done so well for yourself-'
'What are you doing here?' Holly pressed unevenly, for every time she
looked at him she remembered the shock of
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that fist coming into her face, the speed with which he had lost his
head and attacked her.
'Obviously, I want to see my son,' Jeff informed her.
What colour remained in Holly's face drained away. 'Why would you
suddenly want to do that?'
'A boy ought to know his father.' Jeff gave her a smug and pious smile,
relishing her bewilderment and dismay.
Nausea stirred inside Holly. 'You said you'd make me sorry I was ever
born if I told anyone that Timothy was your child. And when we needed
you, where were you? You didn't want to know-'
'Things were awkward that day-'
'Awkward? Timothy and I ended up on the streets with nowhere to go! You
didn't give two hoots about either of us. If you want to see the child
you have the nerve to call your son, when are you planning to start
paying towards his keep?' Holly demanded, her strained voice rising in
volume. 'Do you think that you can just walk in here and-?'
An arm curved round her taut spine from behind, startling her, for she
had not heard the door open, and then Rio murmured, 'It's OK, cara. I'll
deal with this.'
'I'm afraid Holly and I didn't part best friends.' Jeff grimaced, moving
forward with an insincere smile and extending his hand to Rio. 'I'm
Jeff, Timothy's father.'
'Saverio Lombardi...'
Holly was appalled when Rio shook hands with her ex-boyfriend. It felt
like a betrayal. She was equally appalled at the threat of being forced
to trust a man with Jeff's temper around Timothy. She could not even
bear to have Jeff inside their home. He brought back nothing but bad
memories and regrets.
'I've seen a solicitor. Just so that I could check out my
position,' Jeff hastened to explain. 'I'm going to ask for access visits
and apply for joint custody of my son.'
Holly's heart sank right down to her toes.
'Of course. That's your right,' Rio responded equably.
'But Rio-' Holly began, not comprehending his failure even to proffer an
argument or indeed understanding why Jeff, given that easy agreement,
should look more startled
than pleased.
'At the same time, however, any access visits would have to be
supervised,' Rio continued.
Jeff frowned at Rio. 'Supervised? Why?'
'You assaulted Holly.'
'That was an accident!' Jeff protested vehemently, but even Holly could
see that that reminder coming from Rio had severely disconcerted the
younger man.
'My lawyers already have a statement from the woman whom you were living
with at the time,' Rio told him with complete cool. 'She's quite
prepared to testify that she saw you not only attack but also threaten
Holly with further violence should she ever name you as her child's father.'
It was now Holly's turn to stare at her husband with shaken eyes, for
only then did she recall the seemingly idle questions he had asked her
in the Maldives about where she had found Jeff living when she had
finally traced him to his girlfriend's apartment.
'You've got a statement from Liza?' Jeff was flushed with incredulous rage.
'Naturally you can still apply for access to Timothy and whatever else
you like,' Rio pointed out. 'But it is only fair to tell you that I hope
to adopt Timothy and that I will fight to do so, whether you have access
or not.'
Jeff gave him a furious look of frustration. 'But I'm quite happy for
you to adopt the kid! I'm here ready to discuss a friendly arrangement
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'Any arrangements or agreements required will be reached through the
usual legal channels,' Rio asserted levelly.
I've had enough of this!' Jeff stormed off to the door.
'You're still Timothy's father,' Rio said quietly. 'If you want to get
to know your son I won't stand in your way.'
'Forget it!' Jeff yanked open the door, his eagerness to leave
unconcealed. 'You're welcome to the yappy little brat!'
As her ex-boyfriend departed Holly was so ashamed of the way he had
exposed his true nature that she could not meet Rio's gaze. 'Why did you
keep on telling him he could see Timothy?'
'I won't let Danby use your son to threaten you or as a bargaining chip
in some sleazy attempt to profit from the connection. But I needed to be
sure that Jeff genuinely doesn't have any interest in Timothy.'
'What you said about Jeff's girlfriend, Liza... was that a bluff?' Holly
mumbled.
'No. My lawyers do hold her statement. I felt that it was necessary to
have proof of Jeff's violence to protect you and Timothy.'
'Has Liza broken up with Jeff?' Holly was still in shock at what she had
learnt.
'Yes. I gather she caught him fooling around with one of her friends and
she was more than willing to speak up on your behalf.'
Hell hath no fury, Holly reflected in a daze.
