Forbidden Surrender (10 page)

There was no bitchiness intended in that remark, Marie just didn’t have it in her, and yet Sara realised that once again she was being used as a replacement. She had never felt second-best in her life before, but she did so now. Marie was a lovely, friendly girl, well liked by everyone, and Sara felt that she was being compared to her and found wanting. Marie was placid where she was fiery-tempered, accepted without demur the wishes of the people around her, namely their father and Dominic, whereas she rebelled at restrictions being put on her. Her independent upbringing was possibly responsible for that.

‘I want you to come and live with us for yourself.’ Her father perhaps sensed her bitterness. ‘After all this time I would just like us all to be together.’

‘I—I’ll think about it,’ she told him jerkily.

‘You go back to work, Daddy,’ Marie cut in on the tension. ‘Sara and I will go for a swim this afternoon, and I promise you she’ll still be here when you get home tonight.’

‘Okay.’ He bent to kiss her on the cheek. ‘I think your persuasive powers are a lot stronger than mine.’ He hesitated in front of Sara. ‘May I?’ he asked huskily.

She raised her cheek in acceptance, watching as he left the room with long strides. He was a man any girl would be proud to have as a father, and she was fast coming round to thinking that way. After all, what had happened twenty years ago had been a joint decision, and she had loved her mother very much, so why shouldn’t she eventually come to love her father! Eventually? The way he had been talking earlier to her
aunt and uncle, there might not be time for ‘eventually’.

‘Poor Daddy,’ Marie giggled. ‘All this has put him in a terrible state. He hasn’t rested since he found out.’

Sara frowned. ‘I don’t understand how you can accept it all so easily.’

Marie shrugged. ‘Life is too short to make an issue out of something like this. Oh, I know you think Daddy treated you badly, but your mother—
our
mother, treated me just as badly, and I don’t resent her. After all, she did leave me behind. New angle?’ she quirked a teasing eyebrow.

Sara laughed, nodding. ‘New angle.’

Her sister became serious. ‘What was she like? Was she beautiful? I mean, we must have got our looks from someone.’

‘Conceited!’ Sara’s eyes twinkled merrily.

‘Well, I have to be something to have captured Dominic. Everyone thought he was a confirmed bachelor before he asked me to marry him. I would have been a fool to refuse. Don’t you think he’s just gorgeous?’

Sara was puzzled. If Marie thought he was so wonderful, and she obviously did, then why did she go out with other men, men Dominic knew about, even though it angered him? Marie didn’t seem the sort to try and deceive Dominic, she seemed to love him very much, and yet she had these other men. And she didn’t know Marie well enough yet to ask her why she did!

‘Sara?’ Marie prompted at her continued silence.

‘He’s very nice.’ Her manner was rather stilted, her love for the man a feeling she had never before experienced. ‘You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a bit reserved about him,’ she gave a nervy smile. ‘After all, the first time I met him he verbally attacked me, the second time he accused me of all kinds of things.’

‘Oh yes,’ Marie giggled, ‘I can sympathise. You should have heard what he said to me the next day! He’s so protective. I think he must be the best friend I
ever had. Shall we go for a swim?’ she suggested. ‘You can wear one of my bikinis, it’s sure to fit you. You still haven’t told me what our mother was like. Oh dear,’ she gave a rueful smile, ‘I’m chattering again! Dan—Dominic always says I talk nonsense. And I suppose I do. But I do hate silence, don’t you? I never like to be alone,’ she grimaced. ‘I really hate that.’

Sara was aware that her sister was now chattering not for the sake of it but to cover something up. She hadn’t been going to say Dominic at all, she had mentioned someone called Dan and then tried to act as if she hadn’t. Who was Dan?

There were so many questions unanswered about the family she now had. Dominic was just as much of a mystery. Why kiss her when he was engaged to Marie?

She mentally shook her head. Each and every one of these people was a complex personality, and she certainly wouldn’t be able to analyse them on a few days’ acquaintance.

‘Our mother was very beautiful, very intelligent. She had a bubbly personality, loved to entertain, and she was very happy with Richard, my stepfather.’ Sara shrugged. ‘I liked her. And I’m not just saying that because she was my mother.’

‘I’m sure you aren’t,’ Marie agreed readily. ‘It isn’t always possible to like a parent, even though you love them. I like Daddy too. I think you will when you get to know him better. He really wants you to stay, Sara,’ she added wistfully. ‘We all do.’

