Read Online The Bride Who Wouldn't by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t look particularly safe if you ask me,” Isaak quipped.
    “Oh I’m sure it’s been thoroughly adapted,” Kate said and Isaak gave a nod but she could tell he was suddenly distracted.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Of course,” Isaak said as they were led through the lavish dining room and to their seats, tucked away to allow for an intimate meal, which, for a couple on a real honeymoon, would be sublime.
    It was sublime anyway, Kate thought as they sat at a small table and Isaak took her hand. “You look amazing,” he said.
    “So do you.”
    Isaak did.
    He hadn’t shaved since the morning of the wedding. He was the unshaven version that had walked into her office that day but he didn’t remind her of that man at all now.
    “And you are nice.”
    “Am I?” Isaak said, his foot nudging her calf.
    “Yes.”
    “Am I still nice?” His hand met her knee.
    “Stop,” Kate said but she was smiling as he removed his hand and placed it on the table.
    “Warm isn’t it?” Isaak smiled.
    She chose quail ballotine, and the wine waiter suggested chardonnay or pinot noir, and Isaak watched the tiny screw of her nose but Kate nodded. “Pinot noir would be lovely.”
    “Kate,” Isaak said when the waiter had gone. “What wine would you really like.”
    “A shiraz.”
    He called the waiter back and changed the order. “You say what you want, not what you think others want you to say.”
    “I was just—”
    “Holding back,” Isaak finished for her as their wine was delivered. Kate was so glad she’d been forced to speak up, for it was so rich the colour was almost black and the taste was heaven.
    “Wow,” Kate said, feeling the heat on her cheeks. “That’s wonderful.”
    “Tell me one thing,” Isaak said and she happily nodded. “How did you come to study genealogy? How did you fall into that?”
    “It found me,” Kate admitted. “I love history and I wanted to find out more about my family. The more I got into it the more I was fascinated.”
    “So how far did you get with my family?”
    “I didn’t really get anywhere. Your uncle did most of the work; my classes are aimed at giving people the tools to look themselves. Your uncle enjoyed the classes a lot, he was a very clever man.”
    “He was,” Isaak agreed. “And a good man, he gave both Roman and I our start. He came back to Russia when Roman turned eighteen and offered us two tickets to London. It was like a lifeline. He said he would pay our rent for one year. Roman and I have…” he tapped the side of his head, “…business brains. I got a job at a liquor store mainly putting out the stock but I could see the owner was being ripped off by his staff, there was a lot of theft going on out the back and I called it. When profits started to go up, the owner offered me a share in the business and Ivor lent me the money to buy in. When the old man retired, Ivor lent Roman the same amount.”
    “That was how your business started?” Kate smiled as he nodded but then, just as she started to relax, just as she had stopped thinking him formidable, he reminded Kate that he was.
    “Why, if there was nothing going on between you and my uncle, did you travel to Russia with him?”
    He watched the glass stop midway to her lips and then she took another swallow of wine.
    “I assume the library doesn’t offer field trips to all the students?”
    “No.”
    “Kate, why don’t you stop lying to me?”
    “I don’t lie.”
    “Over and over, you withhold information,” Isaak pointed out. “Do you want a few examples?”
    “No.”
    “You’re sure about that?” Isaak checked.
    “Very sure,” Kate said because she did not want her virginity discussed here! “The further I looked into it the more questions it threw up. Ivor hoped I might help him get some answers. He did all the talking in Russia, and I asked all the questions.”
    “What sort of questions?”
    “Isaak…”
    “I want to know, Kate.”
    “Maybe you don’t,” Kate