Sara Craven - Marriage Reclaimed

It occurred to her that she’d never seen him before, which was unusual out of the holiday season.

She said, ‘Are you staying locally?’

‘I’m actually living here now. I came down to visit old friends, found they’d moved on, and decided to stay anyway.’ He held out his hand. ‘I’m Paul Gordon.’

‘Verne—Joanna Verne,’ Joanna said as they shook hands.

‘Is that Miss or Mrs?’

She felt her cheeks warm under the frank appraisal in his blue eyes. ‘Mrs,’ she returned briefly.

He gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘Just my luck. And I was hoping I’d met someone who could show me around—maybe have dinner with me.’

Joanna laughed. ‘Sorry about that—but I’m sure you’ll soon make friends.’

She heard a rumbling noise and glanced down. Jess and Molly were standing menacingly, legs stiff and hackles raised, as they growled at the newcomer.

‘Hey, you two,’ Joanna admonished them. ‘Everything’s fine. Don’t be silly.’

‘I’m afraid I’m rather nervous of dogs,’ Paul Gordon said, grimacing. ‘I expect they can sense that.’

‘Possibly.’ Joanna frowned. ‘Yet they’re usually very friendly.’ She hesitated. ‘Well, I’d better be getting back before someone raises an alarm. Thanks again for your help, and—I’ll see you around.’

‘You can count on it.’ He stepped back, lifting a hand in a cheerful salute.

The dogs gave a final throaty bark, and followed her.

‘I’m ashamed of you both,’ she told them severely. At the corner, she realised she hadn’t asked where he was living. She glanced back, but Paul Gordon had disappeared.

As she rode into the stableyard the dogs dashed past her, whimpering joyfully and uttering short, staccato barks of excitement.

With a swift lurch of the heart, she saw Gabriel standing at the door of the tack room waiting for her, his hands thrust into the pockets of his navy overcoat.

Her lips began to curve involuntarily into a smile of welcome, but there was no answering warmth in his expression.

Instinct told her that he was very angry.

She leaned forward, patting the gelding’s neck to hide the swift colour which had risen in her face.

Her voice sounded high, and rather brittle. ‘Surprise, surprise. You weren’t expected back for several days yet.’

‘Evidently.’ His tone was icy. He looked past her to an apprehensive Sadie, just emerging from one of the loose boxes. ‘I gave orders that only I was to ride this horse. Why have I been disobeyed?’

Joanna said quickly, ‘It’s not Sadie’s fault. She told me what you’d said, and I—I overruled her.’

She saw his face darken, and added, ‘If you want to talk about it later, then I’ll listen. But, for the moment, Nutkin’s needs take priority.’

His lips tightened. ‘As you wish,’ he said with ominous quietness. ‘I’ll expect you in the study in half an hour.’ He turned and walked away towards the house.

As if I were some schoolgirl playing truant, Joanna thought, seething, as she dismounted.

‘Oh, Lord,’ Sadie said dismally. ‘I’d better start looking for another job.’

‘Nothing of the kind,’ Joanna told her robustly. ‘He won’t blame you. I’ll see to that.’

Without particular haste, and smilingly refusing Sadie’s anxious offers of assistance, she rubbed Nutkin down and put his rug on him, then cleaned the tack with her usual care, before hanging it away.

Grace Ashby met her as she entered the house.

‘Mr Verne has returned, madam,’ she said rather anxiously. ‘And he’s been asking for you. Several times.’

‘Yes, I know,’ Joanna returned steadily. ‘Bring some coffee to the study, please, Grace.’

The study door was closed. She regarded it for a moment, then tapped lightly and went in.

Gabriel was sitting at the desk, frowningly intent on the computer screen in front of him.

Without looking up, he said, ‘I don’t appreciate being kept waiting, Joanna.’

She said crisply, ‘And I don’t like being ordered about as if I were a servant. Or being reprimanded in front of the staff either.’

His head lifted sharply. He gave her a long look. ‘Point taken,’ he said at last. ‘But the difficulty is knowing exactly how to deal with you.

‘After all,’ he added with deliberation. ‘You certainly don’t want me to treat you as a wife.’ He gave her a barbed smile. ‘Or has my absence made your heart grow fonder?’

‘No,’ she said expressionlessly. ‘It has not.’

‘The loss,’ he said, too courteously, ‘is all mine.’ He paused. ‘However, when I give particular instructions, I expect them to be obeyed—even by you. And I said quite clearly that Nutkin was only to be ridden by me.’

‘But you,’ she said, ‘were on the other side of Europe. Vienna, wasn’t it?’

‘Vienna was cancelled. My opposite number has appendicitis.’

‘Whatever,’ she said shortly. ‘The point is it’s not fair to leave the horse eating his head off in the stables while you charge round the world playing businessman of the year.’

‘No,’ he said. ‘The real point is that you thought I wouldn’t find out.’ He leaned back in his chair. ‘Find him a comfortable ride, did you?’

‘He will be,’ she said. ‘When we’re used to each other.’

‘Lionel had doubts about him, you know. Wasn’t sure he was going to keep him. He thought he spooked too easily.’

She shrugged. ‘That can be cured. On the hill there’ll be nothing to alarm him.’

‘Nor will there be you,’ he said. ‘At least, not on Nutkin.’

‘Lionel never forbade me to ride anything in his stables,’ she flashed.

‘I don’t think he’d have encouraged you to ride Nutkin.’

‘Yet here I am, safe and sound.’ She put out of her mind the memory of those moments when she’d thought both she and the horse would go down on the road.

‘Then let’s keep it that way. From now on you ride Minnie or Rupert.’

‘Am I supposed to be impressed by this display of autocracy?’

‘That’s entirely up to you.’ He reached for the mail she’d placed on the desk earlier. ‘By the way, Sylvia rang back to say this afternoon’s fine and ask us to have tea with them. I accepted.’

Joanna stared at him. ‘You mean—both of us?’

‘Of course. Why not?’

She shook her head. ‘I can think of all kinds of reasons. I’ll go on my own at a different time.’

He said wearily, ‘Joanna—stop being a brat. We shall have to appear in public together from time to time. It’s known as satisfying the conventions. Going to Sylvia’s will be a painless start.’

That, she thought, is what you think.

Aloud, she said, ‘Don’t you think your godmother will find it strange to see us playing good companions?’

‘On the contrary, she’s all for civilised behaviour.’ He paused. ‘Even if she did think our marriage was a terrible mistake.’

‘Yet another one.’ Joanna gave a small, metallic laugh. ‘The list is endless.’

There was a knock at the door and Grace Ashby came in with a tray of coffee, which Joanna directed her to place on a side table.

When they were alone again, Gabriel’s brows lifted mockingly. ‘Your idea, darling?’ he drawled. ‘How very thoughtful of you.’

‘Just practising my civilised behaviour.’ While the door was open she’d seen Cynthia hovering in the hall, clearly awaiting her chance.

I shouldn’t hold up the course of true love any longer, she thought, biting her lip.

‘Well,’ she continued brightly, ‘I’ll leave you to it.’

‘Stay,’ he said. ‘Have some coffee with me.’

‘Another order?’ She looked at him with hauteur.