The Jackmans came from old money and mixed with the upper echelons of society, but what was kept as a closely guarded family secret was that the money had almost completely run out. Through a series of bad investments and worse business decisions, his father had managed to pretty much decimate the entire family fortune, leaving them mere months away from complete financial ruin.
The idea of courting Andrew had been his parents’. They’d come up with the idea after seeing her at one of the many dinner parties they attended, and it had struck them as the perfect solution to their problems. Once they’d sat him down and explained about the business and how they faced losing everything, he hadn’t needed much persuasion.
The idea of poverty sickened him. He was used to the finer things in life and he intended to keep them. He had no intention of giving up his way of life, if he could help it. And it wasn’t so bad. She was nice enough, and it wasn’t going to get in the way of what he really enjoyed. Knocking back the last of his drink, he made his way over to them.
“Darling, I’m so sorry, but I have to go and take care of a problem at work,” he said, putting his arm around her waist. “Would you be able to get a ride home with your mom and dad?” He had the sudden urge to get out of there and away from all the well-wishers.
“Really? It can’t wait?” she asked.
“No. I’m sorry, darling, but I really need to go and take care of this.” Working for his dad in the company’s IT department, he was frequently called out at strange hours, so she accepted his explanation readily. “We’re having lunch with your parents tomorrow at the house, so I’ll see you there.”
Leaning down, he briefly pressed his lips to hers. “Thank you for saying ‘yes’, my darling. I’m the happiest man on earth right now.”
Maybe I should have gone into acting! he thought, as he turned and walked to the exit, his steps quickening. He’d done his duty tonight and now he was looking forward to taking care of a bit of personal business.
He drove faster than was sensible on the unlit roads after leaving the party. The run-in with Marrie had unnerved him more than he’d like to admit. He’d managed to avoid her for the last few months and it had been a surprise to see her there tonight. He’d had no idea she now had Neil Donald in her sights. Well, good luck to him. He’s gonna need it!
He was still angry at himself for his relationship with Marrie. She worked in the diner in town and they’d met over a year ago by chance while she’d been at work and he’d gone in on one of his trips home. They’d flirted a bit, and she was exactly his type, but he’d been interested enough to give her his number. They’d met up the next day and she’d taken him back to her place. The sex had damn near blown his mind.
He’d never intended for it to go any further. He’d already been dating Andrew by then, but he’d kept going back for more. What he hadn’t bargained on was that Marrie would see him as her meal ticket, becoming more and more demanding over time.
In the end he’d had no choice, he’d already risked too much as it was, so he ended it. She hadn’t taken it well, and he’d suffered months of phone calls and visits before she’d finally backed off. Now he knew why!
She’d asked him again tonight if he wanted to resume their affair, and she’d gotten quite upset when he’d refused. He just hoped that seeing him tonight didn’t set her off again.
He was nearly there, now. The house he was visiting was in the next town over, down a street filled with run down houses that all looked exactly the same. He’d learned his lesson with Marrie and would never play so close to home again, so this time he’d been careful to go further afield. He parked his car about a block away and walked back, not wanting to be seen. It was unlikely that anyone here would recognize him, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
The house he was visiting was slightly more cared for than the others, and there were indications of someone trying to make it nice. The yard in the front had been mowed and planted and the porch was tidy, though the paint was still peeling from the wooden bannister.
The door opened before he even got to the top of the steps. Silhouetted by the light coming from behind her was his idea of the perfect woman. About five foot eight with long, platinum blonde hair, the outline of her slim body was clearly visible through her flimsy robe.
“Where’ve you been, honey? I’ve been waiting for you,” she purred at him, stepping aside so he could enter the house.
Closing the door behind him, she turned and leaned against the door, looking at him from under her eyelashes. “I missed you.”
Without a word, he pulled her to him, crushing her lips with his own, his hands snaking around her to pull her tight against him.
It took a few minutes for him to get his breath back and he stayed on the couch as Sheila went to fix them a drink, slipping her robe back on as she went. He felt better now, more relaxed. He’d been visiting Sheila for about six months, several times a week. It suited them both. She was quite a bit older than he was, in her late thirties, but she looked much younger and certainly had the body of a younger woman.
Perhaps because there were no expectations of him, he felt comfortable here, with her. She was twice divorced and had no intentions of getting into a serious relationship again. She’d made that clear from the start. That suited him, too.
Sex with Andrew wasn’t something that he spent much time thinking about. She had very little effect on him in that department. He quite simply didn’t find her attractive. It was a shame, considering he was marrying her, but as long as he had Sheila, or someone like her, he would manage.
“So, how was the party? You all engaged now to little Miss Moneybags?” she asked as she brought their drinks and sat down next to him. He’d told her all about it and she teased him mercilessly.
“Yep, I am now officially a soon-to-be-married man.” He raised his glass in a mock toast.
“Pleased?” She smiled as she brought her glass to her lips.
“Don’t, Sheila. You know I’m only doing it because I have to.”
