Flowers for My Love (17 page)

Davina sat down gracefully beside her and sipped her drink.

‘No,’ she answered firmly.

As she spoke Davina felt her pride come back to strengthen her. She was going to marry Nick. She was not going to allow Darren or anyone else rule her life for her. She had battled her way to where
she
now was, she would fight for her marriage with the same resolve.

When Nick arrived Cheryl discreetly vanished to the kitchen.

Davina thrilled to the firm pressure of his lips on her own and found herself loving him more than ever.

He did not ask where Darren was, and once or twice during the meal she gave him openings to ask about him, but he did not mention Darren at all and it was clear he was not going to.

Deliberately, with that inflexibility which was characteristic of him, Nick made the evening a happy one. He was an excellent raconteur of amusing incidents and he kept both girls entertained. After Cheryl had gone to bed he sat with Davina to discuss their future.

First of all they were going out into the country the next day. Nick was taking a picnic prepared by Mrs. Flowers. On Monday they were going shopping. He had arranged for their wedding and wanted to take Davina’s birth certificate with him.

Clasped in his arms, while she was so near him, while she was so conscious of her love for him, Davina could not think clearly. She was allowing him to take the initiative again and it worried her. Since her parents had died she had proved herself to be capable of handling family matters without being oppressively efficient in the many exigencies they presented.

If Nick was prepared to take her life over without even a by your leave, he would certainly want to take over Darren’s. That would not suit Darren. What could she do but hope for the best?

Nick was masterful, but that was part of him being Nick, part of the way he was kissing her hungrily, sealing her lips with his own.

‘Don’t talk,’ he said. ‘Just go along with me, and don’t look so preoccupied as you’ve done all evening. You want to marry me, I know you do.’

‘Of course I do,’ she reassured him frantically. ‘I love you so much.’

He kissed her again, fiercely until his lips bruised and she held back her head eventually to give a small laugh; low, utterly sweet, utterly loving.

‘Oh, Nick!’ she whispered. ‘You’re the kind of lover I would feel safer married to.’

Darkly, he said, ‘You have been warned.’

Darren had not returned when Nick took his leave, so Davina waited up for him. Both boys came back in the small hours, only slightly tipsy.

They had been to a dance and had enjoyed themselves immensely.

After telling them to be careful not to waken Cheryl, Davina gave them coffee and biscuits and then told Darren she wanted to talk to him.

Tony went to bed while Darren sprawled across a chair in the kitchen.

‘Enjoy your evening?’ he asked insolently.

Davina put the used dishes in the sink and poured hot water on them from the tap.

‘Yes, I did,’ she replied. ‘You evidently enjoyed yours, so why shouldn’t I? You’re being dreadfully childish.’

‘Because I wouldn’t stay in to meet your intended?’

‘Because you refuse to face facts. You can’t run away from life, Darren. You have to face it sooner or later. You’re jealous of Nick, aren’t you? I don’t know why.’

‘He’s breaking up the happy home, isn’t he?’

‘No, he isn’t,’ Davina replied indignantly. ‘He’s adding to it. Nothing will be changed. I shall keep the shop on, Cheryl will be here in the flat when you come home. I shall be at home while Nick is away until we have a house.’

‘And how long will it be before you have children?’

Davina’s face went scarlet. ‘There won’t be any children for a while.’

Darren said, ‘I wish I could believe that.’

IT was hardly the weather for a picnic, but Nick was optimistic about the strong cool winds and the rather doubtful skies when they set off in his car. But being with Nick was fun under any circumstances and Davina could only giggle when he said something unprintable as an unexpected gust of wind swept away the tablecloth before they could pin it down.

The canvas protection awning, though securely pinned down, was the next to be blown away, with one flap soaring high above Davina’s head as she reached out for it. She laughed until her sides ached while Nick struggled on manfully.

