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‘It seemed easier than to start explaining the truth.’
‘”Easier”? You allowed her to think that you are the father of this child and you call that “easier”?’ She clenched her fists until her knuckles gleamed white. ‘Who gave you the right to do that? What sort of game are you playing?’
‘Why should I be playing at anything? Maggie made a natural assumption and it didn’t seem worth the effort to explain the true facts to her.’
‘Not worth the effort?’ Fury rose in a flash, consuming her, filling her with fire. ‘You can’t go around lying to people about something like this!’
‘Why not? It’s obvious that you are embarrassed about being pregnant so what was I supposed to do? Start going into all the unsavoury details with a stranger?’
‘But she isn’t a stranger to you! Dammit, David, she’s your brother’s wife. She deserves to be told the truth!’
‘Does she?’ For a moment there was naked fury on his face and Beth took an unconscious step backwards. Then, just as swiftly, the mask slid back into place and he was once more David, smooth, urbane, master of his emotions.
‘I told Maggie exactly what she wanted to hear, Beth. Perhaps I told her something which would be the solution to all our problems.’
‘What? I don’t understand.’
He laughed shortly and set the glass down before moving closer to look directly into her eyes. ‘Think about it, then. Wouldn’t it solve your problems if you were married and had someone to lean on in the coming months? So why not marry me, Beth? We’ve already proved that we can live together in some degree of harmony and that’s more than I could say for most women.’
‘Marry you? I…but… No!’ She backed away, anger glittering in her eyes. ‘If this is some kind of a joke, David Kane, then it’s in very poor taste!’
‘It’s not a joke.’ He came after her. ‘You need someone to support you and the child, and, if you are honest, you need the security that marriage can give you. I can offer you both.’
‘But why? What do you stand to gain from this?’ She laughed shrilly. ‘No one is that much of a Good Samaritan!’
‘Of course not. I have my reasons, Beth.’ He turned away to drop down into one of the chairs, his face composed.
‘And have you any intention of explaining what they are?’ She drew in a shuddery little breath, striving for calm, for understanding, for any single thing that would help her make sense of the offer, and slowly it came to her. ‘Are you doing this because it will help heal the rift between you and your brother somehow?’
His face closed and he stared down at the floor for a moment before lifting his eyes back to hers. ‘Partly. Maggie was right: it is time this feud was ended, especially in view of the fact that they’re back in London. Our paths are bound to cross from time to time.’
What was he holding back? Beth knew there was something, but she couldn’t discern much from his expression. ‘I may be obtuse, but how will marrying me help end this feud? I shouldn’t have imagined it would make one iota of difference to you or your brother or the quarrel you’ve had in the past!’
‘I’m afraid I’m not prepared to go into details at present. What happened between Matthew and me is our business, no one else’s.’
‘Not even mine? Not even when you’re proposing marriage to me to help clear it all up? Come on, David, don’t you think I have a right to know all the facts?’ Anger and a strange hurt rippled through her at his refusal to tell her the truth.
‘I’ve told you all I intend to tell you, Beth. Just take my word for it that marriage between us would be the ideal solution to all our problems. I can’t make a fairer offer than that.’
His arrogance almost took her breath away. ‘Then I’m afraid that I shall have to turn your offer down! I’ve already made one huge error in my life and I’ll be damned if I’ll leap blindly into making another!’ She turned to hurry from the room, feeling her heart beating painfully. Marry David Kane? Marry a man who refused to tell her the real truth about why he should wish such a thing? The idea should have shocked her; the fact that it didn’t shocked her even more. Just for a moment there before she’d come to her senses she’d been almost tempted to accept!
