In the Millionaire's Possession (17 page)

‘
I do not suggest that the ceremony should take place next week.
’
He smiled at her.
‘
I intend to court you, Hélène. Give you some time to accustom yourself to the idea.
’
He paused.
‘
To all kinds of ideas,
’
he added drily.

He meant sleeping with him, she realised dazedly. She would have to face the prospect of him making love to her. With a sense of shock she found herself remembering their last encounter
—
the hard strength of his arms and the relentless heated urgency of his mouth on hers. Even though they
’
d both been fully dressed, she
’
d still been aware of every inch of his lean body against hers. And the thought of being held
—
touched
—
without the barrier of clothing, sent her mouth dry with panic.

He wanted her. He
’
d said so. Therefore he would not expect to be fended off
—
kept waiting until after the wedding.

Except there would be no wedding, she told herself with sudden fierceness. So why was she treating his outrageous proposal as if it was all cut and dried?

She said,
‘
You
’
re wasting your time,
monsieur
. Did you think I
’
d be so terrified of being a spinster that you could catch me on the rebound?
’
She shook her head.
‘
You
’
re wrong. Nothing on earth could persuade me to marry you.
’

‘
Not even Monteagle?
’
he challenged.
‘
You wish it to become a home again. You said so.
’
He shrugged.
‘
Moi aussi
. Become my wife, and I will make funds available for the whole house to be restored in the way that you want.
’

‘
No,
’
she said huskily.
‘
That
’
s impossible. I couldn
’
t
—
I can
’
t.
’

‘
Yet you said at the interview that you would do anything to save it.
’
He sat back in his chair, watching her from under half-closed lids.
‘
Clearly your devotion to your house is not as profound as you claim.
’

‘
When I said that I was desperate.
’
Helen lifted her chin.
‘
But now I have a plan.
’

‘
D
’
accord
,
’
he said.
‘
A plan that you wish to share with me. But after we have finished our desserts,
’
he added calmly, apparently unfazed by her refusal, just as a waiter bore down on them with the soufflés, tall as chefs
’
hats, in their porcelain dishes.

She said unsteadily,
‘
You think I could eat anything else
—
after that bombshell?
’

‘
Mais, j
’
insiste
. One spoonful at least. To calm you,
’
he added, his mouth twisting wryly.

Unwilling, totally unnerved, she obeyed. The delicate flavour and texture melted deliciously on her tongue, and was impossible, she discovered, to resist.

So,
’
Marc said at last, putting down his spoon,
‘
what is this plan, and how will it save Monteagle?
’

Helen took a breath.
‘
I want to restore and refurbish all the bedrooms so that I can offer bed and breakfast to tourists,
’
she said baldly.

His face gave nothing away.
‘
And you have costed this scheme? You have taken into your calculations the price of supplying each room with a bathroom
en suite
? Also refurbishing the dining room so that your guests have somewhere to eat this
petit dejeuner
without the ceiling falling on their heads? And, of course, there will be the updating of the kitchen to be considered, so that it meets the demands of Health and Safety regulations.
’

‘
Well, no,
’
Helen admitted, disconcerted.
‘
Not entirely. Because I
’
ve only just thought of it. But I
’
ll get proper estimates for all the work for you to approve first.
’

‘
For me?
’
he queried, brows lifted.
‘
How does this concern me?
’

She bit her lip, suddenly wishing that her earlier rejection of his proposal had been a little less forceful.
‘
I was hoping that
—
you would lend me the money.
’

There was a silence.
‘
Ah,
’
he said.
‘
But you have forgotten that there is an offer already on the table, where I give you all the money you need and you become my wife.
’

She said breathlessly,
‘
But if you gave me a loan we wouldn
’
t need to be married. And I
’
d have thought you were the last man on earth in the market for a wife.
’

The dark eyes glinted at her.
‘
It does not occur to you,
ma mie
, that, much like yourself, I might be deeply and irresistibly in love?
’

Helen felt as if all the breath had suddenly been choked out of her lungs. She stared at him, her eyes widening endlessly.

