In Separate Bedrooms (19 page)

He shook his head. ‘I think you gave back as good as you got.’ He laughed. ‘I had got to know you well enough by the evening we had dinner at the Eiffel Tower to think you might stab me with a steak knife, at least, once you learnt the truth about who Tina, Sally, Cally, and Sandy really are!’

‘You should have seen the look on your face that night!’ Mattie recalled, laughing. ‘You were trying so hard to tell me the truth—and being foiled at every turn!’

‘Families!’ he exclaimed disgustedly.

‘I think your family are all lovely,’ she defended. ‘And, as you’ve already pointed out, we may not have met at all if it weren’t for your sisters,’ she reminded him, still embarrassed at the part she had played in that particular situation.

‘I’m a great believer in the course of true love. Now, do you think we’ve told each other enough about our pasts for the moment? Because I really would rather just get to the part where I ask you to marry me,’ he told her, taking her hand lightly in both of his, his gaze darkly compelling on the paleness of her face.

Mattie began to tremble all over again, her shyness returning too. ‘I—’ She stopped, searching for the right words. ‘We’re so different, Jack—’

‘Well, I’m a man, and you’re a woman,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I’m told that’s the usual combination in a marriage!’

‘You know I didn’t mean that.’ She sighed shakily.

‘I know exactly what you meant.’ His hands tightened about hers, his expression serious now. ‘I just choose to ignore it. Mattie, surely all that matters is that we love each other? Although, maybe that’s the problem …?’ he concluded uncertainly. ‘Am I taking too much for granted here, Mattie? Don’t you—?’

‘Of course I love you!’ she cut in forcefully, knowing that was going to be his next question. ‘I just—’

‘Just nothing!’ Jack turned fully to pull her fiercely into his arms. ‘Mattie, if you want, I can be like Thom, and spend the next five years hanging around in an effort to convince you that I love you—but I would really rather not have to do that,’ he told her. ‘I want to be with you now. All the time. I want to wake up with you in the morning, have breakfast with you, have lunch with you if that’s possible, come home to you every night and have dinner with you before spending our evening together. I want to go to sleep in your arms every night!’

She wanted those things too. So much!

She swallowed hard. ‘But won’t you—won’t you get bored with that after a while?’ Bored with
her
!

‘Will you?’ he returned.

‘No,’ she answered him honestly, imagining nothing more wonderful than the life together he had just described.

His arms tightened. ‘You could never bore me, Mattie; you’re far too unpredictable to ever do that.’

She shuddered at the truth of that! ‘But what about your family—?’

‘What about them?’ He frowned.

‘Well, won’t they think—? They must know we haven’t
known each other very long, won’t they think all this a bit—sudden?’

Jack shook his head, smiling. ‘Mattie, I hate to tell you this, but the fact that you accompanied me to Paris at the weekend told them all exactly where I want our relationship to go. Deliberately so, on my part, I have to admit,’ he admitted.

He had known exactly what conclusions his family would come to concerning the two of them! In fact, that seemed to be exactly what he had intended all along …

‘In fact, if I know my mother,’ Jack continued dryly, ‘she’ll be going out tomorrow to choose her outfit for the wedding!’

‘Hmm,’ Mattie acknowledged slowly. ‘Talking of mothers …’

‘You don’t mind that your mother is going out on a date this evening, do you?’ Jack said concernedly. ‘She’s still a lovely woman, you know, Mattie, and—’

‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Mattie assured him sincerely. ‘In fact, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been telling her for years that she ought to go out more, find someone to share the rest of her life with.’

‘But you see, Mattie, she would never do that while she had you,’ Jack said ruefully.

‘I can see that now,’ she said. ‘Which is why I can’t help wondering exactly what it was you said to my mother when you came to see her that morning last week. If I’m not mistaken, it was enough for her to finally agree to go out with Michael Vaughan,’ she deduced.

‘Hey—’ Jack grasped her shoulders ‘—this hasn’t been some huge conspiracy, you know. What I actually
said to Diana that morning was that my intentions were strictly honourable; she seemed content with that.’

Mattie smiled. ‘I’m not surprised; I’ve been rather a trial to her, you know.’

‘I can imagine,’ Jack acknowledged. ‘But I’m quite happy for you to be a trial for me now!’