“I know, sweetie. I’m only messing with you. As long as I still get to share you, you know I’m happy.” She pressed a kiss to his lips.
“You’re the thing that’s going to keep me sane.”
“Where does she think you are?”
“I told her I had some business to take care of.” Putting his glass on the coffee table, he turned back to her and pushed her robe off her shoulders once more. “So, I think I’d better take care of it. Again.”
The ride back home after the party seemed like it had taken forever. Ted had gone to take care of God knows what and Neil had gone off with Marrie, probably for the night. That had left her alone with her folks.
It wasn’t a long drive from the tennis club, fifteen minutes at most, but it had certainly felt longer. Her mother was so excited to have a wedding to plan that she hadn’t stopped chattering the whole way. Andrew had been pleased when they’d arrived home and she’d been able to make her excuses and escape to her room for some peace and quiet.
Her room was at the back of the house, overlooking the gardens. Pushing open the doors to her private balcony, she breathed in the night air and enjoyed the stillness after the noise of the evening.
The proposal had taken her by surprise, but what had surprised her even more had been her reaction to it. There was no denying it, her first instinct had been to panic. But why? She needed to understand. Was she excited? She wasn’t quite sure what she was if she was honest with herself. Pleased? Yes. Excited? No, she didn’t think so. She should be though, right? Probably just hasn’t sunk in yet, she told herself.
This really wasn’t the direction she’d seen her life taking. She had done really well at school, had been a straight A student and had gotten into the college of her choice, studying business. She’d always had an aptitude for numbers, so she’d thought she might go to graduate school and do something in that field. Exactly what she didn’t know, but that was part of the excit
ement, having her whole future ahead of her and getting to make those choices.
Just because you’re getting married doesn’t mean that you can’t follow your dream. Does it? Would she still be able to go to school and do all the things she wanted to do?
The chill in the air was starting to seep through her clothes now, and she was feeling cold. Stepping back into her bedroom, she closed the balcony doors behind her and pulled the drapes.
Sitting down at her dresser to remove her make-up, she looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t unattractive, but not quite beautiful. Her dark brown hair was waist length and naturally wavy; her best feature, she thought. Long, dark lashes fringed her amber-colored eyes whose shape was slightly cat-like. She’d inherited her father’s nose though, masculine and angular and to her mind, it jarred with the rest of her face.
Ted, on the other hand, was gorgeous and she knew that she should be grateful that he wanted to marry her when he could have his pick of any woman in the state. On top of that, her parents were thrilled and she loved her parents. She could no more disappoint them than stick pins in her own eyes.
There was no doubt about it, she was very lucky. She had always had everything she’d ever asked for and her parents treated her like a princess.
It came at a price, though. As a Donald, she knew what was expected of her: a good marriage and babies, most definitely in that order. She hadn’t broached the subject of grad school with them yet, knowing full well what her father’s reaction would be. He saw no point in women getting an expensive education that, in his mind, they wouldn’t need. He’d paid for college and was now supporting her with an allowance, and he was happy to do it until her future husband took on the role, but it was not what she wanted. She wanted to be able to provide for herself, to stand on her own two feet.
Unfortunately, she knew that she was going to have a battle on her hands when she finally did screw up the courage to tell her folks of her plans. So why on earth did you say yes? Because she was a good, dutiful daughter. Besides, she was only engaged to be married. There was no reason it couldn’t be a long engagement, was there?
Getting undressed and ready for bed, she resolved to talk to Ted tomorrow. A long engagement seemed like the perfect solution. Once she’d convinced him, she would talk to her parents about her plans. She’d been putting it off for too long.
4
The Donald house sat on the outskirts of Brecon Point on several acres of land. It was a typical, two-story colonial style house, though much larger than most.
The long, stately driveway to the house from the main road was lined with tall trees, meeting overhead to leave it covered in dappled shade. In the summer months the effect was pretty, but in winter, it had an air of gloom about it. Once free of the trees, the driveway led to a large turning circle in front of the imposing front door.
Inside, the ceilings were high and in the center of each room hung a crystal chandelier. The interior décor was in keeping with the style of the house, and at the same time light and airy. A large, spiral staircase led up to the second floor from the main hall and it was down this that Neil now made his way from his room. He’d been at work all morning and had just freshened up before lunch.
Normally, they each went about their own business and rarely saw each other during the day. His mom was the typical society wife, on the boards of a large number of charitable foundations. She was always busy rushing around from one luncheon to the next and it was almost unheard of for his dad to be home in the middle of a workday. Today, though, they were all meeting in the formal dining room at one o’clock, including Ted and his parents, to celebrate the engagement.
As Neil approached the door, he could tell from the voices that everybody had already arrived. He would have gotten out of it if he could but he was already in trouble for missing the proposal yesterday. He didn’t dare push his luck. The idea of sitting around a table talking weddings filled him with dread but it was for his sister so, taking a deep breath and putting a smile on his face, he opened the door and made his way into the room.