Level dark golden eyes scanned her pale, strained face and he caught her
hands in his. 'I have to leave...I'm already running late. You look
exhausted. You should lie down for a while, cara.'
'Thanks...for sorting out Jeff,' Holly said jerkily.
'I'd have liked to do it with my fists,' Rio confided with
ashamed male regret. 'But that could have put paid to any hope of
adopting Timothy, and at the end of day Danby's not worth that risk.'
For a long time after Rio had gone Holly just sat beside Timothy's cot,
watching over her son while he slept, Rio had spiked Jeff's guns with
ease and she was very grateful, but she could not help thinking that he
had not been half so_ successful at quieting her fears about the future.
She was married to a bloke who truly believed that a rousing bout of sex
answered all ills. And why did Rio imagine that? She had let him make
love to her. And a sufficiently angry and alienated woman would have
said no.
So why hadn't she said no? What she had learnt about Rio and Christabel
had filled her with sheer panic. She loved him. She loved him so much.
Wanting to kill him only went so far when she had felt that her whole
world was under imminent danger of collapsing round her. She had started
out all right when she first confronted him but then she had got too
emotional and lost the plot.
When Rio came home she would make a more tactful and calm approach, and,
one way or another, he was going to talk about Christabel whether he
liked it or not, she swore to herself.
143
Two days later, the limousine in which Holly was travelling drew up
outside Marchmont Priory. The picturesque house was bathed in afternoon
sunshine. Climbing out of the car, Holly breathed in deep and
straightened her shoulders.
Holly had thought about calling Mrs Lombardi in advance but she had been
afraid that her offer to visit would somehow be put off. Although Rio
seemed determined to cheerfully ignore all the signs that his parent was
anything but happy at
his sudden marriage to a stranger, Holly was not
that insensitive. Naturally, Alice Lombardi would be concerned, but she
was hoping that once Rio's mother actually met her she would realise
that her new daughter-in-law was not as bad as she had feared.
She was ushered into the sunlit panelled sitting room, where a slim,
still attractive blonde in her early sixties awaited her in an upright
armchair. A closer and lengthier appraisal revealed the fine lines on
Alice Lombardi's worn features and the pained stiffness of her movements.
'Please excuse me for not standing up to greet you,' she murmured in her
well-bred voice. 'My arthritis is particularly troublesome today.'
'I'm sorry. I should have phoned first-'
'Did Rio send you here?'
Holly reddened.
'I thought so,' Alice said ruefully. 'Rio can be very ruthless.'
'He wanted us to meet and I was glad of the excuse,'
Holly responded awkwardly, backing down into the seat that was indicated.
'I may as well admit that Christabel is staying here this week,' the
older woman replied. 'I shan't apologise for that. I can hardly turn my
back on her simply because my son changed his mind about marrying her.
She often visits me.' "That's really none of my business.' But the news
that Rio's ex-fiancée was on the premises was daunting and made Holly
feel very much as though she had foolishly strayed into the enemy camp.
'If you say so...' Alice's gaze was as keen as her son's. 'How honest
may I be?' 'As honest as you like.' Holly lifted her chin. 'Is your son,
Timothy, my grandchild?' Holly flushed. 'No.' 'And are you expecting a
child now?' 'No, I'm not.' Holly supposed that those were fairly obvious
questions to ask in the circumstances but she felt horribly like a
little kid being questioned by a stern headmistress for unacceptable
behaviour.
'I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you but I had to know.' The older woman
now looked weary and defeated.
In the hiatus, a maid knocked and entered with a tray of tea. At a
leisurely pace, fragile bone-china cups of heirloom quality were filled
and delicate cakes were offered. Holly could not get a morsel past her
tight throat and even to moisten her lips was a challenge.
'I don't know what has got into Rio,' Alice admitted tightly, tears
glimmering in her strained gaze. 'Perhaps I am better not knowing, but
if you have somehow contrived to trap him into marriage and your
motivation was his wealth I will be your enemy and a most bitter one.'
Holly paled at that unhesitating assurance. 'I-' 'You have no career.
You're penniless. How could my
144
son even have met you?' Alice made no attempt to conceal her
bewilderment. 'You're not from our world. Of course I'm suspicious of
you. Rio won't tell me anything about you.'
Reminded of how poor she had been before her marriage, Holly was
mortified. The smart outfit which had helped her confidence suddenly
felt like finery she had no entitlement to be wearing. 'I really don't
know why Rio sent me here-'
'Don't you? You're supposed to be ingratiating yourself. He's a typical
man and he's planning to stay well out of the way until I've come to
terms with you,' the older woman informed her drily. 'What age are you,
for goodness' sake?'
