Part 14 (1/2)

'You'll have to watch that.'

'Oh, Tony, what else did he say?'

'It was only a telegram, old love. You can't say a lot in a telegram.'

'So that was all? That I'd been ill?'

Tony frowned. 'Well, he made it sound as if you needed me, know what I mean? Though why he should have thought that, I can't imagine.'

'I can.'

Catherine spoke under her breath, hunching her shoulders, and turning away. She could imagine only too well. Jared was convinced she was expecting a child-Tony's child, he presumed.

He had brought Tony out here to face his responsibilities. That was the way things were done here. But now he must know that Tony could not possibly father any child.

But why had he arranged this secretly? Why hadn't he told her what he was planning? Given her a chance to persuade him he was wasting his time? Why had he behaved today as if he loved her, and then produced the one man she might conceivably be expected to care about? It didn't make sense. Unless. ..

She paced restlessly across to the open french doors. They had given Tony rooms on the ground floor of the house, enabling him to come and go in his wheelchair without difficulty. Manners was next door, unpacking their belongings, but he had insisted that Tony should rest for a while before dinner. He didn't approve of Catherine being here, but she felt that if she didn't talk to somebody she would go mad.

Coming back from the airport, she had travelled in the back of the car with Manners, it being easier for Tony to manoeuvre himself into the front seat. His wheelchair was collapsible, and had fitted without too much difficulty into the s.p.a.cious boot. But even sitting behind Jared, she had been conscious of his anger. It had been there in the polite, but clipped, conversation, he had held with Tony-in the controlled suppression of his driving-in the stiffened tautness of his shoulders, the grimly-held set of his head. She had wanted to slide her hands over his shoulders, she had wanted to press her face into the dark hair which overlapped his collar at the back, to feel his instant response to the pressure of her body.

But instead she had to remain in her seat, silent, answering only when Tony deliberately brought her into the conversation.

When they arrived back at the house, Jared had issued brusque instructions for rooms to be made ready for their guests, and Lily and the other servants had scurried around doing his bidding. It would have been no problem accommodating two people on the first floor, but preparing ground floor rooms had necessitated the removal of certain pieces of furniture, and the installation of others. Tony had been apologetic, endearingly so, Catherine had felt, with a renewal of her affection for him, but Elizabeth, once the initial introductions were over, had proved to be most welcoming, it was no trouble, she had insisted, accommodating any friend of Catherine's, but remembering the other woman's behaviour before she and Jared left that morning, Catherine knew she read the obvious explanation for this situation into Jared's actions. And that brought her back to her own question- why had Jared done it?

Unless... And this was the painful part, unless, in spite of his professed attraction for her, he intended going ahead with his plans and marrying Laura. Perhaps he had seen this as a sure way of getting her, Catherine, off his back. Maybe he resented the power she appeared to have over him. Certainly it had seemed that way in the past. But today...

Better forget today, she thought dully. Better forget everything but the fact that Jared was engaged to Laura, and she was committed to helping Tony raise enough money to build his rehabilitation centre.

'What is it, old love?'

Tony s.h.i.+fted restlessly on the bed, and turning to face him, Catherine felt a pang of guilt at his innocent involvement in all this.

'Nothing,' she said, forcing a smile and determinedly approaching the bed. 'I'll go and leave you. You get some rest. We can talk later.'

Tony stretched out a hand and imprisoned one of hers. 'You're in love with the guy, aren't you?' he stated quietly. 'Don't try to deny it. I know you too well.'

Catherine sighed. 'Tony, Jared is engaged to be married to a girl called Laura Prentiss. You'll probably meet her this evening. I heard Elizabeth say she was going to invite her for dinner.'

Tony gave her an old-fas.h.i.+oned look. 'Since when has an engagement ring prevented one person from being attracted to another? Or a wedding ring, either, for that matter?'

'Tony, please. . .'

'I think you know why he brought me out here.'

'I don't.' She could feel the warm colour invading her cheeks.

'Well, at least--perhaps part of the reason.'

'Which is?'

'I can't tell you, Tony.'

'Why not?'

She bent her head. 'It was-stupid!'

'What was stupid?'

'Something I did. Tony, please, don't ask me.'

'But I am asking you.' He looked up at her steadily. 'Don't you think that perhaps you owe me that?'

She heaved a sigh. 'You won't like it.'

'I'm prepared for the worst.'

'I-' She pressed her lips tightly together for a moment. 'I-I let Jared think I-I was pregnant!'

'What?' Tony dropped her hand to stare at her disbelievingly.

'You did what? In G.o.d's name, what are you talking about?'

'You see?' She shook her head. 'I told you, you wouldn't like it.'

'I certainly don't, but I want to know why you did it.'

'Tony, Manners said you had to rest-'

'Do you think I could rest with this on my mind?' Tony gave her an exasperated stare. 'Come on, sit down.' He patted the bed beside him. 'You might as well unburden yourself 'Oh, Tony!' Catherine sank down on to the bed and burst into tears, burying her face in her hands and sobbing as if her heart would break.

Tony levered himself across the bed to her side, putting his arms around her and drawing her comfortably against his broad chest.

'It's all right, old love,' he murmured huskily, stroking her hair.

'It's all right. Just take it easy. From the beginning. ..'

With stumbling incoherence, Catherine eventually poured out the whole story--her schoolgirl crush on the older man who had been a friend of her father's, Jared's att.i.tude on her arrival in Barbados and her reckless submission, her subsequent relations.h.i.+p with him.. .

Tony was silent when she had finished, and she lifted her head to look at him anxiously. 'You're angry with me?'

Tony shook his head. 'Impatient, perhaps,' he conceded. 'Oh, Catherine! You always were an impulsive little fool! Why didn't you explain why your father had written to Royal? Why did you let him think you lived the life of Riley? G.o.d Almighty, Jack Fulton has something to answer for!'

'Don't speak of Daddy like that,' she protested.

'Well, it's true. Money was his G.o.d, but it was never yours. You should have explained what he was afraid you would do.'

'I couldn't.' Catherine drew away from him, dabbing her eyes with a comer of the coverlet. 'Anyway, it's all been my fault-'

'Well, I think Royal's behaved like a b.a.s.t.a.r.d!'