‘In that case, we had better not disappoint my mother, or your family, had we?’ Mattie said huskily.

Jack’s eyes gleamed darkly. ‘Is that a yes to my marriage proposal?’

‘Definitely,’ she answered with feeling.

How could she do any other than marry Jack? He loved her, she loved him, and both families seemed to approve of their choice. Besides, she quivered all over just at the thought of being Jack’s wife, of spending the rest of her life with him.

‘You won’t regret this, Mattie,’ Jack told her fiercely as he pulled her tightly into his arms. ‘I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you,’ he promised forcefully.

‘And I you,’ she vowed.

‘That’s all that matters,’ he accepted before his head lowered and his mouth took possession of hers in a kiss filled with tenderness and love.

It really was all that mattered, Mattie knew inwardly. The future—their future—could take care of itself.

‘Do you know, Mattie?’ her mother-in-law mused merrily, ‘You’re the only person I’ve ever known that’s been able to render Jack speechless!’ Betty looked at her son as he sat on the other side of Mattie’s hospital bed.

Mattie shot her husband a sympathetic look as he sat beside her, their hands tightly linked. ‘I have to admit
to being a little stunned myself.’ She gave a bemused smile, looking past Jack to the two identical cradles that stood at the foot of her bed.

Two
babies. Not the one they had been expecting. But twin boys.

Mattie had been as stunned as Jack when, their son newly born and nestled safely in his ecstatic father’s arms, her pains had started again, their second son born only two minutes after his brother.

There had been numerous examinations during her pregnancy, several scans, and at no time had anyone suspected that Mattie had carried two babies instead of one.

Mattie, once over the initial surprise, had been absolutely thrilled with their identical sons. Jack, as Betty had just pointed out, was still in shock.

They had been married exactly a year today, the advent of their first child together something they had both looked forward to. As far as Mattie was concerned, her euphoria had only doubled at the appearance of their twin sons.

‘What names do you have picked out for them?’ Edward Beauchamp asked.

Mattie gave a grateful smile for this change of subject. ‘We had chosen James Edward—James for my father,’ Mattie explained. ‘and Edward for you. But I think—perhaps we’ll just settle for James and Edward. What do you think, Jack?’ She looked questioningly at her still dazed husband.

‘Whatever,’ he agreed shakily.

‘Betty, perhaps we should just wait outside for a while …?’ Edward gave his wife a pointed look. ‘Give
these two a little time together before Diana and Michael arrive to see their new grandsons.’

They were all one big family now, Diana having married her vet six months ago, the two older couples the best of friends, often having dinner together.

‘Yes, of course,’ Betty agreed instantly, bending to kiss Mattie warmly on the cheek. ‘Edward was just the same when Sally and Cally were born,’ she assured Mattie softly. ‘He’ll get over it.’ She looked affectionately at her son. ‘It’s just the shock.’

Mattie looked searchingly at Jack once they were alone; he didn’t really mind that they had two babies instead of the expected one—did he?

‘Jack …?’ she finally prompted hesitantly.

He looked up at her, fazed. ‘I thought—’ He swallowed hard. ‘It was agony sitting here watching you go through those hours of labour and knowing there was nothing I could do to help you. If I could have had the pain instead of you, I would gladly have done so!’ He gave a shuddering sigh. ‘Then when the pains started again—! I thought something had gone terribly wrong,’ he confided shakily. ‘I thought I was going to lose you!’ His hand tightened on hers.

Mattie’s brow cleared at this further evidence of Jack’s love for her. ‘I admit, the labour pains weren’t pleasant, Jack. But the moment James was born, I forgot about them. And when Edward was born …! Aren’t they adorable, Jack?’ Her eyes swam with unshed tears as she looked across at their sleeping sons.

Jack stood up to sweep her fiercely into his arms. ‘Absolutely adorable,’ he agreed. ‘Damn it, woman, when are you going to stop surprising me?’

Mattie laughed. ‘Never, I hope.’

‘So do I.’ Jack laughed too, a light sound at the relief of danger having passed. ‘I love you, Matilda-May Beauchamp. I always will.’

‘I love you too, Jack,’ she answered unhesitantly. ‘Always.’

Always.