Strategy For Marriage

“How would you know?” Christy was finding his behaviour abominable. “It’s been weeks since I laid eyes on you. Now if you don’t mind I want to leave.”

“When you’re McKinnon’s date?” He challenged her to stop.

“I mean leave this room. You have me bailed up.” She stared at him in disgust, willing him out of the way.

“No one will come in here, Christy,” he said as if to reassure her.

“Oh, please. You’d better hope and pray not Ashe McKinnon. You could wind up dead. He’s very protective of his cousin.”

“I can handle Callista.” He smiled tightly. “I had to talk to you, Christy. I have to see you later.”

“Later?” Her eyes flashed angrily even while her voice rose in sheer disbelief. “Later you’re supposed to be on your honeymoon. Not renewing our relationship.”

“How I wish it was you,” he admitted in a tone of deepest regret.

“Go to hell.” She prised her fingers from his arm. “And I hope you stay there.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” he groaned, his eyes curiously glazed. “I love you. You love me. Nothing can change that.” He reached, as though this time she would surrender and go into his arms.

Instead the tall, powerful figure of Ashe McKinnon appeared in the open doorway. He fairly lunged into the room, looking as daunting as the devil, just as dangerous, and probably just as unlawful.

“This has to be the most stupid thing you’ve ever done, Deakin,” he rasped, eyes like black diamonds. “Get away from him.” He turned on Christy, grinding out the order.

Giving orders was a tendency in dangerous creatures, she thought, instantly obeying.

“Hasn’t it crossed your arrogant mind that’s what I’m trying to do?” The decided edge in her voice matched his own.

“I told you to stay with me,” he reminded her, not taking his eyes off the errant bridegroom who had taken cover of sorts behind an armchair.

“And you really thought I was going to obey? What sort of woman do you think I am?” Christy fired, embarrassed beyond words.

“An idiot to begin with,” he informed her shortly. “Come over here to me.”

She knew better than to rile him further.

“What are we going to do with you, Deakin?” Ashe felt like slamming Callista’s brand-new husband against a wall. “My family is very important to me.” And in all honesty he was seething at the sight of Miss Parker near wrapped in Deakin’s arms.

“It wasn’t what you think.” The panic-stricken Josh assumed a look of deep apology. Tangling with the cattle baron would be like tangling with a charging rhino. “It’s the same old story. You must know it, Ashe.” His mobile features took on a man-to-man expression. “Christy and I had a little fling but when I told her it was over she wouldn’t let go. Women are like that.”

She had never known this man, Christy thought, gazing at him with a mixture of dismay and pain.

“You really think I’m going to swallow that?” Ashe near choked, he was so angry. He couldn’t, absolutely couldn’t, relate to this guy. What in the name of God did Callista and this girl, Christy, see in him? He was ninety-five per cent toxic waste.

“It’s true.” Christy picked that moment to be utterly selfless. Not for Josh. Sometime in the future Josh would get his comeuppance. But for Callista. She had no desire to hurt Callista. Callista was just another woman who thought herself deeply in love with a man she couldn’t see clearly. “I came here to tempt him.”

“What rot!” Ashe bridled afresh. “About as good as it gets.” He studied Christy with contemptuous eyes. “You’re trying to save his worthless skin.”

“Your cousin Callista doesn’t deserve this. She’s the innocent party. I owe her something. The question I ask myself now is why did you, astute old you, let her marry him?”

Ashe’s dynamic face mirrored his frustration. “The fact is Callista is nearly thirty years old.” He rounded on Christy, his anger abruptly abating when he saw how pale she was. Her eyes were enormous, a dead give-away she was deeply disturbed.

“Get the hell out of here, Deakin,” Ashe ordered, his voice cracking like a whip. “Your playing around with other women ends today. If I hear one word…!”

“I’m going to be the best husband ever,” Josh proclaimed like a professional con man, looking Ashe in the eyes.

“You’d better be, my man.” Ashe nodded, his expression grim.

“I love Callista,” Josh poured it on while Ashe McKinnon threw back his dark head and roared.

“I have grave misgivings about that. You’re dirt.”

The rest of Josh’s words dried up. Hastily he crossed to the door, pausing a moment from its relative safety. “As far as I’m concerned Christy is the culprit here. Ex-girlfriends aren’t supposed to gatecrash a man’s wedding.”

Ashe swore beneath his breath in a near ecstasy of anger. “Get out of here.” The attitude of his body suggesting a panther about to spring into action.

Josh wasn’t entirely insane. With one last aggrieved look he took to his heels.

“Not his finest hour,” pronounced Ashe in disgust.

When the time came—by now time had no meaning for Christy—for the happy couple to leave on the first leg of their honeymoon—an overnight stay in the honeymoon suite of a leading hotel before jetting off for three weeks in Thailand—the guests had assembled on the grand sweep of front lawn of the McKinnon mansion to wave them off.

Callista, as pretty as a picture in her pink going-away outfit, turned to throw her bouquet. A surprisingly high sweep. Christy, battling with the illusion she was trapped in a dream, made no move to catch it. She felt quite naturally it was inappropriate as well as the fact she had gone off weddings. She didn’t even make a playful gesture of reaching up as all four bridesmaids were doing, but in earnest. The bouquet simply descending gracefully but in a mesmerizing way, twirling and twirling a lovely posy of perfect pink and white roses threaded with traceries of green.

The bridesmaids were running forward, palms up, fingers steepled, each one determined to catch this wonderful forecast. I’m next! Their faces were bright with excitement and anticipatory pleasure.

Me. Me. Let it be me.

But life is full of disappointments and preordained events. Callista’s bouquet fell with a soft fragrant weight into Christy’s nerveless hands.

She saw the muscles along Ashe McKinnon’s clean-cut jaw tighten cynically before two of the women guests grasped her in affectionate camaraderie and kissed her on either cheek.

“Lucky girl!” They batted speculative glances at Ashe. God, wasn’t he a drop-dead hunk!

And why not? Ashe had scarcely left her side. Mercedes had berated him fondly for trying to fool her. Everyone seemed to think she was the new woman in Ashe McKinnon’s life. An irony not lost on either of them.

And so it was that Christy and Ashe McKinnon left the wedding together. Christy heading into very deep waters indeed.

CHAPTER TWO

FROM nowhere a chauffeured limousine appeared. At least there were some pluses to being rich. Christy stepped into the back seat. After a moment Ashe McKinnon joined her.

In the silence that followed, Christy stared out the window, devastated by the whole day.

“Silly me, I’ve forgotten where you live,” he said in an ironic tone.

She surveyed him gravely, her faith in life shattered, yet it was he who had rescued her from a very bad situation.

“Goodness me, and you were thinking of moving in. Number 10 Downing Street.” At least that was a world away.