The Beautiful Widow by Helen Brooks Read Free Book Online Page A

‘I am totally a mother; Amelia and Daisy are the only people who really matter to me and that’s the way it’s going to be from now on. We don’t need anyone else.’
    ‘I’m sure your parents would be gratified to hear that,’ he murmured drily, one dark eyebrow quirking.
    ‘I didn’t mean them. I meant …’
    ‘I think I know what you meant,’ he put in soothingly as her voice dwindled away. ‘You intend to devote yourself to your children and your work. Is that right?’
    She nodded. She felt he was laughing at her but the handsome, hard face was giving nothing away.
    ‘You don’t think life might be a little … dull after a while?’
    The last four years were suddenly stark and sharp on the screen of her mind. The grind, the agonising, the turmoil of making an unworkable marriage work for the sake of the twins. She had gritted her teeth and fulfilled her wifely duties in bed and out of it, but all the time she’d known she was living a lie. Richard had worked impossibly long hours and when he’d arrived home he’d been difficult and sometimes downright hostile, not wanting anything to do with Amelia and Daisy. Of course she knew now that was mostly due to the gambling. The long hours at ‘work', the family occasions he’d missed and times he’d let her down when they’d had guests to dinner and he hadn’t come home; all the time he’d been feeding his addiction. She had told herself he was putting in the hours for them, her and the children, and stomached it all, tolerating his moods and rages. What a fool she had been. What a gullible, blind fool. But never again. Never, ever again.
    Looking straight into the silver-blue eyes, she said, ‘Idon’t mind dull at all, as it happens, as long as Amelia and Daisy are happy and healthy.’
    They had just drawn up outside her parents’ terrace, and even in the dark it was clear how small and narrow the houses were. Toni felt a fleeting stab of embarrassment when she remembered the sumptuous penthouse and then she told herself not to be such a snob. It didn’t matter what Steel thought and her parents’ home was perfect for a retired elderly couple. It was just unfortunate it had been forced to stretch to include herself and the girls too.
    ‘Thank you, Mr—Steel,’ she corrected quickly when one dark eyebrow rose. ‘I’ll see you Monday morning and I’ll have some ideas and prices sketched out by then.’
    He moved to open the door and stepped out of the cab, holding out his hand to help her descend into the street. He didn’t let go of her fingers once she was standing in front of him, shaking her hand as he said, ‘Goodnight, Toni. I’m sure you’re going to be an asset to the business. Welcome on board.’
    ‘Thank you,’ she said again. His flesh was firm and warm and he seemed to tower over her, his gaze all-encompassing. She suddenly realised with a little shock of awareness that she was frightened of him. She didn’t want this job, wonderful as it was. Not if it meant working closely with Steel Landry. But she couldn’t refuse such an opportunity either. She didn’t need to be told it was the chance of a lifetime, a one-off opening into a world where the sky was the limit. And he had been kind, she told herself in the next moment. And a perfect gentleman. She was just being silly.
    ‘Goodnight,’ he said again. ‘Sleep well.’
    Too late she realised she’d been standing gazing athim like a rabbit frozen in front of a car’s headlights, and he had let go of her hand, obviously expecting her to walk away. Blushing furiously, she managed a somewhat strangled, ‘Goodnight,’ and made her escape, fumbling in her bag for her key as she walked across the pavement and mounted the two steps to the door and then almost dropping the key in her haste.
    As the door opened she heard the taxi door slam, but when she turned around it hadn’t moved away. She raised a self-conscious hand and then shut the door, leaning against it as she