Eye of the Tiger by Diana Palmer

half-bad—for a career girl, that is,” Sandra declared. “We’re trying to talk her into marrying you and taking you off our hands.”
    Wade actually flushed. “Now, see here…!” he began hotly.
    “Oh, it’s all right. I refused,” Eleanor assured him. “You’re perfectly safe.”
    “Whew!” He wiped a hand across his forehead. “And there I was, fearing for my freedom!” He smiled back at her. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind marrying you, you know.”
    “Yes, you would. I snore and I can’t bake cakes.”
    “You could hire a cook,” Mrs. Granger interjected, shaking a finger at her son. “Don’t take no for an answer, boy!”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, helping Eleanor to her feet. “Now you’ve got to marry me,” he told her. “Mother has spoken.”
    “Mother will be yelling shortly if we don’t circulate.” Sandra sighed, rising gracefully. “Can I bring you a fan, darling?” she asked her mother.
    “Some ice would be lovely,” came the reply. “Wade, introduce Eleanor to that Arab prince, she can’t miss that!”
    “Yes, dear.”
    “See you later,” Eleanor called over her shoulder as Wade took her hand and guided her toward the punch bowl. “I like your mother and sister,” she said after a minute.
    “I’m glad, especially after the way Mother came on at first.” He shuddered. “I could have dropped through the ground. She isn’t a snob, you know, not really. She just…”
    “She explained it to me,” she replied quietly, cringing inwardly at the reason Mrs. Granger had given for her behavior. She’d never known about the rumors; her father had never said anything. Of course, he didn’t travel in these circles, either….
    How terrible for Keegan, that his attempt to make Lorraine jealous should have ended in such a way. But why had she waited two months to break the engagement and then accuse Eleanor of having an affair with Keegan? That didn’t make sense. Most of all, why didn’t Keegan bear a grudge? He had good reason to, even though he’d started it all. Losing Lorraine must have hurt him deeply, especially since his date with Eleanor had apparently been the cause of his broken engagement. Poor Keegan. His manipulations had damaged two lives—his own as well as Eleanor’s.
    “She told you about the rumor, I gather,” he said without looking at her.
    Her eyes darted up to his set features. “You know?”
    He looked down at her. “Yes. It was all over Lexington, thanks to Lorraine. She was rabid about losing him.”
    “But she broke the engagement,” she faltered.
    “Yes, that’s what people think. But I know Keegan,and I knew Lorraine. And I promise you, she didn’t do the casting off. He did.”
    That was a shock, but then, it had been a day for them. She bit her lower lip thoughtfully as they walked. “Why?”
    He locked her fingers in his. “Maybe his conscience was bothering him, Eleanor,” he said gently. “He treated you pretty shabbily.”
    She shifted in his grip. “You seem to know a lot about it.”
    “You don’t remember, but I was at the Crescent Club the night Keegan took you there,” he said. “I’d seen him in action before, and I saw the way you looked at him.” He studied her fingers while she trembled inwardly. “At a guess, darling, I’d say he seduced you that night.”
    Her face went paper white, and when he saw it all the puzzle pieces fell into place.
    He said something under his breath, and his dark eyes grew stormy. “So I guessed, did I? And it backfired, for all his manipulations. He got what he thought he wanted, only to find that Lorraine was as brittle as glass and just as cutting. She wanted his wealth, not him. Everyone knew, except Keegan. He was blinded by what he felt for her. But it didn’t take him long to sort her out, and I’d bet it was what he did to you that opened his eyes. He never quite got over it. He’s hardly even dated in the years since then. He has something of a reputation these