An Excellent Wife (18 page)

'You're kidding!' Patience looked staggered.

'Fast work,' agreed James, his mouth curving cynically. 'I told you, her emotions were never involved. Nor were mine. But her marriage might actually work. Charles is very experienced—he's been married several times before—and he isn't in love with her any more than she's in love with him. I knew he fancied her; he made no secret of it. He's very rich, he's much older than her, he won't expect too much and he has no illusions about her. But he'll be generous to her and she'll fit in with his lifestyle and his friends.

They might suit each other pretty well.'

Patience looked at him through her lashes. 'You know some very weird people, James. "Cynical and experienced" would describe you, too, wouldn't it?'

"He grimaced. 'Cynical, maybe. Experienced? No, I was always too busy. I had no time for love.' He looked at her passionately, his feelings in his eyes.

'Until I met you.'

She ran a finger lingeringly over his mouth, and he drew breath sharply.

'Patience...I love you...'

'Don't talk so much,' she said softly. 'Kiss me.'

James didn't need to be told twice. He framed her face in both his hands and kissed her warm, generous mouth with all the need, desire and emotion inside him.

'I've waited so long to kiss you like this.'

Patience ran her arms round his neck and kissed him back, making his temperature soar. Eyes closed, James held her in his arms, feeling dizzy and yet so happy he could scarcely breathe. Against his chest the soft, high breasts rose and fell in rapid breathing; he thought of burying his face between them, and shuddered with desire.

He felt her lips move under his, whispering his name, then she said in a shaky voice, 'I love you, too, James.'

His heart drove against his breast. 'Do you mean it?' He looked down at her, his eyes feverish with intense feeling.

'Oh, yes. When I left your house today I was so unhappy. Seeing you with that woman made me feel sick. I had to get away. I couldn't bear to pretend, and be polite to her.'

He groaned. 'And I was afraid you had gone because you didn't care!'

'You've no idea how much I cared! I realised I loved you on my birthday.

When you arrived, I looked at you and felt quite odd, weak at the knees—it had to be love, although I still wanted to smack you once or twice, when you were being stupid about your mother. I love your mother—she's wonderful; you've got to be nice to her!'

He looked at her with tenderness. 'You're wonderful, do you know that? Will you marry me, Patience? And soon—it has to be soon. Because I'll go out of my mind if I don't get you into bed soon.'

She blushed, making his heart turn over, but then she sighed, her face turning very serious. 'I don't know... I can't, James, I really can't...'

He stiffened, ice trickling down his spine. 'Can't marry me? Why not?'

Desperation made his voice roughen, grow harsh. 'If you love me why can't you marry me?'

'If we got married, you'd want me to live in your house, and I can't, James. I can't leave The Cedars, or the children. I promised them we'd always stay here and I can't break my promise. I can't turn my friends out, either; this is their home too, now, and I couldn't dump them back into homes; they'd be so unhappy and I'm very fond of them all.'

He relaxed, sighing with relief. For a moment he had thought she didn't love him enough to marry him.

'I may be stupid about some things, but I've understood the problem of where we would live, Patience,-and there's really no problem at all. I've never liked that house in Regent's Park, anyway. I had so little happiness in it. My mother's right—it is haunted, for both of us, her and me. I'll sell the place without a single minute's regret.'

Her face lit up. 'And move in here with us?'

He nodded, smiling at her.

Her eyes were wide and bright for a second, then she said uncertainly, 'Are you sure, James? Could you stand it? You're used to living in a very stately way—your house is so elegant and quiet; you can hear the clocks ticking!

This is a madhouse some days, when everyone's home. The children squabbling, the dogs barking, Lavinia and Joe arguing—there's no peace anywhere. It may drive you mad.'

'It probably will, some days, but I can always build myself a treehouse in the garden and go there to get some peace.'

She laughed. 'Emmy wouldn't leave you alone for long. She thinks the sun shines out of you. If you had a private treehouse in the garden she would move in with you.'

'She's adorable,' he said, laughing too. 'When I look at her I know what you looked like at that age.'

'Yes, she is like me! Far more than the boys.' Then Patience sobered again.

'And what about your own staff? Barny and Enid? I liked them so much, James, I wouldn't want to turn them out. They've spent their whole lives looking after you.'

'I talked to Barny just now on the way over here—it seems he and Enid have always wanted to have a flat at Bournemouth with a sea view. They didn't like to leave me in the lurch, but if I get married they'll stop work and find that flat. Apparently they think it's time they retired, anyway.'

Her brow furrowed. 'Did you think he meant it? I mean...are you sure he wasn't just saying what he thought you wanted to hear?'

'I believed him, but you can talk to them yourself, and if you think they don't really want to go we'll work something out. We can always build an extension to The Cedars for them. There's plenty of room here for new building.'

Her eyes gleamed. 'You have an answer for everything, don't you?'

'Patience, if you love me we can work everything else out. All that matters is...do you love me and will you marry me?'

'Yes,' she said huskily. 'Yes, James. I love you, and I will marry you.' She caught his face between her hands and looked up at him with eyes that shone like greeny-blue opals. 'And, James, I can't wait to get you into bed, either.'