Married By Christmas

by Carole Mortimer

  Lilli stiffened at this mention of intimacy between the two, although her outward expression remained calm. She didn’t particularly want to hear about Patrick’s marriage to Sanchia. And Patrick, his arm still about her waist, must have felt her reaction.

  ‘Patrick likes them a little younger nowadays,’ Lilli told Sanchia wryly, knowing by the angry flush that appeared in the other woman’s cheeks that her barb had hit its mark. Sanchia was probably only ten years older than her, but she obviously felt those years...

  ‘Inexperienced, you mean,’ Sanchia returned bitchily. ‘Patrick bores easily too,’ she warned.

  Lilli smiled. ‘I’m sure you would know that better than I.’ She felt the tightening of Patrick’s hand on her waist, but chose to ignore it; she knew she was playing with fire, but at this particular moment she didn’t mind getting her fingers burnt.

  Sanchia gave a snort before turning to Patrick. ‘I give this marriage a matter of months, darling,’ she drawled, picking her bag up from the table. ‘And I’ll still be around when it’s over. In fact, I’m thinking of moving to New York.’

  ‘Really? I’m sure you’ll enjoy the life over there.’ Patrick was the one to answer her. ‘Frankly—’ his arm settled more comfortably about Lilli’s waist ‘—I’m tired of it. Lilli and I will be living in London.’

  That was news to Lilli! They hadn’t so much as mentioned where they would live after their marriage since the night Patrick had given her the engagement ring, and she had behaved so stupidly about moving to New York. Now, it seemed, they weren’t going to live there at all...

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ Sanchia gasped. ‘You’ve always loved New York.’

  He gave an acknowledging nod. ‘And now I love Lilli—and her family and friends are all in London.’

  Two bright spots of angry colour appeared in Sanchia’s cheeks. ‘My family and friends were in Paris, but you refused to live there!’ she accused heatedly, turning to Lilli with furious blue eyes. ‘Enjoy his indulgence while you can,’ she advised. ‘I can assure you, it doesn’t last for long!’

  Considering one of this woman’s indulgences had been other men, that wasn’t so surprising!

  Lilli met her gaze unflinchingly. ‘I wouldn’t hold your breath,’ she said.

  Sanchia gave a hard smile. ‘Or you yours! Take care, Patrick.’ She reached out to run a caressing hand down his cheek lightly. ‘And remember, I’m still here.’

  This last, Lilli knew, was said for her benefit. And while a visit from an ex-wife was enough to chill the heart of any new one—no matter what the circumstances of the divorce had been, the previous wife having an intimate knowledge of the man, of his likes and dislikes, that was totally intrusive—at that moment Lilli didn’t feel in the least threatened by the other woman, had seen the look of absolute loathing in Patrick’s face for Sanchia when she’d entered this room a few minutes ago. Patrick disliked his ex-wife intensely.

  ‘Excuse us,’ Patrick told Sanchia coldly. ‘We have a wedding reception to attend.’ His hand was firm against Lilli’s back as he guided her to the door, neither of them looking back as they left. “‘Patrick likes them younger nowadays”?’ he repeated as soon as the two of them were out of earshot in the hallway.

  Lilli glanced up at him from beneath lowered lashes, knowing by the curve to his mouth that he wasn’t in the least angry at her remark. ‘I believe I said “a little younger”,’ she returned, grinning up at him mischievously.

  Patrick looked down at her, shaking his head incredulously. ‘You weren’t in the least thrown by her appearance here, were you?’

  She wouldn’t go quite so far as to say that, but if it was what Patrick believed...

  She shrugged, the two of them standing outside the reception room now. ‘Should I have been?’

  ‘Not at all,’ he returned easily. ‘The part of my life that contained Sanchia is dead and buried as far as I’m concerned.’ His expression was grim.

  ‘That’s what I thought.’ Lilli accepted—gratefully, inside! —putting her hand in the crook of his arm. ‘Let’s join our guests; you still have a speech to give!’

  ‘Oh, God, yes,’ he groaned. ‘I’m not quite sure what to say about my bride any more,’ he added dryly.

