By Marriage Divided. Lindsay Armstrong
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she was more than a match for his sheer, utterly sexy masculinity that no conservative charcoal suit and plain maroon tie could hide.
But just as the colour began to flow into her cheeks at these wild, wanton thoughts that were not particularly like her, Christy came to her aid.
‘Excuse me,’ she said politely.
Domenica wrenched her gaze from Angus Keir but not before she had the curious satisfaction of seeing him move his shoulders almost restlessly at the interruption.
Then she was introducing Christy to him only to be told they’d already met, and finding herself taking several deep breaths in an effort to compose herself.
‘I believe Mum contacted you out of the blue?’ Christy said to him in her direct manner.
‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘She said that, much as she loved both her daughters, she was finding their instincts for caution a little hard to take and she’d be only too happy to have my advice.’
Domenica and Christy exchanged frustrated glances, and once again it was Christy who came to the rescue. ‘I guess this all came as a bit of a surprise and that’s why we thought we oughtn’t to rush into anything, Mr Keir.’
‘Of course,’ he murmured. ‘I quite understand.’ But the glint in his grey eyes that Domenica was on the receiving end of said something else—it was unmistakably satirical.
She drained her champagne to stop herself from making any hot and unwise utterances, and replied evenly, ‘You were right about Blacktown, Mr Keir, that much I have established, and we’re very grateful for it. Whether we—’
‘Darlings!’ Barbara interrupted, coming back into their midst. ‘I hope you’re not talking business? I don’t think it’s the right time or place. Perhaps we could set aside an evening later this week. Would you care to come to dinner on Friday, Angus?’ She gazed at him appealingly.
‘I would have loved to but unfortunately I’ll be in Perth. The following Friday would be fine, however. Thank you.’
Barbara looked gratified but Domenica compressed her lips as he shot her the most wickedly amused glance this time.
‘I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me later this evening, though, Domenica?’ he continued. ‘We could discuss Blacktown further in the meantime.’
‘I’m so sorry—’ she spoke without any plan, the words just seemed to come of their own accord ‘—but I’m otherwise engaged this evening.’
‘Oh, what a pity,’ Barbara said. ‘Well, let’s circulate, shall we? Angus, can I introduce you to one of my oldest friends?’ And she took him away leaving Domenica staring at his retreating back, and her sister Christabel staring at her.
‘So,’ Christy said, ‘that’s the problem!’
Domenica blinked at her. ‘What?’
Christy smiled gently. ‘Dom, the air literally sizzles between you two. When I came up, you might as well have been on another planet.’
Domenica’s lips parted incredulously, then she took hold to say a little grimly, ‘Chris, the man rubs me up the wrong way and now Mum is calling him Angus and he’s calling her Barbara!’
‘I think I know why he rubs you up the wrong way.’
Domenica gazed at her sister. ‘You do?’
‘Uh-huh. He’s not your type of man. You generally go for—’ Christy gestured ‘—more…more diffident men.’
‘I—do?’
Christy smiled a little wryly. ‘You must admit you like to be in control of yourself, Dom. You always have. That’s why you and Mum clash sometimes, it’s why you’ve had the single-mindedness to make a success of Primrose, it’s why you sometimes come across as a bit high and mighty. But, so far as your love life goes, I don’t think it’s been such a good policy for you.’
Domenica reached dazedly for another glass of champagne from a nearby table and regarded her little sister rather as an owl awoken in the middle of the day might. ‘And I thought you lived in a world of your own, Christy,’ she marvelled. ‘How long have you been cherishing these sentiments about me?’
This time Christy grinned impishly. ‘A few years,’ she confessed. ‘But I wouldn’t have said anything if I hadn’t seen you and Angus Keir striking sparks off each other and I’m only saying it now because I don’t think it’s ever happened to you before and—’ she broke off and grimaced warily ‘—well, you could regret it if you don’t go for it—I think you deserve to live a bit.’
‘So does he—think that,’ Domenica commented a bit grimly.
‘There you go, then. It has been tough and you have been such a rock since Dad died.’
‘No, Christy, there I do not go. If it had come up any other way—’ Domenica shrugged ‘—who knows? But in these circumstances, it’s a bit like being held to ransom.’
‘Oh, well. But he is rather gorgeous.’
Christy’s sentiments stayed with Domenica for the next half-hour, causing her to be a little preoccupied. Then something happened that put a different complexion on things. She’d managed to avoid Angus, although it could be seen that he was quite at ease and generating a lot of interest amongst her mother’s circle of friends.
But she happened to be standing next to him, although half turned away and talking to someone else, when Barbara’s clear tones and perfect diction made themselves heard in a slight lull.
‘Keir and, no, I’d never heard of the name either—new money, of course,’ she was explaining to someone, ‘but you really wouldn’t be able to tell he’s a self-made man.’
The whole party missed a beat but only for a nanosecond, then it continued to flow but in that second Domenica caught sight, out of the corner of her eye, of Angus’s fingers tightening around the stem of his glass, then deliberately relaxing. In the next second, she made a surprising decision.
She turned fully to him and, cutting across the conversation, said, ‘I’ve changed my mind. I will have dinner with you, if you’re still of the same mind. The only problem is—’ she smiled at him charmingly ‘—I’m starving so the sooner we go, the better.’
His eyes narrowed and he paused, as if debating something, then he said formally, ‘It would be my pleasure, Miss Harris.’
It wasn’t until they were in his Range Rover, driving away from her mother’s house, that they spoke directly to each other again.
‘What about your previous engagement, Domenica?’
She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘I actually said I was otherwise engaged. Which was true. I was planning to do my washing and ironing but there’s always tomorrow for that.’
‘Believe me,’ he said dryly, ‘you didn’t have to give up a date with your washing and ironing on account of your mother’s unguarded tongue.’
‘Well, I thought I did, Angus.’ She used his first name for the first time. ‘I may look…stuck-up—’ she raised her eyebrows ‘—but I’m not really and I thought it was unforgivable—what she said.’
He made no further comment until they were seated in a restaurant of his choice that was renowned for its food. But not only the food was exceptional, the ambience was superb. Each table occupied its own wood-panelled alcove with burgundy banquettes that you sank into against the lovely grain of real leather, while your feet sank into a thick-pile watermelon-pink carpet.
There were wall sconces dispensing soft light and candles on the tables. The napery was white damask, the cutlery heavy silver, the glasses crystal and between their alcove and the next stood a tall porcelain vase filled with arum lilies and lilies of the valley that were delicately scenting the air.
It