Chapter1
Along the stone floor of the grand entrance hall, Tanya's heels echoed as she ran for the main door. She had brushed past the ghost of Catherine, standing in the doorway to the gleaming dining room. But Catherine was not a ghost at all; she was real, flesh and blood and not, as Kurtis and everyone else had thought, dead.
Catherine didn’t even flinch when Tanya pushed past her to run out of the dining hall where one hundred guests joined to celebrate Tanya and Kurtis's engagement. No. Her eyes were fixed, solely on Kurtis who had walked towards Catherine as if in a trance.
“Catherine,” was all he said until he realized Tanya was running away. Running for the door, he chased Tanya a split second after he got to his senses.
“Tanya! Wait!” he called but Tanya did not wait.
She ran out into the driveway and was immediately at a loss. Where would she run to with Kurtis hot on her heels? Tanya darted towards some trees, hoping to throw him off her trail. He was too quick and caught her up, taking large strides across the gravel drive, and took her by the arm.
“Where are you going?” he said, out of breath.
“Where am I going? Where do you think I'm going? I'm getting out of here. Let go of me!” she shouted.
“I will not let go of you.” His voice was measured and calm. He looked over at the security guards hovering by the main door and signaled for them to keep back. “This is supposed to be our engagement party.”
“And Catherine is supposed to be dead.”
He let go of Tanya's arm. His eyes moved back towards the mansion, up to the open doors and then at the windows that led onto the dining room. There were shadows moving around. Their guests were concerned, restless. The mansion had been hired for their secret engagement party away from the press.
Catherine walking in on the party was bound to make front page news, there was no way they could stop this leaking out. Tanya saw Kurtis's eyes on the window.
“You want to go to her, don't you?” Tanya had calmed down and her voice was soft.
“I want to know what happened. How come she's still alive but I want you there with me.”
“I can't do that, Kurtis. It's too much for you to ask of me.”
“I understand. But our guests, what should I do?”
“You'll think of something. I'll need a car. I'm going back to my apartment. I can't handle this, Kurtis. You need to go in there. Speak to Catherine and then decide what you're going to do.”
“What I'm going to do?” he spluttered. “I'm going to marry you, that's what I'm going to do. Catherine coming back hasn't changed that. I love you Tanya.”
“I know,” she said. “But you loved her first.”
Tanya.”
“No, Kurtis. Not now.” He had tried to hold her but she resisted, pushing her hands into his chest as a warning to keep back. “Arrange a car for me,” she said. “I'll be out here. I can't go back in and I can't face seeing anyone from the party, especially not my dad.”
“I understand.”
She stood and watched his broad outline walking back to the house to face their guests. She felt a shiver run along her body and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing it could be Kurtis holding her. But that was not going to happen so soon and with Catherine back, who knows, it might not happen at all.
Tanya sat in the back of the limousine and as it pulled away she was sure she saw James, sitting in a dark sports car just before the exit through the gates where security was on guard. She was sure she'd caught a glimpse of him earlier. She understood then that that's whom Catherine must’ve arrived with. She wondered, though, how they could have gotten through security and how on earth did James know where the engagement party was anyway?
She shook her head. James seemed to have his finger on every pulse. He managed to get both her cell and home telephone number before now. He lured her into a trap once before, told her that Kurtis still loved Catherine and showed her
Along the stone floor of the grand entrance hall, Tanya's heels echoed as she ran for the main door. She had brushed past the ghost of Catherine, standing in the doorway to the gleaming dining room. But Catherine was not a ghost at all; she was real, flesh and blood and not, as Kurtis and everyone else had thought, dead.
Catherine didn’t even flinch when Tanya pushed past her to run out of the dining hall where one hundred guests joined to celebrate Tanya and Kurtis's engagement. No. Her eyes were fixed, solely on Kurtis who had walked towards Catherine as if in a trance.
“Catherine,” was all he said until he realized Tanya was running away. Running for the door, he chased Tanya a split second after he got to his senses.
“Tanya! Wait!” he called but Tanya did not wait.
She ran out into the driveway and was immediately at a loss. Where would she run to with Kurtis hot on her heels? Tanya darted towards some trees, hoping to throw him off her trail. He was too quick and caught her up, taking large strides across the gravel drive, and took her by the arm.
“Where are you going?” he said, out of breath.
“Where am I going? Where do you think I'm going? I'm getting out of here. Let go of me!” she shouted.
“I will not let go of you.” His voice was measured and calm. He looked over at the security guards hovering by the main door and signaled for them to keep back. “This is supposed to be our engagement party.”
“And Catherine is supposed to be dead.”
He let go of Tanya's arm. His eyes moved back towards the mansion, up to the open doors and then at the windows that led onto the dining room. There were shadows moving around. Their guests were concerned, restless. The mansion had been hired for their secret engagement party away from the press.
Catherine walking in on the party was bound to make front page news, there was no way they could stop this leaking out. Tanya saw Kurtis's eyes on the window.
“You want to go to her, don't you?” Tanya had calmed down and her voice was soft.
“I want to know what happened. How come she's still alive but I want you there with me.”
“I can't do that, Kurtis. It's too much for you to ask of me.”
“I understand. But our guests, what should I do?”
“You'll think of something. I'll need a car. I'm going back to my apartment. I can't handle this, Kurtis. You need to go in there. Speak to Catherine and then decide what you're going to do.”
“What I'm going to do?” he spluttered. “I'm going to marry you, that's what I'm going to do. Catherine coming back hasn't changed that. I love you Tanya.”
“I know,” she said. “But you loved her first.”
Tanya.”
“No, Kurtis. Not now.” He had tried to hold her but she resisted, pushing her hands into his chest as a warning to keep back. “Arrange a car for me,” she said. “I'll be out here. I can't go back in and I can't face seeing anyone from the party, especially not my dad.”
“I understand.”
She stood and watched his broad outline walking back to the house to face their guests. She felt a shiver run along her body and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing it could be Kurtis holding her. But that was not going to happen so soon and with Catherine back, who knows, it might not happen at all.
Tanya sat in the back of the limousine and as it pulled away she was sure she saw James, sitting in a dark sports car just before the exit through the gates where security was on guard. She was sure she'd caught a glimpse of him earlier. She understood then that that's whom Catherine must’ve arrived with. She wondered, though, how they could have gotten through security and how on earth did James know where the engagement party was anyway?
She shook her head. James seemed to have his finger on every pulse. He managed to get both her cell and home telephone number before now. He lured her into a trap once before, told her that Kurtis still loved Catherine and showed her
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