The formal dining room was rarely used but today the table, capable of seating sixteen, had been laid with the best silverware and china. Colorful floral centerpieces had been placed in lovely arrangements at the center at regular intervals.
“Afternoon, all,” he greeted them, taking his usual seat at the table to the right of his father.
For the next hour as the different courses of lunch were served, the conversation flowed over a variety of topics, from the weather to the local economy.
When they’d all finished eating and the plates had been removed, his father cleared his throat and stood up.
“My wife and I are absolutely thrilled that our two great families are to be joined together.”
Neil held in a groan as he watched his dad beam at Andrew and Ted across the table. “I know that they haven’t set a date yet, but we would like to give them one of our wedding presents early.” He turned to Ted. “How would you like to come and work for me and head up a section of our IT department? It would mean taking on a supervisory role and obviously comes with a bigger salary than you have at the moment.”
What the hell? Neil felt everything slip into slow motion and there was a loud rushing noise in his ears, like the pounding of a waterfall.
“I don’t know what to say!” Ted seemed genuinely surprised. “I’d have to speak to my dad. As you know, I work for him.” He looked across the table at his father, who seemed equally surprised.
“It’s fine with me, son, if that’s what you want,” he said graciously.
“I’d be honored then, sir. Thank you.” He watched as Ted, beaming, stood up and shook his father’s hand.
Neil tried to keep his cool, but failed. The rushing noise in his ears was closing in on him, getting louder and more intense. Pushing back his chair with a screech and throwing down his napkin, he stormed out of the room. The sound of congratulations and laughter that followed him made him even angrier. He’d been promised that job for months!
Leaning one arm against the wall in the hallway, he bent over and rested his hand on his knee. Breathing deeply, he tried to push away the storm in his head. A hand on his shoulder made him jerk away and he turned, ready to lay into whoever it was. Andrew stood there, her eyes wide pools of concern.
“Are you okay?”
He didn’t trust himself to answer, so he just shook his head and concentrated on his breathing.
“Come back in. Please.”
“It’s just like my birthday, isn’t it?” he said, when he found his voice at last. “The bastard’s done it yet again.”
When he’d been fifteen, all he’d wanted for his sixteenth birthday had been a car. He dreamed about it, about the freedom it would give him and how, for once in his life, he would get something that Andrew didn’t already have as she wouldn’t be old enough to drive until six months later.
There had been a big test coming up at school and his dad had promised him that if he did well, he would get him a car. Used to skipping school and getting bad grades, Neil had put a huge amount of effort in, studying every night and working damned hard. He knew the minute he’d finished the test that he’d done well, and it had been confirmed a couple of weeks later when he’d come home with a B-, thrilled. He’d proudly presented the paper to his father, who had merely nodded and walked away.
It didn’t matter. Neil knew he’d done well and on the morning of his birthday he’d woken up at the crack of dawn, so excited he couldn’t stay in bed any longer.
He’d waited all day but the car never materialized. A couple of days later, he’d come home to find a shiny new BMW sitting in the driveway in front of the house. He’d rushed inside, almost bursting with excitement. Finding his father in his office, he’d gone to hug him, to thank him, only to be told that the car was for Andrew. Only six months apart in age, they’d taken the same test. She’d got an A+. It made no difference to
his father that he’d made a promise, that Neil had worked so very hard and, for him, had done incredibly well.
He hadn’t been able to stop himself bursting into tears in front of him, tears that his father had looked upon with disdain before walking away and leaving him to his crushing disappointment.
He’d had to look at that car every day for the next six months, idle in the driveway, until Andrew had gotten her license. She’d been distraught seeing what their father had done and hadn’t wanted the car, but he had insisted. She’d done what she could, though, and every morning, just after leaving for school, she’d pulled that car over and swapped places with him and for the day, at least, it had been his.
All those feelings were back now, overwhelming him. Furious, he grabbed his car keys and jacket and stormed out of the front door. His black, convertible Mercedes was parked out front and he jumped in. The door was barely closed before he put his foot to the floor and drove off down the drive, wheels squealing and leaving a dust cloud in the air.
Andrew was furious with her dad. Could he really not see what he had done to Neil? How much he had hurt him? If he really wanted to give Ted a job, he could have given him any job. Why the one he’d promised to Neil? She walked back into the dining room just as her dad was asking Ted a question.
“So, have you set a date yet?”
Andrew opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Ted answered.
“Well, Andrew doesn’t know this, but I’ve got a surprise.” He was grinning widely at her as she stood in the doorway.
“What do you mean?” Returning to her seat, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
“Well, I knew you’d been as anxious as I am to get married as quickly as possible, so I’ve already booked the church. It’s all set for two months from today!”
He seemed thrilled with himself as he looked around the table at their parents. They seemed thrilled, too. Her mom was clapping her hands together excitedly and her dad beamed. His parents, though, while looking pleased didn’t look at all surprised.