The Doubtful Marriage Page 16
‘I thought that you might do that.’ He sounded unconcerned and she felt a prick of peevishness.
‘Why should you think that?’
‘You’re my wife, and, even though you weren’t aware of it, you were in love with me—still are, I hope.’ He crossed the room and took her hands in his. ‘Although you didn’t know that for a long time, did you?’
She stared up at him. ‘No, no I didn’t and when I did, I thought that you and Nikky loved each other—she told me…’
‘My dearest love, if I were to tell you, just once, that I have never loved, nor ever shall love Nikky, would you believe me, so that the whole tiresome thing can be forgotten? There are so many other things I would rather talk about and we have wasted so much time.’
He drew her close in a satisfying, gentle hug and kissed her. ‘Can’t I ever talk about her again?’ demanded Matilda into his shoulder.
‘Well, perhaps when I am an old man and you are a delightful old lady, we might discuss it, but not, of course, when the grandchildren are around.’
‘But we haven’t any children,’ observed Matilda, unaware of the silliness of the remark.
‘Easily remedied, my darling.’
She leaned back to look into his face. ‘I think I’m going to cry,’ she said in a watery voice. Then, when she saw the look of love and tenderness in his face, she added, ‘But I don’t think I will.’
She put up her face to be kissed instead; so much more pleasant. Indeed, she was enjoying it so much that she didn’t hear Cribbs come softly in with the tea tray, and, after a swift pleased look, go softly out again.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3924-1
THE DOUBTFUL MARRIAGE
Copyright © 1987 by Betty Neels.
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