Wedding in the Family

  Davina giggled, 'Yes, I did rather lay it on, didn't I? I was so angry!'

  'That was obvious!'

  'What about my father?' she asked next, rather anxiously. 'That was such an awful part of the week-end.'

  'Yes—well, he made me very angry. He also made me realise I was too old for you.' He turned to look into her face. 'Davina…'

  'Hush!' she interrupted, putting her hand over his lips.

  'Do you know how old I am?' Jake persevered.

  'I've never given it a thought.'

  'I'm thirty-seven. In three years I'll be forty.'

  'So you will, my darling. When is your birthday?' Davina smiled at him.

  'You're a minx,' he said, 'and I'm besotted with you.'

  'Tell me how you got on with Maddy,' she said, nestling close to him, ecstatic that there would be no more partings.

  'Mm… well, that was a bit underhand. After last night I knew I had to see you. My one hope was that you wore no ring on your left hand, that you weren't committed to another man. So this morning I sent to Personnel for your file, and I saw that we'd appointed you through Madeleine Bell. I thought she might know where you were.' He smiled down at her happily. 'So I went to see her today.'

  'You could have rung me at the office, at work,' she told him.

  'Oh, yes, I could, of course,' he gibed playfully, 'and can you imagine the welcome I would have had? The cool, efficient Davina Richards turning me down on the telephone, firmly, definitely.' He flicked a finger at her cheek. 'I couldn't risk it.' He smiled down at her happily. 'Seeing Maddy was very enlightening,' he teased.

  Davina sat up indignantly. 'If Maddy told you…'

  'She didn't tell me anything,' Jake interrupted. 'She asked me a lot of questions and looked at me and smiled rather secretly several times. Anyway, we got on famously, and I told her if you turned me down, I'd come back and marry her.' He laughed as Davina pummelled him with her fists and they fell down on top of each other on to the sofa.

  'You do know,' he said, suddenly grave, 'I'm going to be a very demanding husband? I want you in my bed every night, at my breakfast table every morning. I'm so longing to sleep in the same bed with you all night, night after night… oh, God, it's going to be a long week. No more sleepless nights without you beside me after we're married, my girl. And I want you with me everywhere, when I travel, when I entertain, all the time. I don't know if I can share you with a career. How do you feel about that?' he asked rather anxiously.

  'I have my own worries, too,' Davina confided. 'How will you feel about… being married? You're used to change. How are you going to manage with just me?'

  Jake sat up and pulled her to sit beside him, holding both her hands in a firm clasp. 'There can never be anyone else for me. Not ever. Not again. You'll understand your hold on me once we're married. And I want to be alone with you for a time—no children right away, not until you feel deep in your heart and your very bones my unending need of you. Then you'll know that your body, your love and your sweetness are my complete fulfilment.' He looked deeply into her eyes. 'I only hope and pray, my dearest girl, I can be the lover to bring you happiness and fulfilment in the same way.'

  'Oh, Jake!' she whispered, and flung herself into his arms.