you.
“If you had died, my own life would have been over. I only knew it in that moment, when it was almost too late. I know I am not worthy of you, but please believe me when I say that I can never love anyone in the same way that – I love you. I can only pray that your own feelings can somehow – because you are so good and generous – ”
He broke off with an air of strain, as though this went too deep with him for mere words. She felt a tremor surge through him with the intensity of his emotion.
Suddenly he turned away and moved to open one of the windows, as if he needed the fresh air.
Then, as he stood almost with his back to Celina, she knew he was waiting for her to speak and that he was afraid of what she might say.
“Do you want me to say that I love you?” she asked.
“Only if it’s true. I could not bear any pretence. If you do not love me, I will endure it and spend the rest of my life trying to win your love.”
“Robin,” she said softly, “my husband, I fell in love with you years ago.”
“What?” He looked at her sharply.
She moved to stand before him.
“I knew I must not let you find out, so I played the part of a good friend, almost a sister, so that you should not suspect. All the time I longed for you to love me, but I knew I had no chance.”
“Great Heavens! Why could I not see what was under my nose?”
“Because I didn’t want you to.”
He eyed her cautiously.
“I am getting a fearful suspicion that I have been dancing to your tune all this time.”
“Would you mind?” she asked, smiling tenderly.
He shook his head and seized her in his arms, holding her close.
“As long as it’s your tune, and nobody else’s, my darling. I can see that you are going to rule my estate with an iron hand in a velvet glove. So why not me?”
“I cannot believe that this is happening to me,” she murmured in a daze of joy. “I have loved you so much and longed to be your wife. When I was told you wanted me, I thought all my dreams had come true.”
“But you turned me down,” he pointed out, staring at her.
“Because of something I overheard you say. You told your mother that I was a countrified spinster who had been on the shelf for years. You even said I was inventing tales about receiving offers of marriage.”
Robin groaned and struck himself on the forehead.
“You heard me say that? But where were you?”
“Just outside the door. I turned and fled straight home.”
“Heavens what a dolt I was! How could you ever forgive me for such cruel, stupid words?”
“I thought I never could. And then you came to see me the next day just as Delaine appeared, and I was so glad that you could see for yourself that I was definitely not on the shelf.”
“You really did turn down a Marquis for me,” he ventured.
“How could I marry him when I loved you so much?” she answered tenderly.
“As I love you,” he added quickly. “I love you with my heart and my soul. But I almost left it too late to see the truth.”
“What truth?” she whispered. “Let me hear you say it.”
“The truth that you are my heart and soul, my own true love forever. You are the woman I shall want always, the woman my heart has been waiting for all these years, although without knowing it.”
She hardly dared to voice the next question and yet she knew she must.
“What about – the other woman?”
“She doesn’t exist any more.”
“Do you mean she is dead?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. After the scandal I saw her no more. Probably she and her husband are in some other city deceiving other fools.
“Now I hate even her memory. She was evil and corrupt, while you are good and honest. I know that I can put my heart and my future into your lovely hands and that they will be safe forever.
“All I want is you, as I have never wanted any woman before. You speak to me with your heart and you saved my life. I am sure, my precious one, we can make our home a palace of happiness.”
He took her in his arms in a fierce embrace. Celina surrendered herself to him, feeling his lips on hers and ans
wering his passion with hers.
After a while he half released her, looking anxiously into her face.
“Can you truly love me now that you know the truth? I know I do not deserve your love. I deserve that you should leave me – except that I shall never let you.”
“And I shall never leave you,” she cried joyfully. “Never, never, never.”
“You can really forgive me for everything?”
“There is nothing to forgive. Now that we have discovered our love, we can start the world anew. All I want is to be yours, to have your children and to be with you for the rest of our lives.”
“For the rest of our lives,” he repeated, smiling. “What beautiful words they are and what joy we will have making them come true.
“Come with me, my beloved, this room has nothing more to say to us. Together we have all the future ahead and it is time for our true marriage to begin.”
They Sought love Page 14
