Diamonds are for Marriage: The Australian's Society Bride

“But nothing has been going on, as you put it,” Boyd assured her. “Not until this weekend. I was giving Leo a little time, that’s all. She’s been enjoying her career. I’m sure we’re all very proud of her, but now I’ve decided we have to get on with the rest of our lives.”

“Does your father know any of this?” Jinty asked through clenched teeth. It was obvious she had difficulty speaking she was so clearly stunned.

“Not as yet. He’s been too busy trying to push Chloe at me. I’ll tell him when I’m ready. Leona will make the most beautiful bride.”

Jinty couldn’t get out of the drawing room fast enough.

“Has everyone taken leave of their senses?” Leona asked when she was quite sure that Jinty had gone up the staircase.

“Well, I’m certainly in possession of mine,” Boyd said. “We’d better get you upstairs before you collapse. And you could tell that cowardly little brother of yours—”

“He’s not a coward,” she said loyally. “He wanted to return the earrings to the Limoges bowl.”

Boyd ignored her. “You know another thing about Robbie? He’s well over his ears in debt.”

“Is he?” She moaned as if it was all too much for her.

“You don’t know?”

Her green eyes were dark with dismay. “Well … he tells me everything, but …”

Boyd cut her off. “He’s got himself mixed up with people who are little more than thugs. The kind who target young idiots like Robbie, a rich kid, an easy mark.”

“Dear God!” Leona let her head fall into her hands. “I blame myself.”

“Well, you would, wouldn’t you?” Boyd returned very crisply. “You’ve been covering for Robbie for years. Where is he now? And don’t, I beg of you, Leona, lie.”

“He’s in my room.”

“What, hiding under the bed?”

“You know why he gets into trouble, don’t you?” Leona made a passionate effort to try to absolve Robbie from some of the blame.

“He has an identity crisis?” Boyd asked, unbearably suave.

“Yes, he does. His father deserted him. Dad doesn’t know what to make of him. For heaven’s sake, he doesn’t know what to make of me. The proverbial cat would make a better mother than Delia. Robbie has suffered.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Boyd cut her short. “Robbie wallows in his suffering when he’s being looked after very well,” he told her grimly. “He has a more than adequate allowance. He buys the best of everything from Blanchards, then forgets to pay off his account. He’s at university. He’s a fine athlete, good-looking and clever. My heart bleeds for him.”

“So what are you going to do?” she whispered.

“Oh, give me a break! I’m going to knock him senseless.”

Leona winced. “You wouldn’t do that.” Was it possible?

“What good would that do?” Boyd shrugged. “You tell Robbie I want to meet him ten o’clock sharp tomorrow morning in the hall. We’ll go for a nice long walk together.”

“Oh, thank you, Boyd. Thank you.” She felt like falling to her knees and kissing his hand.

“Alas, not the end of the story, Leona,” he said tersely. “I meant what I said. That wasn’t a bit of play-acting for Jinty’s benefit. You will make a beautiful bride. My bride. You belong to me. No one else. Consider that our deal. Robbie gets thrown a lifeline. But if there’s a next time when he gets himself into a really bad situation, he can drown. But for now, you marry me. You’re the only one who can give me what I want.”

The more she scanned his dynamic face, the angrier she became. So angry she started to stutter. “So … can … you t-tell me exactly why you want me?” Her green eyes flashed and rosy colour swept into her face. She was maddened by his easy arrogant assumption that she would go along with his grand plan. Robbie or no Robbie, she wasn’t going to accept this sort of proposal when it was clearly as he said, a deal.

“Is it because you think you own me? Or think you can. Is that it?”

For answer, he knotted his fingers through her rose-gold hair, drawing her mutinous face closer. Then he brought his masterful mouth down on hers, almost bruising in its intensity, leaving his indelible mark. “That’s it,” he said. “That’s it exactly.”

“But that’s blackmail!” Her legs were buckling. The fine flavour of him was on her lips and her tongue. No matter what heart, body and spirit craved, it would be spineless to give in to him without a fight.

“You have the choice, Leona,” he told her. “It’s over for Robbie or we start a new life together.”

It was near impossible to calm herself. “What if your father decides it simply won’t do?” She knew that was bound to happen.

His expression hardened. “My private life is a no-go area where my father is concerned, Leona. I pick my wife, Leona. I choose you. I’ve known you since you were a child. I understand you better than anyone else. For your sake I’ll make sure Robbie gets pulled very firmly into line. And it will go no further. In my view, Robbie is more pampered than suffering and it has to stop.” He sounded so incredibly stern she could have wept.

“How long have you been thinking about this?” she asked, considering with a rush of horror that it might be one way of getting rid of all the women who were chasing him.

“Does it make a difference?” he asked suavely. “Let’s just say tonight has brought things to a head. No need for you to say anything to anyone. Not just now, anyway. I’ll handle all the preliminaries.”

“Preliminaries? What the heck does that mean?” she asked fiercely, her redhead’s temper coming to the fore. “And what if I don’t go along with it all? You’ll throw Robbie to the lions?”

“I should have threatened to throw him to the lions sooner,” Boyd answered very crisply. “But you will go along with it, so we no longer have to consider it. I’ll speak to my father some time this weekend.”

“Not frightened of anyone, are you?” she said caustically. “Well, I am. Please wait until I make my getaway before you speak to Rupert. He’ll be furious.”

“Are you sure you’ve got that right?” He was staring down at her with his bluer than blue eyes.

“Of course I’ve got it right,” she retorted, frowning at the question. “Little Leo stealing his precious son away?” She was trying very hard to stare him down, but she couldn’t.

“Why are you trying so hard to throw up excuses?” A vertical line appeared between his black brows. “You’re beautiful. You’re clever. You can be a handful, like now. But, that aside, you’re a real asset to the family. Any family. So why are you so incredibly insecure?”

She flushed with anger. “Maybe it’s an age thing,” she threw back with intense emotion. “You’ve got problems too, though God knows you’ve got the capacity to go about solving them. I’m twenty-four. You’re thirty. One can gain a lot of experience in six years.”

“You’re suggesting I wait until you’re thirty?”

“Thirty is fine for you.”

“I want you now, Leo,” he said. “You’re off your head if you think I’m going to give you even another year. Make it six months.”

That nearly knocked her out. “You sound absolutely mad.”

He sighed deeply. “No one but no one can make me as mad as you.”

“Yet you’re talking about marrying me. Let’s make it clear. Do we live together or do we retain separate apartments?”

“Well, it’s an idea,” he said, then began to laugh. “Don’t you think I can make you happy, Flower Face?”

She looked away from him, fighting tears. “The thing is, Boyd, you can overlook the need for love. Okay, I know we’ve got an emotionally charged relationship. You say you want me. I’m frightened to admit that I want you too. But you’re not the first man to tell me he wanted me. I don’t want to boast, but I hear it all the time. But want? What does that mean? Does it mean simply assuaging a sensual appetite?”