Elusive as the Unicorn

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘I don’t believe it really matters what I think,’ she answered drily, knowing that, no matter what anyone else’s opinion might be, in the end Marina would only do what pleased her.

  Marina grinned with anticipation, the bad-tempered shrew of the last few days completely erased. ‘He really is an attractive individual.’ She moved to the edge of the bed in preparation of leaving. ‘Thank goodness I packed a couple of sexy dresses for the evenings—even if that was originally with the intention of tormenting old Paul!’ she added with glee.

  Eve shook her head ruefully. As far as she was aware, ‘old Paul’ never even noticed what Marina was wearing—unless it was to comment disparagingly on it! But then, that was probably what Marina had meant about ‘tormenting’ him.

  ‘And I bought this fantastic dress today …’ Marina murmured thoughtfully.

  Eve was slightly suspicious of that reckless glint in Marina’s eyes, but if she made a comment about this new dress Marina was sure to wear it anyway, so she might as well save her breath. ‘Isn’t it time you went and got ready?’ she prompted, as Marina made no effort to get up off the bed now that she had sat up.

  ‘In a minute.’ Her cousin nodded absently. ‘Lucky you.’ She gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘You actually get to share a bathroom with the man. Would you like to swap bedrooms for the weekend?’ she asked brightly as the idea occurred to her.

  ‘I might find the idea appealing.’ Marina couldn’t imagine just how much! ‘But grandmother might raise a few objections.’

  ‘Hm.’ Marina gave a grimace, knowing that, for all that their grandmother was easy-going most of the time, when she chose to be firm about something she made sure no one was left in any doubts about it. ‘Well, it was worth a try.’ She shrugged. ‘I have all evening and most of tomorrow to get to know Adam better, I suppose. See you later.’ She smiled brightly, bouncing out of the room, her face alight with the new male interest in her life.

  Eve ruefully moved across the room to close the bedroom door her cousin had left open, noticing as she did so the slight sound of movement behind her door that connected to the adjoining bathroom. An image of a bare-chested Adam Gardener instantly sprang to mind, making her feel hot all over. Which was ridiculous; she had seen plenty of bare-chested men in her time, and none of them had affected her this way. Including Paul; the disloyal thought came into her mind unbidden. There was more to a relationship than sexual attraction, she told herself firmly. Much more.

  Nevertheless, she could see that connecting bathroom they were to share was going to be a problem. It never had been before, but then, they didn’t usually have anyone staying in that other bedroom. Sleeping-over guests were very rare at Ashton House. They didn’t have that many guests at all, really, other than family and close friends.

  Which reminded her of the fact that she had an even bigger problem than the connecting bathroom, where Adam Gardener was concerned!

  Family and friends usually visited for the day or evening, which meant visitors had little reason to go up to the second floor of the house, let alone feel curious about what lay beyond the staircase that led to the third floor …

  She already knew, from great personal experience, that one thing Adam Gardener didn’t lack was curiosity. Or the ability to forcefully voice it!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘IS THE bedroom I’m using the one Paul sleeps in when he stays overnight?’

  Eve spun round at the provocative question.

  She and Adam were the only two down for dinner so far, Marina obviously making the most of the time to make herself as glamorous as possible, their grandmother was slower than she used to be, and goodness knew what was delaying Sophy and Patrick. Eve wished now she hadn’t come downstairs so promptly.

  She coolly met Adam’s mocking gaze. ‘Paul very rarely stays the night.’

  ‘But when he does?’ Adam persisted, just as attractive as the first time she had seen him, in a dark evening suit and snowy white shirt. If Marina had thought him handsome before, in the casual clothes of this afternoon, she was going to be bowled over when she saw him dressed like this!

  As far as she could remember, there had never been occasion for Paul to need to stay the night here! ‘I don’t believe the sleeping arrangements of the man I intend to marry are any of your business,’ she bit out tersely.

  Adam’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowed. ‘They are if they include you.’

  She drew in a sharp breath at the possessiveness in his voice. ‘Adam——’

  ‘Yes—Eve?’ His gaze warmed caressingly as he stood much too close for comfort.

