fancifulness.
'What amuses you?' Blaise was lounging back in his chair, his eyes narrowed slightly against the sun.
'It doesn't matter,' she said hurriedly, slightly ashamed of allowing her thoughts to wander on such trivial lines. Anyone would think she didn't have a care in the world.
'As you wish,' he shrugged, his lips tightening fractionally.
She wished then that she had told him. Relations were sufficiently strained between them now without him believing she was deliberately keeping things from him. She gave an inward sigh. Even when they had been looking round the cathedral, conversation between them had been kept to a minimum and restricted to purely impersonal subjects. How long did he intend this to go on? Had he no intention of talking about themselves—their future, or did he merely expect the marriage to proceed the following day without any further discussion? It seemed frankly incredible. She stole a sideways glance at him. He was smoking a cigarette and watching the blue smoke curl into the air, as if it were his only concern.
Although it was late in the season, the terrace was busy, and Andrea found herself at first idly and then more intently assessing her chances of losing herself among the chattering groups. Blaise had not yet paid for their lunch. This could delay him for a few minutes, so if she made the excuse that she needed to find a public convenience… A sudden feeling of excitement possessed her. She would go to one of the hotels and book a room. He would be unlikely to look for her there. He would imagine that she would want to get out of Clermont-Ferrand as fast as possible.
She saw that he was looking round for the waiter and rose with a slight yawn.
'Will you excuse me for a moment?' she said.
'Of course.' He rose with her, picking her handbag up from the table and passing it to her. His voice was cool and courteous. 'In case you should be thinking foolish thoughts,
ma mie
, I should perhaps warn you that I took the precaution of abstracting your passport from your bag while you were trying on dresses.'
It took a monumental effort to conceal her chagrin. She said coolly, 'Quite unnecessary,
monsieur
. I am resigned to my fate.'
'I hope you are.' His face was unsmiling. 'Perhaps it will not be the ordeal you imagine.'
Suddenly she was angry, and desperation lent an added bite to her words.
'And what ordeal do you fear, Blaise? Being jilted a second time?'
He was very pale beneath his tan, but she went on relentlessly, 'Does it make you proud,
monsieur
, to know that the only way you can persuade a girl to marry you is by blackmail—by threatening to destroy the people she loves. Will it do your family credit, do you suppose?'
'What are you hoping for?' he asked between his teeth. 'That I'll throw you your passport and tell you to go to hell out of my sight? If so, then I have to disappoint you,
mademoiselle
. Once you're my wife it will be my pleasure to teach you some manners.'
Andrea's cheeks were flaming, and she was acutely conscious of the curious glances being cast at them from neighbouring tables.
'Can't we go on with this discussion somewhere less public?' she appealed in a low voice.
'There is nothing more to discuss.' A flick of his fingers summoned the waiter, and the bill was paid. Then they were moving off, his hand gripping her arm.
'You're hurting me,' she protested, trying to pull free.
'I wish it was your neck,' he said grimly, and she flinched at his tone.
'So do I.' Sheer bravado drove her on. 'At least then I'd be rid of you!'
They were in the shadow of a tall hedge. He turned suddenly, pushing her against it so violently that she felt twigs snapping against her back, and the scrape of stems and dried leaves through the material of her suit.
'I said I'd teach you manners when we were married.' He grated the words at her. 'I see the first lesson must start now.'
He took her by the shoulders, jerking her towards him so hard that the protest she was
'What amuses you?' Blaise was lounging back in his chair, his eyes narrowed slightly against the sun.
'It doesn't matter,' she said hurriedly, slightly ashamed of allowing her thoughts to wander on such trivial lines. Anyone would think she didn't have a care in the world.
'As you wish,' he shrugged, his lips tightening fractionally.
She wished then that she had told him. Relations were sufficiently strained between them now without him believing she was deliberately keeping things from him. She gave an inward sigh. Even when they had been looking round the cathedral, conversation between them had been kept to a minimum and restricted to purely impersonal subjects. How long did he intend this to go on? Had he no intention of talking about themselves—their future, or did he merely expect the marriage to proceed the following day without any further discussion? It seemed frankly incredible. She stole a sideways glance at him. He was smoking a cigarette and watching the blue smoke curl into the air, as if it were his only concern.
Although it was late in the season, the terrace was busy, and Andrea found herself at first idly and then more intently assessing her chances of losing herself among the chattering groups. Blaise had not yet paid for their lunch. This could delay him for a few minutes, so if she made the excuse that she needed to find a public convenience… A sudden feeling of excitement possessed her. She would go to one of the hotels and book a room. He would be unlikely to look for her there. He would imagine that she would want to get out of Clermont-Ferrand as fast as possible.
She saw that he was looking round for the waiter and rose with a slight yawn.
'Will you excuse me for a moment?' she said.
'Of course.' He rose with her, picking her handbag up from the table and passing it to her. His voice was cool and courteous. 'In case you should be thinking foolish thoughts,
ma mie
, I should perhaps warn you that I took the precaution of abstracting your passport from your bag while you were trying on dresses.'
It took a monumental effort to conceal her chagrin. She said coolly, 'Quite unnecessary,
monsieur
. I am resigned to my fate.'
'I hope you are.' His face was unsmiling. 'Perhaps it will not be the ordeal you imagine.'
Suddenly she was angry, and desperation lent an added bite to her words.
'And what ordeal do you fear, Blaise? Being jilted a second time?'
He was very pale beneath his tan, but she went on relentlessly, 'Does it make you proud,
monsieur
, to know that the only way you can persuade a girl to marry you is by blackmail—by threatening to destroy the people she loves. Will it do your family credit, do you suppose?'
'What are you hoping for?' he asked between his teeth. 'That I'll throw you your passport and tell you to go to hell out of my sight? If so, then I have to disappoint you,
mademoiselle
. Once you're my wife it will be my pleasure to teach you some manners.'
Andrea's cheeks were flaming, and she was acutely conscious of the curious glances being cast at them from neighbouring tables.
'Can't we go on with this discussion somewhere less public?' she appealed in a low voice.
'There is nothing more to discuss.' A flick of his fingers summoned the waiter, and the bill was paid. Then they were moving off, his hand gripping her arm.
'You're hurting me,' she protested, trying to pull free.
'I wish it was your neck,' he said grimly, and she flinched at his tone.
'So do I.' Sheer bravado drove her on. 'At least then I'd be rid of you!'
They were in the shadow of a tall hedge. He turned suddenly, pushing her against it so violently that she felt twigs snapping against her back, and the scrape of stems and dried leaves through the material of her suit.
'I said I'd teach you manners when we were married.' He grated the words at her. 'I see the first lesson must start now.'
He took her by the shoulders, jerking her towards him so hard that the protest she was
Similar Books
