Diamonds Are Forever: The Royal Marriage ArrangementThe Diamond BrideThe Diamond Dad

by Rebecca Winters

  ‘I wasn’t desperate, just interested.’ Once again Rufus cut in.

  ‘You were very interested in why Margaret had left here so suddenly,’ Annie corrected forcefully. ‘You took Jessica and me to London with you this weekend because—’

  ‘Why, Annie?’ he said slowly. ‘Why do you think I took the two of you with me?’

  ‘Because you didn’t want to leave Jessica here—’

  ‘It was partly that,’ he acknowledged fiercely. ‘God, when I came back this time and found out that she had been involved in an accident it took me back five years, to when Joanne died. She was out on a boat with Anthony that day; did you know that?’ He looked at her intensely.

  She nodded. ‘Jessica told me.’ But she had no intention of telling him what Anthony had implied. The woman was dead; raking up old grievances couldn’t help anyone now.

  Rufus gave a regretful smile. ‘Anthony doesn’t behave too well as a lover scorned. Although if you’ve heard Anthony’s version of what happened I’m sure it doesn’t show him in that light?’ He sighed as Annie shook her head. ‘He and Joanne were involved before our marriage, and it was a relationship Anthony tried to revive once she was married to me. Our marriage was never the love of the century, but Joanne drew the line at having an affair with my brother. Anthony was furious,’ he recalled grimly. ‘I’ve never been a hundred per cent sure her accidental death was exactly that, and then when Jess had her fall …!’

  Annie stared at him in horror. He couldn’t think—didn’t believe Anthony—

  ‘I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt all these years, but Joanne was an excellent swimmer, and Anthony hated water, has done since we were children, which was why his story about not being able to save Joanne when she fell overboard was always believed.’ He raised his shoulders fatalistically. ‘And for years I’ve accepted that as the truth. But I have to admit I was shaken when you told me Jessica had fallen from her horse; she’s as good a horsewoman as her mother was a swimmer.’

  ‘You thought Anthony had tried to harm her …’ Annie realised the horrifying truth of why he had been so shaken by Jessica’s accident.

  ‘Only for a short time,’ Rufus acknowledged. ‘James feels it was his fault. He’s started forgetting things lately, and he admitted to me that he really couldn’t remember even putting Jessica’s saddle on her horse, let alone whether or not it was fastened properly. I know Jessica is upset that he’s gone, but it really was his own decision.’

  A wise one, in the circumstances. And Jessica would understand that when it was explained to her properly.

  As Annie now understood that Anthony’s story about his relationship with Joanne was all a figment of Anthony’s vindictive mind. She didn’t doubt for a moment that Rufus’s side of things was the truth, remembered how Anthony had turned on her when he’d sensed she was becoming attracted to his brother …! She agreed with Rufus: the further Anthony stayed from this family in future the better.

  ‘Now,’ Rufus said firmly, ‘I want to know exactly why you think I’m in love with Margaret. You do think that, don’t you?’ He searched her face with his eyes.

  Annie couldn’t meet his gaze. ‘She was the woman you talked about, the one who would speak to you on the telephone but wouldn’t meet you.’

  ‘She was,’ he concurred. ‘And I finally realised one very good reason why she wouldn’t actually meet me.’

  ‘Because of her relationship with Anthony?’ Annie realised.

  ‘Yes!’ he rasped. ‘Indirectly.’

  ‘Indirectly?’ Annie echoed in a puzzled voice. ‘I don’t understand.’ And she didn’t. Surely it was perfectly straightforward; in Rufus’s absence Margaret had begun an affair with his brother.

  Rufus stood up too now. ‘I have a feeling you aren’t going to like it once you do understand,’ he admitted grudgingly.

  She didn’t like this conversation at all, hated discussing his feelings for another woman. And Rufus seemed aware of that now. Did he also realise it was because she was in love with him? It would be too humiliating if he did.

  ‘You may as well tell me,’ she sighed.

  He drew in a deep breath. ‘Last night, when we were making love—’

  ‘Do you have to bring that into this?’ she burst in tremulously, her cheeks red and burning. Was she to be left no pride?

