The Diamond Bride
Carole Mortimer
NANNY WANTEDRufus , tall, dark handsome widower, seeks nanny for daughter, Jessica. Annie , young, pretty, and with experience caring for children, wants position as live-in nanny. Would welcome the chance to be part of a family. Jessica , eight years old, hopes for new wife for her dad.Her nanny, Annie, is just great, and anybody can see how much Daddy likes her - he even kissed her in the library! So why doesn't he make her a Diamond bride? Because silly Daddy's got it wrong and thinks Annie is in love with someone else, that's why… .
Letter to Reader (#ub6c1bed5-8778-508a-bfd6-f67f058e0159)Title Page (#u7bf1a63e-1728-5fb9-ac59-e61bbd3a7324)Dedication (#u7b30f111-49a5-5f3d-98ae-3a4e157391d7)CHAPTER ONE (#ub8f6d3d3-3eb0-525b-986f-808d31d9ba0f)CHAPTER TWO (#u10548b7e-1d8e-573a-b54f-a85363f6df0c)CHAPTER THREE (#u674c4376-98f0-5207-b3e3-344d6f63897d)CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Happy 25th birthday, Harlequin Presents
May the next 25 years be as much fun!
Love, 25 always
Carde Martime
Dear Reader,
Like you, I’m thrilled and excited to see Harlequin Presents
’ twenty-fifth anniversary. The year 1998 marks my eighteenth year of writing for Presents. During that time I have written almost one hundred books for the line—and I’ve enjoyed writing, and being part of, every single one of them! Love and romance are what keep my world turning, as I’m sure they do yours; and having someone of your own to love, that special someone, makes life all the more satisfying and exciting. Harlequin Presents
stories give the same glow—long may they continue!
Love, as always,
Carole Mortimer
The Diamond Bride
Carole Mortimer
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Tim
CHAPTER ONE
‘IF YOU’RE thinking of jumping, I should wait another couple of hours until the tide is back in!’
Annie turned with a start at the sound of that deeply masculine voice—a voice she didn’t recognise!
A dark figure loomed in the fog. A tall, menacing figure.
‘At the moment,’ that deep voice continued, ‘you’ll most likely just find yourself buried up to your ankles in mud!’
She had been lost in thought as she stood on the end of this small jetty, troubled thoughts that went round and round in circles, their beginnings always meeting up with their ends, giving no answers.
She had been so lost in those thoughts she hadn’t heard the man’s approach, but she was conscious now of how alone she was, the thick, swirling afternoon fog meaning she couldn’t be seen by anyone up at the house that stood so majestically on the clifftop above. This small, private beach was rarely used by any member of the Diamond family, and was certainly not going to be visited by any of them at this time of the day.
Alone now, with this stranger, she realised how foolish her choice had been.
‘I also don’t think the Diamond family would be too pleased at another suicide taking place on their estate,’ the gravelly voice continued harshly.
Another suicide...? Had someone once killed themselves here? What—?
Another suicide! Surely this man didn’t imagine that was what she intended doing down here? Although in truth, with the tide obviously out, and the fog making visibility negligible, it must seem strange for her to be standing out here on this waterless jetty. But suicide...!
She took an involuntary step backwards as the man moved towards her out of the mist, only to find herself pressed up against the railing with nowhere to go—except, as he’d said, down into the mud below.
Her eyes widened apprehensively as the fog seemed to part to allow the man to step out in front of her—a man, she was sure, who must be the epitome of every fictional hero.
She gasped even as the ridiculous thought jumped into her head. But at first sight he was the personification of that romantic hero Rochester: so tall, dark hair long and unruly, his face strong and powerful, eyes as dark as coal. He was Rochester come to life!
Annie shivered. Whether because of this overpowering stranger, or the dampness of the fog penetrating to her bones through the light jacket and denims she wore, she wasn’t altogether sure.
‘Cat got your tongue?’ he challenged with a rise of one dark brow.
Up close—too close!—she could see that his eyes weren’t black at all, but a very deep blue, the iris barely discernible from that dark cobalt, his features so hardly hewn they might have been carved from granite.
He tilted his head to one side, his expression speculative, black hair resting almost on his shoulders, seeming immune himself to the dampness of the weather in his dark jacket, blue casual shirt and faded blue denims.
“‘Trespassers will be prosecuted”’. He dryly quoted the sign that precluded access onto this secluded beach.
She swallowed hard, moistening her lips as she realised how dry her mouth had become. But the only way off the jetty was past this man, and being slightly built—only a little over five feet in height—she thought her chances of making good her escape were probably a little slim.
An avid reader, she tried to think what a fictional heroine would do in these circumstances. Humour him, that was it. Then wait until he was off-guard—and make a run for it. Once she had disappeared into the thick fog he would have great trouble finding her again.
She attempted a slight, conciliatory smile. ‘I’m sure that if you leave now the Diamond family will never be aware that you were ever here at all,’ she suggested lightly—desperately hoping that none of the panic she felt was evident in her voice.
Dark eyes widened. ‘If I leave...?’ He frowned. ‘My dear girl, I have no intention of leaving.’
He didn’t intend leaving...
Annie swallowed hard again, hands tightly clenched in her jacket pockets. ‘I really think that would be the best thing for you to do.’ She forced soothing calm into her voice. ‘Before—er—Mr Diamond comes down here and finds you trespassing on his land.’
‘Mr Diamond...?’ he echoed questioningly.
‘Anthony Diamond,’ Annie supplied quickly, at last feeling she might be making some progress in her effort to get him to leave.
‘He’s here?’ the man rasped, casting a look in the direction of the house above on the cliff, now hidden by the fog.
‘Oh, yes.’ She nodded eagerly. ‘All of the family are in residence.’
‘Are they indeed?’ he mused harshly, his brow clearing, his mouth twisting with contempt. ‘Well, I can assure you there’s no possibility of Anthony coming down here,’ he dismissed derisively. ‘He hates the sea and everything to do with it—more so since a boating accident several years ago. Unless, of course, the two of you have arranged to meet down here?’ he added slowly.
Annie looked at him sharply, momentarily forgetting her fear. Exactly what did he mean by that remark? He couldn’t possibly know anything about Anthony—or her, for that matter.
‘Have you?’ he prompted softly. ‘It would be the one place Davina wouldn’t think of looking for him; she knows of his aversion to moving water!’ he mocked.
And this man, she realised, at the mention of Davina, Anthony’s fiancée—whoever he was—knew far too much about the Diamond family!
The man looked at her consideringly now, seeming to take in everything about her appearance in that one sweeping glance: her short, curling red hair, which framed her gamine face, a face dominated by deep brown eyes; her small and snub nose, her wide and smiling mouth—usually, when she wasn’t accosted by complete strangers!—a chin that was small and pointed, her figure boyish in her jacket, blue cropped top and fitted black denims.
‘You don’t look like Anthony’s usual type,’ the man finally drawled insultingly. ‘But then, as he gets older, perhaps young and impressionable is easier to deal with!’
Easier to impress, his dismissive tone implied!
Well, at thirty-six, she didn’t consider Anthony old, and she wasn’t that young either; at twenty-two she could quite easily be married with small children.
