The Bitter Price Of Love

Deep inside her her soul screamed, as if it had just been dragged down into hell. He was making it so easy for her. Stiffly, as if she had suddenly aged a hundred years, Reba made herself face him. Lord, I’m so cold. So cold. ‘But…I thought this was your yacht?’ she said sharply, embarking on what she knew was going to be a living nightmare.

Her tone reached him now, and he frowned. His eyes scanned her, noting her paleness. There was a strange silence before he spoke. ‘Did you?’ he asked, and she had never heard that quality in his voice before.

The very flatness in the tone of those two words spoke volumes. He was way ahead of her now. She sensed it. A pain so fierce that it twisted her up almost brought a moan to her lips. Oh God, Hunter, I love you. Forgive me. Hands bunched into fists, she made herself sound angry, as if she were the aggrieved party. ‘You certainly acted as if you owned it!’

Hunter went still. His blue eyes had become shuttered, and when he spoke his voice cut like cold steel. ‘I see. You thought I was a rich man, didn’t you?’ A violent anger entered his eyes as he shook his head. ‘Boy, did you have me fooled. I actually thought you loved me too.’

Love him? She loved him so much she thought she might die from the pain. But she couldn’t. She had to shrug and wave her hand dismissively. ‘Of course I loved you, but…’ She let the word hang tellingly.

His beautiful mouth turned ugly. ‘But only because I was a rich man? Tell me, precisely what did you think messing about with boats meant?’

She had to swallow hard in order to answer. ‘That you owned the thing, of course!’

‘And so you thought you had it made when I asked you to marry me.’

She was going to shatter. Every hope and dream she had ever had was here, coalesced into this one man—and she couldn’t have him. It took every ounce of her courage to add to the lie. ‘I told you how important money was. I made up my mind a long time ago to marry a rich man.’

The love which had once blazed from his eyes was gone forever, replaced by a searing contempt. ‘Whether you love him or not?’

Every look and word was a blade to cut her with. She was amazed that he couldn’t see she was dying inside. She felt as if her emotions were written in neon. Yet her shrug was a perfect gem of indifference. ‘Naturally I’d prefer to love him. When I met you——‘

‘You thought you’d hit the jackpot!’ Hunter interrupted harshly, then abruptly moved away from her, as if the closeness would taint him. ‘Sorry, sweetheart, but you just lucked out.’

Reba clung to her small victory as if it were a lifeline. Her words had worked. Already he hated her. Despair like she had never known threatened to overtake her, but she couldn’t give in to it. Now, or ever. ‘You win some, you lose some.’

Her words drew a glance so cold she flinched. ‘That’s your philosophy, is it?’

If only it were! Unfortunately she didn’t have another flip answer in her right then. ‘What are you going to do?’ she asked finally.

‘Does it matter? I’ll probably put out, but wherever I go, it certainly won’t be where the rich hang out. I intend to go and get royally drunk, and thank my lucky stars I’m not rich, because I’ve just had a lucky escape from the greediest little gold-digger it’s ever been my misfortune to meet!’ he growled at her.

She caught back a sob by pressing her hand to her lips. ‘I do love you in my way, Hunter,’ she managed to say, wanting to tell him, even if he no longer listened.

His lip curled. ‘Sweetheart, you don’t know what love is. If you did, you wouldn’t have just thrown it all away. I don’t know who I pity most—you, or the man you eventually manage to snare. One day you’re going to find out money isn’t everything, Reba,’ he told her, and without another word he swung himself back on board and disappeared below.

Knowing her composure was about to desert her, Reba retraced her steps on legs which threatened to give out at any minute. She had done what she had set out to do, but there was no joy in the knowledge. Her whole body ached with the pain of her betrayal, but she hoped that one day he would thank her for what she had done. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing he wouldn’t go on wanting someone he could never have.

Hailing a cruising taxi, she collapsed inside and asked to be taken back to the hotel. She glanced at her watch, amazed to see that barely an hour had passed. Hysteria brought a lump to lodge in her throat. It had taken less than an hour to bring her world down around her. Somehow she had to salvage what she could and go on, but she knew she would never see Hunter again, and her heart was a dead thing inside her.

Then began her dark night of the soul. Back in her hotel room, she flung herself down on the bed and cried until there were no more tears left. In the state of numbness which followed, she told herself that there had been nothing else she could do. Too much rested on her, and she couldn’t selfishly abandon her mother to her fate. She loved Hunter. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She had done the only thing she could for him, by making him hate her.

But it didn’t ease the pain. It would take months, even years, to make thinking about him halfway bearable.