  ‘I told you you wouldn’t like it,’ Rufus reminded her.

  ‘Is it necessary?’ she said agitatedly.

  ‘If you want to know about Margaret, and why she wouldn’t see me, then I’m afraid it is, yes.’

  ‘Oh, very well,’ Annie agreed uncomfortably. ‘If you must.’

  Rufus reached out to put his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face up so that he could look into her eyes again. ‘Do you wish last night had never happened?’

  ‘Yes! No. No …!’ she admitted with a self-conscious groan. Last night might be all she ever had with the man she loved.

  ‘I’m glad about that,’ Rufus said with relief.

  Annie looked up at him with wide brown eyes. ‘You are?’ she said uncertainly.

  ‘Oh, Annie, of course I am.’ He reached out and folded her into his arms. ‘Haven’t you realised yet that I love every infuriating, tantalising inch of you, that the main reason I took you and Jess to London with me was because I didn’t want to be away from you, not even for a few days?’ he added indulgently.

  She was hearing things. She had to be. Rufus couldn’t really have just told her that he loved her. He just couldn’t have done. Could he …?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ‘ANNIE?’ Rufus raised her chin once more with gentle fingers, but this time she wasn’t able to look at him. ‘I love you, Annie Fletcher,’ he whispered. ‘And it’s been a long time since I said that to anyone other than Jess.’

  Annie stared at him. She couldn’t seem to do anything else. He had said it again! ‘But—I—Margaret …!’ she groaned desperately.

  Rufus shook his head, smiling. ‘After what you’ve just said to me, I have a fair idea of the thoughts that have been running around in your beautiful head, although for the life of me I can’t imagine where you got them from. Margaret was Jess’s nanny to me, nothing more.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Nothing else, Annie. Ever,’ he insisted firmly. ‘I’m not saying I’ve been celibate during the five years since Joanne died, but there haven’t been that many women either, and Margaret certainly wasn’t one of them. No, I’ve been waiting for a little red-haired witch who makes me laugh and want her all at the same time.’ He smiled at her in a way he never had before, the love he talked about shining in the dark depths of his eyes. ‘I love you, Annie. I want to marry you, have children with you. I’m sorry I don’t have a better family to offer you.’ He grimaced with feeling. ‘But they’re the only family I have. And eventually we’ll have children of our own, and then—’

  ‘You want to marry me?’ She couldn’t believe he was saying these things to her.

  ‘I insist on it,’ he told her sternly. ‘After all, you’ve compromised my reputation by sharing my bed.’

  ‘Compromised your—!’ Annie broke off, chuckling at the ridiculousness of what he was saying.

  ‘It won’t be so bad, Annie.’ His arms tightened about her once again. ‘I intend staying around in future. It’s time I stopped all the travelling. And, in truth the only reason I’ve done it for so long is because I couldn’t stand being in this house. But if you’re going to be here I don’t want to go away. I’m going to write a book, Annie. It’s been floating around in my head for years now, but the thought of staying in one place long enough to write it has never appealed before. Now it does.’ He drew back slightly to look down at her. ‘But you aren’t saying anything now,’ he said uncertainly. ‘Tell me if I’m going too fast, or assuming too much. Don’t let me carry on like a drivelling idiot if this isn’t what you want too, if it’s Anthony you love after all.’

  To be married to Rufus. To be with
him and Jessica always. To have children of their own …!

  ‘Oh, Rufus …!’ She sank weakly against him. ‘I don’t love Anthony—I never did,’ she said with certainty. ‘I would very much like to marry you. I love you, too. And I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than being with you for ever.’ She clung to him so strongly now, it made her arms ache.

  His breath left him in a deep sigh of relief. ‘Thank God for that!’ he groaned. ‘You had me worried for a moment. But I couldn’t imagine your having let last night happen at all if you didn’t love me.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have,’ she agreed.

  Rufus bent his head to kiss her, and it was some time later, with Annie sitting on his knee in one of the armchairs, that they resumed their conversation about Margaret.

