AllFreeNovel
Share Us
'Yes.'
Celeste closed her eyes for a second on a silent groan. 'Have you been having an affair with her, Damian?' she asked, trying to keep the weary exasperation out of her voice.
'No,' he denied sulkily. 'I bloody well haven't.'
'Then why did she come to you?'
'She didn't know anybody else in Sydney.'
'What happened, then, to make her leave Nathan? He seemed genuinely perplexed about it all.'
'I have no doubt. He thought he was safe with Gemma out at Lightning Ridge.'
Celeste let out a frustrated sigh. 'Not you, too. Please try to make sense. What on earth has Lightning Ridge got to do with anything?'
It vaguely crossed Celeste's mind that this was the second time Lightning Ridge had come into her life lately. Firstly, the Heart of Fire was supposed to have turned up again in Lightning Ridge, and now this. No doubt it would pop up again a third time, since things did seem to happen in threes.
'That's where Gemma grew up,' Damian informed her. 'She'd gone back for a visit and while she was away Nathan spent the weekend with Lenore. Gemma came back unexpectedly early and caught them together.'
Celeste contained her shock while she got the facts. 'Now wait a minute till I get this straight. If Gemma caught Nathan and his ex-wife together then why is he so confused over why she left him?'
'Because Gemma didn't make her presence known. She left without them seeing her.'
'I see .. .'
'She doesn't want to see him or talk to him ever again. She says he knows in his heart why she left him.'
'He was very upset.'
'Tough. So's Gemma.'
Celeste frowned. 'What is she to you, Damian?'
‘Butt out, Celeste.'
'If you hurt her, you'll have me to answer to.' There was dead silence on the other end.
'I want to speak to her,' Celeste demanded.
'No. She's too upset to talk.'
'Bring her home here, then, where she can be properly looked after.'
'Are you serious?'
'Yes, I am.' At least here at Campbell Court, she could keep on eye on things, could perhaps drop a few words of gentle warning about Damian.
'I'll think about it.'
'She'd be safe here,' Celeste argued with quiet logic. 'Nathan probably wouldn't think of looking here again, but we have good security if he does.'
'Yes ... yes, I didn't think of that. Nathan's the sort of man who won't let go easily. But Gemma's too tired to go anywhere else tonight. The poor darling's wrung out. I'll bring her there tomorrow.'
'I think that would be wise.'
'Do you just? Goodbye, Celeste,' he said brusquely. 'I'll see you tomorrow some time.'
He hung up, leaving Celeste to stare down into the dead receiver. Damian's manner puzzled her. He sounded as if he was genuinely fond of the girl. Could it be that he had finally fallen in love? Really in love?
If he had, it would be the first time that she knew of. The only person Damian had previously been in love with had been himself.
Her thoughts turned to Nathan and his affair with his ex-wife. Much as she didn't like the man, this news had shocked her. He'd only been married for a few months, after all. Not that she should be surprised by the things men did when in the grip of lust.
Still, it was perfectly clear to Celeste that Nathan had no idea his wife was au fait with his adultery. Perhaps if he knew the reason why she'd left him then he'd let her go quietly, without any fuss. It worried Celeste that violence might erupt between Nathan and Damian, if and when he found out who Gemma was with. Men were violent creatures. That, she was sure of.
Telephoning Nathan directly was out of the question. He would quite rightly jump to the conclusion that his wife was with Damian. For how else
would Celeste have gained such information? She wanted him to know Gemma knew about his being unfaithful, but she didn't want him to know where Gemma was.
It didn't take Celeste too long to come up with the perfect person, the only person who she could trust to do the job tactfully and with discretion.
A rueful smile creased her mouth at her putting words such as trust and tact in the same sentence as Byron Whitmore. But her hatred for the man was not a blind hatred. She knew his good points as well as his bad.
Telephoning Byron, however, after what had happened today, was not something Celeste was keen about. In fact, she just couldn't face it on an empty stomach. What difference would an hour or two make? She would ring him after dinner, and after several glasses of wine.
