Double Fault (14 page)

He obliged with a smile, his lips descending swiftly before Kerry could turn her cheek. And this time it was different. There was no animosity in his kiss, only a lingering sweetness as his mouth brushed hers and his arm tightened possessively about her waist.

Surprised, she neither drew away nor responded but, instead, stood locked in his arms like a marble statue and almost as pale. He lifted his head and frowned, assessing the faint shadows under her eyes and her unnatural pallor.
“Are you feeling all right?”

She nodded wordlessly because she supposed that to be alive and not in actual physical pain counted as being all right. Maybe she was as right as she was ever going to be again. Cautiously she fingered the heavy wedding ring, twisting it around with her thumb and forefinger. It felt like a manacle, anchoring her to this man who didn’t want her, and who was only looking at her like this because George and Mel were watching.

* * *

Mary and the children were waiting outside. Mary was armed with confetti and the twins were each clutching a lucky charm. Ben saw them first and charged across the wintry grass with his arms outstretched.

“Cat!” he shouted. “Black cat!”

Pierce caught him with a chuckle and hoisted him skywards. “I think you’re meant to give that to Mummy?”

Obligingly Ben handed Kerry a small wooden cat with several white ribbons around its neck. Then he look round for his sister. She was still holding Mary’s hand but was wriggling frantically in an attempt to get away. Kerry waved and then, disregarding the rough gravelly path, she went down on her knees as Lauren finally broke free and came running towards her.  She was giggling excitedly as she trailed a lucky silver horseshoe behind her.

“Mary gived,” she explained, handing it to Kerry. Then her eyes brightened. “Pretty flowers!”

“Yes, they are very pretty flowers,” Kerry agreed, smiling her thanks to Mary as she let Lauren hold the posy.

“Mummy pretty too,” Lauren abandoned the flowers when she noticed Kerry’s rose pink dress and shoes with heels. Only used to seeing her mother in jeans she looked slightly alarmed.

“She is isn’t she,” Pierce, still holding Ben, descended to Lauren’s level and put out one brown finger to smooth his daughter’s curls. She smiled, still slightly in awe of him but prepared to be friendly.

“Don’t move,” they hadn’t noticed George circling them with a camera and they all looked up startled as he addressed them. He grinned. “Come on, smile all of you. This is a wedding remember, so I want a happy family group.”

He took a lot of photographs after that. Kerry alone, Kerry and Pierce together, the twins in various combinations and then some that included Mel and Mary. Finally, at Pierce’s insistence, there were a few of all of them thanks to an obliging bystander who followed George’s anxious instructions and clicked away obediently. And because everyone was pleased, and because the children chuckled with delight every time George told them to say cheese, and because Mary kept wiping tears of happiness from her eyes, Kerry smiled in every one of them even though her heart was breaking.

* * *

They ate at a discreet restaurant not far from the registry office. Pierce had booked a table in a private room where Ben and Lauren couldn’t disgrace themselves. The manager greeted Pierce like an old friend and bowed low over Kerry’s hand when she was introduced as his wife.

“It’s a great pleasure to meet you Madame,” he said as he led her to the table and pulled out a chair. “I will do my best to make this meal a memorable one.”

And he was as good as his word. After pouring everyone a glass of champagne he gave them plenty of time to look at the menu and then waited patiently while they made their choice. Everything was beautifully cooked and presented and the red and white wines that accompanied the different courses were excellent, but Kerry couldn’t eat. She toyed with the food on her plate while the others chatted, and refused to look at Pierce. Instead she concentrated on the twins who were eating something far less exotic with great gusto.

“It seems to be a success,” finally Pierce leaned across and touched her hand, smiling as he nodded towards the children’s rapidly emptying plates.

She forced an answering smile. “The regular menu would have been wasted on them.”

“That’s what Carlo said. He offered to cook something that would keep them happy while we celebrated.”

She stared at him and then asked the question that had been bugging her. “Why have you told him about our wedding when you quite obviously haven’t told anyone else? Why didn’t you invite a single guest Pierce? And what about your parents…when are you going to tell them?”

His fingers tightened on hers. “For goodness sake Kerry, have some sense! Apart from the fact that my parents are holidaying in
Florida
at the moment, what else could I do? I haven’t been away from the circuit for long enough to lose my newsworthiness, especially as I’ve been promoting
Greenleas
on TV recently. I didn’t think you’d be too keen to expose Ben and Lauren to the sort of hysterical media coverage we could have expected if news of our wedding leaked out either.”

There was an edge of impatience in his voice that contradicted the expression in his eyes as he looked at her. For a moment she almost believed he was pleading with her, willing her to understand something he hadn’t put into words. She looked down at their linked hands; his large and brown against her small, work roughened one.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I guess I’m not really thinking straight at the moment.”

He ran his forefinger across a red burn mark on her thumb as he gave a faint sigh. “I’m sorry too, for bludgeoning you into all of this. I know you hate me for it but I’ll try not to make it too difficult for you. And once word gets out about Ben and Lauren you’ll be glad we’re married, glad of the protection I can give all three of you.”

She stared at him, suddenly realizing what he’d saved her from by insisting they marry quickly. Another week, a casual word passed on, and their wedding would have been a circus with photographers and journalists descending like vultures. The whole story of their past relationship including her pregnancy, the birth of the twins, and the two years she had spent as a single parent, would have been splashed across the news in vivid detail. She shuddered.

He read her thoughts and squeezed her hand sympathetically before lifting it to his lips. “It hasn’t happened. Nobody knows we’re married apart from Mel and her parents, and Carlo, and he’s the soul of discretion. And although I haven’t said a thing to the people at
Greenleas
, there’s a rumor going around that you’re a relative who’s just visiting. I don’t know who started it but I’m not about to contradict it at the moment. Eventually we’ll become public knowledge though and you’ll have to be strong then.”