  ‘Do you remember why we didn’t completely make love last night?’ Rufus looked at her with teasing eyes as she blushed. ‘I’m glad we didn’t, Annie. Our first night together will be our wedding night. The way it should be. The way you deserve it to be.’

  ‘Margaret,’ she prompted pointedly, before they became side-tracked once again.

  ‘It was the conversation we had last night that made me realise a very good reason why Margaret wouldn’t actually meet me in person. She’s five months pregnant, Annie,’ he said flatly. ‘And it shows.’

  Rufus didn’t love the other woman, he never had; he had just wanted to know, especially after she had written to him telling him she had left, exactly why she had done so.

  ‘We’ll have to help her, Rufus,’ Annie told him. ‘That child is your niece or nephew.’

  ‘We’ll help her, Annie,’ he assured her.

  And she knew that they would. She also knew that they would care for Celia until she didn’t need caring for any longer.

  As the years passed the two of them would grow closer, and Rufus would be able to talk to her about his childhood, his father, the mother he couldn’t even remember, and his never-the-love-of-the-century marriage. And she would be able to tell him about her loneliness as a child, the children’s home, the feeling of never belonging.

  Because she belonged now. Belonged with and to Rufus.

  How different her life was going to be. She would be a dearly loved, and loving, Diamond bride.

  ‘It’s bad luck, you know,’ Annie scolded affectionately.

  Rufus lifted his head from the soft cushion of her satin-covered breasts, grinning down at her. ‘Another one of those old wives’ tales? The one concerning twins didn’t come true!’

  ‘Not yet,’ Annie warned. ‘But that’s probably because we haven’t fully made love yet,’ she reminded him with a self-conscious blush.

  ‘But we will. Very soon,’ he promised, resting on his elbows as he looked down at her. ‘The thought of you having even one of my children does the nicest things to my body,’ he murmured, moving closer to her as he began to kiss her.

  Annie could feel exactly what nice things it did to his body, groaning low in her throat with the same longing.

  The last three months had been the happiest Annie had ever known, loving and being loved by Rufus.

  Jessica couldn’t have been more pleased when told that Annie was going to be her new mother, eyes agog at this very satisfactory answer to her prayer!

  It had been a time of talking, laughing, sharing, discovering—their love for each other deepening as each day passed.

  And today was their wedding day …

  And Rufus, after flatly refusing Celia’s suggestion that he spend the night at a hotel, had brought Annie a cup of coffee up to her bedroom half an hour ago—and hadn’t left again!

  His eyes were almost black now as he raised his head to look at her. ‘Annie, I—’ He broke off as a knock sounded gently on the bedroom door.

  ‘Annie, are you awake?’ Celia called softly. ‘It’s time to start getting ready.’

  ‘Oh, hell,’ Rufus said to himself and he sprang up from the bed, his unbuttoned shirt slightly crumpled, his hair ruffled from Annie’s caressing fingers. ‘Celia is sure to know the same old wives’ tale!’ He scowled at the lecture he was probably about to receive.

  ‘Rufus?’ Celia prompted suspiciously. ‘Rufus, are you in there?’ she added sharply.

  Annie lay back on the pillows, laughing softly at Rufus’s hunted expression. ‘Come in, Celia,’ she invited lightly, receiving a glare from Rufus for her pains.

  ‘I thought I heard your voice,’ Celia scolded Rufus once she was inside the bedroom. ‘Don’t you know that it’s unlucky to see the bride before the church service on your wedding day?’ She looked disapprovingly across at him.

  ‘You see.’ Rufus turned to Annie. ‘I told you she would know that one, too!’ He shook his head. ‘It’s a lot of nonsense. The Diamond brides aren’t known for their luck anyway.’ He frowned. ‘I almost didn’t ask Annie to marry me for that very reason.’

  ‘Now that is a lot of nonsense,’ Celia told him briskly, coming further into the bedroom, still extremely fragile to look at, although at the moment her condition seemed not to have deteriorated any further. ‘I’ve already explained to you about your mother’s death, and Joanne’s death was just an unfortunate accident. Besides, Rufus, I was a Diamond bride, and, despite what you may have thought to the contrary, David and I had thirty happy years together!’

