Yesterday's Bride by Susan Tracy Read Free Book Online Page B

he drawled. "I rather liked you as you were."
    Annoyed at his baiting, Leigh brushed past and went into the kitchen.
    There, she rummaged in the refrigerator to find the two thick steaks she had spotted earlier. She seasoned them lightly and put them under the broiler. Uncertain about what Jody would eat, she boiled two eggs and got out a box of cornflakes, just in case. By the time she had assembled a salad and set the table, everything was ready.
    Jason concentrated on Jody during the meal, asking her questions about how she had spent the afternoon. It was only when Leigh got up to clear the table that he turned his attention to her.
    "I think it's time we had a talk, Leigh," he said as he scooped Jody up. "When you've finished in here." It was an order.
    While Jason was settling Jody for the night, Leigh turned on the electric percolator and set out a tray with cups, sugar and cream. Suddenly Jason called to her.
    "Jody wants you to come and say good night."
    Touched more than she could have imagined, Leigh bent over the little girl. As she lifted her head and saw Jason adjust the lightweight blanket covering the child, Leigh was struck by the poignancy of the moment. If she and Jason had not parted on their wedding day, this could have been their own daughter they were tucking in. Shaken, Leigh hurried out of the room.
    They carried their coffee into the living room and drank it in silence. Finally Jason put his empty cup on the tray and leaned back on the sofa, supremely at ease, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
    "You've changed, Leigh," he said at last, his dark eyes boring into her as if trying to fathom her depths. "At first I thought it was just the elegant clothes, but it's more than that."
    "You mean I don't hang on your every word and gaze adoringly at you anymore," she answered flippantly.
    "Did you ever do that?"
    "That was why you married me, wasn't it? I was so biddable." A trace of bitterness was discernible in Leigh's usually sweet voice.
    Jason continued to study her. "Why did you run away?" he asked after a long moment.
    "Because I found out why you married me."
    "And why was that?"
    "You needed a wife and I happened to be available."
    The dark eyes narrowed. His face was a cold, hard mask, and he did not deny her words.
    "You should have made it clearer to me that you were marrying me for convenience," she burst out, wanting to hit at him, to make a dent in the wall of his composure. "I was young, remember. I stupidly assumed you loved me."
    "I never lied to you, Leigh."
    "How about by omission? By neglecting to inform me of the particulars of our marriage. How your feelings, love, didn't enter into it on your part."
    "Love!" He spat out the word. "What's that? You can't base marriage on misguided emotion."
    Agitatedly Leigh pushed a strand of silky silver hair behind her ear. He was a cold-blooded, inhuman machine and she loathed him.
    He read the emotions playing across her face and disregarded them.
    "The marriage could have worked, Leigh. You should have given it a chance."
    Her head drooped, as if her slender neck were too frail to hold it. Then she looked up, straight into his accusing eyes.
    "I'm not proud of what I did. I know I took the coward's way out, running away instead of facing you. But it wouldn't have changed anything, you know."
    Briefly she closed her eyes. "I did write to you, to explain."
    "Ah, yes, your letter. It merely confirmed my conviction that I had had a narrow escape. A polite little note saying you had made a mistake. What you really meant was that you couldn't stand to live on a farm, away from the bright lights."
    "It wasn't that at all. I've tried to tell you…" Her voice faded. She knew he wouldn't believe her anyway.
    "Was it bad for you after the wedding?" She ventured to ask something that had long been bothering her. "I mean, did everyone here know?"
    "That I'd been jilted? No. Since the wedding was to be a small one, I had only told my brother and his