She eyed the man coolly. ‘Anthony Diamond, as you have already mentioned, already has a fiancée.’ Some of her fear was fading now, to be replaced by anger; not only was this man trespassing on the Diamond estate, he was also insulting the family—well, one of them—as well now!
‘Davina,’ the man acknowledged. ‘I’m sure their engagement is of mutual benefit to both of them,’ he went on, ‘but it hasn’t stopped Anthony’s roving eye. You must be new to the village,’ he added tauntingly. ‘Last I heard, Anthony had already gone through all the available females there. Unless, of course, you’re one of the married ones?’
It had quickly become obvious to her that this man thought she was one of the girls from the local village two miles away. Which meant he must be new to the area himself, otherwise he would have known she was nanny to the youngest member of the Diamond family. Admittedly, she had only been working here for two months, but he seemed to know so much else about the Diamonds...
‘I’m not married, but I’m not an “available female”, either,’ Annie told him tartly. ‘And I would appreciate it if you didn’t continue to insult members of the Diamond family!’
‘But I’m only insulting Anthony,’ he replied knowingly. ‘And he makes it so easy to insult him,’ he added scathingly, glancing at the plain gold watch on his wrist. ‘It doesn’t look as if he’s coming now; I was watching you for at least ten minutes before I spoke to you,’ he informed her softly.
She shrank back defensively, uncomfortable with the knowledge that she had been watched when she hadn’t been aware of it. Her emotions had been in turmoil when she’d come down here, her thoughts troubled, and she was sure that must have been obvious from her expression when he’d first caught sight of her. Which was probably why he had made that assumption about suicide! Admittedly, her life did feel a bit complicated at the moment, but certainly not that desperate!
‘Perhaps it’s as well that he didn’t. For your sake,’ she snapped as he raised questioning brows. ‘You’re trespassing,’ she pointed out irritably as he still looked unimpressed.
He shrugged unconcernedly. ‘So are you. And although Anthony may not mind your being here, what about the rest of the family?’ he challenged. ‘Rufus, for example?’
‘Rufus isn’t here,’ she told him impatiently, tired of this constant baiting.
Rufus Diamond, the male head of the family and her small charge’s father, was away at the moment, and had been for the last three months. As an investigative reporter of some repute, he had been away in some wartorn country or other since before Annie had come to work with his daughter. His mother, Celia, the matriarch of the Diamond family, had been the one to employ her when the previous nanny had left without notice.
The man looked at her assessingly. ‘I thought you said all of the family were in residence?’ He tauntingly echoed her words of earlier.
‘They are.’ She frowned at him. ‘But Mr Diamond senior—’
‘You mean Rufus?’ Amusement darkened his eyes even more; his teeth were white and even as he gave a wolfish grin. ‘I’ve never heard him referred to as that before; you make him sound ancient!’
‘I have no idea how old Mr Diamond—Mr Rufus Diamond—is,’ Annie told him in a flustered voice. ‘But I do know he’s older than Anthony.’
‘By three years.’ The man nodded. ‘And, believe me, I feel every one of them,’ he added, watching her as he waited for her reaction to his announcement.
And he wasn’t disappointed, Annie felt sure!
This was Rufus Diamond? This man, with his shaggily long dark hair, piercing eyes, hard-hewn face, tall and leanly powerful body? This was Rufus Diamond?
She didn’t know what she had been expecting from the brief mentions of him that had been made by the rest of the family, or from the absolute adoration with which Jessica spoke of her father, but it certainly hadn’t been this dangerously good-looking man with his assured air of power!
Perhaps it was that he was such a complete contrast to his brother, Anthony was tall and blond, extremely handsome, with eyes as blue as the sky on a summer’s day, always immaculately dressed in his tailored, designer clothes. The two men were complete opposites, and she would never have guessed they were brothers.
She hadn’t!
She drew in a controlling breath, doing her best to gather her scattered wits back together. ‘It’s good to meet you at last, Mr Diamond.’ She held out her hand in formal greeting.
He didn’t move, watching her through narrowed lids. ‘Is it?’ he returned guardedly.
She swallowed hard, her arm falling back to her side, her hands feeling slightly warm and damp, despite the cold clamminess of the fog that still surrounded them. ‘I’m Jessica’s new nanny, Mr Diamond—’
‘Are you indeed?’ he cut in grimly, all humour gone from those hard dark eyes now. ‘What about Margaret?’
She moistened her dry lips once more, some of her earlier fear returning; this man was a power to be reckoned with when he was angry. As he was now. ‘I believe she left—’
‘I’ve already gathered that,’ he rasped icily.
‘Yes, well.’ Annie looked confused. ‘Mrs Diamond contacted the employment agency—’
‘Why?’ His grimness was increasing with each passing second.
Annie frowned. ‘I just told you, Margaret left, and Jessica needed—’
‘I meant, why did Margaret leave?’ he bit out coldly.
‘I have no idea.’ She shook her head a little dazedly. ‘You would have to ask Mrs Diamond that—’
‘Don’t worry, that’s exactly what I’m here to do!’ he replied harshly, turning on his heel and striding off down the jetty in the direction of the cliffs and the house. He paused before the fog swallowed him up completely, turning slightly. ‘And I would advise you to get back to your young charge instead of mooning about down here waiting for my wastrel of a brother!’ He disappeared into the swirling clouds, and everything suddenly became eerily quiet again.
As if he had never been there at all...
But Annie knew that he had, was still shaking from the encounter. She almost wished now that he had been a trespasser; that would have been far preferable to knowing he was actually her employer!
How quickly his mocking humour had vanished once he’d realised exactly who she was. He was obviously very angry at the departure of Jessica’s previous nanny. And certainly not impressed with her replacement!
Rochester, indeed! She had read the classic story at a young, impressionable age, had found herself, probably because of her own parentless circumstances, relating to Jane Eyre, although her own time as an orphan in care had been a relatively happy one. But Rufus Diamond certainly wasn’t Mr Rochester. Any more than she was Jane Eyre...!
Would she have behaved any differently if she had known who he was from the first? Probably, but only slightly, she conceded. After all, he had been the one, without knowing a thing about her, who’d been so insulting about her supposed relationship with his brother...
Her thoughts were even more troubled now than they had been when she’d come down onto the beach an hour ago! She had been so excited about the chance of this job on the east coast of England, had come here full of enthusiasm, glad to be out of London, the place she had lived all her life. And being out here, surrounded by rural countryside, had suited her perfectly. She loved the wide open spaces, the friendliness of the locals—she had certainly never been on a first-name basis with a milkman before! In London she hadn’t even had a milkman; she had bought all her food supplies, including milk, from a convenience store around the corner from the flat she’d shared with three other girls.
Moving here had offered her a completely different way of life from the one she had always known. Her early years had been spent in care, and the college course to qualify as a children’s nanny had seemed the obvious choice of career after years of helping look after younger children at the home where she had been placed. As had deciding to share a flat with three of the other girls from the children’s home when the time had come to move out.
She had taken employment at a local kindergarten once she was qualified, but helping in the day-care of forty young children who went home to their own families at the end of each day hadn’t given her any more roots than she had found at the children’s home, and so she had signed on at an employment agency with the intention of working in a family environment. Jessica Diamond was her first individual charge. And Annie had quickly learnt to love her.
