Lee Wilkinson - From Mistresses To Wives?

He hadn’t mentioned his grandfather all week. Nor had he called the house to ask how he was doing. Jessica had begun to wonder if he might have guessed the truth himself. If he had, it obviously didn’t bother him too much, which gave her added hope.

That particular bubble burst on the Friday evening at dinner, when he expressed relief over the lack of communication.

‘Grandmother has the number here,’ he said. ‘She’d have called if anything had happened. We’ll go back and spend the weekend with them, anyway. It could be the last time we see him.’

Jessica swallowed on the dryness in her throat. Having kept it to herself the whole week made it no easier.

‘There’s something you should know,’ she said huskily. ‘Your grandfather isn’t dying. Not in the near future, at any rate.’

The candlelight was reflected in the eyes boring into hers across the width of the table. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘It was all a pretence. A ruse to force you into proving yourself.’

Zac viewed her for several moments in silence, face blanked of expression. ‘How do you know?’ he asked at length.

‘I mentioned it to Brady.’

‘Brady!’ The word was explosive.

‘He said apart from a touch of angina, your grandfather is strong as an ox,’ she carried on. ‘Something of an overstatement, perhaps, but you have to admit he doesn’t really give the impression of a man on the brink of death.’

The grey eyes narrowed. ‘You’re saying you suspected he was lying from the first?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘I just thought he was being very courageous about it. I know you said he could be ruthless, but it didn’t occur to me that anyone could be that ruthless.’

‘So why wait till now to tell me?’

It was the question she’d been dreading. She lifted her shoulders, fiddling with the stem of her wine glass. ‘I wasn’t sure how to tell you.’

‘So you let me go on thinking there could be a phone call anytime.’

She forced herself to look at him, heart sinking as she met the chilly gaze. ‘I’m sorry. It just seemed…’ She broke off, spreading her hands in a helpless little gesture. ‘It was too late anyway. The wedding was over.’

‘It’s never too late,’ came the brusque response. ‘If you want out—’

‘I don’t!’ It was a cry from the heart. ‘Can’t,’ she amended swiftly, afraid of having given too much away. ‘If we break up, there’s a good chance your grandfather will cut you from his will. We were neither of us under any illusion about this marriage to start with, so nothing’s really changed?’

There was a lengthy pause before Zac responded. It was impossible to tell what thoughts were going through his mind. When he did speak it was with control.

‘You’re willing to carry on the way things are?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘We can make it work, Zac.’

His lips slanted. ‘In one department, at least. Could be a lot worse, I suppose.’

Jessica kept her voice steady with an effort. ‘A whole lot worse. I realise you’ll probably want to confront your grandfather at some point, but there’s no reason for him to know there’s anything contrived about our relationship.’

‘You seem to have it all worked out,’ Zac commented. ‘Not that I’m complaining. Whatever it takes to keep the old devil sweet!’ He took the wine bottle and refilled her glass, lifting his own in ironic salute. ‘To a long and happy future!’

Jessica echoed the sentiment with heavy heart. Sex apart, the only thing keeping this marriage afloat was his fear of losing those damned shares! While ever his grandfather lived, he was stuck with the situation.

They made love as usual that night, but there was something definitely missing. Jessica lay sleepless for a long time afterwards, regretting ever having met Zac. He wasn’t going to fall in love with her. Eventually, he would even stop wanting her. When that happened, she was out of it regardless.

They drove back to Whitegates the following morning. Esther’s greeting was subdued.

‘I’m really sorry for deceiving you,’ she said to Zac, obviously taking it for granted that he’d been told the truth. ‘You seemed so reluctant to bring Jessica to meet us, he began to doubt she existed. You know your grandfather. Once he gets an idea in his head there’s no letting go.’

‘And he bullied you into going along with it.’ Zac smiled and shook his head as she opened her mouth to protest, bending to kiss her cheek. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

His grandmother might feel a lot less guilty if she knew how right her husband had been, Jessica reflected, but Zac obviously had no intention of telling her. Henry Prescott didn’t hold the monopoly on ruthlessness in this family—in the male line, at any rate.

They confronted the old man in the small sitting room, where he was ostensibly perusing a newspaper. There was no hint of contrition in the eyes he raised to the pair of them.

‘So Brady let the cat out of the bag.’

Zac’s jaw tautened. ‘You mean he was in on it too?’

‘Not until he asked me what was going on after Jessica here informed him I was dying.’ The last with a faint smile. ‘Not a total lie. We’re all of us heading for death from the moment we’re born.’

‘Supposing Zac had mentioned it to Brady when he first heard?’ asked Jessica.

‘There was little chance of that. You must have realised for yourself that my grandsons converse only where absolutely necessary.’ His gaze sharpened a fraction. ‘Would it have made any difference if you’d known the truth?’

‘Only in the time element,’ Zac cut in before she could answer. ‘We’d probably have waited a few more weeks, that’s all.’

‘No great harm done then. To the good, in fact. You’ve some catching up to do.’

Jessica took his meaning immediately. She opened her mouth to refute the suggestion, closing it again as she caught Zac’s glance.

‘What will be will be,’ he said mildly. To his grandmother, hovering in the background, he added, ‘Which room will we be using?’

‘The one Brady and Sarah usually have,’ she said, both sounding and looking relieved to have it over with. ‘I’m so glad you’re staying the night again.’

‘Might be the last chance we get for a while,’ Zac returned.

Esther’s face lit up. ‘I thought we’d have a barbecue this afternoon. Jimmy’s cleaning up the grid and laying the charcoal now. Our odd-job man,’ she added for Jessica’s benefit. ‘He can turn his hand to anything. Don’t know how we’d manage without him!’

‘We’d find somebody else,’ said her husband complacently. ‘Lunch in half an hour, you two, so don’t go getting involved in anything up there.’

Jessica gave a weak smile. The way she felt at the moment, it was most unlikely.

The room they were to share was spacious, with a four-poster bed that would normally have delighted her. Her wedding dress was hung on the wardrobe front in mute reminder.

‘You could at least have given him a piece of your mind for putting you through what he did!’ she said with force. ‘There’s no wonder he thinks he’s a law unto himself when you all kowtow to him the way you do!’

Zac shrugged. ‘What point would there be? The deed’s done. As we agreed last night, things could be a whole lot worse.’

As if to prove it, he drew her to him and kissed her, rousing her the way he always did.

‘You heard what your grandfather said,’ she murmured unsteadily against his lips. ‘Lunch in half an hour. Twenty minutes now, in fact.’

‘Time enough for some,’ came the reply, ‘but I was never into quickies.’ He put her from him again, his smile cursory. ‘It will save. Just unpack what you’ll need for tonight. We’ll be leaving right after breakfast.’