Shadowed Stranger

by Carole Mortimer

  Robyn went pale, staring at him dazedly. ‘Down the road …?’

  He nodded. ‘To Orchard House.’

  She licked her dry lips. ‘You’re staying there again?’

  ‘I’m living there,’ he corrected. ‘I bought it.’

  She swallowed hard. ‘Bought it …?’ she repeated disbelievingly.

  He nodded, smiling his satisfaction. ‘That’s right. I now live at Orchard House.’

  ‘But I—There’s no furniture or—or anything,’ she said desperately.

  ‘There is now. You’ll have to come down and see the changes I’ve made,’ he invited huskily.

  ‘That would be nice, wouldn’t it, dear?’ her mother said warmly.

  ‘Lovely,’ Robyn agreed with not a trace of sincerity in her voice. ‘But you can’t even cook for yourself,’ she pointed out to Rick. ‘Or do you have a housekeeper?’

  ‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘But I’m working on getting someone in to take care of me very soon.’ The look in his eyes left no one in any doubt who he was intending it to be.

  Robyn saw the look her parents exchanged, and blushed deeply red. ‘I’ll see you to the door,’ she told Rick tightly, edging him out of the room.

  ‘If you’re on your own,’ her mother spoke before she managed to get him out, ‘perhaps you would like to come to lunch on Sunday?’

  Robyn groaned inwardly, further annoyed by mockery in deep grey eyes. Oh, he was enjoying this!

  ‘I’d love to,’ he instantly accepted.

  ‘Lovely,’ her mother beamed. ‘About one o’clock?’

  ‘I’ll be here,’ he promised, at last allowing Robyn to manoeuvre him out into the hallway. ‘Something wrong?’ he quirked a mocking eyebrow at her furious expression.

  ‘You know there is,’ she said forcefully. ‘I don’t want you to come here to lunch on Sunday or any other day,’ she told him rudely.

  ‘Too bad, the invitation didn’t come from you.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have invited you!’

  His mouth twisted. ‘I know that. Ignoring me isn’t going to make me go away, Robyn.’

  ‘I wish you would!’

  ‘Liar!’ he chuckled.

  ‘You think you’re so clever, don’t you?’ she glared at him. ‘You force your way into my home—’

  Rick shook his head. ‘There was no force about it. I came into the shop to give you this,’ he held up her purse, ‘and your father invited me to dinner.’

  ‘My purse …’ she groaned as she took it out of his hand.

  ‘Yes, you ungrateful little wretch. Wasn’t that worth dinner?’

  ‘I—No! Yes,’ she admitted reluctantly. ‘But it isn’t worth lunch too,’ she added with rebellion.

  ‘I’ve already accepted,’ he shrugged. ‘And I don’t intend unaccepting.’

  ‘I’ll make sure I’m out,’ she said childishly.

  ‘Then I’ll have a nice chat with your parents instead.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘You wouldn’t?’

  Rick quirked one eyebrow. ‘Want to take the chance?’

  Robyn bit her lip. ‘You know I don’t.’

  He bent to kiss her hard on the mouth. ‘I’ll see you on Sunday—unless I see you before.’

  ‘You won’t,’ she insisted firmly.

  ‘We’ll see.’

  His words were in the form of a threat, and Robyn was determined to see him thwarted.

  * * *

  Selma was ecstatic about her date the next day. Alan apparently lived up to all her expectations. ‘He’s so—so nice,’ she said with feeling. ‘We went for a drink after the cinema.’

  The evening must have been a success for Alan too, then. After all, he hadn’t had to take Selma out for a drink. ‘I’m glad you had a good time,’ Robyn smiled, looking a little pale, mainly due to a disturbed night’s sleep.

  She was utterly confused herself. Rick loved her, wanted to marry her, and she knew she loved him in return, but she baulked at his married status. Not that she would be the first girl to fall in love with a married man, far from it, and she wouldn’t be the first girl to have to wait to marry that man while he attained a divorce either. But she knew she just couldn’t do it, she couldn’t take her happiness at the expense of someone else’s.

  ‘It was more than good,’ Selma said dreamily. ‘Alan is so different from everyone else I’ve ever been out with. He actually talks to me!’

  Robyn frowned. ‘You mean your other boy-friends didn’t?’

  ‘Not like Alan does,’ Selma shook her head. ‘He really talks to me, treats me as an intelligent equal.’

