The Importance of Being Emma (44 page)

Hang on, Flynn deserving
me
? My
darling
?

I stifled a hysterical giggle. ‘Mark, have you been taking too many of those malaria tablets?’

His arms tightened round me. ‘This isn’t a joke, just tell me what you want me to do to him and I’ll do it.’

‘
But I don’t want you to do anything to him.’

He held me away from him, his eyes wide with disbelief. ‘You can’t possibly want to go through with the engagement after
this
!’

I stared up at him. ‘What engagement?’

‘
He wanted to give you the ring on Christmas Day, I saw the little box.’

I frowned, trying to remember … ‘Oh that, it wasn’t a ring, it was some very expensive earrings that he pretended he’d bought for me, just to impress Kate and Tom. But I wouldn’t accept them, even before he told me they were really for someone else. He must have meant Jane, although at the time I thought they were for – ’ I stopped myself just in time from saying Harriet’s name. But it reminded me that Mark had a new person in his life. I twisted out of his arms and turned away.

He seized me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. ‘Engagement or no engagement, there was something going on between you,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Whenever I saw you together, he couldn’t keep his hands off you.’

I gave a weary laugh. ‘Don’t you see? That was all a game, to fool people – especially Stella, if she sent her spies round. And to make Jane so jealous that, in the end, she’d make up her mind about him for once and for all. God knows he’s the sort that would flirt with a block of wood, I was just a more convincing alternative. And I’m ashamed to say I never suspected a thing, I even played along, most of the time – ’

‘
I’ll say you played along, you were in his arms just the other night, at Donwell!’

‘
I needed a hug, that’s all,’ I said indignantly, looking straight at him. ‘Look, I admit I fancied him to begin with, I’ve been dying to meet him for years, but I soon realised that he wasn’t the man of my dreams. Quite the opposite. He’s good fun but, like you said, he’s a wanker.’ I stared down at my soaked trainers. ‘So you certainly don’t have to beat him to pulp for my sake, but I can see that you might want to for Jane’s.’ Then I remembered the agony of seeing Harriet wrapped round Mark in the taxi. But my agony couldn’t compare to hers if she ever discovered that he was secretly in love with Jane. Poor, trusting Harriet …

I added bitterly, ‘Although that wouldn’t be very fair to Harriet, would it?’

He tilted my face gently upwards, his fingers warm on my ice-cold skin. ‘What on earth are you getting at? Wait a minute, you don’t honestly think – ’

I wrenched myself from his grasp. ‘I’ll never understand what you see in her, you’d have been better off with Jane. At least
she
wouldn’t have plastered herself all over you in a taxi, in the middle of Highbury high street! Still, whatever gives you your kicks, I suppose.’

And then he laughed; the bastard threw back his head and laughed, while I stood there in the pouring rain, feeling cold and wet and utterly alone.

‘
So glad I can still make you laugh,’ I said miserably.

He gripped my shoulders, gripped them so tight it hurt; but I didn’t want him to let go.

‘
Yes, Emma, you make me laugh … and you make me cry.’ His eyes were fixed on mine and they weren’t bleak any more, they were clear and bright. ‘You make me cry, because … ’ He cleared his throat. ‘Because I love you. I think I always have, since the day you were born.’

I felt more tears well up, tears of anger and disappointment. ‘Yes, like a little sister, why don’t you say it, you dickhead!’ I aimed a kick at his shin, missed and burst into loud sobs.

His voice was low and tender. ‘If you still think
that
, after all that’s happened between us, then you’re the dickhead, my love. Ever since I saw you again last September, I’ve had the most unbrotherly thoughts about you.’

I stopped crying at once.
Un
brotherly?

He went on, ‘No wonder I couldn’t resist you at Forbury Manor, it was like all my fantasies coming true. Don’t you know how much – ’

He got no further. I flung my arms round his neck and pulled him towards me. Our mouths met, hard with hunger, soft with longing. It was the kiss I’d been waiting for all my life, the kiss from the man of my dreams. When at last we drew apart, it felt as though we were already inseparable.

