THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (34 page)

The
opportunity came the following week with an invitation from Rod's
mother to visit her and Claire in London.

“
We'll
have to go,” said Rod.

“
Don't
you want to see them?”

“
Of
course. It's just that my mother's not easy to fool. A whole weekend
on our best behaviour won't be easy,” he warned.

Mrs
Nicholson's house was a charming Georgian terrace on the Thames near
Chiswick, filled with an odd but attractive mixture of English
antiques, modern watercolours and drawings, and mementoes of Japan
where she and her late husband, Rod's father, had lived for two
years. Her welcome was rapturous.

“
It's
lovely to see you again, Mrs Nicholson,” said Gabriella when
the older woman had released her from a long and highly scented
embrace.

“
Oh
my dear! You can't
possibly
call
me Mrs Nicholson. And not Mother, I think What about Dodie? That's
what all my friends call me and I know we're going to be great
friends. Now, where's that girl? She's been clockwatching all
morning, now she's disappeared!”

Claire
emerged from the kitchen to kiss Gabriella and deliver a mock punch
to her older brother.

Gabriella
began to relax. It was difficult to remain gloomy with these two
bright people.

Dodie,
in her whirlwind manner, had arranged a hectic programme of outings
and visits for the weekend and Gabriella was glad of it. The busier
they were, the less opportunity for Rod's mother to suspect that
anything was wrong.

“
And
on Saturday night,” Dodie was saying, “we're all going to
a party at the Grasolis.”

Rod
raised an eyebrow. “Who are the Grasolis?”

“
Fabio's
an artist, darling, absolutely marvellous, huge oils that won't go
through the front door! And Melanie's a very glamorous television
actress. Well, only commercials so far but they pay quite well, I
believe.”

By
Saturday night Gabriella was almost exhausted but her spirits were
brighter than they'd been for weeks. She had been warned that the
party would be smart (Fabio collects people with money, darling,”
said Dodie. “Prospective clients, you know.”) and she was
glad that she had brought with her the little red chiffon dress that
she had bought for her honeymoon. When Rod saw her in it he looked
away and for a moment sadness threatened to envelop her. She pushed
it from her determinedly.

The
Grasolis lived on the top floor of a converted dockland warehouse, an
enormous acreage of space with very little furniture. Several dozen
of Fabio's brilliantly coloured paintings flamed the walls. A balcony
which overlooked the Thames led from the single open plan room and
the doors were open to the late evening sun. Gabriella decided there
must be at least two hundred people there.

Fabio,
a small dark man in early middle age whose eyes seemed to be
everywhere, saw them at once and danced over to them. “Dodie
and Claire!” He kissed them both with gusto. “Wonderful
to see you. And who are these two beautiful young people?”

“
My
son Roderic,” said Dodie proudly. “And this is his lovely
young bride, Gabriella.”

“
Gabriella?
Italian, yes?” Fabio's eyes caressed her. “One day,
bellissima, you come to my studio here and I paint you, yes?”

“
Now,
now, Fabrio!” Dodie laughed. “Take no notice, Gabriella.
He only paints buildings.”

Fabio
snapped his fingers at a hired waiter who brought them drinks,
ushered them vaguely in the direction of the nearest group of people
and darted off to greet someone else.

“
What
d'you think?” asked Claire.

“
It
looks fun,” Gabriella smiled. One foot tapping to the beat of
the background music, she surveyed the milling guests, recognising
several faces from cinema and television and trying to match them to
names.

In
the centre of an all male group some distance from them was a blonde
woman whom Gabriella couldn't place but thought she ought to
recognise because she was so stunning. She was small and slight but
the short silver dress that she wore emphasised curves and limbs that
were rounded and feminine. Her honey blonde hair was cut very close,
showing off a beautifully shaped head, delicate ears and slender
neck. Her eyes were large and of a vivid blue.

“
Oh
dear!” said Claire quietly. And Gabriella, although she wasn't
touching him, sensed Rod stiffen at her side. And she saw that they
were both staring at the blonde woman. Then Dodie was there, her arms
around the three of them, coaxing them to another part of the room.

“
You
must
come
and meet Daniel Jacobson,” she was saying. “He's just had
his first book published and is about to be sued for libel by at
least six people!”

“
No,
mother,” said Rod. “There's no point in running away.”

