Comparative Strangers by Sara Craven Read Free Book Online Page B

Priddy, please?‘
    ‘Of course, sir.’ The doors closed behind her and they were alone together.
    Malory said, ‘Why don’t you sit down, Amanda, before you fall down?’
    She stumbled across to a sofa. Its cushions were as soft as thistledown, but they could have been a bed of nails as far as Amanda was concerned.
    She said, ‘I had to see you to apologise—to explain…’
    He said quietly, ‘When the press started calling, I was going to issue a categorical denial. Then something told me to wait. It seems I was right.’
    She nodded wretchedly.
    ‘So, what happened?’
    ‘Nigel came back, after you’d gone. There was a scene, and he made some remark about us having...’ she swallowed painfully, ‘—having slept together. He was vile, and I lost my temper, and let him think it was true.’
    He said, ‘I suppose I should have allowed for the red in that hair of yours. So, does Nigel simply think I should do the honourable thing by marrying you, or is there still more?’
    Amanda nodded again, her hands twisting and re-twisting in her lap. ‘He said awful things about both of us. It was terrible. And then he made a gibe about—my marrying you.’ A long pause. ‘So I said I was going to.’ She sank her teeth into her lower lip. ‘It was just a way of scoring a point. Of getting rid of him. I never dreamed he’d do—this. Oh, God, it’s all my fault!’
    Malory said grimly, ‘If you’re expecting a chivdenial from me, then you’re going to be disappointed. The only points you’ve scored are own goals. You’ve made us look fools, and worse than fools.’
    She said, ‘You should have denied everything.’
    ‘And risked the papers discovering a story they could really get their teeth into?’ he queried coolly. ‘Have some sense. With luck, Nigel’s masterly misrepresentation of the facts will be a brief sensation, and soon forgotten. The damage has been done now, and if we start issuing joint denials, it will simply re-focus attention on the whole mess. I imagine you don’t want that?’
    She shuddered. ‘No.’
    ‘Exactly. So if we go along with the story, it should die a natural death eventually’
    She made herself meet his gaze. ‘What do you mean—go along with it?’
    ‘It’s quite simple,’ he said. ‘You’ve told the world, through Nigel, that you’re going to marry me. So—marry me you will.’

CHAPTER FOUR

     
    Amanda sat staring at him for a long moment, then she said shakily, ‘That mad scene you were listening to—is it infectious?’
    He smiled faintly. ‘I don’t think so.’
    ‘Then how can you possibly—possibly suggest such a thing? It’s the craziest, most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard!‘
    His brows lifted. ‘But it’s your own idea. You’ve proposed to me, Amanda, in the most public way you could have devised. Well, I’m accepting your proposal, that’s all.’
    She said huskily, ‘But you can’t—I didn’t mean it.’
    He gave her a meditative look. ‘So what are you planning to do about it? Jilt me, as you seem to have jilted Nigel?’ He shook his head. ‘No way, my child. Whether you intended it or not, you’ve plunged me into the middle of a
cause célebre
. It isn’t a situation I appreciate, believe me.’
    She said wretchedly, ‘I know—and I’m so sorry.’
    ‘It’s a little late for regrets.’ He spoke gently enough, but there was an implacable note in his voice. ‘I abominate having my private life made public property, so this engagement stands as mutual camouflage until the necessity for it is past.’
    Relief flooded over her in a great wave. ‘Oh, you mean we should just
pretend
?’
    ‘Well, I was hardly suggesting a headlong dash to the altar,’ he said with faint hauteur. He gave her a level look. ‘How has your mother reacted to all this?’
    She groaned. ‘Don’t ask. She’s in a terrible state. She idolised Nigel, of course, and insists on regarding all this as some kind of little local