  Eve swallowed hard, feeling herself grow warm all over at his proximity, moving sharply away as she felt herself falling under his spell. ‘Marina might be more open to this type of seduction than I am.’

  ‘How many times do I have to tell you this isn’t a seduction?’ Adam ground out harshly, the lazily charming man of the afternoon completely gone in his anger. ‘Good heavens, woman, do I look the type of man to go around discussing marriage and children with every woman I meet?’

  His eyes glowed almost gold in his anger, and Eve had the impression from the tight control he had over himself that it was an emotion he rarely allowed himself to be pushed to. But he couldn’t be serious!

  ‘Eve,’ he took her unresisting hand and entwined his fingers with hers, ‘we have to talk.’ He shook his head impatiently. ‘Properly, I mean, not just these tormenting conversations where I advance and you instantly retreat. But just believe this, I don’t play games with other people’s emotions. Or my own.’

  Eve could hear the pain behind those last words, searching the hard face before her for some sign of what had caused that ache in his voice. It had been someone he loved that had hurt him, of course. But recently, or was it years ago? That deep curiosity she had mentally accused him of earlier surfaced within herself, and she knew a burning need to know more about this man, his past life, his family, his …

  ‘—lovely tonight, Evelyn,’ Paul could be heard saying as he approached the drawing-room.

  A moment of sheer panic possessed Eve. What was she doing, holding hands with Adam Gardener in this intimate way, on the verge of asking him to tell her about himself in a way he probably hadn’t confided in anyone for years, if ever? Paul had arrived, the man she loved.

  Regret registered in Adam’s face before he slowly released her hand to slide his own into his trouser pocket, the two of them standing feet apart by the time Eve’s grandmother and Paul entered the room together, her grandmother thanking him for the compliment he had just paid her.

  Paul came to an abrupt halt, his face a picture of hostility as he recognised the man standing across the room.

  ‘Darling, do you remember Mr Gardener?’ Eve hastily moved to his side, putting her arm through the crook of his as he looked at her blankly. ‘Grandmother invited Sophy and Patrick for the weekend, and Mr Gardener was their guest.’

  That blank look disappeared from pale blue eyes, to be replaced by narrow-eyed speculation. ‘Sophy and Patrick …’ he murmured grimly, as if a number of questions had suddenly been answered. He eyed the other man coldly.

  ‘We met once before,’ Adam said smoothly as he held out the hand that wasn’t in his pocket and forced Paul to acknowledge it unless he wanted to cause a scene in front of Eve’s grandmother.

  ‘Last weekend.’ Paul nodded tersely after the briefest of handshakes. ‘I seem to remember you were slightly—unwell.’

  Eve saw Adam’s mouth twitch at this Englishly polite way of saying he had appeared to be drunk. Unfortunately, Adam had none of that English reserve!

  ‘I’d only had one glass of whisky,’ he derided drily. ‘It was the names that made me react in that way.’ He shared a conspiratorial glance with Eve, causing her to look away awkwardly as Paul saw the exchange and glowered ominously.

  ‘Names?’ he prompted irritably.

  ‘Of course, Paul.’ Eve’s grandmother smiled indulgently,
completely unaware of the tension between the two men. ‘Eve Eden and Adam Gardener!’

  ‘Well, we all thought it was funny,’ Adam murmured mockingly after several seconds when Paul remained straight-faced throughout.

  ‘Very amusing,’ Paul drawled, without the least sign of the emotion.

  But, despite all that, Eve thought he was handling the situation very well, considering she hadn’t been able to warn him of the other man’s presence here; he hadn’t been at home when she had telephoned him earlier.

  As for the significance of the names, she knew that Paul believed the sooner her name became Lester, the better. She looked at him affectionately, as she too longed for that day.

  But a sudden tingling sensation down her spine made her turn sharply towards Adam, swallowing hard at the fierce glow in his eyes. It was ridiculous to be made to feel guilty about smiling lovingly at the man she intended to marry …

  ‘Now, isn’t this cosy?’ Sophy remarked as she and Patrick strolled into the room.