From time to time Nick said one or two more unprintable things, especially when the tablecloth was carried away bearing with it all the things laid out for their meal. Then came a heavy downpour of rain quite unexpectedly and they made for the car, drenched to the skin after collecting all the picnic equipment.

In the car there was laughter and kisses. Davina’s face glowed. For the first time with Nick there had been no hidden shadows in her eyes, no hint of doubt, no drawing away from him. She had been just young, exuberant, natural, and joyful.

To Nick she had never been more desirable than now, with laughter in her eyes and her hair, wet and tangled, curling around her flushed eager face.

When he reached out for her she laughed with the gleam of white small even teeth and he caught her to his heart. Almost sombrely he was kissing her wet face, loving the sweetness beneath the dampness; crushing her to him, her soft throat, bright eyes and curved body and fiercely loving.

Davina came to earth first. ‘Let’s see, what were we eating when the deluge came. I know, apple pie. Do you want some?’

‘Sounds awfully banal after the caviar of love,’ he remarked wryly.

Davina blushed delightfully. ‘But we’ve only experienced the preliminaries of love yet.’

Nick grinned and reached for a piece of the apple pie.

‘We could have the real thing,’ he said audaciously, his eyes twinkling. ‘I might tell you you’ve been very near to it happening each time I take you in my arms.’

‘Nick Tabor,’ she said primly, ‘you are impossible!’

He kissed the end of her nose. ‘And you, my sweet, are adorable. I can’t wait to make you mine.’

On Monday they went shopping to buy the ring, plus an engagement ring of her choice. She lingered reluctantly over a tray of the latter.

‘I don’t want a second engagement ring. I already have this one,’

she whispered, holding up her left hand to show the ring he had returned to her finger.

‘What about this one?’ Nick selected a beautiful diamond ring from the tray as if he had not heard. ‘Try it for size.’

He took hold of her hand and pushed the ring gently on above the other, determined to have his own way. It was one of the most expensive on the tray and Davina gasped.

The sales assistant beamed his approval. ‘A truly beautiful ring, madam. The stone is flawless. You would find it an excellent investment.’

She said stubbornly, ‘If I have to have a ring then it must be of my own choice. I’ll have an eternity ring, please.’

Nick grinned, ‘The choice is yours, my sweet.’ And so it was for the rest of the day. Nick escorted her to the fashion salons to buy her trousseau and nodded his approval at her choice. In between he chose expensive items which Davina had passed over, to be included.

He had excellent taste and Davina wondered how often he had been with his girl-friends on a shopping spree. It was naive, she knew, to think that he had not had any affairs. His good looks, his charm, his ability to look well in his clothes in a way that everything he wore was correct forged a weapon against which even the coldest of women would wilt.

The shop assistants they encountered were clearly captivated by his cool, nonchalant charm, and Davina felt many an envious glance in her direction when that beautiful deep voice expressed an opinion about a particular garment.

It was over lunch that he sprang his surprise. ‘We’re going out into the country to meet my parents. They arrived home during the weekend and we’re going down now to see them.’

Davina stared at him in dismay. ‘But why didn’t you tell me so that I could put something special on? I mean, you ... you just don’t spend a morning shopping, then ... then stagger off to meet your future in-laws!’

Nick flicked a glance drenched with pleasure at the slender figure in pale green with white accessories. The sun was on the silky brown hair and the green eyes with their adorable tilt were filled with alarm.

His long slender fingers curled around his wine glass as he said lazily, ‘I didn’t tell you before because I knew you’d spend a sleepless night wondering about it and what to wear—as if it mattered. You look enchanting as always and my parents are going to love you.’

‘Nick Tabor,’ she muttered through clenched teeth, ‘I could kill you!

It didn’t occur to you, did it, that I might have wanted to take your mother some flowers or something?’

‘Good lord,’ he said with some amusement. ‘Mother doesn’t expect flowers, she’s surrounded by them.’

‘You mean a market garden or something?’ she queried, brightening.

