Kathryn suddenly felt foolish that she’d worn the white suit today: she’d been going to wear it at her wedding to Daryl.
There’d been no special significance in this last act. She’d chosen to wear it simply because she knew she looked great in it. She’d fantasised about Hugh taking one look at her today and wanting her like crazy again. She’d imagined him sweeping her into his arms and taking up where he’d left off last night.
He’d given her the impression this morning that this might be on the cards—he’d certainly looked at her with desire in his eyes—but fate had intervened with Peter dropping by to see him first thing, after which Hugh had had phone calls and visitors all morning.
By the time his mother had arrived shortly before twelve-thirty, they hadn’t had a single private moment together. A frustrated Kathryn had found it difficult to be at ease with Mrs Parkinson, her conversation feeling stilted. She’d been relieved when Hugh had finally left with her, though spending time alone hadn’t been conducive to relaxation.
Images of the previous evening kept popping into her head, only the thought that she genuinely loved Hugh making her feel better about all they’d got up to. Surely it wasn’t wrong to give yourself so totally to a man if you loved him.
It hadn’t seemed wrong at the time. It had been very exciting. Very fulfilling.
It was going to be extremely difficult to forget him.
Though why should I forget Hugh? came the defiant thought.
He’d been good to her, hadn’t he? He’d given her Val’s house, plus more sexual pleasure this past week than she’d experienced during her whole life so far.
At the same time, however, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life pining for Hugh. She needed to make a life for herself which would carry her through to old age. She wanted a family of her own. A husband and children to love and care for, and who would do the same for her.
As much as she might like to think he could be, Hugh would never be that man.
‘Kathryn?’ Hugh prompted, his voice sounding a tad anxious. ‘You haven’t answered me. You don’t regret going to bed with me, do you?’
‘No,’ she said simply and sincerely. ‘No, I don’t regret it at all.’
‘That’s good. I’m glad. Now, I suppose I’d better contact all the section heads and let them know that my father will be back on deck next week. They’ve probably been slacking it with me in charge,’ he added with a wry smile, turning away and heading for the door.
Clearly, he meant to transmit this news in person, not by phone or email.
‘What do you want me to do whilst you’re gone?’ Kathryn asked.
Hugh stopped and turned. ‘Nothing for me. You could give Elaine a ring. Find out if there’s anything you need to do before Dad’s return. Other than that, I suggest you pack up anything of yours from this office and go home. If I don’t see you again today, I’ll ring you tonight and make final arrangements for Sunday. Which reminds me, Russ is going to ask his wife, Nicole, to be the other witness. He said James needed to be with Megan, twenty-four-seven. And I agreed with him. But don’t worry,’ he threw over his shoulder as he whirled and strode off. ‘Nickie won’t breathe a word to anyone.’
Kathryn wasn’t worried about that. What worried her was how she was going to cope, after Monday.
The future had often seemed black to her in the past, but never as much as at that moment
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
‘I NOW pronounce you man and wife.’
Nicole’s hand tightened around Russell’s. Oh dear, she thought. What a tragedy this wedding was.
There was Hugh, the darling man, marrying his PA so that she could inherit some silly house. Yet it was perfectly obvious to anyone who knew him that Hugh was madly in love with this woman. Russell already thought so, and, now, so did she.
Hugh was so gentle with her. So tender. Whereas she was cool to him, very cool.
It made Nicole want to cry.
‘You may kiss the bride,’ the minister added, a little unsurely.
Nicole wasn’t sure what Hugh had told the poor man about this wedding but he clearly knew it wasn’t entirely truthful.
When Hugh bent to give his PA a platonic peck on her cheek, his eyes were uncharacteristically bleak, confirming what Russell had told her last night; that this was undoubtedly the girl Hugh had been fancying for some time and who wouldn’t come across.