An Exception to His Rule(62)

                ‘And all the while we dated guys, but not terribly seriously until I met Simon and she met Peter. And for a few months we double-dated. But then we drifted apart. Simon and I were talking marriage. Carol and Pete weren’t so serious.’ She stopped and shrugged.

                ‘And then Simon wasn’t so serious,’ Damien contributed.

                Harriet nodded. ‘I think Carol tried to avoid it but it didn’t work. And they got married. So you see, it was a double betrayal. That’s what made it so painful. And in the midst of it all my father died and my brother had this accident...and...I was alone. Everything that meant the most to me was gone or, if not gone, terribly injured. I don’t know how I got myself together but, once I did, I decided I was the only one I could rely on.’

                ‘I see—I do see,’ he said gently.

                ‘And it’s not something I want to go through again, any kind of a betrayal. And that’s why—’ she turned to Damien ‘—I’m not prepared to marry you or be your mistress because you’ve got me on your conscience.’

                ‘I—’

                ‘No.’ She put her hand over his. ‘I’m certainly not prepared to fall in love with you, only to find you don’t trust me, to find you don’t and never will believe in love ever after.’

                ‘What you need,’ he said after a long, painful pause, ‘is someone like Charlie.’

                Harriet jumped in astonishment.

                ‘I don’t mean Charlie per se,’ he continued, looking annoyed with himself. ‘I mean someone uncomplicated, with no hang-ups and no habit of command. No back story.’

                He pushed the sheet aside and stood up.

                Harriet stared up at him, her lips parted, her eyes questioning. ‘What...what’s going to happen now?’ she queried unevenly.

                Damien Wyatt looked down at her and his lips twisted. ‘Nothing.’

                ‘Nothing,’ she echoed.

                ‘What did you expect?’

                ‘I...I don’t know,’ she stammered.

                ‘That I’d kick you out?’

                ‘Well, no. I mean—not precisely.’ Harriet reached for her pedal pushers and stepped into them.

                ‘I’ll be off to Darwin first thing tomorrow and I’ll stay with Charlie for as long as he needs me. Then—’ he grimaced ‘—I’ll rearrange my Africa trip. Whilst you can finish my mother’s things and start on the paintings.’

                ‘I’m not sure if I can do that.’

                ‘You should. I’m sure it’ll do your brother good to have you around.’

                Harriet bit her lip.

                He watched her intently.

                She became conscious of his scrutiny. And it seemed to bring back the whole incredible sequence of events as they’d unfolded in this very room, not the least her passionate response to his lovemaking. It did more than that. It awoke tremors of sensation down her body and a sense of longing in her heart—a longing to be in his arms, a longing to be safe with him, a longing to be beloved...