She said in a small, cracked voice,
‘
I don
’
t
—
understand…
’

‘
No? But you have only yourself to blame,
ma chère
. If you had not written and spoken about Monteagle with such passion, then I would not have been tempted to come and see it for myself.
Et voilà
. The rest, as they say, is history.
’

She clutched at her reeling senses. She said huskily,
‘
You
—
mean that what you really want
—
is Monteagle.
Monteagle
? That
’
s what you
’
re saying?
’
She shook her head.
‘
Oh, I don
’
t believe it. It
’
s impossible, besides being ridiculous
—
ludicrous. You
can
’
t
…
’

His brows lifted.
‘
Pourquoi pas
? Why not? Along with my lack of humanity, do you also claim that I have no feeling for history
—
or appreciation of beauty?
’

‘
How do I know,
’
she said stormily,
‘
what you think
—
what you feel about anything? You
’
re a complete stranger, and as far as I
’
m concerned you always will be.
’
She looked at him, her eyes flashing.
‘
But you
’
re talking about
my home
. Mine.
’

‘
At the moment, yes.
’
He shrugged.
‘
But for how much longer without serious investment? You say you will not consider the offer of Monsieur Newson, so I offer an alternative. One of its advantages is that you will be able to go on living in the house you prize so highly.
’

‘
Except,
’
she said, quietly and clearly,
‘
I
’
d be obliged to live with you.
’

‘
It
’
s an uncertain world,
cherie
,
’
he said mockingly.
‘
And I travel to dangerous places. Think of this
—
I could be dead within the year, and you would be a wealthy widow.
’
He added sardonically,
‘
I might even die on our wedding night
—
of ecstasy.
’

He saw her flinch, and laughed softly.

Helen sat in silence, her teeth doing yet more damage to her ill-used lower lip, as a waiter arrived with a pot of coffee and a bottle of cognac.

When they were once again alone, she said,
‘
Please reconsider lending me the money. I swear I
’
ll work night and day, and repay you in full.
’

‘
Yes,
ma belle
, you will,
’
he said softly.
‘
But in coin of my choosing.
’
He paused to allow her to absorb that.
‘
And my offer remains a gift, not a loan.
’
He smiled at her.
‘
A wedding present, perhaps, from the groom to his bride.
’

Helen stared down at her hands, clenched painfully in her lap.
‘
Why are you doing this?
’
she asked in a low voice.
‘
You
’
re forcing me to sell myself to you for Monteagle. What kind of man does something like that?
’

‘
A rich one.
’
He sounded appallingly casual
—
even amused.
‘
If something I want is for sale,
cherie
, then I buy it.
’

‘
No matter what the consequences?
’

He shrugged.
‘
For me, they are good. I am   good. I gaining a house I want and a woman I desire. And maybe I have reached a time in my life when a home and children have become important to me.
’

Her lips parted in a gasp.
‘
You think for one minute
—
you really expect me to have your baby?
’

‘
Another consequence of marriage,
’
Marc drawled unsmilingly.
‘
If you still believe in the stork,
ma mie
, you have been misinformed.
’
He paused.
‘
But I am forcing you to do nothing, Hélène. Understand that. I merely offer you a solution to your most pressing problem. It is for you to decide whether you accept my proposal or deny me.
’

He gave her a measuring look.
‘
And you have twenty-four hours in which to make up your mind,
’
he added coolly.

She picked up her glass and took a mouthful of cognac, feeling it crackle in her throat. At the same time she was conscious of a faint dizziness. It might be caused by the shocks of the past hour, but could also be ascribed to the amount of alcohol she
’
d unwittingly taken on board, she realised.

Well, there would be no more of that, at least. She wasn
’
t accustomed to it, and she needed to keep her wits about her now as never before, she thought grimly.

She looked back at him defiantly.
‘
Is this how you usually propose marriage
—
by ultimatum?
’

The hardness of his mouth relaxed into a swift, unexpected grin.
‘
Until this moment,
cherie
, I have never proposed marriage at all. Other things, yes,
’
he added shamelessly.
‘
But not marriage.
’