Flowers for My Love (16 page)

He negotiated a difficult bend in the road, a road almost deserted because of the lateness of the hour.

‘I’ve been a brute to keep you out so late,’ he said. ‘You’ll be tired when you get up.’

‘You must be tired too with jet lag from travelling home.’

‘I’m tough. I can stand it better than you.’ He sighed. ‘It’s hell not being free to take care of you. Suppose I don’t see you again before I go away?’

Davina quivered. ‘If ... if you want it that way,’ she answered.

He braked at the flat and answered her tersely, ‘I don’t want it that way. It’s up to you.’

He sat with his hands on the car wheel, not looking at her but staring straight ahead. Davina felt tired in mind and body and to have the added problem of yet another decision thrust upon her was the last straw.

She said recklessly, ‘Let’s call the whole thing off,’ knowing as she said it that she did not mean it.

‘Don’t you dare say that again or even think it!’ he threatened, turning to face her and hauling her against him. ‘We belong together.

This is what matters—and this—and this.’

He kissed her roughly, drawing her resistance out of her and replacing it with something wonderful and full of meaning.

By now Davina was in no state to reason. She was bemused and exhausted. She began to laugh helplessly with the tears starting in her eyes.

‘For someone who’s tired,’ she gasped, ‘you have an enormous amount of energy! What are you like when you’re not tired?’

‘I leave you to find that out for yourself when we’re married. Well, am I to see you again before I go away?’

She looked at him with her lips tingling from his kisses and found the thought of him going away unbearable.

‘I’d like to come to the airport to see you off. Will that do?’

‘A crust to a starving man,’ he said wryly. ‘I suppose it will have to suffice.’

The smile he gave her was nearly her undoing, but the next moment he was out of the car and helping her out. He opened the flat door for her and stayed long enough to see her put a light on in the lounge, then he was gone.

Cheryl took the news that Davina and Nick had made up philosophically. She also agreed that Nick was right to consult Darren and herself.

‘Perhaps by then we shall know about the shop, whether it’s to be sold in the block or not,’ she said practically.

They were having breakfast the following morning.

‘Would you mind so much if we had to give it up?’ Davina queried as she carefully buttered a piece of toast.

Cheryl shrugged. ‘I suppose I would, for your sake. After all, you’ve put a lot into the business and it’s paying its way now.’ She sipped the last of her fruit juice, then added thoughtfully, ‘Have you ever thought that if it hadn’t been for the flower shop you might never have met Nick?’

‘No, I didn’t, but I think we were fated to meet somewhere. In any case, if the shop is sold it won’t be for a long time because the lease has about six months to run yet. We can do a lot in that time.’

Cheryl said darkly, ‘Nick won’t want you to work when you’re married. You know that?’

‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’ Davina laughed, not feeling as tired as she had expected to be after a very late night. In fact she felt quite elated.

‘You know, I think I’m going to enjoy being married to Nick. Life with him will never be dull— I’m very sure about that.’

‘It should be interesting to say the least. You’re both very obstinate people,’ Cheryl commented sardonically as she poured out coffee.

‘Not obstinate. You make us sound like mules. Just firm. What about you? Have you any news about yourself and Rex?’

Cheryl sipped her coffee. ‘I’ll let you know when there’s anything to report. From now on we have to concentrate on your forthcoming marriage. It’ll be fun.’

Davina hoped Darren would take the same attitude. Thank goodness today was Friday and a busy day at the shop. She could put all her problems behind her and her feet up when she got home that evening.

She was flat out when Nick telephoned her that evening at ten o’clock.

‘Not in bed, are you, darling?’ he asked.

‘No,’ she answered above the deep beating of her heart. ‘Are you?’

‘No, I’m at the office getting ready to leave tomorrow morning at nine. I don’t want you to come. You’ll be whacked after a busy day today and then there’s tomorrow.’

Did she detect a faint pleading in his voice? In Nick that was alarming.

‘Try and stop me! I’ll take a taxi to the airport.’

