Honeymoon Baby. Susan Napier
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had understood, to prevent genetic parents launching bids to reclaim the offspring created from the sperm or eggs they had previously donated...or birth parents trying to sue donors for maintenance!
While in the originally posed photograph she and Rafe had been wearing identical fake smiles, a few seconds later the accidental triggering of the photographer’s remote control had caught an informal shot of Sebastian nudging Jennifer into accepting Rafe’s polite kiss on her cheek. Frozen on film in embarrassed mid-stumble, she had been pressing her bouquet-filled hand against Rafe’s dark jacket to steady herself, and in profile it seemed as if she was looking up at him, pink-cheeked and adoring, while the three-quarter angle of his head showed clearly his smiling intent to kiss her as his arm encircled her silk-clad waist.
What didn’t show up in the photograph was the angry pride in Jennifer’s eyes and the sardonic contempt behind Rafe’s teasing smile...and the gaunt, elderly groom, neatly excised from the negative she had taken to the camera shop to be reprinted.
‘Jenny has a larger, framed version up in her bedroom,’ said Paula fondly, wheeling over to retrieve her wallet. ‘Since all our living areas are used by our guests, we like to keep our private things to ourselves.’ She looked down at the photo and smiled. ‘I thought this looked so lively, full of warmth and fun. It was such a relief to know that Jennifer had found someone wonderful—and for it to be Sebastian’s son of all people! Your father was such a pleasant guest, so helpful and undemanding.’
Jennifer bit back a nervous giggle when she saw Rafe’s eyes widen at this description of his exacting, imperious father.
‘Mum always sees the best in everyone,’ she said, obliquely warning him against trying to shatter her mother’s rosy illusions.
‘A rare and admirable quality,’ Rafe murmured, looking thoughtfully from Jennifer to her mother, obviously racking up more evidence for the prosecution. ‘Of course, people often act quite differently from their usual selves when they escape the pressures of their normal environment. Some of them see it as an excuse to go wild and do dangerous things that they’d never dream of doing at home...and later live to bitterly regret it.’
Jennifer knew the message was explicitly aimed at her, but as usual Paula took the words at face value.
‘Oh, your father came here for the peace and quiet we could provide, not to go adventuring. But he was so very exhausted by the time he got to our section of his holiday that I was rather worried for him. Thank goodness Jenny was on hand, with her home-nursing experience, because Sebastian refused to see a doctor or alter his plans for the rest of his trip. I encouraged her, you know, to accept his offer to accompany him back to England after he said he didn’t like the idea of employing a total stranger. I thought the travel would be a good chance for Jenny to broaden her mind a little—she’d never been overseas before...’
From the cynical heft of an eyebrow Jenny could see Rafe thinking that she had been plenty broad-minded by the time she had married his father.
‘I was so sorry when she arrived back and told me that he had died,’ Paula continued. ‘You have my very deepest sympathy, Rafe. But at least he had the chance to see you happy first,’ she added, always ready to stress the positive. ‘Jenny never said, but I supposed his being in such a precarious state of health was the reason why everything happened in such a rush between the two of you...’ She paused delicately.
‘Thank you,’ said Rafe in simple acceptance of her sympathy, warmed, as people usually were, by Paula’s natural empathy. ‘But the rushing part was just as much Jenny’s idea. Your daughter is one determined lady once she’s made up her mind about something.’
Jennifer almost choked on her tea. A lady was the last thing that he considered her to be! Coughing, she let Rafe whisk her cup and saucer out of her hands and pat her on the back with what she felt was unnecessary firmness.
‘I know. She was very stubborn as a girl,’ said Paula. ‘And very quiet. She never seemed to need a lot of friends. Always daydreaming and scribbling and inventing her own private games with her own rules that nobody else could follow.’
‘She hasn’t changed much then,’ said Rafe, and the tiny blade of sharpness concealed in his words made a small nick in his carefully presented image of a totally besotted husband.
‘I expect you still have a lot to learn about each other,’ Paula said mildly. ‘It was a pity you had to dash off up the Amazon, Rafe, so soon after the wedding, and your father’s death, but Jenny said that invitations to join an expedition like that are few and far between, and you had to grab the opportunity while it was offered. She said it had been a secret dream of yours for years to help the indigenous peoples of the rainforest, and she didn’t want you to sacrifice it for her sake...’
Now it was Rafe’s turn to choke, on nothing more than his own astounded tongue. ‘The Amazon?’
‘She said you’d be away at least four months, possibly six. I hope nothing went wrong that you’re back early? Jenny said it could be dangerous working so far out of contact with civilisation.’ Paula’s head tilted in motherly concern.
‘Fascinating place, the Amazon,’ commented Dot, washing down the last of her scone with the dregs of her tea. ‘Been there myself a few times. Marvellous specimens. Going to go back some day, I hope. Like to talk about it with you some time.’
‘Uh, well, I...’ It was the first time Jennifer had ever seen Raphael Jordan speechless, but unfortunately she couldn’t afford to enjoy the sight of him floundering in his own witlessness.
‘He just got a little unexpected R&R,’ she said hurriedly. ‘He had to catch all sorts of odd flights to get here, and now he has virtually to go straight back to be able to rejoin the team in time. Don’t you, Rafe?’
He looked at her, her heavy-handed emphasis wiping the stunned glaze from his green eyes, replacing it with a wicked admiration that made her creamy pale cheeks pinken. How she wished she had never embarked on this agony of deceit!
She nervously brushed non-existent crumbs from her lap, and her hand touched her stomach and stilled, acknowledging that she was fiercely glad her wish could never be granted. She had what she wanted and nobody, nobody, was going to take it away!
Rafe folded his arms over his chest, the thick cabling on his sweater pulling tight over his shoulders, letting his silence stretch until Jennifer was on the verge of panic before he drawled, ‘Actually, darling, I can take longer if I like. Everything’s been going so well we’ve pretty much done what we originally set out to do...and various members of the team are already splitting off to take up other projects. It won’t be a problem if I send a message that I’ve decided not to return...’
‘I thought there was no way to get communications in or out of your area of the rainforest?’ said Paula innocently.
Rafe pursed his lips to disguise his amusement. Jennifer had thought of everything.
‘Before, no—but I made special arrangements at every step along the way on my trip out,’ he replied with bland aplomb.
‘Well, that’s wonderful news!’ Paula beamed. ‘Isn’t it, Jenny?’
Her mother’s joyful exclamation was punctuated by a low rumble and a shimmer of windows in their wooden frames. Mount Ruapehu obviously had the same opinion as Jennifer.
Dot got up and crossed to the glass doors, peering towards the mountain through a fine haze of grey powder interspersed with twirling, fingernail-sized ash flakes.
‘It’s pretty black up over there now,’ she said. ‘There’s hardly a glimpse of clear sky left. I bet the colour of that plume means most of the crater lake has gone. We could see some real pyrotechnics soon.’
She rapped at the dust-coated glass with a stubby finger. ‘I hope the wind changes again, or I’m going to lose some of the plants to this damned ash. I’ve covered the most delicate ones, but at this time of the year they need as much sunlight as they can get.’
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