“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.
She shook her head. “One of the waiters is bringing them over.”
“Are you all right?” He frowned. To his left, Becca was still holding his finger. She squeezed it and he squeezed back.
“I have a headache.” She glanced over at Becca who was deep in conversation with Julia, then touched her forehead, wincing. “I wasn’t sure I should come.”
“Are you upsetting my wife again?” Lawrence asked, sliding his arm around Melissa’s waist. A grimace flickered over her features, as though she hated him touching her. “Darling,” Lawrence said, kissing her cheek. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I’m just feeling a little weak,” she said, exhaling softly. “Maybe Daniel could take me to the library, and ask one of the staff to make me a cold compress. I’ll rest for a little while.” Her smile was tremulous. “Hopefully, I’ll feel better by the time dinner is served.”
She really did look faint. Her face was pale, her lips almost blue.
Daniel looked at Becca and pulled his finger from hers.“I’ll only be a moment.” His smile was tight.
Becca nodded, her brows pulled with concern. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine. I’ll be back. Don’t move.” He kissed her cheek and he felt her skin tighten beneath his lips. She was smiling. Good. He’d take Melissa to the library and then take his rapid insulin in the kitchen. Rona would be able to find a cool cloth for her, make her feel better.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Let’s go.”
Melissa slid her arm through his.
“Interesting, aren’t they? Your boyfriend and my wife.” Lawrence’s voice was low. Becca was still standing with him, along with Charles and Nina. Julia had gone to find Eliana to see if she needed help with anything.
“In what way?” Becca curled her hand around her glass. She hadn’t drunk her gin and tonic at all. Daniel’s water was on a table where he’d left it to escort Melissa to the library. Ten minutes ago. She could see Eliana looking at her watch, as though she was about to call everybody through for dinner.
“I guess there’s still a pull between them,” Lawrence said, his voice almost whimsical. “That happens when you’re with somebody for years. Your lives become intertwined, your emotions, too. Suddenly you don’t know where one ends and the other begins, even after years apart.”
Becca tried to ignore the twisting jealousy in her gut. Lawrence was being Lawrence. It wasn’t as though Daniel hadn’t warned her. “You don’t seem very sure of your wife’s attachment to you,” Becca murmured, looking around to find an escape from him.
“Oh, she loves me. The same way an abandoned puppy loves its rescuer. She’s grateful to me. I’ve given her a beautiful home, a lifestyle she always wanted, and more importantly, I’m there for her. Daniel ignored her for years. And then of course, everything went wrong. She was heartbroken when she came to me. I took her in, made her feel better, made her want me.” He shrugged. “Sometimes the good guys do win.”
“Daniel’s a good guy,” she said softly.
“Are you sure about that?” Lawrence looked at her, his expression full of sympathy. “Do you know why she left him?”
Becca frowned. “For you.”
“You see, that’s no
t quite true. She left him and came to me, yes. But that wasn’t the reason they imploded. I simply took care of her when she needed somebody. When he wasn’t there.”
Her throat felt tight. Like there wasn’t enough space for oxygen to get through. “It doesn’t matter. It’s history.”
“History’s replaying itself in the library right now. If you’re so sure of him, why don’t you go see what they’re doing?” He lifted a pale brow.
“Your wife is the one who’s ill. Why aren’t you checking on her?” She didn’t like what he was insinuating. But she also didn’t like the thought of Daniel and Melissa being alone either. Her hands felt shaky.
“That’s a good point.” A smile played on his thin lips. “We can go together. Give them a surprise.” He held his arm out. “Shall we?”
She’d been played. Either she refused to go and all but admitted she didn’t trust Daniel. Or she went along with Lawrence, no doubt making him happy because he’d gotten what he wanted. Again.
“All right.” She ignored his proffered arm. “I’ll see if he needs any help.” She stalked across the drawing room, turning left at the hallway, her heart hammering against her chest as she heard Lawrence following close behind. The last time she’d been in the library was to play games with Daniel. Was that only two weeks ago? It felt like a lifetime. The day that intersected her life before him, and her life after. The pivot on which her world turned.
She stopped outside the door. Inside, Melissa was sobbing softly. For a moment she wondered if Daniel was in the kitchen, getting the cold compress she’d asked for. But then she heard his voice. Low but clear.
“Why her? I thought you were too busy for relationships. Too focused on work to think about anybody else. So why did you bring her here tonight?”