Passionate Scandal

‘Taken by surprise, my foot!’ scoffed Vicky. ‘He knew damned well that you were coming here today—I told him! Made him promise to stay out of the way! God,’ she choked, ‘I could kill him for doing that, the rotten devil!’

The lunch was not the resounding success it should have been. Madeline’s confrontation with Dominic had helped spoil it, but it was the feud between their two families which completely ruined the day.

‘It’s crazy,’ Vicky agreed. ‘They don’t seem to mind that you and I stay friends. But my father will have nothing to do with yours, and vice versa.’ She grimaced, ‘It’s made the last four years damned difficult for me if you must know. I daren’t speak to your family because it would upset my lot, but I can’t just snub people who have always been warm and caring towards me. So I stay out of the local social scene for most of the time. That way I don’t get pulled in two different directions.’

‘Is there no way you can think of that would put an end to it?’ Madeline asked anxiously.

Vicky lifted her face and smiled rather cynically. ‘Not unless you and Dominic fancy getting back together again— No,’ she then said quickly when Madeline stiffened up. ‘I didn’t mean that seriously. It’s just that...’ She sighed, frowning. ‘He was sorry afterwards you know. He tried to see you, but...’