Latin Lovers: Seductive Frenchman: Chosen as the Frenchman's Bride / The Frenchman's Captive Wife / The French Doctor's Midwife Bride. Fiona Lowe

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СКАЧАТЬ great museum she was worn down from trying to escape him, and just left it in his without a word. That contact, chaste as it was, was torture in itself.

      ‘I let Pascal go home … There’s a restaurant near here I thought might be nice for dinner. We can get a cab later.’

      ‘I’m not dressed properly …’ She indicated her jeans and sneakers.

      ‘Don’t worry, it’s a low-key place.’

      She shrugged and allowed him to lead her through the streets. They came to a charming little bistro, tucked into a small side street, with only a few tables that were already full.

      Xavier was greeted like a long-lost son by the proprietor,, and when he introduced Jane as his wife there were shouts and a woman came running out. Jane was enveloped in hugs and warm kisses, and couldn’t help but be charmed. The older woman at one point looked at Jane’s ring finger and unleashed a stream of French at Xavier that Jane couldn’t follow. He looked shamefaced after it.

      Once they were seated at a free table that had appeared as if by magic, Jane had to ask, ‘What on earth did she say to you?’

      ‘Madame Feron pointed out that you don’t have an engagement ring.’

      Jane lifted her hand stupidly. ‘Oh … I hadn’t even thought about it myself.’ She looked back to him. ‘I don’t need one, you know … it’d be silly just for the sake of it. Plenty of people nowadays just wear a wedding band.’

      ‘Nevertheless, she’s right. We will do this properly. I’ll buy you one tomorrow.’

      His tone brooked no argument. His businesslike attitude reinforced her will to resist him at all costs. This was nothing more than a mutual agreement, each having their own reasons: him to secure his heir and its future, her for the baby’s sake and to secure her mother’s future in South Africa.

      But maybe down the road when the baby was born they could negotiate a separation? Surely by then any inheritance would be safe? Jane knew in her heart of hearts that sooner or later her will would break, or Xavier would succumb to another woman, and either scenario would be untenable for long. She knew that now, as she looked at him across the table.

      Her appetite still wasn’t back to normal, but she forced the food down, not wanting to insult the couple who couldn’t stop beaming at them.

      That night when they got back to the apartment Jane fled into her room as soon as she could. She rested against the door, breathing heavily with eyes closed. She heard Xavier’s step pausing outside her door and her mouth went dry, her pulse tripping.

      ‘Goodnight …’ he called softly through the door.

      But he may as well have said coward. It was what he meant.

      She got under the covers a short while later and pulled them over her head, as if that would block out the images, the vivid memories that played like a home movie every night in her dreams. Her body felt as though it had a fever. What was wrong with her? She was pregnant … how could she be feeling so … so … sexually aware of herself and him?

      She slept fitfully. Again.

      The following morning Xavier informed her that they would spend the day shopping and return to the island that evening. When he saw the less than enthusiastic expression on her face he frowned.

      ‘What is it? Are you feeling ill?’

      ‘No … it’s nothing … just that I’ve always hated shopping. The crowds … trying things on. It bores me to tears. But as you say, I have to keep up appearances now.’

      He shook his head, once again struck dumb. Reminded of how different she was from the women he was used to.

      An hour or so later, when they approached the door of a designer shop, Jane caught his hand and dragged him back. The memory of years of scrimping and saving rushed back in lurid humiliating detail, her mother’s face lined with worry and strain as she struggled to let down another hem, trying to get another year out of a school skirt.

      ‘We can’t go in there … those clothes cost a fortune. Look, why don’t you just let me go off for a few hours? I’ll find some high street stores and kit myself out. Honestly, you can trust me …’

      ‘Woman!’ he exploded, stunning her into silence. ‘I’m normally dragged on these expeditions, reduced to nothing more than a walking credit card, but you—’ He shook his head. ‘You have to have morals. Jane, without insulting your intelligence too much, will you please trust me when I say that if I let you go off and kit yourself out, as you put it, within weeks we will be at some function where it will be horrendously obvious to everyone that I can’t afford to dress my own wife. This isn’t just for you. As much as I agree with your sensibilities, unfortunately society hasn’t caught up with us, and I have a certain standard to maintain.’

      Her mouth opened and closed ineffectually, a red-hot poker of pain striking her at his reference to what must have been many other trips like this … with other women he had indulged. She walked into the shop without another word, hoping to distract him from her hurt.

      By that afternoon she’d lost count of the shops … Dresses, casual clothes, shoes, underwear—which thankfully he had absented himself for—and last but not least maternity wear. She had worked very hard at putting images of other women out of her head, and berated herself for not expecting as much in the first place.

      Xavier had arranged for everything to be sent straight to the plane and loaded up. Once they were on it themselves, later that day, Jane felt a pang of guilt mixed with fear. Xavier saw the look on her face.

      ‘What is it?’

      She shook her head rapidly. ‘Nothing … nothing at all.’

       Everything!

      She averted her head and looked out of the window. When she thought about the afternoon she had to admit that she had enjoyed it on some level. Who wouldn’t have? Assistants fawning all over her. Well, over Xavier’s credit card, to be accurate. And what on the surface must have looked like a doting husband indulging his new bride. The covetous looks of the other women hadn’t gone unnoticed. At one point she had even felt the old warmth creep up, when one of the women had been particularly sycophantic. Jane had looked to Xavier and caught his identical look, and a bubble of delighted communication had almost transformed her face, made her forget why she was there. But that would be far too dangerous. What they had shared in the summer was not who he really was. She had to remember that.

      Once the small plane was cruising, and the seat belt signs were off, she saw Xavier turn towards her from the corner of her eye.

      ‘Jane, I have something for you.’

      She turned to look.

      ‘More? What could you possibly—?’

      She went silent when she saw him reach into the inside pocket of his jacket and pull out a small box, which he offered her across the aisle. She looked at him and her hands shook slightly as took it. When she opened it she gasped. Nestled in a bed of cream velvet was the most stunning sapphire ring in an antique square setting of tiny diamonds and white-gold. It was beautiful. How could he have picked exactly what she would have gone for herself?

      ‘How СКАЧАТЬ