hating the intimate picture his words conjured up. 'There was really no need to make a special trip,' she said. 'I only wanted to ask—why you'd announced our—our engagement, without even consulting me.'
'I did it because Murray insisted,' he said. 'I think he suspects our hearts aren't really in this manufactured courtship. As for consulting you, there seemed little point when I already knew what you'd say. I take it that I was right,' he added, after a pause. 'You weren't ringing to congratulate me on my initiative?'
'No, I wasn't,' Lisle snapped. 'Do you realise we've had a stack of journalists on the doorstep all morning?'
He looked amused. 'I thought you might. What did you tell them?'
'No comment.'
He laughed. 'You learn fast, beauty.'
'Not through choice.' That damned coat seemed to enfold her as closely as his arms, and she had to fight an impulse, to tear it off and fling it through the window.
'Your mood is a little sour, darling,' he said mockingly. 'I shall have to think of something to make you feel more bridal.'
Lisle turned her head away in case one of those swift, searching glances discovered something in her face she would prefer to remain hidden.
At last she said, 'You surely didn't drive all this way just to say that.'
'No, I didn't.' He was braking smoothly, bringing the car to rest at the side of the road, and Lisle stiffened instinctively.
Jake sighed. 'There's a most unflattering look of panic on your face, Miss Bannerman. Relax—I gave up making love in cars in my salad days.'
'I'm not interested in your reminiscences,' Lisle said tautly. 'Say what you came to say, and get back to—to London.'
Jake made an impatient, angry sound. He said wearily, 'All right, Lisle, we'll play this your way. Let me have your hand—the left one.'
She looked at him, her lips parted in bewilderment, and after a moment he reached across and pulled her hand towards him. The magnificent solitaire diamond flashed and glittered like a flame enclosed in ice as he slid it on to her finger.
'No!' Lisle said hoarsely, trying to tug herself free.
'Yes.' He did not release her. 'Murray expects it.'
'Of course,' she said bitterly. 'Just as Murray expected you to propose to me, just as he expected to see the notice in the papers. But what about me? Am I not supposed to have any feelings at all?' Her voice almost broke on a sob, then she added savagely, 'You will remember to call a halt to Murray's expectations eventually, I hope? Preferably before the honeymoon.'
'Well, we've established you don't care particularly for diamonds,' he said drily. 'But what have you got against honeymoons?'
Her shoulders sagged. 'In theory, nothing,' she said tiredly. 'I'm sure no marriage should be without one. It's just that I don't think I can take much more of this farce.' She looked at him, her green eyes wide and troubled. 'Please don't make me wear this ring.'
'You'd prefer emeralds? I'd wondered about that, myself…'
'No,' she interrupted heatedly, 'I don't want any kind of a ring!'
He shrugged. 'It's just a convention,' he said. 'I didn't realise it might offend your liberated principles.'
He was misunderstanding her quite deliberately, she thought bitterly. She took a deep breath. 'It's a convention observed by couples who are genuinely engaged to each other. We are not. We are pretending to be engaged to fulfil some obligation you owe to my grandfather. I think this ring carries the pretence a stage too far.'
Jake gave her an ironic look. 'That was a nice little speech. Have you been rehearsing it?
'Whether I have or not, I mean every word of it, and that's all that matters.'
'Not quite all,' he said. 'There's Murray. Like it or not, we've embarked on this sham together for his sake, and we're going on with it.'
'For how long?
'As long as it takes,' he assured her with grim emphasis. 'I'll take you to the hospital this evening, and when he sees the ring, he'll believe that I've started my wooing of you, and be
'I did it because Murray insisted,' he said. 'I think he suspects our hearts aren't really in this manufactured courtship. As for consulting you, there seemed little point when I already knew what you'd say. I take it that I was right,' he added, after a pause. 'You weren't ringing to congratulate me on my initiative?'
'No, I wasn't,' Lisle snapped. 'Do you realise we've had a stack of journalists on the doorstep all morning?'
He looked amused. 'I thought you might. What did you tell them?'
'No comment.'
He laughed. 'You learn fast, beauty.'
'Not through choice.' That damned coat seemed to enfold her as closely as his arms, and she had to fight an impulse, to tear it off and fling it through the window.
'Your mood is a little sour, darling,' he said mockingly. 'I shall have to think of something to make you feel more bridal.'
Lisle turned her head away in case one of those swift, searching glances discovered something in her face she would prefer to remain hidden.
At last she said, 'You surely didn't drive all this way just to say that.'
'No, I didn't.' He was braking smoothly, bringing the car to rest at the side of the road, and Lisle stiffened instinctively.
Jake sighed. 'There's a most unflattering look of panic on your face, Miss Bannerman. Relax—I gave up making love in cars in my salad days.'
'I'm not interested in your reminiscences,' Lisle said tautly. 'Say what you came to say, and get back to—to London.'
Jake made an impatient, angry sound. He said wearily, 'All right, Lisle, we'll play this your way. Let me have your hand—the left one.'
She looked at him, her lips parted in bewilderment, and after a moment he reached across and pulled her hand towards him. The magnificent solitaire diamond flashed and glittered like a flame enclosed in ice as he slid it on to her finger.
'No!' Lisle said hoarsely, trying to tug herself free.
'Yes.' He did not release her. 'Murray expects it.'
'Of course,' she said bitterly. 'Just as Murray expected you to propose to me, just as he expected to see the notice in the papers. But what about me? Am I not supposed to have any feelings at all?' Her voice almost broke on a sob, then she added savagely, 'You will remember to call a halt to Murray's expectations eventually, I hope? Preferably before the honeymoon.'
'Well, we've established you don't care particularly for diamonds,' he said drily. 'But what have you got against honeymoons?'
Her shoulders sagged. 'In theory, nothing,' she said tiredly. 'I'm sure no marriage should be without one. It's just that I don't think I can take much more of this farce.' She looked at him, her green eyes wide and troubled. 'Please don't make me wear this ring.'
'You'd prefer emeralds? I'd wondered about that, myself…'
'No,' she interrupted heatedly, 'I don't want any kind of a ring!'
He shrugged. 'It's just a convention,' he said. 'I didn't realise it might offend your liberated principles.'
He was misunderstanding her quite deliberately, she thought bitterly. She took a deep breath. 'It's a convention observed by couples who are genuinely engaged to each other. We are not. We are pretending to be engaged to fulfil some obligation you owe to my grandfather. I think this ring carries the pretence a stage too far.'
Jake gave her an ironic look. 'That was a nice little speech. Have you been rehearsing it?
'Whether I have or not, I mean every word of it, and that's all that matters.'
'Not quite all,' he said. 'There's Murray. Like it or not, we've embarked on this sham together for his sake, and we're going on with it.'
'For how long?
'As long as it takes,' he assured her with grim emphasis. 'I'll take you to the hospital this evening, and when he sees the ring, he'll believe that I've started my wooing of you, and be
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