  Poor Paul, Eve inwardly groaned, it really wasn’t fair for him to be surrounded by all these people who took such delight in goading him!

  But the chance for Sophy to do that any further at the moment was briefly taken out of her hands as their dinner party was made complete by Marina’s entrance. And what an entrance it was!

  Eve gasped out loud at the daring of the dark blue dress her cousin wore: strapless, the figure-hugging dress seemed to stay up by sheer willpower.

  Their grandmother shared a pained look with Eve that seemed to say, It’s no good criticising, because it will only cause a scene, and in the end Marina will only do what she wants to do.

  But even for Marina the dress was outrageous, leaving all of them breathless with shock as she grinned triumphantly.

  Adam was the first one to break the awkwardness of the moment, moving forward, smiling easily as he told Marina how stunning she looked.

  Stunning wasn’t quite the word Eve would have used herself, but she put her own feelings aside to try and soothe Paul’s aghast reaction.

  ‘It’s only a family dinner party, for heaven’s sake,’ he muttered disgustedly.

  She shrugged. ‘Marina is attracted to Adam Gardener——’

  ‘She’s only known him a few hours,’ he gasped. ‘Hasn’t she?’ He frowned.

  ‘Of course,’ Eve dismissed. ‘But you know Marina.’

  ‘Too damned well,’ he muttered. ‘The man’s too old for her.’ He scowled at the other couple, in conversation a short distance away.

  ‘Thirty-eight isn’t old,’ she heard herself defending, blushing deeply as Paul turned to her sharply. ‘He happened to mention it earlier,’ she excused lamely.

  ‘I want you to stay away from him, Eve,’ he bit out tersely as they all began to stroll through to dinner, Marina and her grandmother on either side of Adam Gardener, Sophy and Patrick just behind them. ‘After all, what do we really know about the man?’ Except that he was an acquaintance of Sophy and Patrick’s, his tone seemed to say, and that was certainly no character reference in his eyes!

  It had been destined to be a disaster of an evening; it always was when Adam Gardener was anywhere within the vicinity. And tonight was no exception.

  If she were honest, she had to admit that most of it was Paul’s own fault; his behaviour was childish, to say the least, as he deliberately set out to make the other man look small by conversing in a variety of subjects he believed Adam would have no knowledge of. But in that he had underestimated the other man in a way Eve herself would never have done, even after so brief acquaintance as their first meeting. Adam was able to reply just as intelligently, so that in the end Paul was the one made to look small for behaving in such an obvious manner.

  By the time the meal came to an end, Eve had a headache from all the tension, Paul was more disgruntled than ever, Marina thought Adam even more fascinating than before, Sophy watched them all with an air of triumphant satisfaction, while Patrick looked tolerantly amused, and her grandmother looked at them all indulgently.

  As a party of weekend guests, they were an ill-assorted lot!

  After dinner wasn’t much better, the two men getting into a very heated—on Paul’s part at least, Adam managed to continue looking coolly unruffled—exchange on world politics.

  But even so Eve could have wept with sheer frustration when Paul decided to leave shortly before eleven o’clock; he usually didn’t leave until much later at the weekends.

  ‘Do you have to go?’ she sighed as she followed him out into the hallway.

  ‘Yes, I have to go,’ he bit out through gritted teeth, his expression relaxing slightly at her look of pained surprise at being shouted at by him in this way. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said tenderly, framing her heart-shaped face with his hands. ‘But I can say, without a single doubt, that that was the worst evening I’ve spent in my entire life,’ he added grimly.

  Contrary to Paul, who still looked furiously angry, Eve was beginning to see the humour of it all now; if she didn’t laugh, she would have to cry!

  Paul scowled as she began to smile. ‘I don’t see anything in the least funny about all this.’

  That was because he hadn’t been sitting where she had all evening; it was the sort of evening that situation comedies were made of. But Paul’s sense of humour seemed to be sadly lacking just recently, she realised with a frown.

  ‘Perhaps you’re right.’ She sobered wearily. ‘I’m sorry you’ve had such an awful time.’

