The fact that thousands of other woman had ‘great bodies’ didn’t daunt Marina in the least; she was so confident of her own capabilities. And, knowing Marina as she did, Eve didn’t doubt her cousin had the confidence to achieve exactly what she wanted to!
All of which didn’t alter the turmoil in her own life one little bit. And she still had to break the news of the cancelled wedding to everyone else …
Sophy’s reaction was so predictable, it almost went without saying. Almost.
‘I think it’s the best thing you’ve ever done,’ she said once Eve had joined the other couple in the garden and she had told them the news. ‘Maybe now we can get down to talking sensibly about an exhibition.’
‘Darling, now isn’t the time to be discussing that,’ Patrick put in reprovingly. ‘Eve needs time to adjust, to get over——’
‘The wisest decision she ever made?’ his wife scorned. ‘Anyone with any sense—or who isn’t in love with the man—can see him for exactly what he——’
‘Sophy, I said leave discussing the exhibition until another time.’ Again Patrick interrupted, his tone measured, but none the less effective for all that. ‘We have some packing to do, I believe, Sophy,’ he added pointedly.
‘But——’
‘Take care of yourself, Eve.’ Patrick ignored Sophy’s protest, bending down to kiss Eve warmly on the cheek. ‘And if you need someone to talk to, give me a call,’ he encouraged softly.
‘Yes, do call us,’ Sophy added distractedly, giving her a light hug.
‘I said me, Sophy,’ Patrick corrected drily. ‘You can hardly be called a sympathetic ear!’
She drew in an angry breath. ‘I——’
‘Good news, everyone.’ Marina strolled out of the house, closely followed by Adam. ‘I’ve persuaded Adam to stay on here instead of going back to London to an impersonal hotel.’
Eve looked at her sharply, not fooled for a minute by the guilelessly innocent expression in those wide blue eyes. Marina knew exactly what she was doing, and was relishing her role as matchmaker.
Her cousin could be so unpredictable: until this afternoon she had been flirting with Adam for all she was worth; now that she knew there was something—although she wasn’t quite sure what it was—between Adam and Eve, she was throwing the two of them together as if she had never shown the slightest interest in him herself. It was this very unpredictability that made her such an enigma at times.
Eve’s attention turned to Adam, looking for some sign of triumph within him. Once again it wasn’t there, only an air of satisfaction—that things were working out so well in his favour.
‘How nice,’ she responded non-committally.
‘You know, Marina,’ Sophy drawled slowly, her eyes narrowed to jade slits, ‘maybe I’ve underestimated you al
l these years; we have more in common than I’d realised.’ She put her arm through the crook of Marina’s as they turned back towards the house. ‘Perhaps we could arrange to have lunch together when we get back to town?’ she suggested brightly.
‘Perhaps we could,’ Marina responded mischievously as they entered the house.
‘I have some packing to do,’ Patrick excused hastily, as he suddenly felt in the way.
Eve was aware of Adam watching her closely, but she deliberately kept her face expressionless, not really sure yet how she felt about the fact that he wouldn’t be leaving today after all.
One thing she did know, these feelings of manipulation were really beginning to grate on her!
‘Marina made the invitation,’ Adam told her softly once the others had left, moving to stand close beside her. ‘And as I really do have this aversion to the impersonality of hotels …’
Eve gave him a sceptical glance before turning to look out over the garden where her grandmother was tending her roses in complete innocence of the machinations that were taking place around her eldest granddaughter to confuse and befuddle her life.
Her grandmother had disappeared among her precious blooms almost immediately after Eve had announced the cancellation of her wedding to Paul, as if she had difficulty coming to terms with the news. They would have a long chat together later.
‘Is it so wrong of me to want to spend more time with you?’ Adam prompted huskily at her silence.
‘A little unfair, don’t you think?’ she answered without turning.
‘Is it fair that I can’t touch you and love you as I want to?’ he ground out fiercely. ‘Is it fair that I have to stand by and watch everyone bathed in your warmth but me? Is it fair that I tremble like a young boy when I stand close to you like this? Is any of that fair, Eve? Is it?’
She knew he wasn’t responsible for what was happening between them, but was as much a victim of this lightning desire as she was.