Page 49 of Promise Me Love

Beth laughed, taking an immediate liking to the woman’s warm friendliness. She was very beautiful with masses of thick dark hair which swung down her back and huge dark eyes. She was also strangely familiar. Beth stared at her for a moment then gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. ‘I have the feeling that I’ve met you before, but I can’t think where.’

Marie grimaced, taking a sip of her wine before tossing her hair back and striking a deliberately sultry pose. ‘The latest edition of Vogue? Or maybe Paris Match?’ She grinned impishly. ‘I’ve done extremely well recently and been on the cover of several international magazines.’

‘Of course! That’s where I’ve seen you. It must be fabulous being a model.’

Marie shrugged. ‘It’s a job and a well-paid one at that, but ask Maggie and she’ll tell you the same thing—that it can get terribly boring at times.’

‘Maggie was a model too?’

‘Still is, or will be once she’s back to fighting weight, although I have my doubts about whether she will really want to tear herself away from that adorable baby when the time comes. She spent such a lot of time away from Janey out of necessity that I doubt she’ll want to do it this time and who can blame her?’ Just for a moment sadness crossed her face before she fixed the professionally bright smile back into place. ‘It might surprise you to learn that I would swap all the top modelling jobs in the world for what Maggie has. You can’t beat having the man you love and his child.’

You couldn’t. Beth’s heart lurched at the simple truthfulness of the statement. What more could she want from life than David and his child? Deep sadness shone in her eyes and she heard Marie murmur in concern. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Beth. That was a crassly insensitive thing to say in the circumstances.’ She touched Beth’s arm in gentle apology. ‘Maggie told me about the baby you lost. It must hurt a lot.’

Beth tried to smile, but her heart was aching. She had lost her child; was she destined to lose David too? If they couldn’t work things out then that would be so. There had to be a way to sort it all out. He might not love her as she loved him, but he cared something for her. He’d shown that today by coming after her down to the village. Maybe it had been partly to keep up the pretence about this marriage of theirs, but she’d seen his face, seen the genuine concern about what would happen to her if she left. There had to be something there that they could build on. To have David and maybe some day have his child to love was worth fighting for.

Suddenly she needed him with a desperation that defied all reason, needed him to be there beside her. Ignoring Marie’s startled exclamation, she turned and hurried from the room and into the study to dial the factory number, letting it ring endlessly until she was forced to face the fact that David wasn’t there. She replaced the receiver, her hand shaking as emotion built up inside her. She’d held back her grief about the baby for so long, yet now it all welled up, intensified by her fears for the future. A sob rose into her throat and she bit it back, terrified of breaking down in such a public place. Blinded by tears, she ran into the hall and up the stairs to her room and threw herself down on the bed, sobbing as though her heart would break.

‘Beth? What is it? Don’t you feel well?’ Matthew’s voice was tinged with concern as he came into the room and stood by the bed, and that made Beth cry all the harder. So much concern from both these men—David and now Matthew—yet none of it could help.

‘Don’t, Beth. You’ll make yourself ill crying like that. Do you want me to get Maggie for you?’

‘No.’ Her voice was thick with tears, muffled by the sobs which racked her, and Matthew put a hand gently on her shoulder.

‘Is it because of the baby, Beth? Is this all too much for you?’

‘The baby, David, Maggie, you… It’s everything, Matthew!’

His eyes darkened with concern and he sat down on the edge of the bed, gripping her shoulder tighter. ‘What do you mean? How do Maggie and I have any bearing on your being upset?’

‘Ask your brother. Ask David that, but of course you two aren’t really talking, are you? Why? What is this big secret, Matthew? What is this skeleton you’ve got hidden in your cupboard?’

---