Dominic didn’t. He wanted her to go back to the States, and she wasn’t sure that wasn’t the right thing to do. Wouldn’t she just be bringing heartache to herself to stay here, tormenting herself with what she couldn’t have?

‘I’ve said I’ll think about it,’ she told Marie firmly, ‘and that’s what I’m going to do.’

‘Without any pressure from me,’ Marie said ruefully. ‘Okay, let’s go and have that swim.’

The pool was deliciously cool in the heat of the day, situated at the far end of the acre or so of land that surrounded the house, shielded from the house by a high hedgerow. As Marie had thought, her bikini fitted Sara perfectly, its scantiness only just decent.

Sara telephoned her aunt later in the day, and they encouraged her to stay to dinner, saying they had no plans for the evening anyway.

‘I think maybe I’m a bit underdressed for dinner.’ She looked down at her halter-necked dress.

‘You look lovely,’ Marie assured her. She frowned. ‘Or is that being conceited too?’ She shrugged. ‘Oh well, it can’t be helped—you do look nice. But if you want to wear something of mine then you’re quite welcome.’

Sara pulled a face. ‘I’m beginning to feel like Little Orphan Annie!’

‘How can you be Little Orphan Annie when I’m sure you have lots of clothes at home?’ Marie dismissed that idea. ‘It must be fun being a model.’

‘Hard work,’ Sara corrected.

‘Mm, I suppose so. I bet if Mummy and Daddy had stuck together I would have been allowed to work too.’ Marie flung open the doors to her wardrobe that took up one wall of the bedroom. ‘Take your pick,’ she invited.

Sara had never seen one person own so many clothes before, and all of them beautiful, the fashion designers’ labels showing how expensive they were. She shook her head. ‘I’d be afraid of spilling something on them.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ her sister tutted. ‘They’re only dresses.’

Sara finally allowed herself to be persuaded into wearing a blue velvet dress, the material sensuous against her bare skin. It too was halter-necked, although it revealed a larger expanse of her breasts, and was long and straight to the floor in style.

When Dominic arrived with their father she wished she had turned down this dinner invitation. She hadn’t
been expecting him, and colour flooded her cheeks as she vividly remembered being in his arms earlier, being kissed by him. She wrenched her gaze away as it seemed to lock with his, glad that she had seconds later as she heard Marie greeting him.

‘Darling,’ she said softly, the next few moments of silence telling their own story, a painful one to Sara.

She looked up just in time to see Marie moving out of Dominic’s arms, her lipstick slightly smudged.

‘Sara,’ Dominic greeted her abruptly.

‘Mr Thorne,’ she nodded just as abruptly.

‘You can’t call my fiancée Mr Thorne,’ Marie dismissed with a laugh, her hand resting in the crook of his arm. ‘Can she, darling?’

‘No,’ he agreed curtly.

Sara tried not to call him anything through dinner, concentrating most of her conversation on her father. He was intelligent, amusing, and altogether a charming companion. She was coming to like both members of her family, but falling in love with Dominic made it impossible for her to stay in England.

‘Sara?’

She looked up to find her father looking at her enquiringly. ‘Sorry?’ she blinked her puzzlement.

He laughed. ‘It’s all right, it wasn’t anything important anyway. Did I remember to tell you how beautiful you look this evening? I like the dress.’

She laughed. ‘You should—you paid for it!’

He looked startled. ‘I did?’

‘It’s one of mine, Daddy,’ Marie grinned. ‘Although it never looked that good on me, it must be all that training to be a model.’

Sara blushed at the compliment, studiously avoiding Dominic’s piercing blue eyes. He was watching her, she knew he was; he always seemed to be watching her. She just wished she knew why.

‘I—er—I think I should be going now,’ she suggested brightly.

‘I’ll drive you,’ Dominic offered instantly, almost as if he had been waiting for just such a suggestion.

‘No,’ she refused sharply, not trusting herself to be alone with this man. ‘What I mean,’ she added hastily, ‘is that I can get a cab—taxi. There’s no need to take Dom—Dominic away from Marie this early.’

‘You won’t be taking me away early,’ he drawled. ‘I can easily come back.’

‘Yes…’ Sara bit her lip. If he came back he would no doubt spend time giving Marie a prolonged goodbye. Jealousy ripped through her as a physical pain. And then she cursed herself for being a fool. Marie and Dominic could even be sleeping together for all she knew, it was very common in this day and age, and the idea of that was even more unpalatable to her. She couldn’t let Dominic drive her home knowing he would be coming back to Marie. ‘But I really would rather get a taxi, there’s no point in breaking up everyone’s evening.’