‘
I love you, Mark,’ I whispered, ‘you’re the only one I want.’

He gave me a long, lingering smile, then his face clouded. ‘To think I might never have heard you say that! I only came back because I found out about Churchill and assumed you’d be devastated. Otherwise I’d be on the way to Mumbai by now, with Harriet and – ’

‘
Harriet! What are we going to do about her?’ With a groan, I twisted away from him.

‘
Absolutely nothing.’ He stroked the corner of my mouth with his thumb. ‘God, how I love kissing you.’

I closed my eyes, but I could still see Harriet’s face, full of reproach. ‘Mark, you’ll have to tell her and you’ll have to go to India to do it. Poor thing, stuck out there all on her own.’

He sighed. ‘I’ve got a confession to make. She’s not on her own, she’s with Rob.’

I jerked my head round. ‘Rob? Rob who?’

‘
Rob Martin, I thought they could make a go of things if they just had a bit of space. And they both seem very happy. Whatever you thought was going on in that taxi between me and Harriet couldn’t be further from the truth.’

Relief flooded through me, relief mingled with unrestrained delight. Now wasn’t the time for
me
to criticise
him
about interfering in other people’s relationships, although I didn’t intend to let the opportunity slip by! Now was the time to show him just how much I loved him. I slipped my hands inside his jacket and held him tight. The main thing was that he was here with me, and Harriet was none the worse for it; in fact, it looked as though she’d transferred her affections remarkably quickly back to Robert.

‘
Sorry, I interrupted you just then,’ I said, with a slow smile. ‘You were telling me how much you loved kissing me. And, as my mentor, I’m sure you told me that it’s actions – not words – that count, didn’t you?’

He laughed. ‘As your mentor, I tried very hard
not
to think about kissing you at all. But I’m not your mentor any more, am I?’

And then his mouth sought mine and his hands moved urgently over my body, moulding me to him, stirring buried memories. Even through my wet clothes, his touch was electric; when he ran his fingers across the bare skin beneath my jumper, I was close to meltdown. Overwhelmed by need, we broke apart and simply stared at each other. Around us, raindrops pattered from overhanging branches, a counterpoint to our ragged breathing.

‘
Emma, I know Forbury Manor was a mistake – ’

‘
Was it?’

‘
Wasn’t it?’

I shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Maybe it was meant to happen.’

‘
I lied to you, about Tamara. I couldn’t even start to compare her with you, you’re – ’

I put my finger to his lips. ‘Then don’t, my love. And I lied to you. After the initial shock had worn off, I remembered a lot more than I said I did.’

‘
Do you want to … ’ – he hesitated – ‘refresh your memory?’

‘
Yes, more than anything in the world.’ I smiled up at him as I slipped my hand into his.

‘Where shall we go?’

I looked along the bridle path, towards Hartfield. ‘We can go this way, I suppose, to my place – ’

‘
Where Henry will insist on making you a custard poultice for your chest,’ he put in.

I giggled. ‘A mustard poultice, you idiot.’

‘
Far too spicy, darling, it has to be custard.’ He turned towards Donwell. ‘Or we can go that way, to my place, where I’m sure I can think of something equally therapeutic to put on your chest.’

I shot him a provocative look from under my eyelashes. ‘That sounds promising, but what about George and Saffron?’

‘They’re out, not due back until early evening.’

I shivered, this time with pure pleasure. ‘Your place it is, then, but I’ll need to phone Dad. What if he goes on about me catching cold and insists on coming to fetch me?’

‘
Leave Henry to me,’ Mark said briskly.

We shared one more lingering kiss, then broke into a run.

~~MARK~~

We reached Donwell Abbey in five minutes flat, half running, half walking, laughing all the way like a pair of kids. There was no sign of Father’s car, thank God; so far, so good. We stood on the doorstep and held each other close. I tilted her face towards me, aching to feel her lips on mine again.