Gabriella
felt the tension amongst them and suddenly she realised who the other
woman must be. She turned to say something to Rod but it was already
too late, he was moving forward and then the blonde woman saw him and
waved her admirers away.

“
Come
along, dear,” said Dodie, taking Gabriella's arm. “He'll
be back soon, don't worry. Come and meet my friends.”

But
it was an hour before Rod returned to them. At one point Gabriella
saw them on the balcony, the blonde woman talking earnestly to him,
her big blue eyes raised appealingly to his and her narrow hands
fluttering against his chest like two small white birds. Gabriella
couldn't help thinking what a striking couple they made, the tall
dark powerfully built man and the slender blonde haired woman,
scarcely higher than his shoulder.

Rod
was quiet when he returned and no one mentioned the encounter. They
left a half hour later.

Her
next glimpse of Caroline was from the window of her office at
Englands the following Wednesday. It was five thirty. She saw the
white open top car pull into the car park and recognised its driver
instantly.

Rod
had told her he was going out to dinner that night and she was not
surprised when she saw him leave the building and stride towards the
white car.

Just
as Caroline was about to drive away, Rod looked up at Gabriella's
window and his eyes met hers. He nodded briefly and then they were
gone.

During
the long evening as Gabriella waited for him to come home she
realised anew that her love had matured. Her concern was no longer
for her own feelings but for Rod himself and she prayed that Caroline
would not have the power to hurt him again.

She
had a feeling that the meeting had been initiated by Caroline. What
was her purpose? Did she want something from Rod? Money perhaps? Or
did she want Rod himself? Gabriella wondered if he still cared for
Caroline. Was it possible to fan the flames of that old love into a
new fire? For his sake she hoped not. For her own, she wished she had
the right to fight the other woman for him. But she had forfeited
that right. In any case there could be no contest, she thought sadly,
for she had no weapons.

Yet
she knew now that whatever Rod's feelings about his ex-wife he would
not conduct a furtive affair. If he wanted to go to her he would have
to be open and honest about it and he would have to extract himself
from their own marriage contract. And Rod wouldn't do that. He had
made promises, and he was not a man to break promises.

It
was late when he came home but she was still awake, still dressed.
She had been nerving herself all evening to talk to him, knowing that
for both their sakes she could postpone it no longer. He might not
want her love but she felt she owed it to him at least to offer it.

She
waited ten minutes and then she tapped on the door of the dressing
room. “May I come in?” she whispered.

“
If
you like,” he answered. His voice was tired and when she
entered she saw that his face was set in weary lines. He was sitting
on the edge of his bed, elbows propped on his knees, chin resting on
his
hands. He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. “Come for your
report?” he asked. “Want to know what's going on with
Caroline? I suppose you want all the lurid details.”

She
flushed but willed herself to cross the room. She sat beside him on
the bed, partly because her knees were trembling and she could not go
on standing awkwardly in front of him, and also so that she would not
have to look at him.

“
No,”
she said. “But I'd like to talk to you. If you're not too
tired?”

He
rubbed a hand wearily over his face. “I am tired. Is this
really important, Gabriella?”

“
It's
important to me,” she said, “and – and I hope it
may mean something to you – if we're to carry on with our
relationship in any way.”

He
sighed. “Go on then.”

!It's
– it's taken a long time,” she said, “but –
I've learned to see things clearly at last. I've been wrong about so
many things. Particularly about you, Rod, and I want to – I
must tell you – how very much I regret everything I've done and
said.” She stumbled on, still not looking at him. “I know
what you must think of me and I deserve it – all of it. I know
I've made things unbearable for you and believe me, if I could only
go back and put things right I would.” Her voice faded away and
she waited.

“
Well,
thank you for telling me,” he said at last. His voice was
listless. A knife twisted inside her. It was too late. But she had to
go on.

“
I'm
worried about – about you and Caroline -” She faltered.

“
Why?
D'you think I'll leave you?”

She
shook her head. “I know you won't leave me.”

“
Do
you? How do you know that?”

“
Because
you promised. Because I know now that you don't let people down.
Because -” She laughed shakily. “Because I've learned to
trust you. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous coming from me, but
it's true. I've changed, Rod. I've grown up. I wish with all my heart
that I could have done it sooner. That I hadn't destroyed any chance
of happiness for us.”