She watched as his lips brushed her fingertips, mesmerized by the blue depths of his eyes and wishing she could believe the expression in them. If only his soft voice and public show of affection was more than just an act for the others.

“That’s enough whispering you two,” Mel broke into their conversation with a knowing grin.  “You’ll have time enough later for all the billing and cooing. In the meantime you’ve a cake to cut and champagne to drink.”

It broke the mood and Pierce released Kerry’s hand as they both admired the extravagant pink and white sugar confection Carlo placed in the centre of the table. Then he turned back to her with a smile.

“I imagine we’re expected to do the honors while George wields his camera.”

George grinned. He was already in position and he started clicking away as they pushed the knife into the icing. It sliced smoothly into a feather light sponge. Ben and Lauren clapped their hands in delight when they were handed small pieces on tiny pink plates.

“More! More!” Ben stuffed a great quantity into his mouth and then thrust his plate back in Pierce’s direction.

“More cake please,” his father cut another sliver but then held it just out of reach while Ben gave him a baleful glare, his bottom lip beginning to quiver with temper.

“He’ll make a fuss,” Kerry pleaded, not wanting to spoil the meal.

“Let him,” Pierce shrugged as he turned back to his own plate without another glance in Ben’s direction.

The others held their breath, knowing only too well the ear splitting shrieks he was capable of producing. Pierce smiled at them. “Surely you haven’t finished. Mary, let Carlo pour you some more champagne.”

She shook her head as she hastily scooped up a pink sugar flower and held it out to Ben, hoping to dispel the storm clouds that were gathering ominously about his knotted black eyebrows. Pierce, however, intercepted her and placed it next to the slice of cake on Ben’s out-of-reach plate.

“Cake please,” Ben’s voice was very clear. In the stunned silence that followed his smile was cherubic. His father silently handed him the plate. Nobody said a word but Kerry had to blink hard as she watched her son chew his way through his second slice of cake. If she’d had any doubts about the wisdom of marrying Pierce for the sake of the children, his quiet authority with Ben had laid them to rest. They needed him.

She gave him a faint smile as their eyes met. He winked at her and then lifted his glass and proposed a toast to Mary, George and Mel for all they had done for his family. They responded with indignant protests and an insistence that the toasts should be reserved for the bride and groom. Watching Pierce charm them yet again, Kerry gave an inward sigh as she hoped he would never realize how much she needed him too.

* * *

The day dwindled to ordinary after the wedding breakfast, with George and Mary taking Ben and Lauren off for a brisk wintry visit to the park while Mel, Pierce and Kerry returned to
Greenleas
: Mel to meet the kitchen staff and generally acquaint herself with the catering set up, Pierce to spend a couple of hours in his office, and Kerry to sort out the children’s belongings before their bedtime.

Mary had suggested they should let Ben and Lauren stay with her for a few more days so Pierce and Kerry could enjoy a brief honeymoon, but Kerry had quickly scotched the idea by saying that it would be better for the children to get used to their father straight away.

“They need to be with us now,” she said.  “I don’t want them to think Pierce is someone who is going to keep taking me away from them so it would be better if we all had a family holiday once they’re used to their new home.”

As she spoke she tried hard to ignore the glint in Pierce’s eyes. She didn’t want to know whether he was laughing at her, or whether he was irritated. All she wanted was to ensure she wouldn’t have to spend any time alone with him.

* * *

Now, watching her children sleeping peacefully amongst their familiar collection of soft toys and teddy bears, she suddenly realized that for all her planning, she was still alone with Pierce. Once Ben and Lauren were asleep they rarely woke up, which meant she had to spend the rest of the evening in his company pretending everything was fine. And it was fine as far as the twins were concerned.

They had inspected their new bedroom with interest and then squealed with delight when they discovered Pierce’s bath made bubbles. Never having seen a Jacuzzi before they were as fascinated by the air inlets as with the frothy bubbles that crept up their stomachs and which Kerry dabbed onto their noses. Then, worn out by their busy day they had climbed into bed without a murmur, with only Lauren pausing to check that Kerry wasn’t going anywhere. Used to a nursery and to frequent visits to George and Mary, as well as to Mel’s house, they had no particular attachment to their own home. As long as Kerry was nearby and they had some familiar toys to play with, they were content anywhere. She sighed.  She was the one with the difficulty.

She suffered every time Pierce brushed past her, every time that intense blue gaze rested on her. Thank goodness she’d resisted any sort of holiday and told Pierce she was going to help Mel move
Melanie’s Kitchen
into the sports complex as soon as possible. Once she could concentrate on that she would be too busy to think during the day. At night she would say she was tired and go to bed early.

“What a shame they have to wake up,” Pierce made her jump as he came up behind her.

“Regretting it already?” She responded to the humor in his voice with a tired smile.

He grinned. “Not as much as I regret the agreement we made.”

Panic leapt into her throat and she swallowed nervously. “Pierce, you promised!”

“Did I? Did I actually say I promise never to make love to you Kerry
?
”

“No, but…”

“I thought not. Well you’ll just have to hope I’m honorable then won’t you, especially in view of our sleeping arrangements.”

“What sleeping arrangements?” Until now Kerry had been too busy sorting out the twin’s room to give a thought to where she was going to sleep.

“Well…I asked my manager to reorganize the beds so there would be room for Ben and Lauren. Unfortunately he can’t have been listening properly because he, or whoever he asked to do it, has messed things up a bit I’m afraid.”