  ‘But you are.’ She knew that Selma was highly qualified for this job.

  ‘I know,’ Selma sighed. ‘But most boys prefer to think of girls as a little on the stupid side. All the ones I’ve been out with seem to, anyway. I’ve always found it easier to act the way they expect me to than compete with them,’ she added with a grimace.

  ‘That’s terrible,’ Robyn exclaimed.

  Selma shrugged. ‘That’s life.’

  ‘No man is going to make me act like that,’ Robyn declared with certainty.

  Selma gave her a sideways glance. ‘Even if that someone was Rick?’ she teased.

  ‘He would never treat me like that.’ And she knew he wouldn’t. He treated her as an equal, someone with intelligence and humour.

  ‘He’s really wonderful,’ Selma smiled. ‘And the way he looks at you! I’ve never seen anyone devour another person with their eyes before.’

  ‘Selma!’ Robyn groaned.

  ‘Well, he did,’ she grinned. ‘I felt quite envious.’

  ‘You’re welcome to him—if you like married men, that is,’ she revealed tightly.

  Selma’s eyes widened. ‘Married? Is he?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s a shame,’ she sighed. ‘You were quite keen on him, weren’t you?’

  She was more than ‘keen’ on him, and it was a disaster, not a shame. ‘Not any more,’ she lied. ‘Tell me more about you and Alan. Are you seeing him again?’

  ‘Tomorrow,’ the other girl confirmed. ‘He’s taking me to a football match, of all things.’

  And it didn’t need two guesses why! Alan still didn’t trust Selma’s interest in him, was taking her to watch a sporting event to show her that he could no longer compete but had to stand on the sidelines.

  Robyn mentioned it to him later. ‘Don’t you think you’re being rather persistent about it?’ she queried gently.

  ‘No.’ His expression was harsh.

  ‘Well, I think you are. Selma is so pleased that you see her as a person and not just a sex object that I don’t think she’s even given the fact that you used to be an athlete a thought.’

  ‘Exactly. I want her to think about it, to realise—’

  ‘You’re always talking about roles, Alan,’ she cut in angrily. ‘Well, right now you’re stuck in a groove of self-pity. Oh yes, you are,’ she insisted as he went to protest. ‘Selma doesn’t give a damn about whether or not you can still run a four-minute mile, or whatever.’

  ‘Four-minute!’ he scoffed. ‘You’re a little out of touch, Robyn. It’s a little faster than that now.’

  ‘You see? I bet Selma is no more informed about things like that than I am.’

  ‘Wrong.’

  ‘Wrong?’

  ‘Yes,’ Alan nodded. ‘She knows so much about a lot of things. Are you going down to the baker’s?’ he asked briskly. ‘You are? Well, I’ll walk down with you and we can talk while we walk.’

  Robyn raised her eyes-heavenwards. ‘A poet and he doesn’t know it!’ She picked up her handbag in preparation of leaving to go and collect her lunch. ‘Come on, I’ll buy you a cheese roll,’ she joked.

  ‘Ham.’

  She grinned. ‘All right, ham.’

  Alan smiled as they left by the back door. ‘I think I like having lunch with you.’

  ‘I’ll bet.’ She turned to smile at him. ‘You can buy me lunch
tomorrow.’

  ‘It’s your half-day.’

  ‘All right, Saturday.’

  ‘Robyn …’

  Oh no! She was almost afraid to turn around. Rick was here again, and by the look of the haughty arrogance in his face he didn’t appreciate her being with Alan. Well, damn him, she would have lunch with whom she pleased! She didn’t have to answer to him for any of her movements.

  She looked up at him with unflinching eyes, as usual her heart giving a painful jolt just at the sight of him. He was casually dressed again, light denims and a partly unbuttoned shirt, noticeably free of creases today. He looked very dark and virile, not the part of Oliver Pendleton at all.

  ‘I’ve come to take you to lunch,’ he said before she could speak.

  She felt Alan’s hand on her arm. ‘I’m sorry,’ she refused huskily. ‘I already have a lunch date.’ Thank God Alan had realised this was the man she needed his protection against!

  A look of irritation crossed Rick’s face before his attention was transferred to Alan, his eyes glacial. ‘Would you take your hands off my fiancée?’ he snapped tautly.

  Robyn gasped. ‘But I’m not—’

  Rick pulled her to his side. ‘I’m sure Mr.—Alan understands that I have first claim on your time.’