Aged eight, Jessica was a lovely child, tall for her age, with long, curling dark hair and eyes as blue as cornflowers, and a lively intelligence that Annie found enchanting. And with only Jessica’s grandmother in residence most of the time, her uncle Anthony a regular visitor at weekends, it had been easy to become fond of the little girl who greeted her so eagerly at the end of each schoolday. Their weekends had been spent exploring the beach and horse-riding; even wet days had been fun as they’d played with the numerous toys Jessica had up in her bedroom.
But now Jessica’s father had returned.
And he didn’t seem at all happy about the fact that his daughter had a new nanny...
The future suddenly looked even bleaker than it had an hour ago. Even more so because once Rufus Diamond got up to the house he was going to discover that Jessica had fallen from her horse over the weekend and was resting in bed with a badly sprained ankle. So much for being in the care of her newly hired nanny!
Admittedly, there had been nothing Annie—a mere novice when it came to riding a horse—could have done to prevent Jessica’s accident. But she very much doubted that Rufus Diamond would see it quite that way, especially as he already seemed so displeased at Jessica having a replacement nanny in the first place!
Annie felt the prick of tears in her eyes. She had loved Jessica on sight, their better acquaintance only deepening that emotion as she’d discovered just how hungry for affection Jessica was too. Perhaps she shouldn’t have let Jessica become that fond of her, but when the young child was effectively as parentless as Annie had been herself, it was impossible to push the young girl aside.
As Jessica’s mother had died when Jessica was still a very young child, she really had little memory of her. Celia Diamond, Jessica’s paternal grandmother, was a tall, stately-looking woman, blonde and still beautiful despite her sixty-or-so years, but a woman who obviously found it difficult to show affection to a young child; a summons to her private sitting-room before bedtime was the most attention she paid her granddaughter.
But Jessica’s father was back now, so perhaps things would change...
And one of those changes could be the dismissal of the new nanny!
Annie’s feet dragged with reluctance as she made her way back up to the house. Nevertheless she took the path carefully—the weather seemed to be worse than when she had set out and she grabbed onto the handrail several times as she almost lost her footing on the rocky path, relieved when she saw the ominous shape of the house rising up in front of her.
Clifftop House was a magnificent building, almost gothic in proportions, and it had taken Annie a week to find her way around its many rooms. It had seemed incredible to her at the time of her arrival that one elderly lady and a small child should live in such a large house.
Although she had to admit that within several hours of Anthony’s arrival at the weekend, with his fiancée, for a week’s visit, the house hadn’t seemed big enough for all of them!
She had a feeling it was going to seem even less so with Rufus Diamonds’s impressive presence!
‘Really, Rufus, I didn’t see the point in contacting you,’ Celia Diamond was protesting impatiently as Annie moved quietly past the sitting-room doorway. ‘The doctor said it’s a simple sprain, nothing to get in a panic about, and Annie has been taking very good care of her—’
‘Who the hell is Annie?’ that oh, so familiar voice rasped harshly.
‘The new nanny you seem so angry about,’ Celia responded coldly. ‘You weren’t here, Rufus—but then, you never are,’ she added cuttingly. ‘What else was I supposed to do when Margaret walked out so unexpectedly?’
Annie couldn’t move, had become frozen to the spot the moment she heard her name mentioned...!
‘I suppose it was too much to expect that you could look after Jessica yourself,’ Rufus drawled scathingly. ‘Although you still haven’t given me an acceptable explanation as to exactly why Margaret walked out. And if this Annie is taking such good care of Jess, why is it that she’s upstairs in bed at this moment with a leg injury?’
Annie gasped at the injustice of this last remark; there was simply no way, without completely smothering the child, that she could monitor every move of her young charge. And Jessica had been riding for years; in fact, this man had bought her the horse she had fallen from!
‘Maybe I should just ask Annie that myself!’ Even as Rufus spoke, the door to the sitting-room was wrenched completely open, exposing an embarrassed Annie eavesdropping in the hallway. ‘Well?’ Rufus Diamond barked at her. ‘I presume you are Annie?’
She looked at him with widely startled eyes—and it wasn’t all due to being caught out in this way. He knew damn well she was Annie; she had told him down at the jetty that she was his daughter’s nanny.
‘Really, Rufus,’ Celia Diamond admonished haughtily. ‘Sometimes I find it difficult to believe you could possibly be David’s son; he was always such a gentleman, so aware of his position as head of this family,’ she continued scathingly.
Rufus gave her a contemptuous glance. ‘You mean you were always so aware of your position as wife of the head of this family!’ he returned disgustedly. ‘I’m sure my father only died at the relatively early age of sixty-five so that he could at last get away from you and your social-climbing!’
‘Really, Rufus!’ Celia’s gasp was one of dismay now as she clutched at the double string of pearls about her throat, her expression one of deep hurt. ‘Your long absence hasn’t made your tongue any kinder. And have you forgotten there are servants present?’ She flicked a chilling look in Annie’s direction.
She meant her, Annie realised after several stunned moments. A servant! Well...she supposed she was, in a way; she did work for these people, and was paid a wage for doing so. But even so...!
‘I don’t think Annie took too kindly to that last remark, Celia,’ Rufus Diamond interjected.
Annie turned her gaze in his direction, only to find those dark eyes regarding her with amusement. He had obviously been watching her every expression—and deriving great enjoyment from doing so!
Her head went back proudly. ‘Mrs Diamond is perfectly correct in her statement,’ she said smoothly. ‘This appears to be an extremely private family conversation. But I would be quite happy, Mr Diamond, to talk to you about Jessica’s accident at a more convenient time.’ She met his eyes challengingly, still slightly confused as to why he didn’t seem to have told his mother that the two of them had already met earlier down on the beach.
Why hadn’t he told Celia Diamond? Why hadn’t she confessed? The answer to the last was easy; she shouldn’t really have been down on the beach at all this afternoon. Celia Diamond had warned her when she’d first come to work here not to go down there when the weather was like it was today...
‘Now is a convenient time for me,’ Rufus Diamond invited her.
‘It’s Annie’s afternoon off,’ Celia told him quickly before Annie could make any sort of reply.
Rufus looked at her with narrowed eyes now. ‘Is it indeed?’ he finally drawled slowly.
Annie didn’t need to be told that, with this new information, he was again adding up two and two and coming up with the answer of five! The speculation was clearly there in his mocking gaze.
‘It is,’ she confirmed briskly. ‘But I’m not going anywhere, except upstairs to check on Jessica, so I’ll be perfectly happy to talk to you once you’ve finished your conversation with your mother—’ She broke off with a puzzled frown as her remark brought forth a harsh laugh from Rufus. ‘Did I say something...funny?’ she said haltingly—although for the life of her she couldn’t imagine what it had been.
‘To me, yes. To Celia, no,’ Rufus replied, his grin wolfish again now, as it had been down on the beach. ‘If you’ve been here two months someone really should have filled you in on the family history by now—’
‘Rufus!’ Celia admonished sharply, two spots of angry colour in her cheeks.