  Lilli grinned. ‘Beautiful. Intelligent. Undemanding—’

  ‘Sometimes wise beyond her years,’ he put in. ‘And full of surprises. I was sure you would give me hell over Sanchia turning up here, today of all days. Full of surprises...’

  She shook her head. ‘You can’t be held responsible for the actions of a vindictive woman. She wanted to cause trouble between us, unnerve you, and upset me—I vote we don’t give her the satisfaction!’

  ‘I stopped caring years ago about anything that Sanchia does,’ Patrick revealed. ‘I was more worried about you and how you would feel about it.’

  And she could see that he had been, his concern still in the deep grey of his eyes. ‘Don’t be,’ she told him brightly, needing no further assurances from him concerning his ex-wife. ‘And as for being full of surprises—when did we decide to live in London?’ She quirked dark brows again.

  He frowned in thought. ‘I believe it was the night we became engaged.’

  ‘No.’ Lilli shook her head. ‘You refused to even discuss it then.’

  ‘Because at the time I was intent on kissing you, if I remember correctly.’ He grinned as she blushed at the memory. ‘But your wish not to live in New York was duly noted, and—’

  ‘Acted upon.’ Lilli frowned. ‘I can see I’ll have to be more careful about what I say in future. Or was Sanchia right about your indulgence?’ she added teasingly. ‘Won’t it last?’

  Patrick’s arms moved smoothly about her waist. ‘It isn’t a question of indulging you, Lilli. You said you didn’t want to live in New York, and, as I have no feelings either way, it seems obvious that we live here. I want you to be happy in our marriage,’ he added gruffly. ‘And if living in London is going to help do that, then this is where we’ll live. I thought, with your agreement, that we could go house-hunting in the new year?’

  He probably couldn’t see it—and, in the circumstances, Lilli had no intention of pointing it out to him, either, because living in London suited her one!—but the fact that he had made this decision on his own, without any consultation with her, was an act of arrogance in itself.

  ‘Fine,’ she nodded.

  ‘Do you mind staying here in the hotel until we find a house? I somehow don’t think we should move in with either your father or my sister.’

  Lilli grimaced. ‘Certainly not!’

  Patrick grinned. ‘Ditto.’

  She blinked up at him. ‘That’s amazing, Patrick; do you realise that’s three things we’ve agreed on in the last five minutes?’

  ‘Three things...?’ He looked serious as he thought back over their conversation.

  She nodded. ‘To live in London. And that your ex-wife is a bitch! She even chose to wear a white suit to come here today.’ Lilli had duly noted the deliberate ploy of Sanchia to upstage the bride; the beautiful silk suit obviously had a designer label, and white was usually the colour reserved for the bride on her wedding day. She didn’t doubt that Sanchia had been reminding her that she had been Patrick’s bride first!

  He grimaced. ‘But the jacket, if I remember correctly, was edged with black. And Sanchia is more black than white!’

  There was so much pain behind that stark comment. Lilli could only hope that one day he would feel comfortable enough in their relationship to talk to her about the marriage that had ended so disastrously.

  For the first time that she could remember in their acquaintance Lilli was the one to reach up and initiate a kiss between them.

  Patrick seemed as surprised as she was to start with, and then he kissed her back.

  It hadn’t been premeditated on her part; Lilli could have had no idea Sanchia would choose that particular moment to storm out of the reception room further down the hallw
ay. But that was exactly what she did, her eyes narrowing glacially as she took in the scene of intimacy. With one last furious glare in their direction, she turned on her heel and walked away.

  For good, Lilli hoped.

  ‘Good timing,’ Patrick told her dryly as he grasped her elbow to take her back to their guests.

  He believed she had kissed him at that moment deliberately, so that Sanchia would see them!

  And perhaps it was better if he continued to think that, Lilli decided as they moved around the huge dining-room chatting to each of their guests. Patrick had clearly stated he did not want a wife who loved him, only one that would be faithful and loyal.

  Loving him as she did, those two things would be quite easy to be, and it was best to leave it at that...

  ‘Thank goodness that’s over!’ Patrick pulled off his bow-tie with some relief, discarding his jacket onto a chair too, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. ‘I thought your father and Gerry were never going to leave.’