Emotionally drained, she knew she would have to put on the second greatest act of her life in the next few days. Eliot at least didn’t expect a wild display of affection from her, but she would have to show him she was happy in her choice. She hadn’t decided when she would ask him for his help. That would depend on how she found her mother.

Harriet was the one who had to believe that Reba was happy. Neither she, nor the rest of the family, must ever know the sacrifice she had made. She knew her mother would blame herself for ruining her daughter’s life, and that was a situation Reba was determined to avoid. So, to all appearances, this marriage would be for love and no other reason.

At least that gave her a purpose, a reason to go on, and she flew home to England later that day, determined to appear happy. The house was empty when she reached it the following day, but Maggie had left her a note saying she had gone to the hospital, and that there was salad in the fridge for her if she wanted it. Having forced herself to eat on the plane, she only lingered long enough to wash and redo her make-up before driving herself to the hospital in the car she had left garaged at the house.

She called in to see the doctor first, and he was characteristically cautious.

‘As you know, every one of these attacks worsens her condition. Your mother is a very resilient woman, and she fights back every time, but it cannot go on indefinitely. The operation will still be able to help her so long as it takes place fairly soon. However, there will come a time when it is no longer viable, especially should she be unable to travel.’

This was pretty much what Reba had expected to hear, and it helped her to know that her decision had been the right one. ‘I expect to get the money very soon. If the operation was to take place within the next two or three months, that would still be OK, wouldn’t it?’ she queried, needing to know precisely. Either she asked Eliot before they were married, or after. Lord, just how did she go about asking for so large an amount?

The doctor pursed his lips. ‘I should think the sooner the better. Our best hope is that your mother doesn’t have another attack too soon.’

That was it then. It must be before the wedding. ‘I’ll have the money next week. Please go ahead and make all the arrangements.’

The doctor looked taken aback, but he rallied at once, not looking a gift horse in the mouth. ‘That’s good news. I’ll put the wheels in motion then, and let you know when everything is ready.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ Reba’s own smile was tight, but he didn’t seem to notice. She went off in search of her mother then, finding her in a small ward that took four beds, two of which were empty at present.

‘Reba!’ Maggie was out of her seat as soon as she saw her sister’s head appear round the door. She was shorter than Reba, her hair browner and her eyes more hazel, but she was just as beautiful, in a less exotic way. ‘Thank goodness you’ve arrived.’

They hugged each other warmly, then Reba glanced over at the bed. ‘How is she?’

‘Better. The doctor says she may go home soon. I told her you were coming. She ticked me off!’

Reba smiled. ‘Then she must be better.’

Maggie grinned, as much in relief as amusement. ‘I’ll go and get you some coffee, shall I? I expect you’ll want to talk to her on your own for a bit.’

‘Actually I want to talk to you both, so don’t be long,’ she disagreed, and moved to her mother’s bedside as Maggie left the room.

Harriet Wyeth looked pale and drawn as she lay against her pillows, but her eyes were as sharp as ever as she looked up at her eldest child.

‘I told Maggie she shouldn’t have sent for you,’ she protested.

Reba bent down to kiss her mother’s cheek, then sat down in the chair her sister had vacated. ‘I’m glad she did. I would have come anyway. I’ve some news for you.’

Harriet pulled herself a little higher up the pillow. ‘Good news?’

‘The very best,’ she agreed, taking her mother’s hand and squeezing it gently.

‘What have I missed?’ Maggie demanded to know, returning just then with the coffee which she set down on the locker.

‘Nothing, darling,’ Harriet assured her at once. ‘Reba was just saying she’s got some good news for us. Tell us, dear, or Maggie is going to burst.’

‘I will not!’ Maggie protested, but she looked across avidly at her sister all the same.

Reba licked her lips. She had prepared what she was going to say during the endless flight, and now hoped she could pull it off. ‘Well, I didn’t like to say anything before I went away, but this assignment brought us very near the total we need. Then I managed to earn some bonuses too, so the good news is that you should be having your operation very soon, Mum!’ she announced, and the look on her mother’s face was reward enough for all her own sorrow.

‘Oh, Reba!’ Her mother’s soft exclamation was drowned out by Maggie’s squeal of delight, quickly followed by a sudden rush of tears.

‘Are you pleased?’

Harriet’s fingers tightened on her daughter’s. ‘Of course I am, but for your sake. You’ve worked so hard, and I never thought it was fair to ask so much of you. I’ve longed to be able to get up and help. I’ve felt so angry and helpless! But now you can stop and get on with your own life.’