The Eleventh-Hour Groom. Kathryn Ross
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mind that they had already met.
‘Yes, that’s me.’ Lucy gave an apologetic smile over at Elizabeth. ‘I spoke to him by mistake on your mobile phone this morning.’
‘Yes, we had quite a chat, didn’t we?’ Jay said with a grin.
‘Would you like a glass of wine, Elizabeth?’ Lucy asked, changing the subject and obviously desperate to get away.
As she disappeared amidst the crowd, Elizabeth trained her attention back on Jay. ‘You’ve embarrassed her,’ she accused coolly.
‘Oh, come on, Beth. It’s a sad situation if I can’t come and wish you a happy birthday…don’t you think?’ he murmured. ‘Anyway I didn’t like the way we left things last night.’
‘What way was that?’ she asked innocently.
He smiled and his eyes moved over her slender figure. ‘You might find this hard to believe, Beth, but I don’t like being at loggerheads with you.’
‘Don’t you?’ She shrugged. ‘Well it doesn’t much matter any more.’
‘It matters to me,’ he answered softly.
She felt a tremor of awareness race through her body. When he spoke like that, when he looked at her like that, she felt so confused. She battled against the feeling of weakness inside her, the voices that were reminding her how wonderful it had once been to be held in his arms, cradled close, kissed passionately.
‘I’ve brought you a gift.’ He handed her a small black jewellery case wrapped with a gold bow. ‘Happy birthday.’
She stared at it suspiciously before looking up at him with narrowed blue eyes.
‘Well, go on, open it.’ He grinned. ‘It’s not a time bomb.’
She took it and, with hands that were none too steady, flicked back the gold bow and opened the case.
A topaz pendant on a fine gold chain stared up at her from the velvet box. It was a stunning piece of jewellery. One, judging from the name on the box, that he had obviously purchased in the Caribbean.
‘It’s beautiful.’ She frowned, trying to make sense of this. ‘But there was no need for it…’ She snapped the lid shut on the gift. ‘I’ve told you I’ll sign the papers. So you can cut the phoney caring stuff.’
Before Jay could reply they were interrupted by Robert. He pushed a glass of champagne into Elizabeth’s hand and reached to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Happy birthday.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled at the other man. She was aware that he was looking at Jay now, waiting for an introduction. Before Elizabeth could say anything, Jay stretched out his hand. ‘Hi, I’m Elizabeth’s husband,’ he said easily.
‘Oh!’ Robert stared at him for a moment, surprise clearly evident in his expression.
Elizabeth was taken aback as well. Uncertainty rushed through her. Why had Jay introduced himself like that? He might be her husband by law, but he certainly had no right to stake such a claim in public.
He smiled at her. It was the kind of smile that made butterflies dance in her stomach.
‘You didn’t tell me you were married, Beth.’ Robert’s voice broke the spell holding her, bringing her sharply back to reality.
‘Didn’t I?’ She wrenched her eyes away from Jay, noticing the dismayed expression on Rob’s face. Taking pity on him, she explained, ‘Jay is soon to be my ex-husband.’
‘Oh! I see.’ Robert’s face cleared. ‘Well, it’s good you can remain friends. Always the best solution, I think.’
‘Do you?’ Jay murmured, a hard edge to his tone. ‘I suppose you are right.’
Elizabeth glanced back at him. The dark eyes looked cold now as they met hers. He looked angry, she thought and then wondered if she had imagined it as he smiled lightly.
Music started to boom from the speakers beside them as the DJ started the evening’s entertainment.
The lights dimmed and coloured strobe lights swept around the room, giving the illusion of a dark, smoky nightclub.
‘Come on, Elizabeth, come and dance,’ someone urged.
She looked around and saw Lucy beckoning to her by the edge of the dance floor. Glad of the reprieve, she handed Jay his gift back and with a polite smile headed towards her friend.
‘I’m really sorry, Beth.’ Lucy had to shout over the music. ‘But I honestly didn’t think he’d come.’
‘Doesn’t matter, forget about it,’ Elizabeth shouted back as she put her champagne down and followed her friend onto the dance floor.
Jay pocketed the gift again and watched Elizabeth from the shadows.
She’d lost weight since leaving him, he observed, his eyes moving over the long length of her legs in the black trousers to the silver of her top…a top that left little of her sensual curves to the imagination.
He felt desire stir within him, just as he had the moment he had seen her again at her office. She had always been an attractive woman, but now…now she took his breath away.
‘So, who’s the guy?’ Ruth, one of the secretaries, who had been speaking to Jay earlier, caught up with Elizabeth on the dance floor. ‘He’s gorgeous.’
‘Do you think so?’ Elizabeth didn’t need to ask who she was talking about.
‘I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,’ Ruth drooled. ‘Listen, do you mind if I ask him out, or are you and he…?’
‘No. Go ahead,’ Beth told her airily, and watched as Ruth lost no time heading off in Jay’s direction with a look of determination on her face.
The music changed and Lucy put her hand on Beth’s arm. ‘Shall we have another drink?’
‘Why not?’ Elizabeth shrugged, ignoring the warning bells inside her body. She still hadn’t eaten so the few drinks were having more effect than normal. She could feel them working their way through her system, making everything distant and a little unreal.
She watched across the room as Ruth caught hold of Jay’s arm and led him towards the dance floor.
‘Does it bother you?’ Lucy asked, following her gaze.
‘No, of course not,’ Elizabeth said brightly, too brightly, she feared, by the look of sympathy in her friend’s eye.
‘Why do you think he came here tonight?’
‘Because you asked him?’ Elizabeth ventured with a grin.
‘Yes, but only because I thought you were back together…it was a misunderstanding. I didn’t think in a million years he’d turn up tonight. I mean, it’s not customary, is it, for an estranged husband to want to be at his ex’s party?’
‘Jay’s never been one for observing social niceties,’ Beth murmured. ‘He probably thinks it’s quite logical to come to my birthday party, and assumes that if he can keep things friendly I won’t make the divorce difficult for him.’
‘What happened between you two anyway?’ Lucy asked curiously. ‘You’ve never really talked about why the marriage broke up.’
Elizabeth hesitated.
‘If you’d rather not tell me, I’ll understand,’ Lucy said quickly.
‘No…it’s all right.’ Elizabeth shook her head. ‘I’m over all that anyway.’ Despite the words, her voice wasn’t entirely steady. ‘I caught him with his secretary. Apparently they had been having an affair for some time.’
‘Ouch!’ Lucy grimaced. ‘I’m sorry, Beth. I shouldn’t have asked.’
Elizabeth