‘No?’ Richard raised sceptical brows over cynical blue eyes. ‘I wouldn’t be too sure of that.’ He shrugged uninterestedly.
Sabina would, knew that her mother had never been interested in material wealth. Goodness knew, Sabina had offered to make her mother’s life a little easier financially dozens of times, only for her mother to smilingly refuse, claiming that she had enough for what she needed, which was her little cottage in Scotland, and her vast collection of books.
Besides, Hugh had so much more to recommend him than just his obvious wealth, was still handsome in a distinguished way, was highly intelligent, which her mother would appreciate, and, last of all, Hugh was extremely charming. Like his grandson!
But there was no mistaking the slight edge to Richard’s tone when he talked of her mother…
She drew in a deep breath. ‘Richard—’
‘Not here,’ he cut in tersely, looking pointedly at the driver of the car.
Now he chose to remember the other man! Not that she was averse to cancelling their talk until they were on their own; she wasn’t exactly enjoying this conversation herself.
‘We’ll talk once we’re back in London,’ Richard added harshly.
Once they had returned to the home she shared with Richard. Which, she accepted heavily, would also have to change. In fact, everything would have to change once she had explained to Richard that she could no longer keep her side of their bargain.
Although she didn’t think it was a good idea to tell him it was because she had realised she was in love with Brice!
Brice…
How her heart ached just at the thought of him, more and more so as the miles between them lengthened. When would she ever see Brice again? She had made her feelings concerning the portrait more than plain, as had Richard, which meant, ironically, that the only link she now had with Brice was through her mother’s relationship with Hugh.
Poetic justice for her own unreasonableness the other week when her mother had tried to tell her of the new friendship in her life?
Probably, Sabina conceded heavily as she finally relaxed back in her seat. Something else she knew she would have to put right at the earliest opportunity.
But first she had to sever her engagement to Richard…
Not a pleasant thought, the brief sideways glance she gave in his direction showing her that at the moment he looked grimly unapproachable. This was going to be far from easy!
But, then, why should it be? Richard had been completely honest from the beginning about what he wanted from her in their engagement, and what he would give in return. And he had kept his side of the bargain. Richard hadn’t changed; she was the one who had done that. Worse, she had fallen in love with another man. Although, she hoped she wouldn’t actually have to tell Richard that part. It was enough that she could no longer continue with their engagement, without involving Brice in its demise.
Especially as Brice had no idea she had fallen in love with him!
And he never would have. It was enough of a folly that she knew she was in love with him, without Brice being embarrassed by the knowledge too. Besides, if her mother’s relationship with Hugh became something more permanent, she and Brice were going to be related in some way. In which case, Brice must never know that she had been stupid enough to fall in love with him!
‘The sitting-room, I think,’ Richard announced grimly hours later when they finally reached the house, marching straight over to the array of drinks and pouring out a large measure of brandy.
It had not been a particularly pleasant journey back to London, Richard not inclined to conversation during the flight or the drive back into the City from the airport. In fact, Sabina felt in need of a brandy herself!
‘Could I have one of those?’ she prompted huskily.
Richard wordlessly poured a measure of brandy into a second glass before handing it to her. ‘Dutch courage, Sabina?’ he finally rasped as he stepped back, his gaze hard as he looked at her through narrowed lids.
He did know about the kisses she had shared with Brice earlier; Sabina was sure of it now as she looked at the hard accusation in Richard’s face. Well-deserved accusation, she acknowledged heavily.
‘I’m going to save you the trouble of breaking our engagement, Sabina,’ Richard continued harshly. ‘And break it myself!’ he added scathingly. ‘I’m sure I made clear to you from the onset what I wanted from you, that I never deal with imperfection!’
Sabina gasped at the look of disgust that accompanied this savagely made insult. ‘I’ve never claimed to be perfect, Richard,’ she began softly.
“‘Never claimed to be perfect”!’ he echoed scornfully. ‘You didn’t need to claim it—I knew you were. Successful, beautiful, coolly self-composed, untouched,’ he added the last forcefully. ‘Most of all, untouched! But that’s no longer true, is it?’ he accused hardly.
She had known Richard was going to be upset when she broke their engagement, but nothing had prepared her for this venomous attack. She had seen Richard angry with other people in the past, but for the main part she had refused to see the callousness with which he could deal with people who had disappointed him. Well, now she had disappointed him—and nothing was going to save her from feeling the sharp edge of that rapier tongue!
She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you mean—’
‘I mean coming into that bedroom earlier today and finding you still all hot and sweaty from being in Brice McAllister’s arms!’ Richard cut in icily.
‘Hot and sweaty…?’ Sabina repeated incredulously. ‘Richard, you’re being—’
‘Crudely honest?’ he concluded distastefully. ‘Maybe that’s because that’s exactly what this is.’ He shook his head disgustedly. ‘I thought you were different, Sabina. I thought, after what happened to you, that you were a person, like me, removed from this physical thrashing about people so often associate with love, that you wanted the things from a relationship that we’ve had together the last few months: companionship, intelligent conversation, mutual admiration and liking, while at the same time retaining one’s personal integrity.’ He gave another shake of his head. ‘But this weekend—your behaviour with McAllister has shown me that you’re just like every other woman!’
Sabina stared at him with complete disbelief for what she was hearing. She had shared this house with Richard for several months now, had thought that she knew him. But the things he was saying to her now told her that she clearly didn’t!
‘And to think,’ he continued disgustedly, ‘I was actually thinking of asking you to marry me!’ He shook his head.
She had noted his comment about a honeymoon on the drive up to Scotland, remembered several comments Brice had made about Richard’s wedding plans. But she had thought they had only been made to give credence to their engagement. She had obviously been wrong…
Sabina moistened dry lips. ‘That was never part of our agreement.’
Richard gave her a scathing glance. ‘Your behaviour with McAllister has put our “agreement” at an end, Sabina,’ he told her coldly. ‘In the circumstances, I would appreciate it if you would remove yourself, and your belongings, from my home as quickly as possible.’
Sabina stared at him. He had a right to feel angry, she accepted that, but this was a Richard she had never seen before. A man she didn’t want to know, either…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘THIS is getting to be quite a habit.’ Chloe spoke lightly as she sat beside Brice.
His scowl didn’t lighten at the teasingly made remark, his attention all focused on the catwalk in front of him as he waited for the lights to go down and the fashion show to begin.
He had been trying for the last three weeks to see, or at least speak to, Sabina, only succeeding in receiving the proverbial brush-off from Richard Latham’s watchdog housekeeper every time he’d telephoned the house; Sabina was either ‘away’, or ‘unavailable’. Brice had a feeling she was only unavailable to him!
And so he had once again resorted to persuading Chloe into letting him accompany her to a fashion show where he knew Sabina was to be the top model on the catwalk.
These last three weeks Brice had felt like a thirsty man in a desert—but his thirst was for sight and sound of Sabina, not water!
‘Don’t get too used to it,’ he told Chloe dryly. ‘This really isn’t my thing.’
Chloe gave him a knowing look. ‘I’m not completely stupid, Brice,’ she drawled.
He grinned at his cousin-in-law. ‘I never for a moment thought you were!’ She would have bored his cousin Fergus in the first week if that were the case, instead of which the two of them were more in love than ever.
‘It was rather a surprise for all of us when Hugh announced his intention of getting remarried,’ Chloe remarked innocently.
Too innocently, Brice knew. But he had probably been the least surprised of them all when Hugh had telephoned each member of the family last weekend to make his announcement. Yet another reason he needed to speak to Sabina. At least, that was what he told himself…
‘To Sabina’s mother, of all people,’ Chloe continued conversationally.