Sinful Nights(8)

You mean the two of you plan to re-marry?'

We may  … ' What on earth had she got herself into? Panic clawed at her.  She couldn't marry Blake again. But she had just told her father that  she might.

I suppose if we do it will make the local tongues wag.'

Not necessarily. I don't think Blake's ever told anyone that you're divorced. Most people think you're still just separated.'

Why hadn't Blake told them? Could it be that he was using her father's  illness as a lever to force her to fall in with his plans? He would buy  the land from her, he had told her, but as her husband he wouldn't need  to buy it, and being married to her need not stop him from finding love  elsewhere. It hadn't stopped him before.

She must tell her father that she had changed her mind, she thought  frantically, she must tell him now, before this thing went any further.  Even now she couldn't believe that he was dying. He looked ill yes, but  …   But hadn't she learned the futility of self-deception yet?

Dad  … '

Isn't that the Land Rover?' he asked interrupting her. Blake must have arrived.'

Dad, I  … '

Both of them turned at the sound of firm footsteps on the stairs,  Sapphire unconsciously blending into the shadows of the room as the door  was thrust open and Blake strode in. Strangely his eyes met hers almost  immediately, as though he had known by instinct where she was.

Blake, Sapphire's just told me the good news.' If she hadn't known  better she might almost have believed the look the two men exchanged was  one of complicity, but even as the thought formed it was gone as her  father turned his head and the harsh light through the window made her  acutely conscious of his illness.

Has she now.' For a man who spent so much of his life outdoors Blake  moved exceptionally gracefully, and far too swiftly. She had no  opportunity to avoid him as he walked towards her, lean brown fingers  curling round her upper arm. And do you approve?'

Need you ask?'

Not really.'

I'm sure you two have lots to discuss.' Sapphire snapped out the words  bitterly, resenting their male unanimity. I must go and telephone Alan.  He doesn't know about his car yet.'

Or about us,' Blake reminded her, and while the look in his eyes might  have been mistaken for one of possessive hunger Sapphire knew it was for  her father's land rather than for her.

Outside the room she paused on the landing feeling acutely sick. Why had  she said what she had to her father? Heaven only knew, she didn't want  to be married to Blake again, no matter how temporarily. And yet her  father had been pleased; pleased and relieved and surely for six months  …   Gnawing on her bottom lip she walked down to the kitchen and picked up  the phone. Alan answered almost straight away.

Where've you been?' he demanded. I expected you to ring hours ago.'

I overslept I'm afraid. Alan, I had an accident last night and damaged  your car.' She waited for his anxious spate of questions to finish  before explaining what had happened. Don't let them touch the car-these  country garages, God alone knows what sort of damage they might do.  I'll come up and sort it out myself.'    

 



 

Alan no  … ' Sapphire started to say, but it was too late. Look I've got  to go,' he told her before she could continue. I've got an  appointment. I'll be up as soon as I can-possibly in three or four  days.'

Everything okay?' Mary nodded to the kettle. Fancy a drink? I normally take one up to your dad about now.'

No  …  no thanks, I think I'll go out for a walk.'

Well, don't go too far,' Mary cautioned her. The temperature's  dropping and we might well have snow. Snow in March isn't uncommon up  here,' she reminded Sapphire dryly when she raised her eyebrows. Many a  farmer's lost a crop of newborn lambs to the weather. You should know  that.'

She needed time to think, Sapphire acknowledged as she walked into the  cobbled yard and through into the field beyond; time to come to terms  with what she herself had set in motion. She couldn't back out now; that  much was plain. How could she have been so stupid as to allow Blake to  manoeuvre her into this situation?

But it hadn't been Blake's logical, reasoned arguments that had won her  over, it had been her father's pain. Guilt was a terrible burden to  carry. She shivered suddenly, conscious that her jumper was no real  protection against the bitter east wind, but she wasn't ready to go back  to the farm yet. Going back meant facing Blake; and that was something  she wasn't ready for yet. But she couldn't avoid him forever, and it was  getting colder. Reluctantly she turned and re-traced her steps but when  the farm came in sight and she saw that the Land Rover was still there,  instead of heading for the house she walked towards the large attached  barn.