‘You won’t be doing that,’ Dominic assured her smoothly, standing up to look down at her expectantly.

‘Aren’t you coming with us, Marie?’ she asked her sister almost desperately. ‘For the ride?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Marie shook her head regretfully. ‘You see, when I’ve had one of my migraines I usually go to bed early for a few nights.’ She grimaced. ‘Doctor’s orders. I wouldn’t do it otherwise.’

‘We know that,’ her father teased. ‘Actually, it’s after ten now, so perhaps you ought to go to bed as soon as Sara and Dominic leave.’

Sara and Dominic. Sara repressed the shiver of pleasure that she felt at hearing her name coupled with Dominic’s. ‘I’d really rather get a taxi, especially as Dominic wouldn’t be coming back here.’

Dominic shrugged. ‘I have to leave now anyway, so if you want a lift I have an empty car.’

‘Of course she’d like a lift,’ her father smiled. ‘Sara was just being tactful, wanted to leave you two alone.’

‘Oh, you don’t need to do that,’ Marie dismissed. ‘I’ll just take Dominic outside now and then you won’t need to feel in the least guilty. Come along, darling,’ and she took her fiancée’s hand and led him out of the room.

‘You mustn’t mind Marie,’ her father excused as the door closed after them. ‘She’s very forthright.’

‘Yes.’ Sara’s cheeks were fiery red as her imagination played overtime. ‘I—I like that. My mother—–’ she broke off, biting her lip.

‘Yes?’ he prompted. ‘Don’t stop talking about her because it’s me,’ he said huskily. ‘It’s been so long since I heard news of Rachel that I would love to hear about your life with her.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said with genuine compassion, realising Dominic had been right about her father’s love for her mother. ‘My mother brought me up to be completely honest too,’ she finished her previous statement.

‘We always did have similar views on bringing up children,’ he nodded. ‘I don’t think either of us did a bad job of it.’

At that moment Marie and Dominic rejoined them, Marie’s mouth pointedly bare of lipstick. Sara winced, turning away, making her expression blank as she sensed Dominic’s gaze on her once again. Marie looked thoroughly, glowingly kissed, and Dominic was looking at
her
.

Why? Did he expect her to act jealous? Was he one of those men who liked to have more than one woman interested in him? Most of all, did he like having
twins
interested in him?

‘The dress!’ she suddenly exclaimed as they were leaving. ‘I still have your dress on, Marie.’

‘Well, that’s all right,’ her sister giggled. ‘I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.’

‘Oh yes, yes, of course.’ She gave a jerky smile.

The silence in the car was uncomfortable, Sara not knowing what to say to Dominic now that they were alone.

‘You didn’t—’

‘I hope I—’ Both of them began talking at the same time, both of them breaking off at the same time. Sara gave a nervous laugh. ‘Go ahead,’ she invited.

‘It wasn’t important,’ he dismissed.

She sighed. ‘Neither was what I had to say.’

‘You don’t like being with me, do you?’ he guessed bluntly.

‘Not much,’ she answered with the honesty she had told her father her mother had instilled in her.

‘Because I kissed you?’

She blushed in the darkness. ‘No,’ she answered tautly.

‘Liar!’ his voice was harsh.

‘No lie,’ she shook her head. ‘You weren’t kissing
me
, you were kissing Marie.’

Dominic’s laugh was bitter. ‘If I kissed Marie like that I’d frighten the hell out of her! I was kissing
you
, Sara. Fool that I am.’

Now he had thrown her into even more confusion. Could her surmise be correct, was he a man who liked more than one string to his bow? And yet he seemed to love Marie very much. Maybe he did love her, but that certainly didn’t prevent him being attracted to someone else!

‘Then I would appreciate it if you didn’t do it again,’ she told him tightly.

‘I’m trying, Sara,’ he revealed grimly. ‘I really am trying.’

‘Then try a little harder. It’s bad enough for me here without having to fight off passes from my sister’s boy-friend!’

Dominic’s mouth tightened with suppressed anger. And she wasn’t surprised. It must be years since anyone had called him a ‘boy’. He was thirty-five, all man, and no one could mistake him for anything else. But Sara knew that her only weapon was verbal attack, she was powerless against him physically.

‘It wasn’t a pass,’ he rasped. ‘I—I couldn’t stop myself.’ He obviously hated admitting the weakness. ‘But if you’ll stay in England I promise it won’t happen again.’