  Lilli smiled at the memory of her father dithering about downstairs, drinking two glasses of champagne that he really didn’t want, simply because now the time had come for him to leave Lilli alone with her husband and he was reluctant to do so.

  She shook her head. ‘And I thought the bride was the one that was nervous; you would have thought it was Daddy’s wedding night the way he kept so obviously delaying our departure upstairs!’ She smiled affectionately, sitting in one of the armchairs in the sitting-room of their suite, her veil discarded hours ago, the tea-roses still entwined in the flowing darkness of her hair.

  Patrick looked across at her with dark grey eyes. ‘And are you?’ he said gruffly. ‘Nervous,’ he explained softly at her frown.

  She swallowed hard. ‘A little,’ she acknowledged huskily.

  He came down on his haunches beside her chair. ‘You don’t have to be, you know.’ He smoothed the hair back from her cheeks. ‘It’s been a pretty eventful day, one way or another. And now it’s very late, and we’re both tired, and we have the rest of our lives together. I suggest we both take a shower and then get some sleep.’ He straightened. ‘There are two bathrooms in this suite; you take one and I’ll take the other.’

  Lilli looked at him dazedly as he picked up his jacket. He didn’t want her!

  ‘Lilli?’

  She focused on him with effort. He was so tall and masculine, so devastatingly attractive. And he was her husband.

  Damn it, she wanted to make love with him! This was their wedding night. And a part of her—the part that wasn’t nervous!—had been anticipating the two of them making love. And now he had decided they weren’t going to, after all...

  He gave an impatient sigh. ‘Stop looking at me as if I’ve just hit you! I’m not a monster, Lilli, and I can see how tired you are. A shower and then sleep will be the best thing for you at the moment.’

  The exhaustion she had felt on their way up here had suddenly vanished. Patrick didn’t want to make love to her! Was this the way it was when you didn’t marry for love? Or was he more affected by Sanchia’s visit than he had admitted? Had seeing the other woman again made him realise he had made a mistake? What—?

  ‘You’re letting your imagination run away with you now,’ he rasped suddenly, looking at her assessingly. ‘Asking yourself questions that, in the clear light of day, you will recognise as nonsensical. I’m trying to be a gentleman, Lilli,’ he explained. ‘But if it makes you feel better I could always throw you down on the carpet right now and—’

  ‘No!’ she cut in forcefully, getting to her feet, avoiding looking at him as she did so. ‘I’ll go and take that shower.’

  He nodded abruptly. ‘I’ll see you shortly.’

  Lilli went through to the bedroom; her clothes had been brought here the day before and unpacked into the drawers. She took out the white silk nightgown before going through to the adjoining bathroom, thankfully closing the door behind her.

  She had made a fool of herself just now, and it wasn’t a feeling she was comfortable with. Patrick wasn’t an eager bridegroom, in love with his new wife, desperate to make love with her. There was no urgency to consummate their marriage. They had plenty of time for that...

  Patrick was already in bed when she came through from the bathroom half an hour later, the sheet resting about his waist, his chest bare, the hair there dark and curling, his skin lightly tanned. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he looked—

  Lilli quickly looked away as he turned towards her, knowing the flare of desire she felt at the sight of him would be evident in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry I took so long.’ She moved about the room, hanging up her wedding dress and veil. ‘It took me ages to get the flowers out of my hair and then pull a brush through it.’ She held up a hand to her long vibrant hair. ‘And then I—’

  ‘Lilli, just leave all that and get into bed,’ he interrupted wearily. ‘You’re wearing me out just watching you! It isn’t as if it matters whether or not the dress gets creased; you won’t be wearing it again.’

  She thrust the dress on its hanger into the back of the wardrobe, as if it had burnt her. No, she wouldn’t be wearing it again. Because she would always be married to Patrick. And look how disastrous it was turning out to be!

  ‘Don’t make me come and get you, Lilli,’ Patrick urged as she still made no effort to get into the bed beside him. ‘I never wear anything in bed, and I have a feeling you’re the one that would end up feeling embarrassed if I were to get up right now!’