  ‘It isn’t your fault,’ he sighed. ‘I can’t imagine what Evelyn thought she was doing when she invited them all here.’

  ‘She and Sophy have always been the best of friends,’ Eve defended.

  ‘I can’t think why.’ Paul didn’t seem at all attuned to the fact that Eve was more than a little annoyed by his criticism of her grandmother.

  After all, it was her grandmother’s home, and she was perfectly entitled to invite into it whoever she chose. Paul had to be made to see that, as the two of them would be moving in here with her grandmother after their wedding in September.

  ‘I don’t think we really need to know why,’ she rebuked gently. ‘We just have to respect the fact that my grandmother has the right to choose her own friends.’

  Paul didn’t miss the underlying tension in her words this time. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ he demanded indignantly.

  Eve gave a weary sigh. ‘Exactly what I said, that we have to respect——’

  ‘I understood that part,’ he cut in raspingly. ‘I just don’t understand the reason for the criticism. You can’t actually be enjoying yourself with that ill-assorted crowd?’ he challenged scornfully.

  She didn’t want to argue with him, for goodness’ sake. ‘Not particularly. But I do like Sophy and Patrick, and——’

  ‘And Adam Gardener?’ His eyes were narrowed. ‘Do you “like” him, too?’

  She gasped at the way he made the question sound like an insult, stepping back slightly. ‘Paul!’ she cried in rebuke.

  He scowled unrepentantly. ‘Well, you seem to have been spending a lot of time with him.’

  ‘What on earth do you mean?’ she said indignantly, paling slightly as she imagined him somehow having found out about her deception concerning the dinner party. Oh, how she wished she had never told that lie. It certainly hadn’t been worth the worry it had caused her since that night!

  Paul glowered angrily. ‘Every time I turn around lately, I fall over the damned man. And always with you, it seems,’ he added, glaring at her.

  Her breath left her body in a relieved sigh at his continued unawareness of her omission concerning the dinner party the other evening; she was sure he would have mentioned it by now if he had known of it. ‘When first we practise to deceive …’ But she hadn’t set out to deceive, merely avoid a confrontation—like the one they were having right now.

  ‘I’ve explained about the party last weekend,’ she told him agitatedly. ‘And if you hadn’t left
me alone so long while you went off talking to other people, he wouldn’t have been able to——’ She broke off abruptly, aghast at what she had just said.

  Paul was obviously stunned by the outburst, too. ‘What on earth has got into you? I’ve never heard you talk like that before.’ He shook his head, frowning with dark disapproval.

  Neither had she, it was completely unlike her. But long overdue, a voice of mischief said in her head. What on earth had got into her?

  ‘I can see that further conversation between the two of us tonight is a waste of time,’ Paul bit out coldly at her lack of response. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow, and maybe then you’ll be in a more—reasonable frame of mind.’ His tone implied that he sincerely hoped that would be the case.

  ‘But, Paul——’

  ‘Goodnight, Eve,’ he said icily, ignoring her imploringly outstretched hand, striding across the entrance hall to close the huge oak door behind him with a decisive slam.

  Nothing like that had ever happened between them before; she and Paul never argued. Never. But they certainly had just now, she acknowledged dazedly.

  She just stood there in the cavernous hallway, a lonely figure. And at that moment she did feel very alone.

  ‘The course of true love not running smoothly again?’ mocked a voice that was fast becoming her own personal torment.

  Eve turned around slowly. ‘Don’t you have anything better to do than spy on me?’

  One brow raised questioningly at her lack of anger. ‘I wasn’t spying on you,’ he said softly. ‘I was on my way to bed.’

  Eve frowned. ‘Why?’

  He shrugged. ‘There didn’t seem anything to stay up for.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘But you and Marina were getting on so well …’

  ‘I’m not even going to acknowledge the stupidity of that remark by answering it,’ Adam rasped disparagingly. ‘Did you and Paul have an argument?’

  She stiffened defensively. ‘Why on earth should you think that?’

  He gave another shrug. ‘The speed with which he appears to have left.’