In the Millionaire's Possession (37 page)

So I
’
ll have to go to him instead, she told herself, taking a deep breath.

The door to the State Bedroom stood slightly ajar, and Helen paused before tapping lightly at its massive panels.

‘
Entrez
.
’
His voice was brusque, and not particularly welcoming.

When she went in she saw that he
’
d changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, and was packing the elegant dark suit he
’
d worn for the wedding into a clothes carrier, his movements swift and economical.

She halted, the breath catching in her throat.
‘
You
’
re leaving already? You
’
re not staying the night?
’

‘
As you see,
’
he returned unsmilingly.
‘
I am expected elsewhere.
’

‘
Where this time?
’
She tried to speak lightly.
‘
Kabul? Rio de Janeiro? I can hardly keep pace with your travels.
’

‘
I have to return to Paris.
’

‘
Of course.
’
Helen lifted her chin.
‘
Another place that occupies much of your time and attention. But couldn
’
t you delay your trip just a little
—
please? Go back tomorrow, perhaps, or the next day? I think we need to spend some time together
—
and talk. Don
’
t you think so?
’

‘
Yes,
’
he said slowly.
‘
That will probably be necessary very soon. But not quite yet.
’
For a long moment he looked at her, the dark eyes scanning her slender body in the pale silk dress, but he took no step towards her.

He added quietly,
‘
It is essential that I go tonight. Accept my regrets.
’

But she was not quite beaten. Not yet. She braced herself for a last throw of the dice.

She said huskily,
‘
Marc, you
—
once asked me to go to Paris with you, and I refused. But I could pack very quickly
—
if you
’
d consider asking me again.
’
She stared at him across the space that divided them, her eyes shining with sudden tears. She whispered,
‘
Please don
’
t leave me again. Take me with you. Keep me with you.
’
She paused, swallowing.
‘
Or couldn
’
t you just
—
forget Paris altogether and stay here?
’

She saw a flash of something like pain cross the dark face.

‘
I am sorry.
’
His voice was harsh.
‘
But that is not possible. Please do not ask me to explain.
’

But no explanations were necessary, she thought, knifed by desolation. She already knew why there would be no second chance for them. For her. Why he
’
d decided to shut her out of his life. Angeline Vallon had won, and she was no longer wanted.

Her marriage was over almost before it had begun.

She said quietly,
‘
I
—
I
’
m sorry to have embarrassed you.
’
And turned to go, praying that she would not break down completely in front of him.

He caught her before she reached the door.
‘
Hélène.
’
His voice was low and urgent.
‘
Ah
,
Dieu
. I did not mean it should be like this. Forgive me, if you can.
’

Then his mouth was on hers, and he was kissing her with a kind of stark desperation, his lips plundering
—
bruising
—
as if he intended to leave his mark on her for ever.

His hands were in the small of her back, pulling her against him, and she was gasping, trembling, her body grinding against his hardness in open longing as desire scalded her. Her arms wound round his neck as her lips parted in trembling, passionate response.

Stay with me
…

But he was already detaching himself, putting her away from him. He said hoarsely,
‘
I cannot do this. I have to go.
’
There was a kind of agony in his eyes.
‘
One day, perhaps, you will understand.
’

She leaned against the massive frame of the door, listening to the sound of his retreating footsteps.

What was there to understand? she wondered drearily. Only that she
’
d humbled herself totally to try to win him and been rejected. And now she had to live with the shame of it, she thought. And began to weep very softly.

Helen came out of the doctor
’
s surgery and stood for a moment, as if she wasn
’
t sure which direction to take. She was shivering a little, but whether it was because of the autumnal feeling in  wit   outhe air or the news she
’
d just received she couldn
’
t be certain.

Why didn
’
t I realise? she asked herself numbly. How could I not have known?

At first she
’
d attributed her feeling of malaise and the disruption of her monthly routine to the strain imposed by the last turbulent weeks. But this morning she
’
d been swiftly and comprehensively sick as soon as she
’
d got up. And her immediate shocked suspicion had just been cheerfully confirmed by the doctor who
’
d known her all her life.