He gave her only a cursory glance. ‘Something else the servants shouldn’t know?’ he taunted.
Celia gave him one of her chilling looks—a look that had no visible effect on him whatsoever!—before turning back to Annie. ‘Perhaps if you wouldn’t mind going and checking on Jessica now...?’ she suggested smoothly—although it was more in the order of an instruction. ‘I’m sure you and Rufus can catch up with each other later,’ she dismissed.
Annie was beginning to wish she had never set eyes on the man!
There was no doubting that Celia Diamond could be slightly condescending in her manner, or that things had become a little complicated since Anthony had arrived with his fiancée for a visit, but for the main part Annie had enjoyed her time here, found Jessica a delight to work with. Admittedly, it hadn’t all been peace and harmony, but she loved Jessica, and anything else was just discomfort she had learnt to live with.
With the arrival of Rufus Diamond, she had a feeling all that was about to change!
CHAPTER TWO
‘ISN’T it wonderful?’ Jessica’s eyes glowed deeply blue. ‘Daddy’s home!’ She clapped her hands together in pleasure.
Annie wished she could share the young girl’s enthusiasm, but, having made her escape from the man downstairs only minutes ago, she was in no hurry to see Rufus Diamond again. Although it was obvious, from Jessica’s excitement, that his daughter couldn’t wait for him to come back up to her bedroom.
‘It’s a lovely surprise for you,’ Annie acknowledged guardedly, straightening the pillows behind her charge. ‘Does your father often return unexpectedly in this way?’
‘Always!’ Jessica nodded happily, dark curls bouncing. ‘But he leaves just as suddenly too,’ she added wistfully.
Annie realised he probably had to; as an investigative reporter he would just have to go where the story was, whenever it occurred. Which was pretty tough on his young daughter. Although, she had to admit, Jessica seemed a well-adjusted child to her; she certainly didn’t qualify as neglected or psychologically disturbed!
Annie herself was still puzzled as to what she could have said earlier to so amuse Rufus Diamond. Neither he nor Celia had offered an explanation before she’d excused herself to come upstairs to Jessica. And she had no intention of asking the little girl; that would be most unfair.
‘How are you feeling this afternoon?’ She smiled down at her young charge.
Jessica grinned back at her—her grin, Annie now knew, was not unlike her father’s! ‘Well enough to go downstairs for dinner!’ she announced cheerfully.
Annie felt her heart sink at the statement. If Jessica went down to the family dining-room for the meal, then it meant she had to join them too. And if the tension between Celia and Rufus was any indication of the man’s effect on the rest of the family it boded ill for everyone’s digestion—including her own!
‘Are you sure?’ she prompted lightly. ‘You’re still using the crutches to get about.’ The accident had happened at the weekend, three days ago, and Jessica had been advised by the doctor to rest for several days before attempting to put any stress on her ankle.
The first day or so Jessica had enjoyed being waited on, having visitors come up to her bedroom, but after that the novelty had begun to pall. Consequently, this morning she had announced she would get up for a while, although after a couple of hours’ activity she had been happy to spend the afternoon back in her bed resting. But not now, with the arrival of her father, it seemed!
‘Daddy will carry me down,’ Jessica assured her warmly, obviously liking this idea very much.
‘The sooner you get up on your own two feet, the sooner you can go back to school,’ Annie teased the little girl.
Jessica’s face lit up at the thought. ‘Can I go back tomorrow?’
Annie laughed indulgently, knowing that the week Jessica had been told to take as sick-leave from the private day school she attended twenty miles away had been an added incentive to Jessica when it came to the bed-rest. But even that had started to fade as Jessica had begun to miss her schoolfriends, especially her best friend, Lucy.
‘I think that may be a little soon.’ Annie shook her head regretfully. ‘Besides, you can spend some time with your father now.’ Her humour faded at that thought; hopefully she wouldn’t have to spend time with him too! ‘Speaking of which,’ she added briskly, ‘I had better go and shower and dress for dinner so that I can come back and help you later.’
‘Is Daddy coming back up soon?’ Jessica frowned at his non-appearance.
Very soon, if the abruptness of his conversation with Celia was anything to go by! ‘I’m sure he is.’ Annie squeezed the little girl’s hand reassuringly. ‘He was just saying hello to your grandmother when I came up.’
Jessica grimaced at this news. ‘Oh.’
Obviously the tension that existed between her father and Celia wasn’t a family secret, not even from someone as young as Jessica!
‘Try and get some rest,’ Annie encouraged. ‘Then you won’t feel sleepy over dinner.’
She wished, as she walked slowly down the hallway to her own bedroom, that she could sleep through dinner; it didn’t promise, with Rufus Diamond’s arrival, to be a very restful meal.
‘Annie!’
She turned sharply at the sound of her name being called, colour warming her cheeks as she saw Anthony hurrying towards her, her heart giving its usual leap of excitement just at the sight of him, his blond good looks breathtaking to say the least. Annie had been bowled over by him the first time she’d looked at him.
‘God, I’m sorry about earlier.’ He spoke agitatedly as he reached her side, hair windswept, sky-blue eyes troubled as he looked down at her. ‘Davina decided she just had to go into town, and I just had to drive her because the weather was so bad.’ He mimicked a good impression of the slightly breathless way his fiancée spoke. ‘I hope you didn’t wait too long for me down on the jetty,’ he said apologetically as he took one of her hands into his.
Annie was mesmerised once again by the deep blue of his eyes, her legs feeling suddenly weak, her hand trembling when it made contact with his.
How had Rufus Diamond guessed that she was waiting for his brother down on the jetty?
More important than that, how had he known she had become romantically entangled with his brother?
Because she had. Had been attracted to Anthony from the first moment she’d looked at him when he’d come to stay several weekends ago. Too late she had realised he was engaged to someone else. An engagement which was virtually impossible for him to get out of.
‘Not very long,’ she dismissed, though she had already waited almost an hour when Rufus Diamond had arrived. She sounded slightly breathless herself because of Anthony’s close proximity.
‘I’m really sorry.’ Anthony squeezed her hand, smiling. ‘I know that we need to talk, that there must be things you want to ask me.’
Annie felt that fluttering sensation in her chest again as she thought of the possibility that some of their conversation might concern how he felt about her! She wondered if he would kiss her again, as he had on Sunday.
His mother and Davina had gone off that morning to visit neighbouring friends for a couple of hours, and Anthony had cried off because he had some notes to prepare for a case he was involved in when he got back to London the following week. He had told her later that he had also hoped for an opportunity to be alone with her...!
In one way it was lucky he had stayed behind on Sunday, because he’d been the one to help her after Jessica had come off her horse, driving them to the hospital so that Jessica could have her ankle X-rayed, carrying the little girl up to her bedroom once they’d returned, sitting with them both until Jessica had fallen asleep.
And that was when he had kissed her...!
Annie had been stunned. Elated. Ecstatic. Because the attraction she had felt towards him, for so many weeks, was returned.
And then she had felt devastated. Embarrassed. Because he was engaged to marry another woman.
Anthony had explained that he no longer loved Davina, but that it was almost impossible for him to tell her so at this time, since Davina’s father was the senior partner in the law firm Anthony worked for.
