Carole Mortimer - Deceit Of A Pagan

‘Excuse me,’ she said huskily. ‘I’ll just go and put the kettle on.’ She fled into the kitchen before she made an absolute fool of herself. Close together like that there had been little doubt about their family likeness, and in a way Templar thought it unfair that Keri should have none of her mother’s fair looks at all. Poor Tiffany, who had given her life for that small precious bundle of fun gurgling so happily in the arms of her aunt’s greatest enemy.

Oh God, how she cursed herself for ever writing that letter! She should have waited for a few months, seen if things improved in any way. Instead her impetuous nature had led her into even greater unhappiness.

‘Templar?’

She didn’t turn, trying unsuccessfully to erase the tears from her cheeks. She felt herself gently turned round and she shivered slightly at the touch of his firm brown hands on her shoulders. Instantly they were removed. She looked at him through a sea of tears, flinching at the grim look in his now slate-grey eyes.

He forced up her chin. ‘Now stop this, Templar, it is unnecessary. And it spoils your beauty.’

She gave a tremulous smile at his gentle tone. ‘I thought that had already been spoilt.’

He turned away. ‘I have never denied your beauty, as I have never denied that Keri is like you in every way. Keri?’ he queried sharply. ‘Is this not a strange name?’

‘It’s short for Kerina,’ Templar explained, although she thought this an even more unusual name. Tiffany had chosen it herself during the few hours of life she had left to her after the birth of her daughter. Templar had never questioned it, but in the way that often happens the name had soon become shortened to Keri, and now she couldn’t imagine that little squirming mass of fun being called anything else.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked shortly.

‘Of course I’m sure.’ What a silly question! Did he imagine she didn’t even know the baby’s name? ‘Why?’ she asked curiously, sensing that it meant something to him.

He shrugged his wide shoulders. ‘It was my mother’s name. Alex loved her very much.’ A new respect entered his eyes. ‘And I think he must have loved you very much too for him to have told you about her. It is not something he would have told a mere—–’

‘Mistress?’ Templar supplied sweetly. ‘But what makes you think he did tell me about her? I might have just chosen that name at random.’

He shook his head. ‘It is hardly likely. It is too unusual for it to be so.’

Templar was inclined to agree with him. Tiffany had been adamant about the baby’s name and at the time she had been too ill for Templar to enquire why. And a few hours later she had died. But Alex must have told her about his mother, there could be no other explanation. Could Templar have possibly misjudged him? But no, his brother had admitted that Alex had a fiancée, that he was to have been married only a month after he died. No, Alex Marcose must have been as she had imagined him to be, a young boy out for fun. And Tiffany had been that fun. Poor Tiffany, to give her beautiful young life through the selfishness of such a boy.

‘What are you thinking about now?’ Leondro Marcose demanded arrogantly.

‘I was thinking that I will marry you after all. But on one condition.’

His head flicked back haughtily. ‘I hardly think you are in a position to make conditions, do you?’

Templar shrugged her shoulders. ‘That’s up to you, of course. But my condition is this—I will not be pushed off into the background of your life as if you’re ashamed of me. If that’s the case then I think the baby and myself will be better off without you. If we’re to be man and wife then I at least insist that we live in the same house.’

‘You will insist on nothing! You will do as you are told! You know as well as I that we have no desire to share the same house.’ His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Or have you decided to try your womanly charms on me after all?’

‘Certainly not!’ Templar blushed a fiery red at his wrong conclusion to her plan. She merely hoped he would change his mind about marrying her and simply look after her and the baby instead. ‘That was the last thought on my mind. But if we’re marrying to provide a stable home for Keri I do think it would be better—for her—if her mother and father lived together. Or do you intend to be a shadowy figure who appears in her life every six months or so and showers her with gifts?’

‘That was not my intention. But neither was it my intention to live with you. You must see that it is impossible.’

Oh, she did, only too well—that was the whole point. ‘Then I’m afraid the idea of marriage is impossible too. It just wouldn’t work any other way. What could I say to Keri when she’s older and wants to know why we live apart? That’s almost as cruel as not having a father at all, crueller in some ways.’

‘Good God, you talk as if the situation you find yourself in was my fault!’

‘And isn’t it? Isn’t it? Alex was your brother. Didn’t he do exactly what you would have done in the same position? Didn’t he?’ she demanded.

He held himself stiffly. ‘I have never refused to face up to my responsibilities, and neither has Alex. He would have provided for you if you had informed him of your—condition.’

‘And if I didn’t want his charity?’

‘Then you were a very stubborn as well as stupid girl. But no matter, I regret I cannot live with you.’

‘Oh, don’t regret it,’ Templar said smugly. ‘I thought that might be your answer, and in the circumstances I can’t marry you. If you choose to take me to court about the baby’s guardianship that’s up to you, but I’ll fight it. Oh yes, I’ll fight it! I don’t think you would like the publicity any more than I would.’

‘Perhaps not, but I would win.’

‘Naturally,’ she admitted. ‘But would you like to put Keri through all that?’

‘Would you? Oh, very well! We will share a house. It will have to be near London, I have too many business ties here to live anywhere else.’ He looked impatiently angry at her blackmail.

Templar was dumbstruck, her plan backfiring on her. She hadn’t expected this. She had thought he would drop his ideas of marriage and instead she had made matters worse. She would now have to share a home with this man. She shuddered at the thought of it. ‘Um—–’ she hesitated. ‘Perhaps—perhaps you were right. We—we could live apart.’

‘No, you are right. Keri needs both parents.’

Templar felt a sick sinking feeling in her stomach. What had she let herself in for now?

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