Australia’s Most Eligible Bachelor (20 page)

Leila carried her burning rage with her to the ancient city. It was a rage that she had never experienced before. She had watched Corin sidestep any number of the suitable young women that inhabited his privileged circle. She had used to congratulate herself on how she had helped see them off. Now everything had changed.

Miranda had entered their lives. Miranda—her own daughter. The turn of events defied belief. She suddenly saw Corin, the object of her long-held sexual desire, being taken away from her. Her infatuation for him had never diminished. It had only grown stronger over the years. Corin had matured into the whole man: brilliant, stunning good looks, charm, impressing everyone who came his way. She hated the way she felt sometimes. Hated it. It was like being held in bondage. The very fact she was dealing with her own daughter demanded she show mercy, but she had to be a monster, because she couldn’t manage a flicker. It was Miranda who had captured Corin’s attention. Miranda who had come between her and her fatal obsession. Miranda needed punishing.

For some little time now she had felt Dalton’s desire for her lessening. It had been
years
, after all. She counted on maintaining her beauty unimpaired until at least forty-two, forty-three. There were so many aids. But youth, unmatchable youth, never to be regained, was on her daughter’s side. Miranda was exquisitely pretty. How ridiculous, then, was her ambition to become a doctor? That lofty profession was very much part of Jason’s family.

There—she’d thought it.
Jason!
She had hardly given him a thought in twenty years, until that shocking night in London when she had turned around to see him reincarnated in his daughter. There were, after all, genes. It was to be expected. Miranda was so much like him, and his sister Roslyn. The resemblance was amazing. It had struck her dumb with fear.

Leila forced herself to take several deep breaths. Dalton was full of this trip to the Anhui Province. She was expected to go. They did everything together. And Dalton wanted Corin to accompany them. In many ways, Dalton idolised his son. He was enormously proud of him. When the time came Dalton was convinced Rylance Metals would be in safe hands.

Leila made a snap decision. She pivoted on her stiletto heels, going to the door of the suite. Dalton had gone for drinks with a couple of his American cronies, also in Beijing on business. With any luck at all Corin might still be in his room. Only one way to find out. Pay him a visit.

Corin answered the light tap on the door, only to find Leila, of all people, hovering with every appearance of nervousness. That was a first.

“Dad’s not here, Leila,” he told her briskly. “That’s if you’ve come to find him and not corner me? He’s having a drink with Hank Gardner and his business partner.”

“I know.” She expelled a quick breath. “May I come in?”

Corin’s smile was faintly twisted. “What? Aid and abet a designing woman? I’m sorry, Leila, I’m just about to go out. What is it you want, anyway?”

“It’s about Miranda,” she said, actress that she was, managing to force tears into her eyes. “I may have deserted her, but I do care about her, you know.”

“Yeah, right! Give me a break, Leila!” Corin continued to mock, his sexual presence so strong, so exciting, she wanted to throw herself at him, be gathered up in his arms. His youth—he was not yet thirty—his devastating good looks and the enormous energy that radiated off him only underscored the fact her husband was ageing.

“Please, please, just let me inside for a moment,” she pleaded. “We have to talk. Really it’s for the best.” She managed to push past him, hurrying into the room, where she settled herself in an armchair, pressing down on its sides because her hands were shaking so much. This was her last-ditch stand. “Are you serious about my daughter?”

“Your
daughter
?” Corin scoffed. “That’s right—so she is. You’ve been a great mother, Leila. All that money you sent to help out. Well, listen, and listen up well. I’m madly, deeply and irrevocably in love with Miranda. I intend to marry her.”

Leila reacted as if he had shot a deadly arrow that had hit its mark. “You
can’t”
. A look of extreme pain crossed her face.
Real
pain. He hadn’t known she was capable of it. “I won’t allow it.”

“How can you possibly stop it?” He gave her a long, challenging look.

“I’ll go to Dalton,” she said, throwing up her burnished head. “I’ll confess my past.”

“What? Version Two? He might well ask how many versions there are. I know you enjoy your power over him, Leila, but do you really believe you can sell him another sob story?”