This was too much for Nick. He laughed as if at some good joke.

‘Why don’t you wait and see?’ he suggested.

Davina watched the countryside, green and inviting, from the car window and hoped that his parents would welcome her as beautifully.

She thought of her own mother and her love for her only son. Would Nick’s mother resent her taking him from the family nest as she was sure her mother would have done?

Nick’s deep voice broke into her thoughts. ‘Not worrying about my parents, are you?’

‘Naturally I’m perturbed about it. What engaged girl wouldn’t be?

While I appreciate your thoughtfulness in not telling me until the last moment I still have that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.’

‘But, darling, you’re not marrying them, you’re marrying me.’

‘Of course I am. That’s why I’m worried.’

They were passing a neat little village and Nick suddenly slowed down to pull in at a public telephone booth.

‘Come with me,’ he said as he braked.

He dwarfed the inside of the telephone booth by his width and height and he took the opportunity to hold her against him as he dialled a number. Then he rested the telephone on his shoulder while he felt in his pocket for the money to put in the slot.

‘Hello, Mother. I shall be seeing you in a very short time. We’re on the way. Here’s Davina to speak to you.’

He thrust the receiver into Davina’s hand and closed his own over it.

‘My mother, darling,’ he said.

Davina swallowed nervously on a dry throat. ‘Hello, Mrs. Tabor.

Nick has just broken the news that we’re on the way to see you. I hope it isn’t inconvenient.’

She covered the mouthpiece with her hand and hissed, ‘I don’t know what to say, you idiot!’ then she listened.

‘Nick told us he would be bringing you today. I wanted him to bring you to lunch, but he explained about the shopping. I trust everything went well. I suppose Nick took charge.’

There was laughter and warmth in Mrs. Tabor’s voice and Davina relaxed visibly.

‘He took charge all right, but everything is fine. See you soon.’

‘Well?’ Nick asked as he took the receiver from her to replace it.

‘That wasn’t too bad, was it? Now you aren’t strangers any longer.

Quite nice, isn’t she, my mother?’

‘She sounds sweet, but you might have told me what you had in mind instead of hauling me into the telephone booth. I’m beginning to wonder what I’ve let myself in for.’

‘I’ll tell you,’ he whispered against her mouth. ‘The most wonderful time you’ve ever had.’

Ardent moments passed until they were brought to earth by an irate elderly woman tapping on the window of the telephone booth.

Davina’s face was scarlet as they left the booth, but Nick was quite unruffled.

He apologised politely and held open the door to let the woman in.

Needless to say she was bowled over by his charm. Davina thought helplessly, no woman can resist him, so how can I be expected to?

She saw what Nick had meant by the flowers, for the double gates already opened for their arrival led to a beautiful garden of velvet lawns and a glorious display of flowers.

As Nick braked at the front door a woman came to greet them to stand beneath the entrance of fluted stone. The house was Georgian, mellow, dignified and not too big.

Like her son, Nina Tabor was a woman of infinite charm and intelligence. She sparkled with the same vitality that held a healthy outlook on life, having known perfect health herself. Davina liked her on sight, liked her natural way. She was tall, elegant but not ostentatious. Her fair hair had a sprinkling of grey in the soft waves which fell naturally around a clear-skinned face remarkably unlined.

Davina felt instinctively that here was a woman she could trust, one who would make a good friend.

Nick kissed her cheek and she turned to take Davina’s hand as he introduced her.

‘Welcome into the family, Davina,’ she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. ‘I’ve been longing to meet you, for. Nick has told us so much about you in his letters.’

Davina said shyly, ‘I hope you’re better for your stay abroad.’

‘Much better, thanks. It’s good to be home, though. I don’t know where my husband is. Look, Nick, perhaps Davina would like to freshen up. Take her upstairs while I find your father.’

They walked upstairs, and Davina turned to face Nick as he stopped at a bathroom door.