by Margaret Way
“Jealousy, maybe? Or she didn’t want your mother back. Don’t forget she sees herself as a marriage-maker. Your mother loves you, Royce. She has never stopped loving you. I guess as the years passed, she felt defeated. You didn’t answer any of her letters.”
“Which I didn’t get,” he said, but an element of doubt had crept into his voice.
“The rift became as wide as the universe. It would have stayed like that—”
“Only you came along.”
“You could at least smile when you say that.” She willed him to relax.
“I don’t feel like smiling.”
“Okay, you’re a bit fragile at the moment.”
“Me, fragile?” His dark eyes blazed.
“If you love me, you’ll meet your mother,” she said.
“That’s an ultimatum, is it?” He pulled her back into his arms, imprisoning her.
“It’s a request. Underneath the formidable façade, you have a loving heart, Royce. You still love your mother, no matter the lies that were fed you. I’ll go to any lengths to make you happy. I love you. Every day I feel it more deeply than ever.” Tears sprang into her eyes.
“Don’t you dare cry, darling. Please don’t.” His heart melting, Royce bent his head, finding almost blindly her moist, lovely mouth that tasted like some delicious fruit.
“I’ll come with you,” she whispered into his parted lips.
She defeated him every time. “You’ll always come with me,” he said. In his mind, they were inseparable. The kissing went on. Breathing as one, tumultuous thoughts as one, the same pressing hunger until he moved to lift her high into his arms. He was deeply moved she should go in search of his mother, even if it was without his permission.
Hadn’t he known from the moment he laid eyes on her she would be a handful?
And at the heart of her?
Fulfillment.
Chapter 10
The Stirling-Boyd wedding held in Melbourne’s flower-decked Anglican Cathedral was unanimously voted by guests and the media alike as the wedding of the year. Guests came from all points of the globe. The bride’s gown was described in Woman’s Day, the magazine that won the exclusive coverage for the big social event, as “quite exceptional. The wedding gown dreams are made of.” The issue was expected to sell like hotcakes. It was later reported the happy couple had donated their share of the proceeds to one of the bride’s favourite charities, an organization benefitting needy women.
The gorgeous wedding gown featured in the magazine was a strapless closely fitted column of white satin with a short train. The fabric had been richly embroidered with thousands of tiny beads, seed pearls, crystals, and silver thread. The style, difficult to wear for anyone who didn’t have a great figure, suited the bride’s tall, willowy figure to perfection. The bride had chosen not to wear a veil but instead wore white camellias fitted around her silky golden chignon. Around her throat and at her ears she wore magnificent opals set in diamonds, previously owned by the bridegroom’s mother, Frances Stirling, and given to the bride as a fabulous wedding present. Frances Stirling dazzled, as did the bride’s mother, Ava Boyd. Both women were recognized beauties. As mothers, they appeared overcome with joy that their two families were united.
Jeremy Boyd, the distinguished barrister, gave his beautiful daughter away. The bride was attended by two of her closest friends, in exquisite strapless chiffon gowns, with long floaty skirts: jacaranda blue for the brunette, deep complementary rose for the blonde. The bride carried a small bouquet of white rosebuds; the bridesmaids carried bouquets to match their gowns. Each had been presented by the bridegroom with a memento of the great day, which they wore: pendant earrings with precious stones set in gold to match their gowns.
The groom was attended by his half-brother, the well-known charmer James Stirling, and two of the groom’s long-time friends from school and university. Formal dress was the order of the day. The guests had dressed accordingly. All four men looked stunning, but none more so than the tall, splendid groom.
The reception held at the city’s finest hotel was lavish. No expense had been spared to make this wedding day as memorable as possible. It was clear to everyone that bride and groom were meant for each other.
“You had to be there to appreciate it,” a well-known woman guest was heard to say. “Love, love, love. Is there anything like it?”
It was a day when love and happiness flowed in abundance. A unique experience for the bride and groom. A day they were destined to remember with great poignancy for the rest of their long, inspiring lives.
Epilogue
It had been briefly reported in the papers, Marigold Boyd, adopted daughter of one of the city’s most distinguished lawyers, had married a visiting fabulously wealthy Chinese businessman and high-stakes gambler, Jonathon Wang. Ms. Boyd had met her future husband at the gaming table of the city’s biggest casino. After a whirlwind romance, the couple flew to Macau, where Mr. Wang had many business interests, to be married. It was further understood none of the bride’s family had been invited to the wedding. No doubt, they could look forward to catching up in the future.
USA Today bestselling author Margaret Way has written more than 130 books, many of them International Bestsellers. She has been published in 114 countries and 34 languages. Her novels are set in her beloved Australia, where she was born and lives to this day. Her stories always contain the beauty and rugged nature of the rural and Outback Australia, as well as the rainforests and coral reefs of Northern Queensland.