Leila glanced about wildly. “I know how to handle your father, Corin. Miranda may look like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but she’s a born schemer. She went after you like I went after your father. She freely admitted it to me. Proud of it, actually. We’re two of a kind, you see.”

“Quite sure of that, are you?” Corin remained standing, looking down at her with a vestige of Miranda’s pity.

“She wants ten million to go away,” Leila announced with great intensity. “That’s sterling, would you believe? I told her I couldn’t possibly put my hands on an amount like that. She then started to talk increments. She was relishing her power over me, her own mother. She said she would go to Dalton and give him the true story. How I abandoned her and my parents. Left them to rear her. No word from me. Ever. I told her in return for the money she would have to give you up completely. I have to be able to trust her, you see.”

“Takes one sinner to know another,” he mocked.

“True.” Leila’s face brightened. “She’s quite the little con-woman.”

“Is she, now?” Corin gave her a hard stare. “Leila,
I’m
worth a great deal more than ten million in any currency. Wouldn’t she do better sticking with me?”

“But she doesn’t
love
you, my dear!” Leila’s voice rose, verging on hysteria. The room was swimming before her eyes. “She told me. She used you. She’s been planning her revenge all these years. She wants to ruin me. Surely you realise that? You have to trust me, Corin. I care too much about you to see you get hurt. You would have no future with Miranda. It wouldn’t take you long to see her in a different light. She would repulse you. No, don’t shake your head. You should have been there when she was talking to me. It was a revelation. She
enjoyed
seeing me suffer.”

And there it was, he thought. What he hadn’t considered. Leila
was
suffering as she had made others suffer. He could
almost
find it in his heart to feel sorry for her. Only there was his mother. And Zara. And her attack on Miranda. “Leila, the last thing Miranda wants is to see you suffer,” he said, his expression grave. “You’re far too self-centred, too self-absorbed to see that. Miranda is a creature of the light. She’s beautiful, tender, capable of giving great joy. I’m going to marry her. You need to accept that.”

But Leila couldn’t accept it. She had allowed her obsession to grow and flourish. “I never will!” She shot to her feet, her tortured expression showing the full depth of her futile passion.

“Leila, you know you have to drop this matter,” Corin said urgently. “For your own sake. I’ve seen Dad turn on people. It’s like watching a guillotine come down. You must get over this stupid infatuation, whatever it is. I am
not
and never have been attracted to you. What we have to do now is get a handle on the whole situation. Miranda refuses to see your life destroyed. You’re her
mother
.
Your
mother continued to care deeply about you to her dying day. Miranda is respecting her grandmother’s wishes as well. She must have been a fine woman, your mother. She brought Miranda up beautifully.”

“But you’ve got entirely the wrong idea of Miranda!” Leila cried fiercely, not to be swayed. “Revenge has dominated her life. I’ll tell you this, Corin, and mark my words— I’ll break up my own marriage before I let you marry Miranda.” Her golden-brown eyes glittered with real tears. “You won’t come out well over this. We both know your father’s temper. The way it bubbles up in him, then explodes. He won’t let his plans for you go by the board. He has his mind set on that Atwood girl. He would never accept Miranda. You could be doing yourself and your career great damage.”

Corin shook his head. “I don’t think so. But that’s a risk I’m prepared to take. Nothing in this world will stop me. I love Miranda. I honour and respect her. I loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. Which you should know was nearly four years ago. Miranda could have gone to my father then. She didn’t. She came to me. She wants to be a doctor. She will be a doctor. She has what it takes. As for me, I’ll be very happy to have a doctor in the family. You should know I’m going to track down her father’s family. It’s up to Miranda, of course, if she wants to make contact.”

Leila’s face turned ashen. “You fool! Men are such fools!” She rose, then stalked past him, head up, her bronze eyes filled with anger and loathing. “You may not believe me yet, Corin, but my daughter is playing you for all she’s worth. It happens. I should know. I played your father.”

“And you contributed to the death of my mother.” Corin’s voice was a whiplash across her back. “Get out, Leila. Do your worst. I assure you, it won’t be half good enough.”

It was just after ten in the morning London time when the news came through.

Australian mining magnate Dalton Rylance killed in a light airplane crash in China.