'Twenty.'
'So now Rio's cradle-snatching.' Alice Lombardi was openly taken aback
by the news that Holly was that young. 'I can only assume that my son is
madly in love with you. There is no other possible explanation for his
behaviour.'
Holly remained silent, unable to lie.
'Have you nothing to say?' Alice demanded in frustration.
'I love him,' Holly muttered fiercely and, setting down her untouched
tea, she stood up, truly desperate to escape. 'I don't think there's
much point me sitting here because I'm only upsetting you and I don't
have the answers you want.'
'If Rio loves you, I don't need any answers.' The older woman studied
Holly's troubled face with belated discomfiture. 'Nor will I interfere.'
'He doesn't love me,' Holly said bluntly. 'He likes me. He said he
thought he could get fond of me but I'm not holding my breath.'
And with that confession, which appeared to startle her
hostess, Holly slipped back out to the flagstoned hall and heaved a
huge, craven sigh of relief. Only then did she see another woman poised
by the massive stone fireplace.
'So you're Holly,' Christabel drawled with a scornful head-to-toe
appraisal that would have left Holly squirming had Holly not been so
intent on staring herself.
Sheathed in a fake-fur coat, a short dress the colour of cranberry and
knee-length black leather boots, the blonde was so incredibly tall that
Holly actually had to step back to receive the full effect. And the full
effect of Christabel in the flesh was nothing short of spectacular. The
shining fall of pale blonde hair, the startling green eyes, the
voluptuous pink mouth. Then the lithe, shapely figure, the hand on the
hip angled forward, the endless length of gleaming thigh presented by
her taunting, aggressive stance.
'You. look even better than your pictures,' Holly conceded helplessly.
'Are you trying to be funny with me?' Christabel spat, lips drawing back
from her perfect teeth in a venomous flash. 'You've got some neck,
coming here to visit Alice. This is my turf. Don't you kid yourself that
you've stolen my man. You only have him on loan!'
'Extended loan.' Holly threw her bright head back, bronze ringlets
tumbling back from her pale heart-shaped face, clear blue eyes as steady
as she could make them. 'If you were careless enough to lose a bloke
like Rio that's your problem, not mine. But he's my husband now-'
'And how long do you think that's going to last?' Christabel loosed a
shrill derisive laugh.
'As long as he wants it to. I don't want this bad feeling with you,'
Holly admitted tautly. 'I'd nothing to do with you and Rio splitting up-'
'But if you hadn't come along we'd have got back together,'
146
Christabel condemned. 'I'll break up your marriage if it's the last
thing I do!'
'Christabel...no!' another voice interrupted, charged with censure.
Both young women spun. Leaning heavily on a stick, Alice Lombardi was
several feet away, her thin features rigid with shocked disapproval as
she stared at her house-guest.
All the way back to London, Holly thought of Christabel. Beautiful,
angry, vindictive Christabel. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't
worried. But a woman so flawless she barely looked human was hard to
downsize in her memory bank. And if the gorgeous Christabel still hoped
to get Rio back, even though he was now married, what did that tell her?
Well, for one thing, it blew a large hole in Holly's dim assumption that
something very serious had broken up their engagement. Now she was no
longer so sure. Christabel's declaration of war suggested that although
Rio and the blonde might have had a major row when they had split up
there had still been
hope of a reconciliation.
And that new angle on the situation scared Holly, really scared her. For
the first time Holly was afraid that Rio might have used her just to
strike back at Christabel. Not deliberately, but reacting to a
subconscious very male urge to level the score, might not Rio have
turned to Holly and their marriage as a weapon? By nature, Rio was
shockingly stubborn. He was also volatile and deep. What was going to
happen if Rio woke up one day and realised that he still cared about
Christabel? Already painfully aware that Rio had married her on the
rebound, Holly could not see that as a far-fetched fear. Rio didn't love
her. Their marriage would not survive if he still had feelings for
another woman, all too willing to take him back. Forcing her thoughts to
a halt at that point, Holly told herself that she was overreacting. Even
so, after the afternoon she had endured it was impossible to feel good
about either herself or her marriage. She needed to find a job, she
decided in desperation, show some independence. Alice Lombardi thought
that she might be a gold-digger who'd trapped Rio into marriage. Rio had
also talked about the need for her to lead her own life. Maybe that was