Marriage Without Love & More Than a Convenient Marriage(41)

‘Just as well,’ Kieron said easily. ‘Until we find a permanent base we don’t have anywhere to put anything. You might introduce Briony to French swimwear, though. My wife has a perfect figure and I object to seeing it clad in clothes that do it less than justice.’

Marian’s face lit up.

‘A shopping spree?—oh yes, I’d love that! It’s a little late for a trousseau,’ she laughed, ‘but as this is practically your honeymoon I think we can stretch a point.’

‘Really, there’s no need,’ Briony began, but the look of disappointment crossing the other woman’s face, and the warning look in Kieron’s eyes, forced her to change her mind and add unsteadily, ‘But of course, if you’re really sure you don’t mind…?’

When she had finished her tea. Marian suggested that Kieron show Briony their rooms.

‘Nicky will be quite safe with Héloise,’ she forestalled. ‘And if you’d like to rest for a while she’ll look after him for you.’

Although the expensive luxury of the villa should have prepared her it was still a shock to discover that their ‘rooms’ encompassed a huge double bedroom complete with en-suite bathroom and an entire wall of mirrored wardrobes, with a dressing room off it, which Marian had thoughtfully organised as a bedroom for Nicky, plus a delightfully furnished sitting room overlooking Nice with its own small patio which led out to the swimming pool, and which as Marian had promised provided its own entrance to the villa.

‘I’ll have to have a word with Marian about making sure the gate leading down to the rocks is childproof,’ Kieron surprised Briony by saying as she stood by the window. ‘Those steps are too steep for a small child and the rocks can be treacherous. Can he swim?’

Briony shook her head. She had taken Nicky a couple of times to the local baths, but lack of time had prevented her from going more regularly.

‘Well, that can be something he can learn while we’re here. Every child ought to before it’s old enough to know fear.’

Cream and peach appeared to be the theme of the villa, Briony reflected as she unpacked, crossing acres of off-white, thick-pile carpet to put clothes away in the huge wardrobe. The bedspread and curtains had a Chinese motif of palest peach and green on a cream background, the theme repeated in the cream and black bathroom.

She paused as she stared at the bed. Tonight she would be sharing that with Kieron. She shivered inwardly.

‘Why don’t you rest before dinner?’ the object of her thoughts suggested, walking into the bedroom from the sitting room. ‘I want to go and have a chat with Aunt Marian.’

And presumably she wasn’t wanted, Briony reflected bitterly.

She had a shower and lay down on the bed, having taken the precaution of locking the bedroom door. She only meant to rest for a few moments before dressing, enjoying the cool play of air against her skin, but somehow her eyes felt too heavily weighted to remain open, and it was so pleasant just to relax. She reached out for her robe, intending to pull it on, but was fast asleep before she even touched it.

A cold shaft of air across her back woke her, and in the dark shadows of the room it was several seconds before she remembered where she was.

She glanced at her watch in horror, unable to believe that she had slept so long. Kieron! Had he come looking for her and found the locked door? And Nicky! What on earth would Marian and Héloise think of her? She rolled over frowning as the curtains billowed in the breeze from the opened French windows. She could not recall unfastening them, and her heart pounded unevenly as a figure detached itself from the shadows on the terrace and strolled towards her.

‘So you’re awake at last.’

Kieron! She reached feverishly for her robe, but he twitched it out of reach, his eyes mocking as he drawled softly, ‘Oh no… you look much lovelier without. I thought the gods were indeed being generous when I came in here and found you lying so temptingly on my bed, like a sacrifice to Bacchus.’

‘But I locked the door.’

‘I know you did,’ deep amusement tinged his voice, ‘but you forgot about the patio, my lovely wife, and now, like Eve tempting Adam with the apple, you’ve aroused my appetite.’

She wriggled away from him, but he was too quick for her, his hands sliding over her skin to hold her waist while her heart beat so loudly she felt sure he must hear and correctly interpret its passionate demand.

‘I told Aunt Marian you wouldn’t want any dinner,’ he murmured softly. ‘Did you really not know that I would break down the door by sheer force once I’d glimpsed your delectable body? What a pity you’ve already had a shower.’