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Elegant in a smart grey suit, the skirt ending inches above her knees and revealing her long legs to the best advantage, she walked past Penny.
‘Hi,’ Penny mouthed automatically in shock and, closing the door, turned to see Solo exit the study, smile at Tina and take the other woman in his arms and plant a kiss on her lips.
Penny stood frozen, her eyes burning in their sockets. She was horribly conscious of her own inadequacy in comparison to the stunning Tina. Her stomach cramped with nausea, which she was pretty sure had nothing to do with her pregnancy.
‘Solo’s kissing the lady,’ James piped up. ‘She his wife as well, Penny?’
Out of the mouths of babes, Penny thought bitterly, glancing down at her brother, and murmuring under her breath, ‘she is somebody’s wife.’
‘Penny.’ Her name was a command. Penny jerked her head up, her startled gaze clashing with Solo’s. ‘I have to leave in an hour, and Tina and I have a lot to get through, so could you ask Brownie to serve coffee for two in the study?’
Bitterness turned to fury. Who the hell did he think he was talking to, the patronising pig? Grabbing James’s hand, she opened the door. ‘Sorry, darling, we are on our way to playschool and already late,’ she lied. ‘Have a good trip.’
Never in her life had she felt more hurt and humiliated, and, legs trembling, she almost dragged James outside. It was a beautiful June day, but it could have been raining cats and dogs for all Penny cared. She had never dreamt Solo could be so cruel as to bring Tina to her home, and kiss the woman in full view of her and James.
‘Come on, James,’ she said, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘You and I are going for a walk.’
‘Nice car.’ James pointed to the blue sports car parked behind Solo’s BMW.
Penny didn’t have a violent bone in her body, but in an action totally out of character she kicked the car as she led James past it and wished it were Tina’s bum or, better still, Solo’s head…
Carrying a very tired James in her arms, Penny trudged back into the house five hours later.
‘Where on earth have you been?’ Brownie demanded. ‘Poor Solo had to leave without being able to say goodbye. As it was he changed the time-slot for the take-off of his plane twice, but he could not wait any longer.’
Penny put James down on a chair, and then glanced across the kitchen at Brownie. ‘There is nothing poor about Solo,’ she said. ‘And we had lunch at the vicarage, but I could do with a coffee.’
‘Sit down and I’ll see to it, you look all in.’ The concern in Brownie’s eyes made Penny want to cry. ‘Are you sure you are all right? I could put off going on holiday tomorrow, and wait until Solo returns if you need me.’
‘No, no, I’m fine,’ Penny said quickly. Religiously every year Brownie and her friend spent the last two weeks in June on holiday in the Lake District and Penny had no wish to spoil Brownie’s pleasure. ‘Don’t worry, just make sure you’re packed, and I’ll make sure I get the pair of you to the railway station tomorrow to catch your train.’
Penny went up to bed that night, and, lying in the huge bed that not twenty-four hours ago she had shared with Solo, she did cry. The tears trickled down her cheeks. She buried her face in the pillow, but the faint scent of Solo lingered on the fabric and she sobbed all the more. She felt as if her heart would break. She missed him with every breath she took, and she despised herself for loving him, still wanting him, when he had made it plain he did not feel the same.
A long time later, all cried out and tossing and turning in the huge bed, going over every nuance of her relationship with her arrogant husband, she finally realised Solo didn’t feel at all.
He was a self-declared loner. From an early age his emotions had been frozen in stone. He had never had anyone, and he didn’t need anyone. He was a law unto himself. Wealth and power and striking good looks had enabled him to go through life taking his pick of anything, be it a work of art or a woman, and he cared no more for one than the other.
With that sobering realisation, she also conceded sadly he was not capable of love. Tina might be the nearest he ever got to the emotion, but even that was false. Because a man of his wealth could have arranged for Tina to be divorced and married her years ago if he had really wanted to. Penny could almost feel sorry for Tina—she had worked for him for years and been a convenient body in his bed. Probably still was.
So what did that say about her marriage? Solo had never pretended their marriage was to be a long-term arrangement, and Penny expected it to be over sooner rather than later. Tina was in Central America with him now…
Penny loved Solo, but, knowing him as she did, she realised once he knew she was pregnant he would never let her go. Given his upbringing, he would move heaven and earth to make sure any child of his had what Solo saw as the perfect family: two parents and the best money could buy. It would never enter his head that love was the most essential ingredient, because he had never known it, never felt it, and, as she recalled when he’d demanded she marry him, had freely admitted he did not believe love existed.
Could she stand being married to a man, bearing his child, living with him, loving him, and yet knowing he would never love her? Wondering if he was being unfaithful every moment they were apart…for ever.
No, Penny decided as the early rays of the morning sun slanted across the bedroom. Her stomach rolled and she lay a protective hand across her abdomen. She loved her unborn child and she had more than enough love for two.
Penny washed her mouth out—she had been sick—and looked in the mirror. God, she looked awful, her face was white as a sheet, and she wished she could turn the clock back, and go back to living her old life, the way it had been before Solo had forced her into this impossible position. With her books and only James to take care of, life had been so peaceful.
Maybe she could… The thought that had been festering in her mind all night took root. She was a strong-minded woman, with a growing career—it was time she claimed back her independence.
Penny pulled on a bathrobe and went downstairs. Glancing around the huge hall, she realised she didn’t need this house, she didn’t need a fortune. In fact, until Solo had made his outrageous proposal she’d been quite resigned to leaving Haversham Park. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself, her brother and her baby.
She must not think of her husband, soon to be her ex. She had made her mind up—she would divorce him for adultery, and to hell with agreements, or prenuptials. No more the honourable Penelope, she was going to join the modern, money-grabbing world with a vengeance, she told herself as she set about preparing breakfast for James and Brownie.
It was exactly the right time. As of today Brownie was on holiday. A quick call to Jane in London, and she had no doubt her friend would let her and James stay until she could find somewhere more permanent. As for her arrogant husband, if he tried to get in touch he would find the house empty. He could sweat it out in Mexico with his mistress as long as he liked, as far as Penny was concerned. The longer, the better—it would give her more time to settle into a new life. Solo was a ruthless bastard and she had to stop imagining she loved him.
CHAPTER NINE
