His Trophy Mistress. Daphne Clair

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      She spied Maddie’s veil enveloping blond curls, and joined her sister, smiling at the people who had engaged the bridal couple in talk. Maddie slid a glance at her and gracefully extricated them both, heading for the room set aside for the newlyweds to change in later.

      Closing the door, Maddie turned. “Are you all right? I’m sorry, Peg.” The childhood nickname slipped out. “I had no idea Jager would turn up. It’s the most incredible coincidence—you wouldn’t believe it!”

      “Coincidence? Wasn’t he invited?”

      “Glen invited him. He didn’t know…well, I’ve never mentioned Jager’s actual name to him, so how could he? The thing is, Jager’s kind of a long-lost relation.”

      “Of Glen’s?”

      Maddie nodded. “They’re half brothers.”

      Paige’s mouth fell open. Her thoughts whirled, and the one dazzling, golden one that surfaced and burst out into words was, “Jager found his family!”

      Maddie was giving her a peculiar look.

      Slowly the implications sank in. Paige gulped, swallowed and made a connection. “Glen’s mother…?”

      Her sister’s white-veiled head shook vehemently. “His father…and some girl he knew before he got engaged to Glen’s mother. Mrs. Provost doesn’t know yet…with the wedding and everything it’s not a good time for extra family stress. Mr. Provost asked the boys to keep it quiet until he gets around to telling her, but Glen wanted his new brother here for his wedding day. They’ve only met once or twice but they hit it off from the start, he said.”

      Glen was an only child; Paige could imagine he’d have been intrigued at the advent of an unknown sibling. “How long ago?” It must be recent.

      “A few weeks, I think. Glen only told me today. I had no idea until then, and I couldn’t get you alone before…I still haven’t said anything to him about you and Jager.” Maddie twisted her hands together. “Has it ruined the day for you?”

      “Of course not!” It had been a stressful occasion anyway, fraught with old pain and regrets, but she’d weathered it for Maddie’s sake, and she would weather this too. No guilt and worry about Paige should be allowed to cloud Maddie’s happy day. “Both of us have put our youthful indiscretion far, far behind us. It’s quite fun,” she lied gaily, “seeing him again, catching up on things.”

      His phrase, she realized, as Maddie looked doubtful, then relieved. “I guess it was all over years ago,” Maddie said hopefully. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

      There wasn’t much she—or anyone—could do about it. “I’m fine, stop worrying, Mad. Hadn’t we better get back? Your husband will think you’ve left him already.”

      “Never!” Maddie turned to the mirrored dressing table and the makeup container sitting on it. “My husband,” she repeated dreamily, fishing in the miniature hatbox and bringing out a lipstick. “Fancy me being an old married woman!” She began expertly applying the lipstick.

      “Hardly old,” Paige argued. Maddie was twenty-five to her own twenty-nine. “But old enough to know what you’re doing, I guess. Which is more than I can say for my first venture into matrimony.”

      In the mirror, Maddie threw her a sympathetic look, shook out a tissue and blotted her lips. Gorgeous lips, Paige noted abstractly. Pink perfection. Glen was a lucky man. Her sister was as sweet as she was pretty, without a malicious bone in her body.

      Scrunching the tissue, Maddie said, “It wasn’t even a proper wedding, was it? I mean, it hardly counts, really.”

      “No.” Paige’s voice was perfectly steady. “It doesn’t count at all.”

      CHAPTER TWO

      JAGER didn’t approach her again, but while Paige dutifully danced with the best man and then others, she was continually aware of him, leaning against a wall with arms folded or prowling the periphery of the room, exchanging a few words here and there with other guests, and for several minutes talking with Glen and Maddie.

      When the bride and groom left, Paige kept her hands at her sides as Maddie tossed her bouquet into the crowd of well-wishers, allowing an excited young girl to catch it.

      She was looking forward to slipping away now her duties were over. She couldn’t have turned down Maddie’s tentative request to attend her, hedged about with anxious assurances that Maddie would understand if she didn’t want to. But now she felt drained and tired, with an incipient headache beating at her temples.

      She sought out her mother and said quietly, “Do you mind if I go on home now? I’m not needed anymore.”

      “Of course, dear.” Margaret searched her face. “Your father and I have to stay until everyone’s gone, but I’m sure Blake would drive you…” Margaret looked around for the best man.

      “No, give me my purse and I’ll call a taxi. There’s a phone in the lobby.”

      “Well…if you’re sure.”

      “Yes. I’ll see you in the morning.” Paige leaned down and kissed her mother’s cheek. “It was a lovely wedding.”

      “Yes, wasn’t it?” Margaret glowed. At least this time she’d launched a daughter into matrimony in style.

      In the lobby Paige found a card pinned above the phone with the number of a taxi company printed on it, and was dialing the final digit when a lean, strong hand came over her shoulder and pressed down the bar, leaving the dial tone humming in her ear.

      “You don’t need them,” Jager’s voice said. “I’ll take you home.”

      Her hand tightened on the receiver. She didn’t turn. “Thank you,” she said, “but I’d prefer a cab.”

      “Why? My car’s right outside.”

      Why? She couldn’t think of an answer that didn’t sound either unnecessarily rude or like an overreaction.

      He lifted his hand and gently removed the receiver from her grasp, replacing it in the cradle. Belatedly she said, “I wouldn’t want to take you out of your way…”

      He didn’t even bother to reply to that, already steering her toward the doors that swished open at their approach. “Where are you staying?”

      “With my parents.” She waited for some caustic remark, but all he said was, “The car’s over here.”

      It was long and shiny, a dark navy-blue, she guessed, though it was difficult to tell at night.

      The interior was spacious and the upholstery was real, soft leather.

      Unless he was living beyond his means Jager had come up in the world. Her father had said something about him apparently doing well.

      He slid into the seat beside her and buckled up his safety belt. When he turned the key in the ignition she scarcely heard the engine start, but they were soon gliding out of the car park.

      “So,” СКАЧАТЬ