In the days when Flaws Farm had possessed a small dairy herd this barn  had housed them but now it was empty apart from the farmyard hens whose  eggs were purely for domestic use. She had kept her pony, Baron, in here  and had spent many hours grooming him, preparing him for local  agricultural shows. They had even won a couple of prizes. Sighing  faintly she wandered deeper into the barn stopping beside the ladder  into the hayloft. As a teenager she had retreated up there to read and  daydream. The sound of familiar footsteps made her body tense. Even  without turning round to look she knew who it was.

Something told me you might be in here.' Blake's voice was mocking. You always did use it as a bolt-hole.'

She turned round, trying to blank all emotion out of her features, while  Blake studied her with a slow, insolent appraisal that set her teeth on  edge. Inwardly shaking with nerves she refused to let him see how much  his presence disturbed her. Finished?' she asked sourly. What exactly  were you doing Blake?'

Just wondering why you choose to wear such masculine clothes.' It was a  blatantly challenging statement when coupled with his open study of  her, and to her resentment she knew she had already been betrayed into a  response to it, even if it was only in the increased stiffening of her  muscles.

These happen to be the only clothes I had this morning. No doubt you  like your women dulcet and feminine, compliant and obedient, but I'm not  like that Blake. Not any more.'

No, you're not are you?' There was just a suspicion of laughter  trailing in his voice, enough to make her stare back at him aggressively  and refuse to give way as he came towards her. I also like them  aroused and responsive-just as you are at the moment.'

The explosive denial trembling on her lips died as he reached forward,  his thumb stroking along her throat to rest on the point where her pulse  thudded betrayingly. Anger is a form of arousal isn't it?' he mocked  lightly. And you are angry with me, aren't you Sapphire?'

Not as much as I am with myself,' she told him curtly, drawing away.  She wasn't going to give Blake any advantages this time. What I said to  you last night still holds good, I don't want to marry you.'

But you told your father that you did.'

No. I told him that I was doing. I didn't mean to, but before I could retract you arrived.'

And now?' He asked the question softly, watching her with eyes that gave nothing of his own feelings away.

I'll have to go through with it-you know that. You saw how he reacted.  Dear God, even now I can't believe that I'm going to lose him.' She  paced distractedly, too strung up to give way to tears and yet needing  to release some of her nervous energy.

And what about the boyfriend-have you told him?'
    

 



 
Alan? No  …  not yet, but he's coming up for his car soon, I'll tell him then.'

How soon is soon?' Blake asked idly. Because in three days' time we'll be married.'

Three days! She looked up at him not even attempting to hide her shock. So soon?'

Blake shrugged his shoulders and against her will Sapphire found herself  comparing the masculine breadth of them to Alan's. Even dressed in  faded jeans and an old woollen checked shirt Blake possessed a lithe  masculine sensuality that Alan would never have, for all his expensive  tailoring Alan believed that appearances were important and Sapphire  wouldn't have denied it, but Blake was one of those men who could afford  to break life's rules. Angrily she pushed the thought away.

Why wait?' Blake asked laconically. The sooner it's done the happier your father will be.'

He told me that most people up here don't even know that we're divorced.' Her voice gave away her anger.

Most people? No-one knows,' Blake corrected, blandly.

Not even Miranda?'

His eyebrows rose, and Sapphire felt her face flush. What on earth had  possessed her to bring Miranda's name up? She had no interest in Blake's  love life-it was his own affair.

Why mention Miranda in particular?' Blake mocked.

Perhaps because it's the sort of thing a man would tell his mistress,'  Sapphire came back curtly. After all you told her that our marriage  …   wasn't consummated.'

How do you know that?' His voice had sharpened, hardened almost, but he  had turned slightly away so that Sapphire couldn't see his expression,  but she had definitely caught him off guard. Good, she thought, watching  him. Obviously he didn't know what Miranda had said to her.