Husbands Of The Outback. Margaret Way
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Courtland would do such a terrible thing. Call off a wedding at the last moment.”
“It’s healthier than making a dreadful mistake, poppet.” Emmy leaned over to grasp Genevieve’s arm. “Blaine’s no ordinary man. Tell him what’s in your heart. Let him take charge.”
Genevieve’s lovely face looked stricken. “I don’t know if I dare. This is dreadful, Em. The house is ready. The church is ready. Our dresses are hanging upstairs. Fabulous dresses that cost a fortune. Three hundred guests are coming. The presents are all in. I don’t know if I have the courage. I don’t think I can humiliate Colin and his family. Colin’s father might very well line up a pantechnicon to run me over. He’s the Freight King after all.”
“Listen, you’ve been bullied into this,” Emmy snorted. “By Colin’s steamroller of a father on the one hand and your conniving mother on the other. An engagement of a couple of months was diabolically clever. You haven’t had time to know your own mind. But evidently Blaine’s kissing you has changed it.”
Genevieve’s face mirrored her inner havoc. “I felt something I’ve never felt in my life. I felt Blaine owned me body and soul. That he’s always been waiting for me to grow up. One kiss ended our old relationship. Dear God, I thought we were family. But it wasn’t family in my blood. I can’t deny I always thought he was the most marvellous man in the world, so exciting he makes the air vibrate, but we were cousins. I was his little Violetta. Remember how he used to call me that?”
“Oh, golly, I remember everything.” Emmy’s voice was low and wry. “Blaine has quite a way with words. For a very commanding man, daunting man at times, Blaine has his softer side. He could be very tender with you. Go to him, poppet. Pour out your heart. I have a feeling he’d pull down the stars for you if you asked him. No, don’t look at me like that. It’s true.”
“It’s not easy, Emmy,” Genevieve said sadly. “I think Blaine wants our break to be permanent.”
Hilary Courtland caught sight of Genevieve the minute she entered the hotel. Just seeing her gave Hilary a queer feeling when she’d been having a good time. Genevieve was moving with the speed and grace of a gazelle but Hilary got the impression of a deep unhappiness. Trouble, Hilary decided. Genni was looking for someone. Who else could it be but Blaine?
“Say, isn’t that your cousin?” Hilary’s male companion asked with immense interest. They’d been tucked away in a banquette, enjoying a mild flirtation, when he heard Hilary’s odd little gasp and caught her startled gaze. Intrigued, he turned his head to follow up on the direction.
“Yes, that’s Genevieve,” Hilary answered, her smile twisted, her tone a lot more revealing than she intended. Ever since she could remember Hilary had felt rancour towards Genevieve. She was Blaine’s sister yet Genni was the one Blaine had always cared about. Genni of the huge violet eyes and Rapunzel hair. Tonight Genevieve was casually dressed, navy gold-buttoned blazer, pale blue shirt, blue jeans, sneakers on her feet yet she looked like the model for the latest Ralph Lauren collection; a glamour girl like her dreadful femme fatale mother.
“God, she’s a beauty, isn’t she?” her companion commented, quite tactlessly. “Drop-dead gorgeous! How could a guy like Colin Garrett, even allowing for the Garret money, win her heart?”
“Well he has!” Hilary answered tartly, rendered almost dumb by jealousy. She put the lemon squash she was nursing down heavily and jumped to her feet. Genevieve appeared to be moving toward the bank of lifts. She had to stop her before she reached Blaine. She had to break what was coming up.
“Don’t go away.” She tossed a false smile at her boyfriend. “I’ll have a word with her and I’ll be right back.”
Her companion waved her off. “Take your time.” In actual fact he felt cheated out of meeting the gorgeous Genevieve. What was she doing here alone this time of night? Whatever it was, it didn’t suit Hilary. She looked upset. Perhaps trying to make sense of her cousin’s unexpected appearance.
Hilary, a small pretty dark-haired, dark-eyed girl but without the Courtland stunning good looks and height, put on a burst of speed. She reached Genevieve just as she was about to step into a lift.
“Hey, Genni!” she called, using such an urgent tone people turned their heads.
“Hilary!” Genevieve turned about, doing her utmost to hide her dismay. For all her efforts to be friendly to Blaine’s young stepsister she had long since realised Hilary would never like her. “What a surprise!”
“And where are you off to?” Hilary fixed Genevieve with big questioning eyes.
Genevieve felt most unwilling to confide in this moody girl but what excuse could she offer? “I wanted to see Blaine for a moment,” she explained as casually as she could. “The receptionist said he was in.”
“Actually he didn’t go out.” Hilary reached out confidentially for Genevieve’s arm and drew her away. “He and Sally are making a night of it. They had dinner together in the hotel. He’s with her now, if you know what I mean?” Hilary rolled her brown eyes expressively. “I’d leave whatever you wanted to ask him to the morning if I were you. You wouldn’t want to embarrass them.” She smiled her kitten smile.
God no! Genevieve felt pierced by an arrow, at that moment ready to flee.
“What is it, anyway? Maybe I can help you?” Hilary’s voice had grown unabashedly affectionate as Genevieve’s desperation slipped out.
“I don’t think so, Hills.”
“Try me.” Hilary guided Genevieve to a couple of chairs. “You know you really will have to get over running to Blaine for help,” she warned gently, unsuccessfully trying to keep her jealousy opaque. “This time tomorrow night you’ll be a married woman.” Hilary couldn’t help herself. She smiled in broad triumph. “You’ll be entering a new life. Your name will be Genevieve Garrett not Courtland. Isn’t that thrilling?”
Quietly, Genevieve removed the other girl’s small hand from her arm. She had never felt less thrilled in her life. “You’ve never liked me, have you, Hilary?” she said levelly, putting years of pretence to one side. “On this night of nights, please tell me. What have I ever done to you?”
Hilary burst into a cascade of tinkling laughter. “Oh, my, Genni, surely you know having you around changed my entire life. For the worse.”
“In what way? Why on earth have you been afraid of me? I would never want to hurt you. We could have been friends. Good friends. We’re cousins. We could have forged an unbreakable bond. But you would never let me get close.”
“Why on earth would I when you had perfected the art of getting between me and my brother.” Hilary’s pretty face was set into unpleasant lines.
“You’re talking nonsense, Hilary.” Genevieve was feeling sicker by the moment. “It’s so unfair. To me. To Blaine. He loves you.”
“No, he doesn’t. Not really. I don’t touch his heart. What heart he has he reserved for you. The fatherless child.” Hilary gave in to the huge temptation to say her piece. “Hell, you seduced him when you were a kid. You even robbed me of my father’s love.” A little sob rose to her throat. “When Dad was alive you used to twist him around your little finger. He hardly noticed me. I was the changeling in the Courtland fold.”
Genevieve felt she might burst out crying, too.
“Hilary how did you let all this bitterness grow in your heart? It’s not true. Not any of it. How long have you felt like this?”
“Since forever.”
“Poor Hilary! You’re breaking my heart,” Genevieve said and meant it.
“I don’t think so.”
“Absolutely,” Genevieve replied, feeling like she was mortally wounded.
“That’s why I’m glad your getting married.”