‘Are you sure?’

The happiness in his voice touched a tender chord and she said lovingly, ‘Of course I’m sure.’

‘Then I’ll pick you up in a taxi at eight. Will that be all right?’

‘I’ll be ready,’ she promised.

And she was. Nick pulled her into the taxi beside him and into his arms as they fell into the back seat.

They kissed, then Davina pushed him away. ‘The driver can see us through the mirror, and people will see us through the window,’ she whispered with a high colour.

‘Who cares?’ he grinned. ‘Let’s hope some of your friends see us, then you’ll have to marry me to save your good name.’

But he did not kiss her again. Instead he drew her against his broad chest and they sat together, close and loving. At the airport they found a corner table overlooking the airfield and talked over coffee.

At least they tried to do, but did more looking at each other than making conversation.

‘I suppose you want white and all the trimmings,’ said Nick, adoring her with his eyes.

‘Yes, I do. There’s a kind of peace and tranquillity in a church wedding that you can’t experience in a register office. My parents were married in church and were very happy. I want the same kind of happiness.’

He nodded in agreement. ‘I know what you mean, a deep and fulfilling occasion that leaves a lasting impression of marriage being for ever.’ He laughed as some thought occurred to him. ‘I suppose you’ll want to do the flowers yourself. I would prefer to give someone else the order to give you a rest.’

Davina lifted her chin. ‘Of course I shall do them myself. But you’re miles ahead of me. Don’t you think you’re rather rushing things?’

‘Saving time,’ he answered laconically.

Davina stood holding the chocolates, fruit and magazines Nick had bought her at the airport to watch him board the plane.

She watched the doors close, the wheels turn, the engines flash.

Slowly the large plane moved from take-off position on the runway to test the engines, gradually its speed quickened, the fuselage flashed in the sun like a rocket and there was a perfect lightning take-off.

Davina’s heart had lifted with it as the plane disappeared into the sky.

She threw all she had into her work at the shop the following week.

Nick telephoned her each night and she shuddered to think of the kind of telephone bill he ran up while doing so. He told her that his business abroad would take the best part of a week and that he would be back for the weekend.

Darren had agreed to come home for the weekend and Davina quivered with apprehension. Cheryl had been very quiet during the last week with Davina sensing that their closeness was gradually widening into a rift too big for her to handle on her own. Time and again it had occurred to her that Cheryl might be in love with Nick and was trying to cover up by dating Rex.

Several times Davina had brought up the subject of her wedding, even suggesting lightly that they could make it a double one. Cheryl had refused to be drawn. There had been lighthearted moments when they had dressed the shop window with the model of a June bride as the centrepiece and Cheryl trailing around the shop in the veil.

It was heaven to see Nick again; heaven to discover that the old magic was still there when their eyes met, when their hands touched.

Idiotically, she found herself looking to see if he had changed since he had been away. Here were the same steady grey eyes which hypnotised her senses, the masterful mouth, the fine lean cheeks sensitised by experience and not a few hard knocks. Davina had felt her heart take wing with love for him.

He had arrived late on Friday night to whisk her off to dine at an old inn in the country where they had a small private cubicle where they could hold hands across the table.

‘Ten o’clock is rather late for a meal, isn’t it?’ Davina whispered as Nick seated her at the table.

Nick, teasing and vital, grinned at her across the snowy white cloth.

‘They’ll rustle something up for us,’ he told her confidently.

And they did. The waitress was probably dead on her feet, but Nick’s charm brought a glow to her tired face and she obliged.

Fortunately they had over-catered for a private party, so they were able to provide an excellent meal.

Nick ordered champagne and told the waitress to bring an extra glass for herself. The girl was overwhelmed and Davina smiled, knowing that the poor dear would be more than overwhelmed by the size of the tip Nick would give her later.

‘To us,’ said Nick, raising his glass, then showed how ravenous he was by tucking in to a very enjoyable meal.

He was really concerned about Davina eating her share, teasing her into trying everything that was offered, from the poached salmon to the game pie and cheeses which followed.

