His Wedding-Night Heir(26)

CHAPTER FIVE


The nearer they got to the village, the more Cally's inner tension increased. She found she was playing with die wedding ring, endlessly twisting it on her finger.

She'd done that before, she thought, a year ago as she'd paced the empty house, hearing the echo of her own footsteps, a ridiculous figure, the bride left alone on her wedding day.

And suddenly and terribly discovering why it should be so. Why Nick had chosen to leave her in solitude like that.

At the same time telling herself desperately that it couldn't be true. That Adele's words, still burning in her brain, had been sheer malice and spite. Nothing more.

That she couldn't—wouldn't take them seriously.

Yet knowing all the time that it was impossible to leave it there. Finding herself faced with the brutal necessity of discovering if her marriage was a deception—if the vows she'd exchanged with Nick only a few hours ago were utterly meaningless.

She made a small stifled noise in her throat, and was aware of Nick's swift glance.

'Are you all right?'

'Fine,' she lied. 'I was just thinking—wondering...' She paused, taking a deep breath. 'Whether we could make a quick detour to the cottage. Just for a few minutes.'

He was silent for a moment, then he said quietly, 'If that's really what you want.' And signalled for the turn on to the bottom road past the village.

He parked the car on the verge opposite the gate and Cally got out, trying not to look at the field beside them, which had once been Baz's paddock.

The shock of her grandfather's stroke, which had brought her rushing back from her London job-hunt had been stressful enough. Baz's departure had been a very different kind of agony.

His stable at the rear of Oak Tree Cottage had already been demolished during her brief absence, and its timbers cut up for firewood. While the field where he'd grazed had been bought by a neighbouring farmer and ploughed for barley.

She'd been here, on this same spot, leaning on the fence, staring at the dark furrows and crying when Nick had found her.

'Cally.' His hands had been gentle on her shoulders, turning her to face him. 'What is it? Is your grandfather worse?'

'No. The doctors say he'll make a full recovery.' Her face was blurred and swollen with tears. 'But—he sold Baz while I was away. Got rid of him to some awful riding school in the North and never told me. He says that money's tight and we have to make savings.'

He was silent for a moment, then he said quietly, 'If you want to ride, you can use one of my horses.'

She shook her head. 'It's not that. You see, I've known Baz all my life—and he's just—gone. I can't believe it. I'm going to miss him so much.'

He'd said nothing more, she remembered. Simply drawn her close and held her. It was the first time he'd ever taken her into his arms, and she'd sobbed all down the front of his shirt. A child needing comfort rather than the woman she'd wanted to be.

She wondered suddenly if Nick remembered too, but knew she was being ridiculous. He was only interested in his own private vengeance. And besides, it all seemed such a long time ago.

She crossed the lane and unlatched one of the wrought-iron gates. It opened with a screech of rust. The path to the house was barely visible amid the weeds and coarse grass that flanked it.#p#分页标题#e#

And when she'd fought her way through the encroaching brambles there was little to see. Just the same sad pile of fire blackened stones, from which she and her grandfather had escaped with nothing but their lives, she thought, shuddering.

She turned abruptly to go, and nearly cannoned into Nick, who had come quietly up the path behind her.

'Seen enough?' His hands descended on her shoulders, steadying her.

'It's still a ruin.' She freed herself, stepping backwards. 'I— I thought the whole place would have been cleared by now.'

'It's your ruin, Cally. The site belongs to you, and it's for you to say what should happen to it.' He paused. 'I thought you might want to rebuild. Provide yourself with a sanctuary for the future, when our marriage has finally ended.'

'No, thank you,' she returned coolly. 'I plan to be a long way off then.' She glanced back at the fallen walls and gaping window frames. 'Too many bad memories here.'

'And not just for you,' he said abruptly, looking past her. 'Thank God I was driving past that night, and realised what was happening.'

'You took a terrible risk.' Her voice shook slightly. 'But I'd never have got my grandfather out without you.'

'What woke you?' he asked. 'Did you ever remember?'

She looked down at a broken flagstone. ‘I wasn't asleep. I was sitting on the window seat in my bedroom, thinking of you. Remembering how angry Grandfather had been when he saw you from his couch by the window, comforting me over Baz.

'Like father, like son.' He sounded so bitter. 'Anything in a skirt. Keep out of his way, Cally, do you hear? He's no good for you. No good at all.'