Instead, I found myself saying, ‘Emma, are you sure about this? If you want more time – ’

‘
I’m absolutely sure, don’t waste your breath asking me unnecessary questions, you idiot.’

I grinned and felt automatically in my jacket pocket. Nothing. ‘Shit, I gave my key back to Father this morning, didn’t think I’d be needing it again.’

Her face fell. ‘We’ll have to go to Hartfield, then.’

‘
No, wait, there’s still a chance I can get in. Stay here.’

I hurried round the back of the house. I’d just remembered that Father and Saffron were in the middle of a battle about the dog being relegated to the utility room whenever they went out. Saffron would tolerate this cruelty only if the window was shut, in case Tao caught pneumonia; Father wanted the window left open, to clear the smell of incontinent dog. Whether I could get into the house now depended on which one of them had been in the utility room last …

It must have been Father; the small upper window was wide open. With a whoop, I stretched up, reached inside, opened the big lower window, hauled myself onto the ledge and squeezed through the gap, nearly landing on top of poor Tao. He growled reproachfully as I dashed through the kitchen and into the hall to turn off the burglar alarm, before opening the front door for Emma. Then she was in my arms again; but this time we were somewhere warm and dry and totally private, and the possibilities were endless.

‘
You’re wet through, you need to get your clothes off as soon as possible,’ I said, letting go of her reluctantly.

She bent down to remove her trainers. ‘That’s the best offer I’ve had in a while.’

I felt myself harden just looking at her. ‘Come upstairs. Now.’

There was a teasing glint in her eye. ‘Not until you ring Dad.’

I almost sprinted across the hall and phoned Hartfield. ‘Henry? … Yes, I’ve found her, safe and sound – but too far from home, so we came to Donwell instead … Yes, I’m going to warm her up as fast as I can … What was that? Get her to swallow a chopped garlic clove with a spoonful of honey? Fascinating. Actually, I’ve got another little remedy in mind … No, nothing to do with onions, although it could make her eyes water … Yes, I’ll bring her home later.’ I replaced the receiver and turned to Emma with a broad grin. ‘There, that’s Henry sorted. He’s very interested in my little remedy, wants you to give him all the details so that he can add it to his collection.’

‘
You’re shameless,’ she said, peeling off her jumper and hurling it at me.

I swallowed as I gazed at her breasts, barely contained by a wispy black lace bra. ‘Takes one to know one.’

She undid the belt of her trousers. ‘Are you going to stand there all day?’

‘
I can think of worse things.’

The trousers came off and landed in my arms. I swallowed again. She was wearing a pair of microscopic black lace briefs, cut high at the sides, making her legs look even longer …

‘
You’ll have to show me how the shower works,’ she said, climbing the stairs two at a time.

And from the back, she looked incredible … In a matter of seconds, I was barely a step behind her. ‘I think you already know exactly how to handle my equipment, Emma Woodhouse.’

By the time we reached my bathroom, we’d stripped off completely. I dropped our clothes in a sodden heap on the floor, got into the shower to turn on the water, checked there was plenty of soap and gel, and got out again. I fetched fresh towels out of the airing cupboard and arranged them on the heated rail.

‘
Go in, the water’s just right.’

‘
Not yet,’ I said, with a smile. ‘I want to enjoy the view.’

She blushed and stepped into the shower. The doors were made of transparent glass and Mrs Burn kept them beautifully clean, bless her. As Emma twisted this way and that, revelling in the feel of hot water on her body, I leaned against the wall and studied her, every curve, every plane. I thought back to Ashridge, how I’d watched her get dressed while I pretended to be asleep. I’d so wanted to do then what I was about to do now. And yes, we’d made love at Forbury Manor, but my recollections of that night were hazy, thanks to the sloe gin, and scarred by the events of the following morning. This afternoon, I would treasure every moment.