Annie could sympathise with his dilemma, but she had no idea where that left her. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she excused him now abruptly, still uncomfortable with the fact that he was engaged to Davina. ‘I—your brother is home,’ she stated flatly, not sure that she would be able to see much more of Anthony anyway, still wondering if she would have a job after today.
It was as if she had given Anthony an electric shock. He stepped back abruptly, releasing her hand as he did so. ‘Rufus is back?’ he grated incredulously, blue eyes wide open now.
‘He’s downstairs with your mother.’ Annie nodded, feeling totally miserable about the other man’s return herself. In fact, the only one who seemed pleased to see him was Jessica! ‘I’m surprised you didn’t see him on your way up,’ she added heavily. Or hear him, she added silently: Rufus Diamond hadn’t exactly been quiet over his disapproval at Jessica having a replacement nanny.
Anthony still frowned. ‘I came straight upstairs to look for you. Do you know how long he’s staying?’
‘He’s only just arrived!’ she responded ruefully.
‘His last effort to be a father to Jess amounted to a full twenty-four hours, I believe,’ Anthony scorned. ‘Have you seen him? Spoken to him?’ He looked at her searchingly. ‘I can see by your expression that you have,’ he said disgustedly. ‘Throwing his weight about as usual, no doubt?’
She moistened dry lips. ‘He didn’t seem—too happy about Margaret’s departure.’
Anthony raised dark blond brows. ‘I wonder why? I mean, a nanny is just a nanny—Oh, not you, of course, my darling,’ he quickly apologised as she looked taken aback. ‘But Jess has had a succession of nannies; I’m just surprised Rufus could tell one from another!’
Well, he certainly seemed to know the difference this time! Although Annie was still stunned by Anthony’s endearment; was she really his darling?
‘Margaret was a blonde; Annie is a redhead,’ drawled a voice that was becoming all too recognisable. ‘I think even I can tell the difference,’ Rufus Diamond said sarcastically as he strode down the hallway.
Annie was once again struck by the lack of similarity between these two men: Rufus was at least a couple of inches taller than his brother as he stood beside the younger man, his hair long, dark and shaggy, while Anthony’s was blond and kept expertly styled. Rufus was also the more powerfully built, and even the casual clothing they both wore was of a completely different style; the older man wore jeans, whereas Anthony’s trousers were tailored. And, although both men were strikingly handsome, that was in a completely different way, too: Anthony’s was a boyish handsomeness, while Rufus Diamond’s face looked as if it had been hewn from the rocks along the seashore.
If Rufus had heard that remark about Jessica’s nannies, had he also heard his brother call her his darling?
Cobalt-blue eyes were narrowed on the two of them in cool assessment before he turned to look at his brother. ‘Davina seems to be wondering where you’ve got to,’ he went on pointedly. ‘I told her to look for the first pretty face and she was sure to find you there! And I was right,’ he added softly, his speculative gaze encompassing Annie again as well now.
She felt the colour enter her cheeks, could feel its warmth. And it had nothing to do with being called pretty by this man. Why was Rufus so contemptuous of her? He didn’t even know her! From the way he talked to her, and about her, she didn’t think he was going to take the time to get to know her, either!
‘I was merely asking Anthony if he knew whether or not you were coming up to see Jessica again,’ she told him tartly. ‘She seemed to think you would be.’
‘And she was right, because here I am,’ he returned, amusement—at her expense!—darkening his eyes even more.
She met that look unblinkingly. ‘I’m sure Jessica will be thrilled,’ she said evenly.
To her surprise Rufus threw back his head and gave a shout of laughter, his expression warm now, that grin still curving his lips as he looked down at her. ‘I was wondering if this unusual colour was real or from a bottle.’ He reached out and lightly ruffled the deep red of her short, curling hair. ‘Now I know it is red! I should watch yourself with this one, Anthony,’ he told his brother. ‘She may just turn round and bite!’ And, with that last taunt left floating in the air between them, he strode off to Jessica’s bedroom, quietly going inside. Jessica’s squeals of delight were heard seconds later.
‘What did he mean by that last remark?’ Anthony asked sharply. ‘Exactly what did the two of you talk about when you met earlier?’
Annie smoothed her mussed hair with irritated fingers. Really, Rufus Diamond treated her as if she were no older than Jessica! Although, from the implications he was making concerning herself and his brother, he didn’t really believe that...!
‘Annie!’ Anthony snapped impatiently. ‘I asked what you and Rufus talked about earlier,’ he prompted at her puzzled look.
She thought back to that embarrassing conversation with him on the beach, when she had mistaken him for a trespasser—and knew she couldn’t tell Anthony about that. She felt uncomfortable enough about the encounter already, without sharing it with anyone.
‘Not a lot,’ she responded vaguely. ‘Although he did tell me to be careful on the beach; he said someone had once died there.’ She looked up at Anthony, perplexed.
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Did he, indeed?’ he said slowly. ‘Did he say who it was?’
‘No.’ She shrugged. ‘We really weren’t talking for that long.’ Only long enough for Annie to make a complete fool of herself!
‘Hmm.’ Anthony was still attentive. ‘It’s interesting that he told you about that at all.’
Annie was intrigued now. ‘Is it?’
‘It isn’t important,’ Anthony dismissed carelessly. ‘Although you do realise, with Rufus around, we’re going to have to be even more careful about when and where the two of us meet?’
She had been debating this afternoon, as she’d stood on the jetty waiting for him—pointlessly, as it turned out—whether or not they should meet again. Oh, she was no less attracted to him, and she wanted to feel wanted by him, but he was engaged to another woman—no matter how much of a farce, on his part, the engagement now was.
This was the circle in which she had kept going round and round, and every time she’d come back to the fact that she was attracted to a man who was engaged to marry someone else. Even though the attraction seemed to be reciprocated, it was still wrong for her to feel this way about a man promised to another girl.
She drew in a controlling breath. ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t meet...’
‘I was hoping you would say that!’ Anthony gave her a hug, smiling down at her when he released her. ‘It won’t be for long; as I’ve said, going by Rufus’s last visit, this one may only be for a day or so. Then we can start to see each other without worrying about him.’
That hadn’t been what she was about to say at all. Much as it pained her, the only conclusion she had come to concerning her relationship with Anthony—such as it was!—was that it would have to end. At least until Anthony had decided what he was going to do about his engagement. But Anthony seemed to have misunderstood her just now...
‘You really are wonderful, Annie,’ he told her huskily, blue eyes glowing. ‘How could I have been so stupid as to think I could make a go of things with Davina?’ He shook his head at his own lack of forethought. ‘I’ll sort things out, Annie, you’ll see. In the meantime, I intend to stay as much out of Rufus’s way as possible. I suggest you do the same.’
Easier said than done!
As Jessica had hoped, Daddy did come and carry her downstairs to dinner. Which meant he came up to Jessica’s bedroom to collect her. And as Annie was there too, having helped the young girl to dress in her prettiest dress—red velvet edged with fine lace at the neck and cuffs—she encountered Rufus again not much more than an hour later.
