Joined By Marriage. Carole Mortimer

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      ‘I’ll drive you.’ Nathan had moved silently to her side.

      ‘But we haven’t finished,’ his father protested behind them. ‘There’s so much more. Rebecca’s death. Brianna’s inheritance—’

      ‘And Brianna has had more than enough already today for her to cope with,’ Nathan told him harshly, before turning back to Brianna. ‘I’ll drive you wherever you want to go,’ he offered gently.

      ‘I’m sure you’re very busy,’ she refused vaguely, needing to be away from these offices, away from the two Landris men. ‘I can get a bus. Take a taxi.’

      ‘I’m not busy at all,’ Nathan said firmly, lightly grasping her arm as they went out into the corridor. “The buses are incredibly irregular around here. And a taxi would be an unnecessary expense when I’ve already offered to drive you wherever you want to go.’

      Brianna didn’t argue any more, standing silently by while Nathan informed Hazel of his departure, taking no interest in the brief conversation he had with a grey-haired man passing through Reception, although she sensed the other man’s interest in her as she left with Nathan. Not another one who recognised her as Rebecca’s daughter...! It was a very strange feeling to know she looked so much like someone she had never even known—and would never know...

      ‘My uncle, Roger Davis,’ Nathan supplied as he took her out to the private car park at the back of the building. ‘He’s married to my mother’s sister.’

      He was also Nathan’s father’s partner. It really was a family-run business. And the Landris family seemed to know rather a lot about her mother and her family. Too much so, in the circumstances, Brianna was beginning to realise. ‘Nathan—’

      ‘Here we are.’ He unlocked a dark green Jaguar saloon car, opening the passenger door for Brianna to get in. ‘Just tell me where you want to go,’ he said, once he was seated beside her.

      She gave him the name of the hospital where she worked, watching him as he drove. He handled the car in the same way he seemed to deal with everything, capably, with the minimum of effort, and completely unemotionally—even when another driver cut dangerously in front of the Jaguar at a busy junction. The Ice Man, no matter what the situation.

      ‘Have dinner with me this evening?’

      His invitation was so at odds with her thoughts of him that for a moment Brianna was stunned into silence. The icy Nathan Landris had just invited her out to dinner with him!

      ‘Why?’ she returned abruptly.

      Dark brows rose over those pale blue eyes, his mouth quirking, although his visual attention didn’t waver from the road and traffic in front of him. ‘Is this your usual response when a man invites you to spend the evening with him?’

      Her mouth curved upwards, some of her earlier tension leaving her. ‘No,’ she acknowledged. ‘But then, it wasn’t a usual invitation!’

      ‘I can assure you that it was,’ he drawled.

      Her eyes widened. ‘It was?’

      ‘It was,’ he confirmed dryly. ‘Unless there’s a young man in your life somewhere whom you feel might object to your accepting?’

      Brianna had the feeling the question wasn’t as casually asked as he’d made it sound. Although why he should have any interest in the romantic side of her life, she couldn’t imagine. Even if he had invited her out to dinner...

      ‘Not at the moment, no,’ she answered him smilingly.

      Her most recent relationship, with a young doctor at the hospital, had ended three months ago, by mutual agreement; Jim had worked nights and Brianna had worked days, and the strain of trying to keep up even a casual relationship had finally proved too much of a strain.

      ‘Then I repeat, would you have dinner with me this evening?’ Nathan pressed her.

      In her head she repeated her own question—why? Nathan didn’t give her the impression he was in the least impulsive—in fact quite the opposite!—and, despite what he said, she didn’t think this invitation was unpremeditated, either.

      Nathan turned and smiled at her, the smile that transformed him from a coldly removed man to a rakishly charming one, as she had glimpsed yesterday. A dangerously attractive one...! He couldn’t be two people, and yet...

      ‘Is there a young lady in your life who might object to my accepting?’ she returned evenly.

      His mouth quirked again. ‘Not at the moment, no.’ He repeated her words of a few minutes ago.

      It was the answer Brianna had expected him to make. Not because she didn’t think there hadn’t been women in his life—that smile said otherwise!—but because she didn’t think he was the type of man to invite one woman out while he was involved with another. For one thing, she doubted he would want the complications that would involve.

      ‘In that case, I accept,’ she told him.

      He nodded, showing no emotion at her capitulation. ‘I’ll call at your home for you, at eight o’clock. I have the address.’ He forestalled her next comment. ‘It’s on file at the office.’

      Of course it was. As were a lot of other things, things personal to her, things that, until today, she’d had had no knowledge of. Most of which she would rather still have no knowledge of, including a letter Rebecca seemed to have left for her!

      The puzzle of that letter was going to burn a hole in her curiosity; she knew it was. Already part of her was wondering what was written there, what her mother had wanted to say to her daughter once she reached twenty-one. Had Rebecca loved her baby? Hated her because she had complicated her life? Did she say who Brianna’s father was? Had she even known who he was?

      Did it matter? Did any of it matter? It was the past, the principal player dead and buried long ago—

      ‘He’s still alive, you know.’ Nathan spoke softly at her side.

      She gave him a startled look. ‘Who is?’ She was completely taken aback, both because he seemed to have read her thoughts so easily, and by the statement itself. He had stated earlier that her mother hadn’t said who her father was, that no one knew—

      ‘Your grandfather,’ Nathan said in reply. ‘Giles is still alive.’

      Brianna looked at him uncomprehendingly for several long seconds. That man, the man who had made her grandmother’s and her mother’s lives such a misery, was still living? It didn’t seem fair somehow, not after all the misery he had caused to his family.

      ‘Did you hear me, Brianna?’ Nathan glanced at her frowningly. ‘I said—’

      ‘I heard you,’ she said tensely, surprised—and pleased!—to see that they had arrived at the hospital. ‘Thank you for the lift, Nathan.’ She gave him a bright, meaningless smile. ‘I’ll see you later this evening.’

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