The newsflash posted on the Internet went on to report that Mr Rylance, his wife, Leila, and two other passengers, one believed to be Rylance’s son Corin, had all been killed, along with the experienced pilot, the greatly respected Dr Lee Zhang, CEO of CMDC, a leading Chinese resource and development company.

Miranda was having coffee with Peter and his friend Natalia when Zara texted a message for her to go home immediately, where she would soon join her.

“What’s that all about?” Peter asked, his high forehead creasing with worry. “Must be serious for Zara to send you a message like that.”

Miranda, who had been enjoying Natalia’s account of her accompanying a budding young diva, suddenly lost all colour. For long moments she was panic stricken, with streams of images flowing through her mind. None of them good. “It must be something to do with the China trip.”

Peter thought so too. “We’ll come with you,” he said instantly. “At least see you home.”

“I’ll fix this.” Natalia pushed back her chair, ready to make her way into the coffee shop to pay the bill. “There could be other reasons, Miri.” She tried to offer comfort.

“I don’t think so,” Miranda answered. “I know this isn’t good.”

“Wait until you speak to Zara,” Peter advised. “You don’t really have any idea.”

“I’m so afraid I do, Peter.” Miranda’s small white face was very still.

Zara had already arrived back at the house when Miranda arrived. She opened the door to them, her beautiful face, like Miranda’s, pale and stricken.

“No—oh, no!” Miranda tried to ward off what was surely coming. She stood on the top step as though petrified. Peter and Natalia were frozen behind her. Clearly the news was very bad indeed.

“Come in. Come in,” Zara urged. Her slender figure was swaying. “You too, Peter, and your friend.” She tried to smile at Natalia.

“What is it? What’s happened?” Peter asked, aghast, keeping one eye on Miranda. She looked as if she was about to faint.

Zara didn’t answer. She didn’t have the strength. She beckoned them into the drawing room, where she gave them the news.

“Father has been killed in a light aircraft crash in Anhui Province in China,” she told them, chilling them through. “A distinguished Chinese businessman was the pilot. Leila was with Father, as usual, and there were two other passengers. The plane came down in the hills. No survivors.”

“God!”
Peter blurted out, flinching with shock.

“But this is dreadful news!” Tears of sympathy sprang into Natalia’s green eyes. “Miri?” she cried out in alarm. “Miri?”

Galvanised, Peter got an arm around Miranda before she hit the floor. He held her for a moment, then settled her into an armchair. “Put your head down, Miri. There’s a good girl. Nat—” he appealed to his friend “—can you make us all tea? You can find the kitchen.”

“Don’t worry.” Efficient in all things, Natalia moved off, controlling her own shock. Did this mean Zara’s father, stepmother
and
her adored brother Corin had all been killed? It was too horrible to contemplate. Miranda looked as badly affected as Zara. Peter hadn’t said much, but she had gained the impression Miranda and Corin Rylance had a strong connection. That had to be so.

An hour later Zara’s mobile rang. They had stopped answering the incessant landline phone calls. It was always the press, avid for news and hopefully some comment from family on the other end.

“
Who?
Who is it?” There was a fearful catch in Miranda’s voice. The shock was so violent even tears wouldn’t come. Peter and Natalia, on call for rehearsal, had left some time earlier, still reeling with dismay, leaving the two distraught young women to try and comfort one another.

Under Miranda’s stunned gaze, Zara’s grief-stricken expression eased. She looked as though the worst had been averted. Faint colour returned to her cheeks. With her great dark eyes fixed on Miranda’s face, she passed across her mobile.

And, with that, Miranda spoke to Corin.

Corin brought his father’s and Leila’s bodies home in a corporate jet, and they rested overnight in the Rylance family mansion.

The morning of the combined funerals dawned in glorious sunshine. A State funeral had been graciously declined by the family, although mourners dressed in black, with Dalton Rylance’s colleagues all wearing black armbands, came from near and far to fill the cathedral to capacity, so it might as well have been. Everyone, right up to the State Premier, was filled with shock. The terrible suddenness of it all—the unexpectedness. Dalton Rylance had been only fifty-eight, a man in his prime, and his beautiful wife Leila some twenty years younger. They had been such a devoted couple. Dalton Rylance had strode the business scene like a colossus. No one had been prepared for it.