  Annie had watched with pleasure, over the last three months, as these two stubborn Diamonds had become quite good friends. And Celia certainly couldn’t have been more helpful concerning the wedding arrangements, helping Annie shop for her dress and Jessica’s bridesmaid’s dress, the little girl absolutely thrilled at being asked to be her only attendant.

  Anthony and Davina’s wedding had taken place almost a month ago, Anthony continuing to visit his mother here, albeit keeping well away from Rufus and Annie. Anthony’s plans to make those visits alone were neatly foiled by Davina, as she continued to accompany him every time he came. In fact, Davina’s helpless-little-girl act—and the breathless voice, much to Rufus’s amusement—seemed to have vanished overnight, and in her place was a woman even more domineering than Celia had been. Anthony had met his match where he’d least expected it!

  And Anthony’s ceremony neatly out of the way, his future very definitely decided, Celia had turned all her attention to Rufus and Annie’s wedding. In all honesty, Annie had been grateful for her help, had come to realise, over the last few months, that a lot of Celia’s imperious manner was, in fact, a barrier put up to protect herself from being hurt. The past having finally been put to rest, that barrier was no longer necessary, and as a surrogate mother to Rufus, and indeed Annie, Celia had proved more than capable. They were all going to miss her when the time came for them to say goodbye.

  ‘I’m sure you did.’ Rufus gently squeezed Celia’s shoulder. ‘Just as I’m sure Annie and I are going to have many happy years together.’ He turned to her, his love for her blazing in the dark blue of his eyes.

  Annie was sure they were too, the last three months spent with Rufus more than enough to reassure her of their future happiness together.

  She couldn’t possibly have guessed how it would turn out when she’d decided to work as part of a family—but she really was part of a family now. She and Rufus were their own family, with Jessica and Celia drawn into that loving fold.

  The Diamond bride was to become the Diamond wife and mother.

  Utter and complete happiness.

  For ever.

  The Diamond Dad

  Lucy Gordon

  About the Author

  LUCY GORDON cut her writing teeth on magazine journalism, interviewing many of the world’s most interesting men, including Warren Beatty, Charlton Heston and Sir Roger Moore. She also camped out with lions in Africa and had many other unusual experiences, which have often provided the background for her books. Several years ago, while staying Venice, she met a Venetian who proposed in two days. They have been married ever since. Naturally this has affected her writing, where romantic It
alian men tend to feature strongly.

  Two of her books have won a Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. You can visit her website at www.lucy-gordon.com.

  CHAPTER ONE

  ‘YOU!’ Garth Clayton said in a stunned voice. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Faye, his estranged wife, faced him with her head up. Inwardly she was thinking, Two years, and he still hasn’t forgiven me! Will that make it easier, or harder, to do what I have to?

  ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’ she asked.

  He didn’t move. ‘When you left this house you swore that you’d never come back.’

  ‘We both said a lot of angry things on that night, but we didn’t mean them.’

  ‘I meant every word,’ he said, unyielding.

  He seemed older than his thirty-five years, she thought. There was a new darkness in his brown eyes and fine lines at the corners that hadn’t been there before. He looked as though he lived on his nerves, neither eating nor sleeping enough. But he would always be a tall, handsome man, whose sensual, mobile mouth had once thrilled her, even though that mouth now had a look of strain and bitterness.

  Faye knew that she, too, had altered. The gauche teenager of their wedding day had become a mother of two children with a mind of her own and enough strength to stand up to her husband’s forceful personality. These days she had a poise and confidence that was reflected in the strong colours she wore, replacing the delicate hues of a few years ago.

  ‘I’ve come to talk,’ she said.

  He stood back to let her pass. She could feel his eyes on her, taking in the new short crop of her light brown hair. She wasn’t expensively dressed, but she had a tall, slender figure that made everything look good. Her russet suit with its gilt buttons looked stylish, suggesting a woman who was at ease with herself.

  He indicated the living room and Faye was a little surprised to find it just as she remembered. Garth had been so angry when she left that she’d pictured him wiping out all traces of her, but everything was the same. This was where they’d had their final quarrel, when she’d tried vainly to make him understand why she had to escape him.