  She scrambled into the bed beside him so quickly that her foot became entangled in the sheet and threatened to pull the damn thing off him anyway!

  How stupidly she was behaving; she inwardly sighed once she had finally settled onto her own side of the wide double bed. Not at all like the normally composed Lilli. And as for Elizabeth Bennett...!

  Patrick reached out to switch off the light, lying back in the darkness.

  Lilli lay stiffty on her side of the bed, her eyes adjusting to the small amount of light shining into the room through the curtains at the window. She was never going to be able to sleep, couldn’t possibly—

  ‘If it’s not too much to ask—’ Patrick spoke softly beside her ‘—I would like to give my wife a cuddle before we go to sleep.’

  She swallowed hard as he propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her, his individual features not discernible to her, although she could make out the shadows of his face. And he looked as if he was smiling!

  ‘Is it too much to ask?’ he prompted huskily.

  ‘Of course not.’ She moved in the darkness, putting her head on his shoulder as he lay back against the pillow, his arm curved around her, his hand resting possessively on her hip, the warmth of his body—his naked body!—instantly warming her too.

  He gave a sigh of contentment, turning to kiss her temple lightly. ‘This is worth all of the hectic circus today has been.’ He relaxed against her.

  Lilli still felt unsure of herself. Through the ridiculousness of his marriage proposal, her reluctant acceptance of it, the hectic activity during the week that followed, she had never doubted that Patrick desired her. In fact, he had seemed to have great difficulty keeping his hands off her! But now they were married, alone together at last, he didn’t seem—

  ‘You’re letting your imagination run away with you again. Lilli, has it ever occurred to you that maybe I’m a little nervous?’

  ‘You?’ She turned to him, raising her head in surprise.

  ‘Yes. Me,’ he confirmed, pushing her head back down onto his shoulder. ‘I told you, it’s a long time since I did this. Maybe I’ve forgotten how to do it. Maybe I won’t be able to please you.’ He gave a deep sigh. ‘God knows, the last time I attempted to make love to a woman, she fell asleep before we even got started! I’m talking about you, Lilli,’ he explained as he felt her stiffen defensively in his arms. ‘Five minutes earlier you had been full of sensual promise, and then—nothing.’

  She buried her face
in his shoulder at the memory. ‘I had too much to drink. It had nothing to do with—with—’

  ‘Well, it did absolutely nothing for my ego,’ he assured her. ‘Now will you accept that and just leave this for tonight?’

  When he put it that way—of course she would! She had never imagined that Patrick had moments of uncertainty too. He was so damned arrogant most of the time, it was difficult to imagine him being nervous about anything. Certainly not about making love to her!

  ‘Of course I will.’ She snuggled closer to him in the darkness, her hand resting lightly on his chest. ‘Mm, this is nice,’ she murmured contentedly.

  ‘Go to sleep, Lilli,’ he muttered.

  She slept. Not because Patrick had ordered her to, but because, as he’d said, she was truly exhausted.

  Quite what woke her she had no idea, but as she slowly came awake she realised it was probably because she had subconsciously registered that she was alone in the bed, the lean length of Patrick no longer beside her.

  She looked sleepily around the bedroom, realising by the fact that it was still dark in the room that it must be quite early. She finally located Patrick sitting in the chair by the window, a dark robe pulled on over his nakedness.

  She moved up onto her elbows, blinking sleepily across at him. ‘Patrick...?’

  ‘Who the hell is Robbie?’ he returned harshly.

  CHAPTER TEN

  LILLIE was dazed, not really awake yet, totally thrown by the savagely accusing question.

  Patrick surged forcefully to his feet, crossing the room to sit down on the side of the bed, instantly tightening the bedclothes above her, holding her pinned to the mattress. He placed his hands on the pillow at either side of her head, glaring down at her in the semi-darkness. ‘I want to know who Robbie is,’ he repeated in a harsh, controlled voice.

  Lilli pushed her tousled hair back from her forehead. ‘I don’t—What—?’

  ‘Imagine my surprise,’ Patrick ground out, ‘when my bride of a few hours starts calling for another man—a man I’ve never heard of!—in her sleep!’