because you haven’t!’
‘But that’s all over now.’ He sounded serene. ‘You’re marrying me and we’re having a honeymoon, and I don’t want Philip to come with us.’
Kate closed her eyes to shut out the red mist of temper that was floating between her and this arrogant, impossible man. She drew a deep breath and forced her voice to be steady.
‘Where I go,’ she said tonelessly and emphatically, ‘Philip goes. Have I made that clear to you, Mr Manfred?’
‘We seem to have reached an impasse.’ He sounded unruffled and his face gave nothing away.
Kate sat quite still and looked at him steadily. Inwardly she was shaking, but outwardly she was calm. There was nothing in her but a fierce pride and an even fiercer determination. She would not beg, neither would she give way. He could think what he liked of her, she didn’t care! If he wanted to think her all kinds of a trollop, he was welcome to do so. His opinion of her was of no consequence, it didn’t matter to her, not one iota, but she was not being parted from Philip! She drew a deep breath which thinned her nostrils.
‘Of course we’ve reached an impasse,’ she was scornful. ‘What did you expect? That I should get down on my knees and thank you humbly for the honour you’re doing me?’ Her voice developed a bitter note. ‘I’m marrying you, Mr Manfred, so that I can keep Philip with me, and as I said before, I don’t consider it an honour. I consider your offer an insult. You evidently don’t have much of an opinion of me—I’ll go along with that, I don’t have much of an opinion of myself. Like the rest of the quite ordinary members of the human race, I’m far from perfect and I admit it. I may have done some stupid things, I have done some stupid things, but my motives were good. I don’t care what you or anybody else thinks about me, I’ve kept my integrity— and I didn’t have a hedge of money a mile high to hide behind. Whereas you, Mr Manfred, are shop- soiled, so don’t think you’re doing me any favours. Under normal conditions, I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot bargepole!’ Kate uncrossed her ankles and stood up. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me....’
He rose with her to stand over her and she received the impression of menace and hard held temper. ‘Kate, you’re becoming shrewish and obstinate. Come here.’ He held out his hand.
She backed off. ‘No!’
‘Then pack your things and I’ll ring for a taxi. You can go.’
She stood silent, feeling as though she had been drenched with a bucket of ice water. ‘Philip,’ she said through lips stiff with fear.
‘Is asleep. I see no need to wake him so that you can say goodbye.’
‘You don’t mean it,’ she whispered.
‘Try me,’ he advised. ‘Come here.’
When she stood within the circle of his arm, he looked down at her mockingly. ‘Now do you understand? I said I wanted a wife I could control, and that’s what I intend to have. You’re vulnerable, Kate, and I hold the means of controlling you. I have Philip and the negatives. You want Philip and you want to go back to being a schoolteacher. You can stay with Philip, on my terms, but if you leave, I’m afraid you’ll have no chance of teaching. I’ll circulate those negatives to every education authority in the country. Who would employ you then, do you think?’
His arm tightened about her and he lowered his head to hers, his mouth forcing a response from her Ups. When he raised his head, Kate stood very still while his fingers coolly unfastened the buttons of her shirt and pushed it over her shoulder. She gasped as his hand closed over her breast and shuddered as he enquired mockingly, ‘How long was that bargepole you wouldn’t touch me with, Kate?’
Her eyes were glittering with unshed tears and her lower lip was swollen, but she faced him, doing all she could to conceal the tremors which shook her.
‘If you’ve humiliated me enough for one night,’ she muttered, ‘I’ll
‘But that’s all over now.’ He sounded serene. ‘You’re marrying me and we’re having a honeymoon, and I don’t want Philip to come with us.’
Kate closed her eyes to shut out the red mist of temper that was floating between her and this arrogant, impossible man. She drew a deep breath and forced her voice to be steady.
‘Where I go,’ she said tonelessly and emphatically, ‘Philip goes. Have I made that clear to you, Mr Manfred?’
‘We seem to have reached an impasse.’ He sounded unruffled and his face gave nothing away.
Kate sat quite still and looked at him steadily. Inwardly she was shaking, but outwardly she was calm. There was nothing in her but a fierce pride and an even fiercer determination. She would not beg, neither would she give way. He could think what he liked of her, she didn’t care! If he wanted to think her all kinds of a trollop, he was welcome to do so. His opinion of her was of no consequence, it didn’t matter to her, not one iota, but she was not being parted from Philip! She drew a deep breath which thinned her nostrils.
‘Of course we’ve reached an impasse,’ she was scornful. ‘What did you expect? That I should get down on my knees and thank you humbly for the honour you’re doing me?’ Her voice developed a bitter note. ‘I’m marrying you, Mr Manfred, so that I can keep Philip with me, and as I said before, I don’t consider it an honour. I consider your offer an insult. You evidently don’t have much of an opinion of me—I’ll go along with that, I don’t have much of an opinion of myself. Like the rest of the quite ordinary members of the human race, I’m far from perfect and I admit it. I may have done some stupid things, I have done some stupid things, but my motives were good. I don’t care what you or anybody else thinks about me, I’ve kept my integrity— and I didn’t have a hedge of money a mile high to hide behind. Whereas you, Mr Manfred, are shop- soiled, so don’t think you’re doing me any favours. Under normal conditions, I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot bargepole!’ Kate uncrossed her ankles and stood up. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me....’
He rose with her to stand over her and she received the impression of menace and hard held temper. ‘Kate, you’re becoming shrewish and obstinate. Come here.’ He held out his hand.
She backed off. ‘No!’
‘Then pack your things and I’ll ring for a taxi. You can go.’
She stood silent, feeling as though she had been drenched with a bucket of ice water. ‘Philip,’ she said through lips stiff with fear.
‘Is asleep. I see no need to wake him so that you can say goodbye.’
‘You don’t mean it,’ she whispered.
‘Try me,’ he advised. ‘Come here.’
When she stood within the circle of his arm, he looked down at her mockingly. ‘Now do you understand? I said I wanted a wife I could control, and that’s what I intend to have. You’re vulnerable, Kate, and I hold the means of controlling you. I have Philip and the negatives. You want Philip and you want to go back to being a schoolteacher. You can stay with Philip, on my terms, but if you leave, I’m afraid you’ll have no chance of teaching. I’ll circulate those negatives to every education authority in the country. Who would employ you then, do you think?’
His arm tightened about her and he lowered his head to hers, his mouth forcing a response from her Ups. When he raised his head, Kate stood very still while his fingers coolly unfastened the buttons of her shirt and pushed it over her shoulder. She gasped as his hand closed over her breast and shuddered as he enquired mockingly, ‘How long was that bargepole you wouldn’t touch me with, Kate?’
Her eyes were glittering with unshed tears and her lower lip was swollen, but she faced him, doing all she could to conceal the tremors which shook her.
‘If you’ve humiliated me enough for one night,’ she muttered, ‘I’ll
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