The Antique Love (17 page)

Penny squeezed his hand but didn’t meet his eyes. “Maybe.” She lifted the handkerchief to her nose and blew again.

“Definitely.”

Penny heard the smile in her grandfather’s voice and looked up. His pale blue eyes were slightly damp, but there was a definite twinkle in them. “I’d say before too long you’ll definitely find there’s a man out there who loves you for who you are. Sooner maybe than you think.” He squeezed her hand again, a grave smile on his lips. “But promise one thing. Don’t ever accept second-best. You’re worth more than that.”

Penny reached up and kissed his cheek. “Well at least you believe in me, Granddad.”

“I do.” He gave her another brief hug. “But you have to believe in yourself,” he finished gravely.

Her grandfather’s words were a comfort but did little to dent Penny’s deep-rooted unhappiness. The secret to alleviating her depression, she told herself for the hundredth time, was to have nothing more to do with Kurt. The constant necessity of hiding her feelings for him was wearing her out.

She lifted out the first of her mother’s evening dresses and let the cool fabric slip through her fingers. The dresses were crying out to be worn. And since attending the ball with Kurt would be the last evening she’d ever spend with him then what the heck? She might as well summon up all her reserves and go out dressed to kill.

* * * *

Kurt stepped out of the taxi and walked up the short drive to Penny’s front door. He had been ridiculously happy when she’d agreed to come with him, but now as he stood in front of her house, he was surprised to find his heart rattling along at an uncomfortable rate. He lifted the knocker and gave it a short, hard rap before standing back, straightening his bowtie with one hand and adjusting the bouquet he was holding in the other. The door opened wide. Penny greeted him with a cool smile which altered dramatically as soon as her eyes fell on the bouquet.

“Roses.” Her eyes widened in wonder.

Kurt said nothing. He found himself staring at Penny in the same dumbstruck fashion he had greeted her with that night outside the restaurant. If she’d looked like a princess on that occasion, tonight she was a queen. Her hair was swept up, revealing naked shoulders that rose out of an elegant black evening dress. A diamond chain glittered around her neck. The hands she extended to receive the bouquet were clad in long black evening gloves which climbed the length of her graceful arms. Kurt could barely tear his eyes away from the creaminess of her naked skin. The thought of peeling off those gloves was almost as erotic as asking her to step out of the dress. Heat suffused his neck and travelled upward to his cheekbones, and the heart that had been rattling, swelled to a crescendo in his ears. It was lucky for him that Penny was entirely absorbed in the bouquet.

“You brought roses.” She gazed in wonder at the white roses before raising them to her face to take in the fragrance.

“Yes.” Kurt’s voice was a little hoarse. He cleared his throat. “I thought you’d like them.”

“I do.” Her bright eyes lifted and caught his in such a beam of wondrous delight he almost fell backward.

“You did something to your hair,” he blurted and then cursed inwardly. She looked awesome. Was that all he could find to say? That smooth-talking Alex would have been sure to have the right words on his tongue.

Penny lifted a hand to the loose tendrils skimming her bare neck. “I had it done at the salon. Do you like it?”

Like it? He was resisting the urge to pull out all the pins that were holding it up and plunge his hands into it.

He nodded, his mouth dry. “You look good.”

Her cheeks went a faint pink. “You look good, too,” she said, dropping her eyes. “I’ll just give this bouquet to Granddad to look after.”

She disappeared into the house, and he heard her murmur a few words to her grandfather. The next minute she had reappeared, a silver scarf around her shoulders.

“Granddad says hello. He can’t come to the door because he’s in the middle of fixing a two hundred year old watch.”

Kurt gave her his arm and smiled down at her. “It would be terrible to disturb him.”

“Oh, he’s happy as the proverbial pig.” Her eyes twinkled. “Now he can spread oil and bits of watch all over the kitchen table.”

Their light chatter set the tone for the conversation for the rest of the evening: lightly humorous, saying nothing important, and above all, revealing nothing of the deep current of their emotions. When Penny walked into the ball room on Kurt’s arm and saw how enchantingly it had been decorated, she gave his arm a playful squeeze and looked up at him, her eyes teasing.

“Did you choose the colour scheme?”

He looked down, laughing. “Caught out. No, it was Cass. She’s done a great job organising even though she’s had to work from her sick bed.”

