Images Of Love. Anne Mather
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Mills & Boon is proud to present a fabulous collection of fantastic novels by bestselling, much loved author
ANNE MATHER
Anne has a stellar record of achievement within the
publishing industry, having written over one hundred and sixty books, with worldwide sales of more than forty-eight MILLION copies in multiple languages.
This amazing collection of classic stories offers a chance
for readers to recapture the pleasure Anne’s powerful, passionate writing has given.
We are sure you will love them all!
I’ve always wanted to write—which is not to say I’ve always wanted to be a professional writer. On the contrary, for years I only wrote for my own pleasure and it wasn’t until my husband suggested sending one of my stories to a publisher that we put several publishers’ names into a hat and pulled one out. The rest, as they say, is history. And now, one hundred and sixty-two books later, I’m literally—excuse the pun—staggered by what’s happened.
I had written all through my infant and junior years and on into my teens, the stories changing from children’s adventures to torrid gypsy passions. My mother used to gather these manuscripts up from time to time, when my bedroom became too untidy, and dispose of them! In those days, I used not to finish any of the stories and Caroline, my first published novel, was the first I’d ever completed. I was newly married then and my daughter was just a baby, and it was quite a job juggling my household chores and scribbling away in exercise books every chance I got. Not very professional, as you can imagine, but that’s the way it was.
These days, I have a bit more time to devote to my work, but that first love of writing has never changed. I can’t imagine not having a current book on the typewriter—yes, it’s my husband who transcribes everything on to the computer. He’s my partner in both life and work and I depend on his good sense more than I care to admit.
We have two grown-up children, a son and a daughter, and two almost grown-up grandchildren, Abi and Ben. My e-mail address is [email protected] and I’d be happy to hear from any of my wonderful readers.
Images of Love
Anne Mather
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THROUGHOUT the journey, Mark had been abnormally quiet for him, and while the ocean beneath the powerful aircraft changed from silver-grey to turquoise blue, Tobie had plenty of time to re-examine her feelings. She wasn’t just using Mark as an instrument of revenge, she told herself fiercely, she really cared about him, and her only reasons for agreeing to this trip were the usual ones of wanting to see his home and meet his mother. It was not an attempt to get even with anyone, and no matter what Laura might say, she was only trying to find the happiness that had so long been denied her. If—and here she allowed a tiny grain of self-justification to creep in —if she did feel a trace of mild self-satisfaction at the prospect of confronting Robert again, that was surely forgivable. After all, she had nothing to be ashamed of, and if she gave him a few uncomfortable moments, so much the better after the trauma she had gone through. It would be undeniably good to let him see that she had quite recovered from that wild infatuation, and she could even be grateful now that their relationship had not been legalised. A marriage, albeit a broken one, would have been that much harder to explain to Mark. As it was, he only knew there had once been someone else, but not that person’s identity. It was a gamble, of course, taking the chance that Robert would not betray her, but as it would also mean betraying his brother, she felt reasonably confident.
Nevertheless, she could still hear her sister’s shocked reaction when she first learned who Mark really was.
‘So you’re actually going to Emerald Cay to see Robert Lang again!’ Laura had accused angrily. ‘Oh, Tobie, how can you? Hasn’t he humiliated you enough? What are you—one of those girls who enjoys punishment?’
‘Of course not.’ Tobie had denied the indictment indignantly. ‘That would be foolish, wouldn’t it? You know I care for Mark now. I’m going to Emerald Cay with him—to meet his mother. Whatever was between Robert and me is over.’
‘But you do expect to see him, don’t you?’ Laura had persisted impatiently. ‘How do you think he’s going to react when he finds out who you are?’
‘I imagine he knows,’ Tobie retorted tautly, bending her head so that the silken weight of straight dark hair fell about her ears. ‘After all, Mark and I are practically engaged! And my name’s not so common. I should think Robert realised from the beginning, but do you honestly think he could come right out and say I’m the girl he virtually abandoned?’
Laura sighed, staring at her younger sister with troubled anxious eyes. ‘Even so,’ she said doubtfully, ‘the man’s unscrupulous, Tobie. We both know that. And this is his home you’re invading. Emerald Cay belongs to him, doesn’t it?’
‘I believe so.’ Tobie had shrugged, hoping to conclude the conversation. ‘He went to live there—oh, about three years ago. Just after—just after the accident.’
Laura shook her head. ‘Tobie! Change your mind. Don’t go. This trip—it isn’t good for you, I know it. You’re recovered now, I know, but I just feel it in my bones—you’re playing with fire! Tell Mark you can’t go. Give yourself more time. Don’t risk everything again…’
‘It’s no risk, Laura.’ Tobie had spoken purposely lightly, but as the blue-green waters of the Caribbean unfolded beneath her, she wished she still felt so sure.
‘We’re almost there, darling.’
Mark’s voice spoke near her ear, his breath fanning the tender lip of flesh, its warmth melting the chilling goosebumps that had unexpectedly appeared. It restored her sense of balance, reminding her that she was not alone any more, reassuring her of his love and affection. She had been uncertain about the trip in the beginning, but Mark’s eagerness had persuaded her, and if she was going to marry him, sooner or later she would have to meet the other members of his family.
‘You seem—anxious,’ he said now, touching her chin, turning her face to his. ‘You’ve no reason to be. My mother’s going to love you. And Rob—’ Tobie