  Alan looked at her searchingly, seeing her white, shocked features. ‘I would say Robyn is capable of choosing for herself.’ He wasn’t in the least intimidated by the other man’s attitude. ‘Robyn?’

  She moved closer to him. ‘I’m having lunch with Alan,’ she told Rick defensively. ‘But my parents are still expecting you for lunch on Sunday,’ she added at the dangerous glitter in his eyes.

  His stance was challenging. ‘Are you going to be there?’

  She licked her lips. ‘I—I—Yes.’

  He nodded. ‘I’ll see you then.’ He turned on his heel and walked towards the Rolls parked a short distance away.

  Alan heaved a sigh of relief, watching as the car moved off smoothly down the road. ‘If he’d decided to fight me for you I think I might have lost,’ he admitted ruefully.

  Robyn moved shakily. ‘Of course you wouldn’t,’ she dismissed briskly, knowing even as she said it that she lied. Rick was as muscular as Alan, plus he had been motivated by anger, and in that sort of mood he could take on anyone and win.

  ‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Alan removed his arm from about her waist. ‘Just who is he?’

  She bit her lip and started to walk on again, although she had no appetite for lunch now. ‘I told you, he’s just someone I don’t want to get involved with.’

  ‘With a Rolls?’

  ‘A car isn’t everything!’ she flashed.

  Alan shrugged. ‘He looked as if he had quite a lot else going for him too.’

  ‘Well, he doesn’t!’ She walked off angrily.

  ‘Hey!’ Alan caught her up several minutes later. ‘Okay, okay, so you aren’t interested in the man.’

  ‘I’m not!’

  ‘Then why are you so angry?’

  ‘Because—because—’

  ‘Because you really like him,’ Alan finished. ‘I’m sorry, Robyn,’ he said at her furious glance, ‘but you gave me some plain speaking a few minutes ago, now I’m giving you some. If you like the man, and he obvious likes you, why do you keep fighting him?’

  ‘I already told you, he’s married.’

  Alan sighed. ‘I hate to spoil any of your girlish dreams, but not all marriages are made in heaven. His has obviously broken down.’

  ‘And I’m not going to help it come to an end,’ she said fiercely.

  ‘Okay,’ he shrugged, ‘I won’t mention it again.’

  ‘I’d appreciate it!’

  * * *

  She didn’t see Rick again until Sunday, no calling for her at lunchtime, and no collecting her from work. After Thursday she hadn’t really been surprised, and yet there was a certain amount of disappointment. It was ridiculous to feel that way, and yet she did, glaring her resentment at him as soon as he came into the room at exactly one o’clock, her mother enthusing over the flowers he had bought her.

  ‘Robyn,’ he greeted tersely, sitting down when her father invited him to do so.

  ‘Ri—er—Hello,’ she returned huskily.

  His mouth twisted as she avoided calling him Rick. ‘You haven’t been over to see the changes at Orchard House.’

  ‘No, I—’ her hands moved nervously together as she paced the room, ‘I haven’t had the time,’ she couldn’t meet his eyes.

  ‘Maybe you could walk back with Rick this afternoon,’ her mother suggested.

  ‘I—’

  ‘What a good idea,’ Rick interrupted her refusal. ‘I’d like you to see the—house, Robyn.’

  ‘I—Oh, very well,’ she agreed ungraciously.

  Rick was like the cat that had swallowed the cream all through lunch, getting on with her family just as well as he had the last time.

  ‘Robyn and I will wash the dishes,’ he offered as they cleared away the debris from the meal.

  ‘I can do it alone,’ she said stiffly. ‘You go and—and talk to my parents.’

  ‘I’m sure you would rather I helped you,’ he said deeply, his tone warning.

  ‘I—Yes. Yes, perhaps that would be best.’ She marched angrily through to the kitchen, knowing that he followed her, aware of his every move without even looking at him.

  She knew he was standing directly behind her now, could feel his warm breath on her nape. But she didn’t turn, but continued to wash the dishes as if her life depended on it, her whole body tense.

  His lips brushed lightly against her neck, his arms moving about her waist as he pulled her back against him. ‘I love you,’ he groaned into her throat.

  Robyn pulled away from him, spinning round. ‘Stop that,’ she cried. ‘Just stop it!’

  ‘But I can’t,’ he held his hands up defensively. ‘I love you, I want to marry you.’

  Her mouth set in an angry line. ‘If you don’t stop this I’m going to tell my parents about you!’

