Lee Wilkinson - From Mistresses To Wives?

‘I can understand why you bought there,’ she concluded. ‘It’s the perfect place to switch off after a hard week.’

Relaxed on a sofa, Leonie inclined her head. ‘Isn’t it just. Nice to get away from everything on occasion—including men! Zac excluded, of course,’ she tagged on blandly.

Jessica pulled a face at her, aware of being teased. The thought still reckoned, but she could handle it. She was going to be handling a whole lot more.

Leonie was out of the room when the phone rang at nine. Jessica answered it, heart leaping when she heard Zac’s voice. He wasted little time on greetings.

‘There was a message on the answering machine when I got in this morning,’ he said. ‘Grandfather wants to have the wedding down there. He’s already contacted the vicar. Apparently, it can be managed on Saturday.’

Head whirling, Jessica blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ‘I thought you said it took months to organise a church wedding? What about banns and such?’

‘With a common licence, and another from the bishop, it’s possible to do without banns being read. I’ve got everything in hand.’

‘But the time!’ she protested. ‘It simply can’t be done!’

‘No reason why not,’ came the measured response. ‘We can travel down on Friday. That gives you two clear days to do what you have to do. Time enough to contact your parents.’

Jessica made an effort to pull herself together. This week or next? What difference did it make?

‘You’ve obviously no objections yourself,’ she said.

‘No,’ he confirmed. ‘We can take a few days somewhere along the coast afterwards.’

To be on hand should the need arise, Jessica assumed. Understandable in the circumstances, of course.

‘Whatever you think,’ she said restrainedly.

His laugh was a reassurance in itself. ‘Practising subservience already?’

‘One swallow doth not a summer make,’ she responded.

‘Now who’s indulging in clichés?’ There was a pause, a change of tone. ‘How did Leonie take the news?’

The intimation that her cousin’s reactions were of any importance to him stirred an emotion becoming all too familiar.

‘Why don’t you ask her?’ she said. She held out the phone to her cousin, who had just returned to the room. ‘Zac would like a word.’

Leonie took the handset from her without comment. Her tone was easy as she addressed the man on the other end of the line. ‘I believe congratulations are in order.’

She listened for a moment to what Zac had to say, her expression giving little way. ‘Kismet, obviously. Well, sure. No reason at all. Saturday?’ Her brows lifted a fraction, her eyes seeking Jessica’s. ‘Can’t be done, I’m afraid. I’ll be away on business. My very best wishes to you both, anyway.’

She handed the instrument back, returning to her reclining position on the sofa. Jessica hoped she sounded as natural as she took up the call again.

‘So, when shall I see you?’

‘I’ll fetch you over here in the morning,’ Zac said. ‘You’ll be more central for shopping. Long or short, make it white, will you? Grandfather’s a traditionalist, as you might have gathered.’

‘He’s hardly likely to approve our cohabiting before the wedding then.’

‘He doesn’t have to know.’ There was a slight edge to his voice. ‘I take it you’ve no objection to premarital relations yourself?’

The irony stung. ‘Obviously not,’ she returned tartly.

His sigh was clearly audible. ‘Sorry, that was uncalled for. We’re both of us under pressure. I’ll see you in the morning.’

He cut the call before she could respond. She replaced the receiver in its rest feeling decidedly downbeat.

‘I get the feeling there’s rather more to this than meets the eye,’ Leonie observed. ‘Want to talk about it?’

Jessica’s hesitation was brief. Much as she needed to unload, she was too aware of how it would look. To marry in the throes of overpowering love was one thing, to do it for the reasons she and Zac were doing it was quite another. ‘Hardly likely to last very long’ would be the least of Leonie’s comments.

‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ she denied. ‘If I seem a bit distracted, it’s just that everything seems to be happening so fast! Zac’s grandfather wants us to get married from his home down in Dorset.’

‘So he said.’ It was obvious that Leonie wasn’t totally deceived. ‘Nice of him to indulge the old man. Afraid I won’t be able to make the wedding myself. I’m working in Frankfurt over the weekend.’

Jessica made the appropriate noises, scarcely knowing whether to be glad or sorry. There was every chance that it would finish up with just the four of them, anyway, because she very much doubted if either of her parents would attend. They both had their own very separate lives to lead.

Leonie made no further mention of Zac at all until she was leaving for work the following morning.

‘I’m not doing any more prying,’ she said. ‘I just hope you know what you’re doing.’

‘I do.’ Jessica wished she could convince herself of it. ‘Everything is absolutely fine!’

The doubts didn’t wholly disappear on sight of Zac shortly afterwards, but they became immaterial in his embrace. When he kissed her like this, with every evidence of having missed her as much as she had missed him last night, she could think of nothing else.

The morning traffic was heavy. It took them almost an hour to make it to Chelsea. Jessica’s spirits were dampened again when Zac departed almost immediately for the office, although she could understand his need to be there after several days away, and more to come. In the meantime, she was hardly short of things to do.

She began by unpacking. She’d brought nothing but her clothes and a few personal items away from the rented flat she had shared with Paul, so her whole life was contained in the two suitcases.

There was a wall of wardrobes in the master bedroom. She fingered through the suits and casual clothing already stored there, visualising the well-honed male body they were made for. Tonight they would share a bed again. Every night from now on, in fact. She knew a sudden swelling resolve. They were going to make a go of this. They couldn’t fail to make a go of it!

The unpacking completed, she considered her options. It was midday already, but she still had the afternoon and the whole of tomorrow to do what she had to do. White, Zac had said, so white it would be. Anything to make his grandfather happy in his declining days.

One thing she certainly didn’t need to do was set about any housework. Zac hadn’t mentioned any domestic help, but he must employ someone to keep everything so pristine. She had no quarrel with that. The thought of spending her days dusting and polishing held little appeal. Although willing to indulge Henry Prescott’s ideals up to a point, she had no intention of remaining a stay-at-home wife either. Zac could surely find her a job with the company.

She had just finished a light lunch when the domestic help arrived. The woman who let herself into the house with a key was in her mid-thirties; her tailored overall bore a logo Jessica recognised as that of a well known agency. From the newcomer’s lack of surprise on seeing her, she deduced that this wasn’t the first time overnight visitors had been found lingering.

‘Sorry to disturb you,’ the woman proffered with more than a hint of irony. ‘I’m here to do the cleaning.’

Jessica gave a smile. ‘I’m Jessica Saunders. Mr Prescott’s fiancée.’

That did gain a reaction. ‘Fiancée!’

‘That’s right.’ Jessica kept the smile going. ‘And you are?’

‘Barbara Manners. I’ve been cleaning for Zac for the last twelve months.’