‘
Another page in Monteagle
’
s dynasty,
’
he
’
d congratulated her.
‘
Your husband must be thrilled.
’

‘
I
—
I haven
’
t mentioned anything to him.
’
Helen had looked at her hands, twisted together in her lap.
‘
Not yet. I wanted to be sure.
’

He
’
d said once, in a distant past that was somehow only a few weeks ago, that he wanted children. But since then everything had changed, and she could be certain of nothing.

She had received a keen look.
‘
I gather this wasn
’
t planned?
’

Her lips had formed themselves into a soundless
‘
no
’
.

‘
Then it will be a marvellous surprise for him,
’
Dr Roscoe had said confidently, and dismissed her with sensible advice about the morning sickness and instructions to make another appointment.

Now, somehow, she found herself outside again, taking great gulps of air and wondering when exactly this had happened. She could only hope it had not been during the brief nightmare of her wedding night, but on that other never-to-be-forgotten time, when Marc had ravished her body and her senses, unaware or uncaring that her heart was already reluctantly his.

But how would he react when he learned she was pregnant? she asked herself wretchedly. He had not wanted to stay with her for her own sake. Would he come back for the baby she was carrying?

Slowly, she turned and began to head back to Monteagle, her mind treading wearily round the same questions and coming up with uncomfortable answers.

She was so deep in her own thoughts that she hardly realised where she was, until a familiar voice said,
‘
You
’
re looking glum, darling. Trying to figure out where you
’
ll find your next millionaire?
’

Her head came up instantly, defensively, and she met Nigel
’
s derisive grin. His car was parked on the other side of the road, outside his parents
’
empty house with the
‘
Sold
’
board in the garden. And he was here, standing in front of her, the last person she wanted to see.

Strange, she thought, that worrying about Mrs Hartley
’
s good opinion had once been her major problem.

She said,
‘
What are you doing here?
’

He shrugged.
‘
Mother thought she might have left some things in the roof space, and asked me to check.
’
He paused.
‘
I saw you walking past and thought I
’
d say a last goodbye.
’

‘
Thank you,
’
she said.
‘
And
—
goodbye.
’

‘
I also wanted to say
—
hard lines.
’
Nigel detained her, his hand on her arm.
‘
It looks as if you
’
ll have to sell that expensive heap of yours after all,
’
he added with a sympathetic whistle.

‘
I
’
m sorry,
’
Helen said coldly,
‘
but you
’
re not making any sense.
’

‘
No?
’
He started artistically.
‘
Then maybe Monsieur Delaroche hasn
’
t told you the bad news. There
’
s been a boardroom revolt in his company
—
too much going wrong, drop in profits, et cetera
—
and he
’
s going to be out of a job very soon. Out of money too. He
’
s wasted any fighting fund he might have had pouring money into Monteagle. And there
’
ll be no golden handshake either
—
not if Hercule Vallon has anything to do with it.
’

She said scornfully,
‘
I don
’
t believe you.
’

‘
Maybe you should take more interest in your husband
’
s affairs,
’
Nigel drawled.
‘
His business ones, that is. The board
’
s voting to replace your Marc some time this week, and as his company
’
s his only asset, you
’
re going to need another backer to keep Monteagle. Because he can
’
t afford to.
’

He grinned insolently into her shocked face.
‘
The beautiful Madame Vallon will have her revenge at last. But then you know all about that,
’
he added insinuatingly.
‘
You told me so at your wedding.
’
His smile widened.
‘
Maybe you should have considered the implications more carefully. You wouldn
’
t have rushed into marriage with such indecent haste if you
’
d known your millionaire would soon be broke.
’

Her heart was hammering and her mouth was dry, but she managed to say with icy pride,
‘
I
’
d have married Marc if he
’
d been penniless.
’

‘
You married him for Monteagle,
’
Nigel sneered.
‘
We all knew that. And once he loses everything do you really think you
’
ll be able to afford to keep the place on? I don
’
t.
’

‘
No,
’
Helen said quietly.
‘
Nor do I.
’
She paused, lifting her chin.
‘
But I know a woman who will.
’