‘I must take you in hand,’ he told her with a twinkle. ‘You’re too pale, too thin. You don’t eat enough. It’s time you had someone to look after you.’

She said firmly, ‘I am not pale nor thin and I don’t need feeding up.’

Their eyes met and held in a tingling shock to Davina, who lowered her own against the mastery in his. She quivered, seeing her life ahead not entering into the wide horizons she had expected but narrowing down until they dwindled into a final acceptance of Nick’s mastery.

But it was not long before his charm got through to her and she was chuckling over his audacious stories of his travels.

‘Has anyone told you what a delicious laugh you have? I can’t wait to show you off to my friends, and my parents will adore you,’ he told her.

She asked fearfully, ‘Will they be coming to the wedding?’

‘Of course. Now about your ring. I’m going to buy you another ring of your own choice this time. We must go out for the day shopping.

Have you done any shopping for the wedding? I’ve already set the machine in progress. I shall need your birth certificate.’

‘But I want my other ring back,’ she insisted. ‘I regard that as my true engagement ring.’

‘It’s at the flat. Have it by all means, but I’m still going to buy you another.’

‘I can’t come with you tomorrow. Saturday is too busy.’

‘Monday, then, at ten sharp.’

Nervously, she asked, ‘When will your parents be here?’

‘In a day or so. You’re going to love them. I pride myself on having the best in everything!’

Davina laughed. ‘I like your ego—it’s king-size!

I suppose I ought to feel flattered to be the choice of a connoisseur for a wife.’ She sobered. ‘I want you to come to dinner tomorrow night at the flat. Darren and Cheryl will be there.’

‘Ah yes, I must present my case,’ he teased.

‘You will be gentle with Darren, won’t you? I mean ... don’t antagonise him in any way.’

‘I shall apologise quite nicely for taking his sister away.’

The next evening Davina and Cheryl managed to get away from the shop at five o’clock. After shopping they arrived at the flat to find Darren had already arrived with a fellow student for the weekend.

Darren was opening a tin of soup and Davina ushered his friend.

Tony, into the lounge while she prepared a snack for them all.

‘How could you do this to us, Darren?’ she scolded as Cheryl got down to starting the dinner. ‘I told you that Nick was coming to dinner.

The number was even, just the four of us. Now we have an extra guest.’

Darren emptied the soup into a pan. ‘We shan’t be in the way,’ he replied huffily. ‘We’ll go out.’

‘That isn’t the answer,’ Davina wailed. ‘We want to discuss the wedding.’

Darren mumbled, ‘Well, he’s not marrying me, so I don’t see that it’s important for me to be here.’

Davina placed tomatoes on a plate on the kitchen table.

‘If I marry Nick,’ she said quietly, ‘it will concern us all as a family.

Don’t you like Nick?’

‘I don’t really know him, do I?’

Darren continued to stir the soup in the pan while Davina started to cut bread and butter.

She said, ‘Dinner is at eight. This is just something to tide us over.’

She set out knives and forks with a feeling that the evening would be a disaster as far as Darren was concerned. He had gone out with his friend Tony when everything was set for Nick to arrive.

‘Really, it’s too bad of Darren to act like this,’ grumbled Cheryl. ‘I shall feel as if I’m playing gooseberry with you and Nick. Rex is away so I can’t ask him to make a foursome. Shall I go out?’

‘Whatever for?’ Both girls had dressed for the evening. ‘Come on, let’s go into the lounge and have a drink to cheer us up while we wait for Nick.’

The room was welcoming and cosy with flower arrangements in bowls and vases giving the place a lived-in air. Davina looked around as she poured out tomato juice for Cheryl and herself with the sharpened perception of waiting for a guest. The room with its comfortable suite and bright cushions was not in the class of Nick’s flat and she could imagine that his parents’ home was much grander.

Cheryl said as she accepted her drink, ‘You look thoughtful. Not changing your mind about Nick, are you?’