As the Diamonds were a family that dressed for dinner, his black evening suit, snowy white shirt and black bow-tie came as nothing of a surprise to Annie. The fact that the formality of his clothing did little to disguise the leashed power within was also expected; Rufus Diamond was a man who exuded arrogant masculinity.
‘Does our little mouse still have her roar this evening?’ he teased. ‘Or has Anthony managed to talk you down to a whimper?’
Jessica looked puzzled by his query. ‘But we don’t have any mice, Daddy.’
Annie didn’t pretend not to know it was her he was referring to. Usually she was so calm and controlled—temper tantrums hadn’t gone down too well at the children’s homes! It was only this man who brought back echoes of the fiery side of her nature that over the years she had taken such care to quell.
As he did now! ‘The younger Mr Diamond doesn’t talk down to me at all,’ she told him tartly.
The humour left Rufus’s darkly mocking face as he frowned, giving him a slightly menacing appearance—and making Annie wonder if she was wise to talk back to him so sharply. He was her employer, after all...
‘Don’t backtrack, Annie,’ he replied curtly—as if he was well able to read her inner uncertainty.
Maybe he could. She had never been any good at hiding her feelings. Another reason for ending this barely formed relationship with Anthony. It could only bring her grief, and possibly dismissal from working with the little girl she already adored. These sort of complications weren’t something she had given any thought to when she had opted to work in a family environment!
‘And I wasn’t talking down to you, either,’ Rufus continued firmly. ‘Jessica did nothing but extol your virtues for the earlier part of this evening.’ He ruffled his daughter’s hair affectionately, receiving a pleased giggle in return. Rufus turned back to Annie with darkly piercing eyes. ‘Children aren’t easily deceived.’
That was true; she had easily been able to tell, when she was in care, which people were genuinely interested in her and who was just making a show of being kind. But she didn’t see how anyone could be less than sincerely fond of a lovely child like Jessica.
‘Daddy...’ Jessica spoke carefully. ‘What does “extol your virtues” mean?’ She wrinkled her nose in confusion.
‘It means, young lady—’ Rufus easily swung his daughter up into his arms, grinning down at her ‘—that you think Annie is great!’
‘But she is,’ Jessica said without a shadow of doubt.
‘I’m sure she is, poppet.’ Rufus tickled his daughter as he carried her ceremoniously down the wide staircase.
Annie walked happily along behind them, pleased with the obvious closeness between father and daughter, despite Rufus’s three-month absence. The two could have been together only yesterday, so naturally affectionate was their relationship.
‘Mind you,’ Rufus paused to whisper conspiratorially to Jessica, ‘when I met Annie earlier, I didn’t think she was much older than you!’ This last, playful remark was accompanied by a glance back at a red-faced Annie. ‘She looks—much older in that black dress,’ he added lightly, blue gaze challenging.
‘I helped her to choose it,’ Jessica told him proudly.
And, in fact, she had. Having worked in a daytime kindergarten, where her evenings were her own, Annie hadn’t had much call for the sort of formal clothes she would need for one of the Diamond dinners. After two evenings of coming down in serviceable skirts and blouses, of feeling exactly what she was—the hired help—she had decided to change that, taking Jessica into town with her shopping on their first available Saturday and buying three dresses that, when matched with differing accessories, could get her through an evening no matter what company happened to arrive. On the very evening she’d bought the dresses she had been presented with a bishop and a judge, so her purchases had been well worth the effort!
She had bought black, royal-blue and white dresses, and tonight, as Rufus Diamond had duly noted, she wore the black one, which while not accentuating her figure, didn’t hide it either, the above-knee length revealing an expanse of shapely leg too. On a couple of other evenings she had worn a long floral scarf trailing from her throat, or a fitted jacket of powder-blue, but tonight she wore only a single silver broach fastened above her left breast; she hadn’t wanted to wear anything this evening that would draw attention to her!
‘And Annie is much older than me,’ Jessica added in a scandalised voice. ‘She’s twenty-two. She told me she is.’
‘Oh, that’s much older!’ Rufus agreed, only the twitch of his lips, as he turned briefly to Annie, telling of his repressed humour—again at her expense.
‘Really, Daddy.’ Jessica unwittingly sounded just like her grandmother at that moment. ‘You can be so silly at times.’ She gave an exasperated shake of her head—again, not unlike Celia would have done.
Annie doubted that the word ‘silly’ could be applied to Rufus—at any time. It certainly wasn’t the impression he had given her since their first meeting this afternoon!
And while Annie, in her parentless state, might have little idea of what a family dinner should be like, she was sure that the following couple of hours spent at the Diamond dining table was not it!
It was the strangest meal Annie had ever been present at—and she didn’t mean food-wise; as usual Mrs Wilson, the cook, had provided an excellent meal; homemade pâté, followed by duck in a delicious orange sauce, with fresh fruit in port to finish. But for all the justice the Diamond family paid it, it might as well have been the beans on toast Annie had often enjoyed in the past as her own meal of the day!
The tension around the table was intolerable, felt by all, she was sure, except Jessica—a happy Jessica with her father seated at her side. And Rufus Diamond was the catalyst for everyone else’s tension—although for all the notice he took of it he might have been as unaware of it as his daughter.
Or so Annie thought...
Jessica was seated between the two of them, and Rufus had to lean forward to speak to Annie. ‘Enjoying yourself?’ he asked, still with that repressed humour.
She had been wishing the meal over, at least her own and Jessica’s part in it. The young girl usually retired to bed when the coffee and port stage was reached. Although that might be different tonight, as her father was here...
As for enjoying the meal...! Celia was at her most haughty, while Davina, a tall, elegant blonde, flirted shamelessly with Rufus at every opportunity, and Anthony—well, Anthony seemed lost in his own reverie, paying little attention to any of them. This Annie was relieved about; the last thing she wanted was to give Rufus any more ammunition to fire at herself and Anthony!
‘Very much, thank you,’ she returned primly.
He gave that wolfish grin at her politeness. ‘Liar!’ he rejoined quietly.
She met his gaze unflinchingly. ‘I was referring to the food, of course.’
Once again she was taken aback when he threw back his head and gave a throaty laugh of pure enjoyment, those lines she had noticed earlier beside his eyes and mouth proving to be laughter lines—evidence that this man laughed a lot. And she didn’t think it was always at other people; somehow she sensed that he had the ability to laugh at himself too. This man was an enigma, a chameleon, one moment distant and forbidding, the next full of humour. It could take a lifetime to know such a man—
Annie broke off her thoughts with a guilty glance in Anthony’s direction, once again affected by his good looks, the way he smiled across at her conspiratorially, almost as if he had sensed her confusion—although not, thank goodness, the reason for it. She doubted he would smile at her in that way if he realised exactly what she had been thinking about his brother!
‘Would you care to share the joke with us, Annie?’ Celia Diamond’s mildly arrogant voice broke in on her thoughts. ‘I’m sure we could all do with some light amusement,’ she added dryly—showing she was far from immune to the awkwardness of the evening.
But as she and the rest of the family, and the tension that existed between them with Rufus’s presence, were the subject of that light amusement Annie somehow didn’t think the other woman would be at all happy to share the joke!
