The Diamond Bride

Annie laughed indulgently, knowing that the week Jessica had been told to take as sick-leave from the private day school she attended twenty miles away had been an added incentive to Jessica when it came to the bed-rest. But even that had started to fade as Jessica had begun to miss her schoolfriends, especially her best friend, Lucy.

‘I think that may be a little soon.’ Annie shook her head regretfully. ‘Besides, you can spend some time with your father now.’ Her humour faded at that thought; hopefully she wouldn’t have to spend time with him too! ‘Speaking of which,’ she added briskly, ‘I had better go and shower and dress for dinner so that I can come back and help you later.’

‘Is Daddy coming back up soon?’ Jessica frowned at his non-appearance.

Very soon, if the abruptness of his conversation with Celia was anything to go by! ‘I’m sure he is.’ Annie squeezed the little girl’s hand reassuringly. ‘He was just saying hello to your grandmother when I came up.’

Jessica grimaced at this news. ‘Oh.’

Obviously the tension that existed between her father and Celia wasn’t a family secret, not even from someone as young as Jessica!

‘Try and get some rest,’ Annie encouraged. ‘Then you won’t feel sleepy over dinner.’

She wished, as she walked slowly down the hallway to her own bedroom, that she could sleep through dinner; it didn’t promise, with Rufus Diamond’s arrival, to be a very restful meal.

‘Annie!’

She turned sharply at the sound of her name being called, colour warming her cheeks as she saw Anthony hurrying towards her, her heart giving its usual leap of excitement just at the sight of him, his blond good looks breathtaking to say the least. Annie had been bowled over by him the first time she’d looked at him.

‘God, I’m sorry about earlier.’ He spoke agitatedly as he reached her side, hair windswept, sky-blue eyes troubled as he looked down at her. ‘Davina decided she just had to go into town, and I just had to drive her because the weather was so bad.’ He mimicked a good impression of the slightly breathless way his fiancée spoke. ‘I hope you didn’t wait too long for me down on the jetty,’ he said apologetically as he took one of her hands into his.

Annie was mesmerised once again by the deep blue of his eyes, her legs feeling suddenly weak, her hand trembling when it made contact with his.

How had Rufus Diamond guessed that she was waiting for his brother down on the jetty?

More important than that, how had he known she had become romantically entangled with his brother?

Because she had. Had been attracted to Anthony from the first moment she’d looked at him when he’d come to stay several weekends ago. Too late she had realised he was engaged to someone else. An engagement which was virtually impossible for him to get out of.

‘Not very long,’ she dismissed, though she had already waited almost an hour when Rufus Diamond had arrived. She sounded slightly breathless herself because of Anthony’s close proximity.

‘I’m really sorry.’ Anthony squeezed her hand, smiling. ‘I know that we need to talk, that there must be things you want to ask me.’

Annie felt that fluttering sensation in her chest again as she thought of the possibility that some of their conversation might concern how he felt about her! She wondered if he would kiss her again, as he had on Sunday.

His mother and Davina had gone off that morning to visit neighbouring friends for a couple of hours, and Anthony had cried off because he had some notes to prepare for a case he was involved in when he got back to London the following week. He had told her later that he had also hoped for an opportunity to be alone with her...!

In one way it was lucky he had stayed behind on Sunday, because he’d been the one to help her after Jessica had come off her horse, driving them to the hospital so that Jessica could have her ankle X-rayed, carrying the little girl up to her bedroom once they’d returned, sitting with them both until Jessica had fallen asleep.

And that was when he had kissed her...!

Annie had been stunned. Elated. Ecstatic. Because the attraction she had felt towards him, for so many weeks, was returned.

And then she had felt devastated. Embarrassed. Because he was engaged to marry another woman.

Anthony had explained that he no longer loved Davina, but that it was almost impossible for him to tell her so at this time, since Davina’s father was the senior partner in the law firm Anthony worked for.

Annie could sympathise with his dilemma, but she had no idea where that left her. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she excused him now abruptly, still uncomfortable with the fact that he was engaged to Davina. ‘I—your brother is home,’ she stated flatly, not sure that she would be able to see much more of Anthony anyway, still wondering if she would have a job after today.

It was as if she had given Anthony an electric shock. He stepped back abruptly, releasing her hand as he did so. ‘Rufus is back?’ he grated incredulously, blue eyes wide open now.

‘He’s downstairs with your mother.’ Annie nodded, feeling totally miserable about the other man’s return herself. In fact, the only one who seemed pleased to see him was Jessica! ‘I’m surprised you didn’t see him on your way up,’ she added heavily. Or hear him, she added silently: Rufus Diamond hadn’t exactly been quiet over his disapproval at Jessica having a replacement nanny.