“Really?” Penny widened her eyes in concern. “I had no idea. Shouldn’t she be resting?”

Kurt grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, she’s well enough to pick up the phone.” He bent his head to her ear. “I’ll tell you a secret, but she’d be mad if you told anyone else. She’s got chicken-pox.”

“O-o-h.” Penny’s mouth rounded. Her expression was still full of concern—after all, chicken-pox was no joke for adults—but she was reassured on catching Kurt’s eye to find he was still smiling.

“She’s fine,” he insisted. “She’s just not allowed out of the house until the spots have gone. She’s annoyed and tired more than anything. And upset at missing a party. She’s like a spoiled kid,” he added as an afterthought.

Penny glanced up at him. It wasn’t a very lover-like statement.

“Well it’s a shame,” she said. She did feel genuinely sorry for Cass. But there was no time to discuss it further, because Kurt was spotted by some of the riders from the stables, and they were soon surrounded by a chattering group of people. After the introductions, and when it became obvious that the conversation would revolve solely around horses, Penny took the opportunity of slipping away to look through the objects up for auction.

There was a sizeable display on the auction table. As was to be expected, most of the donations had an equestrian theme. There were free riding lessons at the stables and a photograph signed by an Olympic show-jumper. Penny had donated a vintage brooch, fashioned in the shape of a horse. But for those people attending who didn’t live and breathe horses, there were a few other items, and Penny found herself drawn to a diamond bracelet, donated by a local jeweller’s. She lifted it out of its silk-lined box and held it carefully in one hand to examine it. It was beautifully fashioned so that the diamonds twisted round each other like slim ribbons. She couldn’t resist trying it on over her long black gloves and was just holding her wrist out to admire it when she heard a familiar voice in her ear.

“Mmmm. Looking good.”

She started guiltily and whirled round to find Alex’s lively brown eyes on hers.

“Alex! I had no idea you were coming.”

Alex was the first familiar face she had encountered, and she couldn’t prevent a wide smile lighting her face. He grinned back, running his eyes all the way from her chic hairstyle to the tip of her silver heels before giving an admiring whistle.

“It’s good to see you, too.” He lifted his eyes to hers. “Kurt’s a lucky guy.”

Penny felt herself redden. “Oh, Kurt and I…” she said. “We’ve just come as friends, that’s all.”

She lifted her arm to try and pull off the bracelet, but it had become stuck on one of the buttons of her gloves.

“Here, let me.” Alex bent his head and caught hold of her wrist. “Just friends, huh?” He looked up at her, suddenly serious. “Then Kurt’s an idiot.”

He released the bracelet from her wrist with one deft movement. Penny looked into his face without speaking. Alex’s words should have been taken as a light-hearted compliment, but instead, she felt all the misery of the past few weeks descend on her. She glanced over her shoulder. Kurt had taken his seat at their table, and his head was bent attentively toward one of the guests. As though he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her a warm smile before turning back to his neighbour. It was a friendly gesture, but it did little to lift the chill that descended on her.

She turned back to Alex and forced a smile. “Good to see you again.”

“Sure. I’ll catch you later. Save me a dance, huh?” He fixed her with a sympathetic look before dropping a wink with his old mix of mischievous flirtation. Penny gave him a grin and went to join Kurt at their table. He stood as she approached, bending over her with his usual heart-stopping courtesy to pull out her chair.

“I see Alex is up to his old tricks,” he murmured in her ear as she took her seat. He sat down next to her and bent his head, so no-one else could hear. “Just make sure you don’t get drunk again.”

Penny’s mouth flew open. She twisted her head to find Kurt’s grey eyes laughing down at her.

“I wasn’t drunk,” she protested in a mock whisper. “How many more times?”

“Sure.” He patted her hand with a grin. “Just lay off the liquor.”

She kicked him under the table and was gratified to see him wince.

If Penny had wanted her last evening with Kurt to be light-hearted fun, then her wish was granted. The other guests at her table were friendly and lively—a mixture of Kurt’s acquaintances from the stables and staff from a charity for disadvantaged children. It was a novelty for Penny to be away from the world of antiques for once, and she was quite content to sit back and listen to them chatter. As the waiters were clearing the last of their plates, the head of the stables—a small, wiry man with a smile that split his face—leaned across the table.

“I expect you’ll know all about auctions in your trade, Penny.”