Annie shot Rufus a look that clearly cried ‘help’—although, even knowing Rufus’s sense of humour as little as she did, she had a feeling he might just enjoy sitting back and watching her squirm!
‘It was just a little anecdote about Jessica that Annie wished to share with me.’ Thankfully, Rufus did come to her rescue. ‘Speaking of which,’ he added, with an affectionate wink at his daughter, ‘I think it’s time Jess went up to bed. No protests, young lady,’ he added with gentle reproof as he sensed that was exactly what she was about to give him. ‘You’re going to need plenty of sleep if you’re going to attempt to beat me at chess tomorrow.’
This was the first indication Annie had had that the child played chess; she seemed very young to have mastered such a complicated game. Nevertheless Annie had stood up to leave quickly enough herself at Rufus’s first suggestion of it; this evening couldn’t end quickly enough as far as she was concerned!
Although Rufus’s next comment warned her that, for her at least, it was far from over...!
‘Carry on and have coffee without me,’ he told his family as he easily swung Jessica back up into his arms. ‘Once we have Jessica settled for the night, I intend talking to Annie for a while.’
It wasn’t the easy dismissal of her own coffee that bothered her, nor even Rufus’s casual grouping of the two of them, but that innocuous-sounding mention of ‘talking to Annie for a while’...
What did Rufus want to talk to her about? The fact that she was the new nanny to his daughter? Or something else...?
CHAPTER THREE
‘THESE are excellent references.’ Rufus put the two letters he had just read down on the desk in front of him, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘They must have been sorry to lose you at the kindergarten.’
It was a statement, not a question, Annie knew that—because Brenda Thompson, the person in charge of the kindergarten, had clearly said so in her letter of reference.
They were in Rufus Diamond’s study, a spacious room furnished with heavy mahogany furniture; it was next to the library, and Annie hadn’t even known it was here, let alone entered it before. Not that this particularly surprised her. Clifftop House was an enormous place, with two completely self-contained wings at either end of it. One housed the servants who lived in, the other appeared to be unused, and there were dozens of rooms that Annie had never been into.
Rufus had kissed his daughter goodnight once they were upstairs, leaving Annie to prepare the little girl for bed and informing her that he would see her downstairs in his study as soon as she had finished what she was doing. Annie had had to ask Jessica for directions to her father’s study.
As she sat across the desk from him now, it was as if those moments of humour between them earlier had never happened. She felt like one of the children at the home, hauled before Mrs James for some misdemeanour or other! Not that she ever had been. Keep your head down and stay out of trouble—that had been her motto. It had seemed to work quite well—
‘Excellent references,’ Rufus repeated slowly, the removal of his jacket and loosening of his bow-tie not making him look any more approachable. ‘But they actually tell me very little about you. Who are you? Where are your family? Are you likely to leave at a moment’s notice. too?’ he added grimly, obviously thinking of the absent Margaret. ‘I think I have a right to ask these questions; after all, you are in charge of my daughter on a day-to-day basis.’
Annie agreed with him, knew she would be the same if her own daughter’s welfare were at stake. And yet, from Rufus Diamond, these questions seemed an intrusion. It was totally illogical, but she found she didn’t want to tell him any more about herself than she had to.
‘I’m Annie Fletcher. And I’m your typical Orphan Annie,’ she added self-derisively. ‘I have no family that I’m aware of. And I wouldn’t leave here, or Jessica, without giving you a good reason—and time enough to find a replacement!’
His mouth twisted. ‘I believe Margaret told me the same thing.’
She shrugged. ‘You’ll have to take that up with Margaret; I never met her.’ Jessica had been without a nanny for almost a week when Annie had arrived two months ago. ‘All I can say is that I won’t do the same thing.’
‘Take it or leave it, hmm?’ Rufus said shrewdly.
‘I didn’t mean that at all,’ Annie defended quietly, hot colour in her cheeks. ‘Of course you don’t have to take it or leave it; you’re my employer, and you’re perfectly within your rights to want certain assurances. I seriously doubt I would ever choose to leave Jessica.’ Her expression softened as she spoke of the child.
Dark eyes assessed her questioningly. ‘You’re fond of my daughter?’
‘Very.’ She didn’t take offence at the question—not this one—although she felt sure there were plenty of others Rufus Diamond could and would ask that would be very offensive indeed!
‘And just how fond of my brother are you?’
That was one of them! It wasn’t altogether unexpected, though; she had known since the three of them met in the hallway earlier that Rufus would have to make some reference to it. She wasn’t disappointed!
‘I like all the family,’ she said evasively.
Rufus’s mouth thinned. ‘Even Celia?’ he queried. The other woman could be extremely haughty, and Annie knew now she considered her a servant. But at least Celia was honest about it, made no pretence of it being otherwise, and for the main part she had treated Annie fairly, if not exactly warmly.
‘Even Celia,’ she confirmed firmly.
Rufus gave a humourless grin. ‘Methinks the lady doth protest too much,’ he said smoothly.
‘Not at all,’ Annie protested indignantly. ‘Mrs Diamond has been very kind in her own way.’ She regretted adding the last comment almost as soon as she had said it, knowing she had given Rufus an opening she hadn’t meant to. She didn’t have to wait long!
“‘In her own way”,’ Rufus retorted. ‘I’ve known Celia since I was two years old—and I’ve never seen her be kind to anyone. Not without a damn good reason!’ He added cynically, ‘And nannies to my daughter do not come under that category.’
Annie wasn’t particularly interested in his scathing comments concerning Celia, had no intention of getting into any sort of in-depth conversation concerning the other woman. What did interest her was Rufus’s reference to knowing Celia since he was two years old... Of course, most children didn’t begin to learn things about their parents until they were a few years old, but in this case she didn’t think that was what was meant...
Rufus was watching her closely, well aware of her puzzlement, she was sure. The man seemed to miss nothing!
‘You really don’t know too much about this family, do you?’ he said slowly.
She knew she loved Jessica, that Celia lived her role as lady of the manor to perfection—and that Anthony was trapped in an engagement he shouldn’t be in! What else did she need to know?
‘Perhaps I should get back to my original question.’ Rufus spoke purposefully now, dark eyes watchful. ‘How well do you know Anthony?’
Not well enough, obviously. Because until this last weekend she hadn’t even realised he had a fiancée. He had been down for several weekend visits on his own, which was when Annie had found herself becoming attracted to his charm and good looks. It had been a shock—and a disappointment—when he had arrived on Saturday with Davina, to stay for a week. Then he had kissed her on Sunday... Now she was just confused about the whole thing.
‘I don’t,’ she answered honestly. Did you have to know a person well to be attracted to them?
Rufus was still watching her with those shrewdly assessing eyes. ‘In that case,’ he finally said harshly, ‘my advice to you is stay well away from him!’
She remained outwardly calm, but flinched inwardly at the force behind Rufus’s words. It had been obvious from the first that there was little love lost between the two brothers, and that the dislike was mutual. But once more Rufus Diamond was talking to her as if she were no older than Jessica. Maybe falling for the charm of a man who had turned out to be engaged to marry another woman wasn’t the most sensible thing she had ever done in her life, but, as Jessica had pointed out earlier, she was much older than her young charge—old enough to make her own mistakes, or otherwise!