  He took hold of her hand. ‘That’s a good idea—why don’t we both tell them?’ He pulled her in the direction of the lounge; her mother and father were in there, although Billy had gone out with one of his friends. ‘Come on, Robyn,’ Rick smiled confidently.

  She hung back. ‘Are you mad?’

  ‘Madly in love, yes.’

  She came to a halt. ‘Rick, don’t do this. Leave now and we can just forget the whole thing.’

  ‘Not on your life, especially now that you’ve called me Rick.’

  Robyn didn’t fight him any longer, but allowed herself to be led into the lounge. Her parents had to know the truth about Rick some time, so why not now?

  Rick didn’t hesitate for a moment. ‘Mr Castle, I would like your permission to marry your daughter,’ he announced.

  Robyn swallowed hard, shocked by the starkness of his statement. She hadn’t expected him to be quite so blunt.

  ‘I love her,’ he continued. ‘And I believe she loves me, although she won’t admit to it—’

  ‘And you know why!’ she rounded on him angrily, knowing that her parents were surprised by this sudden turn of events. She doubted they had been expecting Rick to propose in front of them this way. She hadn’t either! ‘I’ve had enough of this, Rick,’ she tugged her hand free of this. ‘I think I should tell my parents who you are and—’

  ‘They have a right to know that,’ he shrugged. ‘My name isn’t Rick Howarth,’ he told them candidly.

  ‘He’s Oliver Pendleton,’ she inserted pointedly.

  ‘Okay,’ he sighed, shooting her an impatient glance, ‘it’s Oliver Pendleton. If that’s what’s bothering you—’

  ‘It isn’t,’ she said tightly, wishing this confrontation didn’t have to come in front of her parents. But Rick had wanted it this way. ‘It’s the fact that you’re already married that does that.’

  ‘Married?’ her father gasped. ‘I don’t unders
tand any of this. I don’t understand why you’re here under an assumed name, Mr Howarth—er—Pendleton—’

  ‘My name is Rick, and it isn’t assumed,’ he said tightly, not taking his eyes off Robyn. ‘Robyn, what the hell are you talking about?’ he rasped.

  ‘You know what!’

  ‘If it isn’t assumed,’ her father persisted, ‘how can you be both Rick Howarth and Oliver Pendleton?’

  ‘Oliver Richard Howarth Pendleton,’ Robyn supplied vaguely. ‘Don’t pretend any more, Rick,’ she pleaded.

  ‘I’m not pretending,’ he snapped. ‘And I want an explanation.’

  She heaved a heavy sigh. ‘I met Sheila, remember?’

  ‘So?’ he frowned.

  ‘She’s your wife!’

  His face darkened furiously. ‘Like hell she is!’ he exploded. ‘She’s my brother’s wife.’

  Robyn gasped, her face very white. ‘Your sister-in-law?’

  ‘Yes,’ he snapped.

  ‘But I don’t understand. I—Your brother, he wasn’t at the party.’

  ‘What party?’ her father cut in.

  ‘He wasn’t there,’ Rick told her savagely, ‘because he’s dead. He and Melinda were killed in a car crash.’

  ‘Melinda?’ Robyn’s father was totally confused now.

  ‘I’ll explain later, Dad,’ Robyn dismissed, confused herself. ‘He’s the doctor Melinda ran away with?’ she asked Rick dazedly.

  ‘Yes,’ he confirmed tautly.

  ‘Then I—Oh God, what have I done!’ she groaned, seeing the dislike on Rick’s face. And no wonder! ‘Rick, I—’

  ‘You really thought me capable of asking you to marry me while I was married to Sheila?’ he demanded.

  ‘I—I thought—’

  ‘You thought altogether too damned much,’ he scorned harshly. ‘Consider my marriage offer withdrawn,’ he strode angrily to the door, turning to shake his head. ‘I don’t think I ever knew you, Robyn, and now I don’t think I want to.’ He quietly closed the door as he left.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ROBYN wanted to run after him, to beg his forgiveness, but the disgust in his face held her back. He hated her now, she had seen it in his eyes, and she couldn’t really blame him for feeling that way.

  Besides, by the time she had finished answering her parents’ questions it was much too late to run after Rick. She had made a complete mess of everything, had jumped to conclusions when she should have realised Rick would never behave that way, he was much too forthright and honest. And now she had destroyed his love with her own distrust.