Elizabeth Duke: The Marriage Pact

‘Would you kindly let go of my arm?’ She grated the words, her face twisting in contempt, to show him that she was deadly serious.

‘Just one kiss, Claire, love.’ His whisky-tinged breath assailed her nostrils, causing her to catch her breath in repulsion. ‘It won’t hurt anyone. Venice is the city of romance, remember...and you’re here all alone. It’s not fair. I can’t let you go home without at least a—’

‘No! Please, Mr Dann...’ She was angry—disgusted—rather than scared. She knew that anyone could come up to the rooftop at any moment. And he must know it, too—and wasn’t the least concerned about it. It was only his wife he was concerned about, and she was safely out of the way at the Gritti Palace.

Incredibly—ridiculously—she found herself wishing that Adam Tate would appear. He might not be her ideal knight in shining armour—in fact, he was far more dangerous, as far as she was concerned, than her tipsy, wife-fearing employer—but at least he would save her from Hugo Dann’s clutches, and while he was sorting the drunken sot out she could make her escape from both of them.

‘Gosh, Claire, you’re beautiful! You’re simply irres-irresistible!’ Suddenly he jerked her into his arms—none too gently—and clamped his open mouth down on hers, cutting off her indignant protests.

She tried to struggle free but he had her arms pinned, her lips imprisoned, and he was much stronger than she was. She tried in vain to kick him, squeaking in protest—sickened by the moist heat of his slack lips and the strong smell of alcohol on his breath.

As the clumsy assault continued she went limp in his arms, hoping that if she stopped struggling and became passive the repulsive kisses would end all the sooner. Then she could give him a sharp kick in the shins and make her escape, leaving him to repent at leisure when he sobered up.

He’d probably be begging her forgiveness in the morning, shamed and horrified at what he’d done and petrified that she would walk out on them—or tell his wife.

‘Hugo!’

That one harsh squawk achieved instantly what her struggles had failed to do. His hands dropped away, his head snapping back and spinning round.

‘Sonia...’ After an initial shocked stare he seemed to sober up as if by magic. He pushed Claire away from him, almost stumbling as he stepped back and wheeled round to face his wife. ‘Darling...Thank heaven you came! The little vixen threw herself at me!’

As Claire gasped in disbelief he gabbled on, his face noticeably puce even in the gloom.

‘I came up to see where she was. She didn’t seem to be in her room and I was worried about the children. I found her up here, mooning over the sunset. Lonely, I dare say, poor girl. Missing her boyfriend. When she saw me she fell into my arms...just like that. I’m sure it wasn’t even me she was kissing... more likely her boyfriend back home. We must be cool and calm about this, darling,’ he babbled on, ‘and try to forgive her. Blame Venice. Blame the sunset. Blame the magic of the evening...’

‘Forgive her? Are you crazy? If I can’t trust my babies’ nanny...’ Sonia slewed round to confront Claire, sheer venom in her sharp green eyes. ‘You’ll pack your bags and leave first thing in the morning! And you’ll leave with nothing, you understand? No more money from us, no air fare back to Australia—nothing but your return ticket to London, which you already possess! You can find some other way to get back to Australia... and good riddance!’

‘Darling, you can’t!’ Hugo bleated as Claire’s heart plunged to her toes. ‘We need her.’

‘I’ll pay someone from the hotel to watch over the children for the rest of the week. Or you can stay with them. She goes!’

‘But—but you can’t send her away with nothing. We promised to pay her air fare back to Australia—’

‘Are you taking her side?’ Sonia’s head jerked round, her green eyes stabbing him. ‘Maybe she wasn’t the one who instigated this shoddy little scene after all. Maybe you threw yourself at her.’

‘Sonia, no! I didn’t!’ Hugo spluttered. ‘I wouldn’t!’ The pathetic denial made Claire’s mouth twist in contempt but neither of them noticed or cared about her. Hugo was too intent on trying to save his own neck and Sonia on removing her from their lives.

‘I’ll ring the airport first thing in the morning and change the girl’s flight to the first available one back to London,’ Sonia spat back. ‘I’m not having her flying back with us at the end of the week. She goes tomorrow. And I’m damned if we’re going to finance a water taxi to the airport either. She can catch a waterbus to the railway station and get a train to the airport.’

Hugo’s teeth tugged at his lips. ‘Dear... we can’t let her go without paying her something. How about just her salary for the two days she’s been here in Venice with us...?

‘No! She doesn’t get a penny more than we’ve already given her for the children’s expenses and her food and accommodation. If she kicks up a fuss I’ll cancel her air ticket back to London as well and she can pay her own way back.’ Sonia’s lip curled. ‘She’ll manage. I’m sure she’ll soon find another rich male to latch onto.’

Claire cast her a withering look but it was spoilt when Adam Tate’s laughing dark eyes flashed back into her mind, bringing a swift flush to her cheeks. He was also leaving for London tomorrow. If the Danns found her a seat on the same flight she would have to face him again.

Well, there was no way she was going to latch onto him! Or any other good-looking Englishman. Rich or poor. She’d had it with Englishmen...once and for all!

CHAPTER TWO

CLAIRE came down to breakfast on her own, for the first time without the children. She’d already packed and had been told by a tight-lipped Sonia Dann that she was booked on the one o’clock flight back to London and to leave the hotel immediately after breakfast since it would take some time to get to the airport via waterbus and train.

‘We’ll look after the children this morning, inconvenient as it will be,’ were Sonia’s parting words, and Claire had bitten back the retort on her lips, tempted as she’d been to say a few words about mothers who found it inconvenient to have breakfast with their own children.

Her heart skipped a beat when she walked into the pretty garden courtyard where a selection of breakfast foods and drinks were spread out on tables at one end, and saw Adam Tate, sitting alone at a small table for two. He waved and beckoned.

She hesitated, inwardly cursing the erratic way her heart was leaping around in her chest. There was absolutely no reason for it. None! Should she simply ignore him? Or just wave back and head for a table of her own?

She tightened her lips as he beckoned again, more urgently this time. She would have to go over, for a second at least.

‘You wanted me for something?’ she asked, her tone lukewarm and her grey eyes cool. Cooler than she felt.

He was wearing a smart cream shirt this morning with a trendy stand-up collar, unbuttoned at the top to reveal a tantalising glimpse of brown skin. And I bet he knows how sexy he is, she thought sourly, schooling her expression to show no reaction.

‘Where are the children this morning?’

“They’ll be coming down with their parents. Later.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m leaving Venice this morning. As soon as I’ve had breakfast.’

‘Leaving? I thought you were here for the whole week. You’re all leaving?’

‘No. Just me.’ She pursed her lips. He might as well know. He was bound to hear it from someone on the staff. Sonia Dann would make sure everyone knew: ‘I’ve been relieved of my duties,’ she said shortly.