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He put a hand on her back, gently stroking her spine, and leaned his face against her thick chestnut hair, murmuring into it, ‘How can you be so sure? Two days ago, everything was fine. Then you bump into this chap and suddenly the wedding is off and you tell me we don’t have a chance. But you still haven’t made it clear. If you aren’t in love with him either, why can’t you marry me?’
She closed her eyes, groaning. ‘Because I remember how I felt about him! And when I do marry, I want to feel that way again.’
He turned her round, still holding her, and softly kissed her. ‘You could learn to feel that way about me, Pippa.’
She shook her head regretfully, hating to hurt him, but knowing it was kinder in the long run. ‘I’m sorry, Tom. I’m very fond of you, and I like you a lot, but I know now that I could never love you the way I loved him.’
He groaned and kissed her again, harder, with pleading. ‘Pippa… I don’t want to lose you. I think we could be very happy together. We have been, haven’t we? I always believed we were a perfect match. Are you sure you aren’t chasing some impossible star? Looking for the perfect man? What if you never find him? Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone?’
The doorbell rang sharply and they both started. The noise went on, getting louder, more peremptory.
‘Is that him? It sounds like him,’ Tom said angrily. ‘I’ll deal with this. You stay here.’
‘No, Tom,’ she anxiously said, trying to stop him, but he was already on his way to the front door like an advancing army, bristling with war-like intent. Pippa ran after him, caught up just as he yanked the door open and glared at Randal standing outside.
‘Clear off. You’re not wanted. By either of us!’ Tom barked.
‘Pippa can talk for herself. She doesn’t need you talking for her!’ Randal drawled with an infuriating look of superiority.
‘She’s engaged to me!’
‘That doesn’t make her a deaf mute! Even if you’d like her to be one!’
‘How dare you?’ fumed Tom.
Pippa suddenly sensed they had an audience; across the road a curtain twitched, eyes peered at them, and a woman coming down the road had halted to stare, fascinated.
Angrily, Pippa hissed. ‘Come inside. People are watching!’
‘Not until this fellow has left!’ Tom said with a sullen glare at Randal.
‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Randal shrugged.
Flushed and distressed, Pippa pulled Tom back inside the cottage and Randal coolly followed, closing the front door behind him.
‘Tell him to go away,’ Tom urged, giving her that pleading look again, making her feel guilty and very sorry for him. ‘What’s he doing here, anyway? You said you were never going to see him again, so why’s he here?’
Randal gave her a narrowed, dangerous look. ‘Did you say that? Did he ask you to promise not to see me again? And did you agree?’
‘I asked you not to come here,’ she reminded him, chin lifted and green eyes angry.
‘And now I see why,’ he said through his teeth. ‘You’d arranged to meet him here and I would have been very much de trop.’
‘No! I hadn’t arranged to meet him. He arrived out of the blue.’
‘And talked you into going ahead with the wedding? He’s got your lipstick on his mouth, so don’t tell me he hasn’t been kissing you!’
‘What if I have? It’s no business of yours!’ erupted Tom. ‘Our wedding is no business of yours. You aren’t wanted here; she just told you. You see? I knew how she felt. She’s no deaf mute. She’s saying what I said she would say. So, why don’t you just clear off? And don’t come back.’
‘I’ll do whatever I damned well please!’ Randal bit out.
Pippa’s mouth went dry; she had never seen him look so angry. He scared her.
But she wouldn’t let him see that; she pushed between him and Tom, staring angrily at Randal.
‘Go away! I told you not to come here, and I meant it. And stop threatening Tom. Or I’ll hit you with the nearest heavy object!’
He looked down at her, his face softening, relaxing, his mouth curling at the edges with amusement