‘Fatherly advice, Mr Diamond?’ she returned smartly.
His mouth tightened as her barb hit home. ‘I was only joking with Jessica earlier when I made that remark about your age.’ He easily guessed which comment of his she had taken exception to. ‘I also take back what I said down on the beach, about your being young and impressionable,’ he added at her bemused expression. ‘Young you may be, but you’re nobody’s fool.’
Annie drew in a sharp breath; she wasn’t so sure about that!
The fact remained that she hadn’t known about Anthony’s fiancée until Saturday, but even when she had found out she had still allowed him to kiss her. Wasn’t that foolish in the extreme, even if she did feel so deeply attracted to him?
‘Thank you,’ she accepted huskily, not quite able to meet the deep blue of Rufus’s gaze.
‘And whether my advice just now was fatherly or not,’ he continued briskly, ‘you would do well to take it!’
She bristled indignantly. Rufus had arrived here only a few short hours ago, and yet he seemed to have done nothing in that time but issue orders and upset people—mostly her! And, while she accepted he had a right to tell her what he required of her as far as Jessica was concerned, she did not welcome his interference in what she considered to be her private life!
Nevertheless, she chose her next words carefully. ‘You’re very kind, Mr Diamond—’
‘I’m no more kind than Celia,’ he cut in scathingly. ‘Anthony either, for that matter. In fact, we aren’t a very kind family,’ he concluded.
‘In that case, I’m surprised you leave—’ She broke off abruptly, warned by the sudden dark anger in his face that she would be overstepping the line with the observation she was about to make concerning Jessica. She looked up at him with wide, apprehensive eyes as he stood up forcefully, his size seeming to fill the room.
‘Not young and impressionable at all,’ he said with deliberation. ‘And for God’s sake take that scared-rabbit look off your face,’ he told her disgustedly, moving around the desk to perch on it in front of her. ‘I may not be kind, Annie, but by the same token I’ve never struck a woman in my life. And I don’t intend to start with you. Even if you do say the damnedest things,’ he added gratingly. ‘I leave Jessica here because there is nowhere else for her to go. Her mother is dead.’ It was a flat statement of fact, revealing none of his inner feelings concerning the loss. ‘And I can hardly take her with me when I go on an assignment!’
Annie could see the sense of that; she also knew that Jessica fared so much better than she had herself. Her own mother had died shortly after giving birth to her, and she had never even known who her father was, only the circumstances of her birth. Whereas Jessica obviously adored her father, for all his long absences.
Annie moistened her lips. ‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to criticise—’
‘Yes, you did,’ he said without rancour. ‘And I probably deserve it.’ He reached out to put his hand beneath her chin and gently raise her face so that she had no choice but to look directly into his. He didn’t look angry any more, his mouth curving into a smile. ‘You’ll do, Annie Fletcher,’ he told her huskily. ‘You love my daughter, that’s all the reference you need.’ He easily dismissed the two letters she had provided.
She was barely breathing, certainly not moving, very conscious of how very close they were, the deep cobalt-blue of his eyes so clear to her now—the only thing that was—as her gaze was held mesmerised by his, her face made immobile by the touch of his hand, his fingers warm against the softness of her throat.
She flicked her tongue over her lips again, colour warming her cheeks as she saw his eyes following the movement. She inwardly withdrew, then instantly moved back from the touch of his hand, gratefully drawing air into her lungs at the same time. What on earth was happening to her? She wasn’t that young and impressionable—so how, feeling the way she did about Anthony, had she also felt the pull of this man’s attraction?
She didn’t know herself under these circumstances. But she was sure that, even if the Diamond men weren’t kind, they were both possessed of an attractiveness she would be better off without!
‘Can I go now?’ she said abruptly, wishing he would move away from her—let her breathe a little!
Thankfully, he did, moving back behind the desk, although he didn’t sit down again, merely looked at her from beneath lowered lids. ‘No,’ he finally replied forcefully. ‘We haven’t talked about Jessica’s accident yet.’
Which was one of the things she was here to discuss; how could she have forgotten? This man, that was how; she was finding it difficult to keep up with his lightning changes of mood and conversation, knew she would look back on this time spent in his study with a feeling of exhaustion. She felt as if she had to constantly be on her guard, for one reason or another.
And the subject of Jessica’s accident was no different. She didn’t know how it had happened; one minute the little girl had been in the saddle, the next she had been on the ground. Annie was a novice rider herself; simply managing to stay seated in the saddle was a major feat! She had mastered just sitting on the back of the placid animal she had been given and letting the horse do all the work. She simply wasn’t experienced enough to give any sort of judgement on Jessica’s mishap.
That in itself would probably be a black mark against her in Rufus Diamond’s book!
‘Knowing how to ride a horse wasn’t something that was discussed when I came here for an interview,’ she told him defensively. ‘But it’s something Jessica loves to do, and as she can’t possibly go out on her own—’
‘You had to accompany her,’ Rufus surmised, his eyes suddenly alight with humour, a slight twitch to those sculptured lips. ‘Done much riding before, have you, Annie?’ He raised innocently questioning brows.
Too innocently. He was laughing at her again, damn him!
‘There wasn’t much call for it in the inner London Children’s home I was brought up in!’ she told him sharply.
The stark contrast between her own childhood and Jessica’s was apparent in that one blunt statement. There had never been too much spare cash at the home, certainly not enough to run to riding lessons. Even if she had wanted them. Which she hadn’t.
And after Jessica’s accident she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to sit on a horse again! Jessica had been riding most of her life, it seemed, and still she had been thrown.
‘So you meant it literally when you called yourself Orphan Annie?’ Rufus said.
‘Yes.’ She was on the defensive, unsure of the turn of the conversation. Again!
Rufus took his time, sitting down in the chair behind the desk, his face softening as he looked across its width at her. ‘In that case, I wouldn’t take the Diamond family as a typical example of the species,’ he drawled dryly. ‘It had some sense of normality before my father died six years ago; since then it’s deteriorated into anarchy,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘A group of people who happen to share the same house but who can barely stand the sight of each other!’
‘Surely not?’ Annie gasped in dismay at the tragedy of such a thing. But hadn’t she seen it herself this evening, in the barely maintained civility over dinner? And at the time she had thought Rufus to be the catalyst; she couldn’t remember it having been quite as tense on other evenings when she and Jessica had joined in the evening meal.
‘Surely, yes,’ Rufus confirmed wryly. ‘And as no one else seems to have filled you in on the family history perhaps I should do so,’ he said wearily.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, already felt uncomfortable enough with the little she did know. ‘Is it relevant to Jessica that I know?’ She frowned.
His mouth tightened. ‘Before the weekend, I would have said no. Now I’m not so sure...’ He grimaced darkly, then shook off that mood as he smiled across at her. ‘Don’t look so worried,’ he chided, at her apprehensive expression. ‘As far as I’m aware, there is no history of axe murderers or serial killers in the family. At least, none that Celia would ever allow to be discussed! Appearances are everything to my dear stepmama,’ he told her wryly. ‘Although she wasn’t always so particular,’ he amended harshly, eyes cold with anger once again.
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