“Yes, and I love them. It’s such an exciting atmosphere and such a great feeling when you win on a bargain.”

One of the charity workers leaned over. “Seen anything that takes your fancy tonight?”

“Yes.” Her eyes lit up. “There’s a gorgeous diamond bracelet. But I expect the bidding will go way out of my league on that, though.” She pulled a face. “Not to worry. And there’s a signed golf programme I’m bidding on for my grandfather.”

Later, Kurt put his hand on her arm, and she turned her head. His face was close to hers, a serious question in his eyes. “If you want that bracelet so much, I’ll bid on it,” he said.

“No.” Penny recoiled in horror. “It will be far too much. And it wasn’t a hint. I forbid you to bid for it.”

Kurt said nothing, but a small smile formed on his lips. Knowing how stubborn he could be once he’d made up his mind, she caught hold of his arm. “Don’t bid for it, Kurt,” she begged earnestly. “Promise.”

The smile widened on Kurt’s lips. He took her hand in his and examined it, pretending to deliberate, whilst Penny waited anxiously.

“Okay,” he said, releasing her fingers with a defeated sigh. “If it means so much to you, I promise I won’t bid on it.”

Penny stared at him suspiciously. He had capitulated far too easily. But there was no time for further questions, because just then, someone came and tapped Kurt’s shoulder. It was time for him to get up and make his speech.

The chattering at the tables fell to a hush. Penny gazed round the room as Kurt made his way to the mic. She’d never seen him in action in public before. Without seeming to make an effort, he had a physical presence and the knack of focusing attention. From the moment he stood, even before he reached the podium, people quieted to listen to what he had to say. He spoke seriously about the charity’s aims, keeping his comments brief and to the point. He told the audience they shouldn’t waste time listening to him when they could be dipping their hands in their pockets. His speech finished on a humorously revealing note.

“I was a tough kid growing up, looking for trouble, and if I’d grown up in a city with other tough kids, I can tell you, I’d be in jail right now. Kids need freedom. That’s why I want to thank you for your support. Happy bidding.”

The guests laughed, and when Kurt stood back from the microphone, a ragged cheer went up around the room. Penny heard Alex’s voice amongst the others as she put her hands together and experienced a swell of pride. Kurt made his way through the tables of guests, stopping now and then to greet acquaintances. He bent over to say a few words to Alex at the next table, and she watched in surprise as Alex looked in her direction before giving him a grin and a thumbs up. Then Kurt was back beside her. She greeted him with a wide smile as he retook his seat.

“That was a great speech,” she said. “It’s a shame Cass couldn’t be here to share the thanks.”

He lifted his glass to her. “Thanks,” he said. “And thanks for coming with me tonight. It means a lot.”

“It’s a great cause. And it’s been fun.” Penny raised her glass. She meant what she said, it had been surprisingly fun, and she was determined not to think about the next day or their final meeting. If this was all the time she had left, then she might as well live in the moment. She lifted her glass to her lips. When she replaced it on the table, Kurt took her hand in his. To her surprise, he twined his fingers around hers and slid their joined hands downward to rest together on his broad knee. The wool of his trousers rubbed against her fingers. The small gesture was unexpected, and it sent the blood rushing to her heart, enveloping her in a sudden faintness. His gaze caught hers directly, steadily. His neighbour spoke, and he turned away, leaving her hand caught in his, his fingers wrapped around hers in a warm clasp.

The heat of Kurt’s thigh beneath her fingers, the scratch of the woollen fabric on the soft flesh of her hand and the weight of his strong hand were enough to fill her senses to the exclusion of all else. She could barely concentrate, and so it was several minutes before she registered above the hum in her ears that the auction had actually begun. All around the room, hands were flying up in the air. The auctioneer had launched into his swift banter, and items were moving rapidly under his hammer. Fortunately, Penny realised just in time that the signed golf programme was next. Her free hand shot up in competition with one of Kurt’s colleagues on the other side of the room. The price mounted steadily, but Penny was determined. She knew she was paying over the odds, but the money was for a good cause and in any case, she wanted to repay her grandfather for all his words of kindness in the previous few days. Eventually Kurt’s colleague realised he was bidding against someone more determined than he, and with some loud banter from the rest of his table, he dropped his hand in laughing defeat, declining to bid any further.