people!'
'Martin, I… Oh!'
Quite what Martin's reply would have been to her mother's baiting Beth wasn't sure, joined at that moment as they were by Brenda Carlisle, a petite brunette who looked even tinier as she came to stand at Martin's side.
Beth knew the other girl slightly, but she had been away at school when Beth had first joined her father in London, had then gone on to finishing school for a year, and so the two of them had never really had a chance to become friends. And now they never would! At best Brenda would dislike her for trying to interfere, at worst the other girl would hate her for ultimately proving to be correct about Martin.
To say the younger girl was disconcerted at seeing Beth and her mother talking to Martin would be an understatement; she looked absolutely stunned. And Beth could only guess at the stories Martin had related to her about their marriage.
'Brenda,' she greeted smoothly. 'What a beautiful dress,' she said with sincerity.
'Thank you.' Brenda eyed her suspiciously, obviously wary of her motive for being so friendly. 'It's the same colour as—it's one of my favourite colours,' she hastily amended, her cheeks red.
Beth guessed the young girl had chosen to wear the figure-hugging green gown because it matched the colour of the emerald in her engagement ring. She had noticed the engagement ring almost within-seconds of the younger girl joining them; her own engagement ring had also had an emerald as its central stone.
Martin couldn't even be original in that, had probably told Brenda that the green of the emerald matched the flecks of green in her brown eyes! He had told Beth the emerald in her ring matched the colour of her eyes too…
Her mouth tightened as she turned to Martin. 'I was about to ask you how Chloe is.' She met his furious gaze challengingly.
'But of course it's rude of me to talk of people Brenda doesn't know. Or have you met Chloe?' She looked innocently at the younger girl.
Brenda looked puzzled. 'No, I—um—I don't think so.' She looked completely blank at the mention of the other woman's name.
Beth didn't doubt that she hadn't!
She gave Martin a saccharin-sweet smile. 'You must ask Martin to introduce the two of you,'
she told Brenda. 'Or perhaps I could—- '
'Brenda, I think we should go and say hello to the Daniels,' Martin cut in forcefully, his gaze glacial as it swept over Beth. 'I trust you'll excuse us?'
'Never,' Katherine answered him hardly. 'But do go and say hello to the Daniels, by all means,' she added dismissively, her expression contemptuous.
'Who is.Chloe?' Brenda could be heard asking in a whisper as the other couple moved away.
'I would love to hear his answer,' Beth remarked drily to her mother, taking the opportunity now they were alone to look around the room for Marcus.
He was now in conversation with Barbara, although he was looking straight at Beth!
She nodded acknowledgement of himt her cheeks becoming flushed as he excused himself to cross the room towards her.
'So would I—— '
'Mummy, someone is coming to join us,' she hastily cut into her mother's reply. 'Whatever you do, don't talk about Martin!'
Her mother looked surprised. 'But:—'
'Hello, Marcus,' Beth greeted softly as he stood in front of her. This is something of a surprise.' That had to be the biggest understatement…!
'Next week seemed too far away,' he answered softly, his gaze resting briefly on her lips.
But it was enough to make her feel as if his lips had gently touched hers! She couldn't believe the effect this man had on her.
'You said a party,' he continued huskily. 'So I made it my business to find out which party. I took a chance on your coming alone,' he added with a curious look at her mother.
Beth had given up wondering how this man attained the information that he did; just learning to accept that he did was easier than fighting against him!
'This is my mother, {Catherine Palmer. Mummy, Marcus Craven.' She didn't add any more about
'Martin, I… Oh!'
Quite what Martin's reply would have been to her mother's baiting Beth wasn't sure, joined at that moment as they were by Brenda Carlisle, a petite brunette who looked even tinier as she came to stand at Martin's side.
Beth knew the other girl slightly, but she had been away at school when Beth had first joined her father in London, had then gone on to finishing school for a year, and so the two of them had never really had a chance to become friends. And now they never would! At best Brenda would dislike her for trying to interfere, at worst the other girl would hate her for ultimately proving to be correct about Martin.
To say the younger girl was disconcerted at seeing Beth and her mother talking to Martin would be an understatement; she looked absolutely stunned. And Beth could only guess at the stories Martin had related to her about their marriage.
'Brenda,' she greeted smoothly. 'What a beautiful dress,' she said with sincerity.
'Thank you.' Brenda eyed her suspiciously, obviously wary of her motive for being so friendly. 'It's the same colour as—it's one of my favourite colours,' she hastily amended, her cheeks red.
Beth guessed the young girl had chosen to wear the figure-hugging green gown because it matched the colour of the emerald in her engagement ring. She had noticed the engagement ring almost within-seconds of the younger girl joining them; her own engagement ring had also had an emerald as its central stone.
Martin couldn't even be original in that, had probably told Brenda that the green of the emerald matched the flecks of green in her brown eyes! He had told Beth the emerald in her ring matched the colour of her eyes too…
Her mouth tightened as she turned to Martin. 'I was about to ask you how Chloe is.' She met his furious gaze challengingly.
'But of course it's rude of me to talk of people Brenda doesn't know. Or have you met Chloe?' She looked innocently at the younger girl.
Brenda looked puzzled. 'No, I—um—I don't think so.' She looked completely blank at the mention of the other woman's name.
Beth didn't doubt that she hadn't!
She gave Martin a saccharin-sweet smile. 'You must ask Martin to introduce the two of you,'
she told Brenda. 'Or perhaps I could—- '
'Brenda, I think we should go and say hello to the Daniels,' Martin cut in forcefully, his gaze glacial as it swept over Beth. 'I trust you'll excuse us?'
'Never,' Katherine answered him hardly. 'But do go and say hello to the Daniels, by all means,' she added dismissively, her expression contemptuous.
'Who is.Chloe?' Brenda could be heard asking in a whisper as the other couple moved away.
'I would love to hear his answer,' Beth remarked drily to her mother, taking the opportunity now they were alone to look around the room for Marcus.
He was now in conversation with Barbara, although he was looking straight at Beth!
She nodded acknowledgement of himt her cheeks becoming flushed as he excused himself to cross the room towards her.
'So would I—— '
'Mummy, someone is coming to join us,' she hastily cut into her mother's reply. 'Whatever you do, don't talk about Martin!'
Her mother looked surprised. 'But:—'
'Hello, Marcus,' Beth greeted softly as he stood in front of her. This is something of a surprise.' That had to be the biggest understatement…!
'Next week seemed too far away,' he answered softly, his gaze resting briefly on her lips.
But it was enough to make her feel as if his lips had gently touched hers! She couldn't believe the effect this man had on her.
'You said a party,' he continued huskily. 'So I made it my business to find out which party. I took a chance on your coming alone,' he added with a curious look at her mother.
Beth had given up wondering how this man attained the information that he did; just learning to accept that he did was easier than fighting against him!
'This is my mother, {Catherine Palmer. Mummy, Marcus Craven.' She didn't add any more about
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