Lucy Gordon - The Diamond Dad

But no longer, it seemed. He'd known that Kendall had found someone else, yet he hadn't tried to make any use of it.

If he'd truly wanted me, she thought despondently, he'd have told me about this, hoping to turn me against Kendall.

But he'd preferred to leave Kendall's image untarnished. There was surely only one explanation. When the anniversary gala was over, he would be finished with her.

Cindy was looking forward to the banquet, and was thrilled with her new party frock. Adrian eyed his formal clothes askance and muttered, 'Do I have to, Mum?'

She'd bought the kind of glamorous dress Garth wanted, a black, figure-hugging creation that would be a good background for diamonds. The children were loud in their admiration, and Faye was agreeably surprised by her own appearance.

Garth, too, approved. At least, he nodded and said, 'Good. You'll look just right.'

She'd smiled to cover her disappointment that he showed so little warmth. But what had she expected? Since the night of their loving she'd hoped for so much and been granted so little. She'd had a glimpse of Garth as he'd once been, as she longed for him to be again. But he'd retired behind a barrier from which he emerged only for his children.

Since Kendall's revelation, she knew that Garth was simply biding his time until their final break-up. And, with terrible irony, this happened just as she faced the fact that she'd never really stopped loving her husband.

But he'd reclaimed her only out of pride, and lost interest when she was his for the asking. Sometimes she would surprise him with a strange look in his eyes, as though he was planning the next move. Perhaps he would offer her money to move out and let him keep the children?

She flinched at the thought of leaving them, but wouldn't it be kinder to let them stay here, with the father they adored?

Only a little while ago she'd seemed to have almost everything. Now she was on the verge of losing everything. And worst of all was the thought that Garth might have planned this from the start.

On the evening of the banquet Faye let Cindy help her on with the black velvet evening cloak, with its white satin lining.

'You look gorgeous, Mummy,' the little girl breathed.

'Thank you, darling.'

'Doesn't she?' Cindy demanded of her brother.

But he was covered in nine-year-old male confusion and could only mumble, 'Yeah.'

Cindy ran off to inform her father that Mummy looked simply gorgeous. Adrian regarded his mother awkwardly for a moment, before pecking her cheek and offering her his arm.

"Thank you, kind sir,' she teased.

Garth's eyes never left her as she made her entrance down the staircase. He looked satisfied. There was something else in his expression, too, but she couldn't read him any more.

'You look gorgeous,' he said as she reached the bottom. 'I've been instructed that that's the right word,' he added with a teasing glance at Cindy, who was watching him severely. The little girl smiled and relaxed, evidently feeling that he was doing the proper thing. Faye couldn't help smiling too, at the perfect understanding between father and child. She put her head up and assumed a dazzling smile as she offered Garth her hand and let him lead her to the waiting car.

The reception was being held at the Ritz. They travelled there in a stretch limo, with the children sitting up ahead, which gave the two adults the illusion of privacy. Faye had a curious feeling that Garth was nervous, yet his words sounded confident.

'The place will be packed tonight. We didn't get a single refusal.'

'I shouldn't think they dared,' she quipped. 'Not once you'd made your wishes known. Another huge success for Garth Clayton. Isn't that how it goes?'

'Some successes matter more than others,' he observed in a strange voice. But he was looking out of the window, not at her.

As he'd predicted, every seat was taken. When the family walked in, the crowd rose in applause. The lights were too brilliant for her to discern much but she'd been through a rehearsal and knew that models of the houses were placed around the great ballroom, and everywhere there was silver glitter the colour of diamonds.

Afterwards she couldn't remember details. There was a perfectly prepared and served meal, with excellent wines. Speeches followed. Faye heard none of them, until Garth rose to his feet.

She was on edge in case he spoke about their marriage, twisting the facts into a publicity presentation. But to her relief he began talking about the start of his business.

'It was a builder's yard with a door that didn't lock properly. Not that it mattered much, because there was nothing in there worth stealing,' he announced, to laughter. 'You never saw a shabbier place, but I called it Clayton Properties.

'My wife and I had two tin plates to eat off, and we were so poor that I used to take one to work for lunch, to save buying a third. Once I forgot to take it home at night, so we shared hers.'

Yes, it had happened like that, she thought. They'd squabbled over that plate, each wanting the other to have it first. In the end, they'd eaten together and Garth had marked the occasion by scratching two entwined hearts in the centre. She'd wanted to keep the plate, but Garth had taken it to the yard, and lost it.

'Since then, Clayton Properties has grown and grown again,' he said. 'But I still fondly remember that first little yard, how proud I was of it-and how proud my wife was of me. She never saw it as a dump. She thought that now I'd entered the market the rest of them might as well give up.' There was friendly laughter and a smattering of applause, then he went on. 'And because she believed that, I began to believe it. I went on because I had to justify her faith in me. And I found I could take giant strides I'd never dreamed of.

'I did things I was scared to do, because I couldn't risk Faye finding out that I had feet of clay. Of course, she knew that all the time, but she didn't let on because she didn't want me to find out.'

This time the laughter was loud, with a warm, friendly tone. Everyone knew that this was an excellent speech, striking just the right note for the occasion.

But Faye never thought of it like that. She was listening intently to the man she loved, breathless with hope.

'Clayton Properties has been as much her creation as mine. And that's why it's right that I should honour her tonight, on our tenth wedding anniversary.'

He took her hand to raise her up, and opened the black box in front of him. A riviere of diamonds glittered inside. The crowd rose in thunderous applause as he fitted the lavish jewels about her neck. Faye hardly heard them. She was looking into Garth's smiling eyes, feeling the warm touch of his hands on her neck. Everything was coming right at last. He'd only been waiting for tonight.

In her joy she was able to pose for the photographs with a truly radiant smile. It was going to be all right. Tonight, when the children had gone to bed, he would tell her what was in his heart and they would find each other again. She could have sung with happiness.

It seemed an eternity until the party broke up, but at last they were all moving towards the door. Her hand was tucked in Garth's arm. She could see the car waiting for them through the great entrance. In a few minutes they would be inside it, perhaps in each other's arms. Cindy and Adrian would giggle, but they were welcome.

Suddenly Garth tensed and stopped. He seemed awkward. 'Faye, I should have told you this before. Something came up this afternoon.'

She stared at him in disbelief. Oh, this couldn't be happening again!

'I was going to France in a few days, but I've had a call to say they need me earlier. I've got to leave for the airport straight away.'

'You're not even coming home with us?' she gasped.