Beloved by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online Page A

already
got."
    He let out a weary sigh. "Why did she marry
him?" he groaned. "Why?"
    "Whatever the reason doesn't
matter much now. Let's go."
    She pulled until he let her lead him to the long buffet
table, where expensive nibbles and champagne were
elegantly arranged.
    "This is going to eat up all the profits," Tira murmured wor riedly,
noting the crystal flutes that were provided for the cham pagne, and the fact that caviar was furnished as well.
    Charles leaned toward her. "It's grocery store
caviar, and the champagne is the sort they deliver in big round metal
tractor trucks..."
    "Charles!" She couldn't repress a giggle at the
insinuation, and just as she felt her face going red
from glee, she looked up and saw Simon's pale
eyes glittering at her from across the room. She

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    Beloved
    Diana Palmer
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averted her eyes
to the table and didn't look in that direction again. His expression had been far different from the one he'd worn when he'd seen her in the hospital. Now it was
indignant and outraged, as if he
blamed her for the publicity that made him look guilty, too.
    Charles did waltz divinely. Tira found herself on the floor with him time after time.
People noticed her, and there were some obvious whispers, which probably
concerned her "suicide at tempt." She was
uncomfortable at first, but then she realized that the opinion of most of these people didn't matter to her. She knew the
truth about what had happened and so did Charles. If the others wanted to believe her to be so weak and helpless
that she'd die rather than face up to
her failures, let them.
    "Doesn't it worry you, being seen with such a
notorious woman?" she chided when they were
standing again at the buffet table with more
champagne.
    "Notorious women are fascinating," he returned,
and smiled. His eyes lifted to his half brother
and Nessa and his jaw clenched. The two of them were going out the door and Nessa looked as if she were crying.
    "You can't," she said, catching his arm when he
looked as if he might follow them.
    "She should leave him."
    "She'll have to make that decision for
herself."
    He glanced down at her with worried eyes. "She isn't
like you. She isn't independent and spirited.
She's shy and gentle and peo ple take advantage
of her."
    "And you want to protect her. I understand. But you
can't, not tonight."
    He made a rough sound in his throat. "Damn it!"
    She leaned against him affectionately for an instant.
"I'm sorry. I really am."
    His arm slipped around her shoulders. "One day,"
he promised himself.
    She nodded. "One day."
    "Why, Charles, how handsome you look!" Jill
Sinclair's high-pitched, grating voice turned them around. "Are you
enjoying yourself?"
    "I'm having a great time," Charles said through
his teeth.
    "How about you?"
    "Oh, Simon is just the most wonderful escort,"
she sighed and glanced at Tira with half-closed eyes.
"We've been everywhere together lately.
There are so many charity dos this
time of year. And how are you, Tira ?
I was so sorry to hear about your near tragedy!" She was almost purring, enjoying Tira's stiff posture and cold face. She raised her voice,
drawing attention from the couples hovering near the buffet table. "Isn't
it a pity that the newspapers made such a big thing of
your suicide attempt? I mean, the
humiliation of having your feelings made public must be awful. And for the gossips to say that you wanted to die just because Simon couldn't love you back... why he was just
shattered that you made him look like a
coldhearted villain in the eyes of his friends.
God knows, it isn't his fault that he doesn't love you!"
    Tira was too shaken by the unexpected attack to reply.
Charles
    wasn't.
    "Why, you prissy little cat," Charles said with
cold venom, making Jill actually catch her breath
in surprise at the unexpected verbal jab.
"Why don't you go sharpen your claws on the cur tains?"
    He took Tira's arm and led her
away. She was so shocked and outraged that she
couldn't even manage words. She wanted