Anthony still frowned. ‘I came straight upstairs to look for you. Do you know how long he’s staying?’

‘He’s only just arrived!’ she responded ruefully.

‘His last effort to be a father to Jess amounted to a full twenty-four hours, I believe,’ Anthony scorned. ‘Have you seen him? Spoken to him?’ He looked at her searchingly. ‘I can see by your expression that you have,’ he said disgustedly. ‘Throwing his weight about as usual, no doubt?’

She moistened dry lips. ‘He didn’t seem—too happy about Margaret’s departure.’

Anthony raised dark blond brows. ‘I wonder why? I mean, a nanny is just a nanny—Oh, not you, of course, my darling,’ he quickly apologised as she looked taken aback. ‘But Jess has had a succession of nannies; I’m just surprised Rufus could tell one from another!’

Well, he certainly seemed to know the difference this time! Although Annie was still stunned by Anthony’s endearment; was she really his darling?

‘Margaret was a blonde; Annie is a redhead,’ drawled a voice that was becoming all too recognisable. ‘I think even I can tell the difference,’ Rufus Diamond said sarcastically as he strode down the hallway.

Annie was once again struck by the lack of similarity between these two men: Rufus was at least a couple of inches taller than his brother as he stood beside the younger man, his hair long, dark and shaggy, while Anthony’s was blond and kept expertly styled. Rufus was also the more powerfully built, and even the casual clothing they both wore was of a completely different style; the older man wore jeans, whereas Anthony’s trousers were tailored. And, although both men were strikingly handsome, that was in a completely different way, too: Anthony’s was a boyish handsomeness, while Rufus Diamond’s face looked as if it had been hewn from the rocks along the seashore.

If Rufus had heard that remark about Jessica’s nannies, had he also heard his brother call her his darling?

Cobalt-blue eyes were narrowed on the two of them in cool assessment before he turned to look at his brother. ‘Davina seems to be wondering where you’ve got to,’ he went on pointedly. ‘I told her to look for the first pretty face and she was sure to find you there! And I was right,’ he added softly, his speculative gaze encompassing Annie again as well now.

She felt the colour enter her cheeks, could feel its warmth. And it had nothing to do with being called pretty by this man. Why was Rufus so contemptuous of her? He didn’t even know her! From the way he talked to her, and about her, she didn’t think he was going to take the time to get to know her, either!

‘I was merely asking Anthony if he knew whether or not you were coming up to see Jessica again,’ she told him tartly. ‘She seemed to think you would be.’

‘And she was right, because here I am,’ he returned, amusement—at her expense!—darkening his eyes even more.

She met that look unblinkingly. ‘I’m sure Jessica will be thrilled,’ she said evenly.

To her surprise Rufus threw back his head and gave a shout of laughter, his expression warm now, that grin still curving his lips as he looked down at her. ‘I was wondering if this unusual colour was real or from a bottle.’ He reached out and lightly ruffled the deep red of her short, curling hair. ‘Now I know it is red! I should watch yourself with this one, Anthony,’ he told his brother. ‘She may just turn round and bite!’ And, with that last taunt left floating in the air between them, he strode off to Jessica’s bedroom, quietly going inside. Jessica’s squeals of delight were heard seconds later.

‘What did he mean by that last remark?’ Anthony asked sharply. ‘Exactly what did the two of you talk about when you met earlier?’

Annie smoothed her mussed hair with irritated fingers. Really, Rufus Diamond treated her as if she were no older than Jessica! Although, from the implications he was making concerning herself and his brother, he didn’t really believe that...!

‘Annie!’ Anthony snapped impatiently. ‘I asked what you and Rufus talked about earlier,’ he prompted at her puzzled look.

She thought back to that embarrassing conversation with him on the beach, when she had mistaken him for a trespasser—and knew she couldn’t tell Anthony about that. She felt uncomfortable enough about the encounter already, without sharing it with anyone.

‘Not a lot,’ she responded vaguely. ‘Although he did tell me to be careful on the beach; he said someone had once died there.’ She looked up at Anthony, perplexed.

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Did he, indeed?’ he said slowly. ‘Did he say who it was?’

‘No.’ She shrugged. ‘We really weren’t talking for that long.’ Only long enough for Annie to make a complete fool of herself!

‘Hmm.’ Anthony was still attentive. ‘It’s interesting that he told you about that at all.’