A Cotswold Christmas Bride. Joanna Neil

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СКАЧАТЬ seems to me that the young lady doesn’t share your view.’ Her rescuer kept his voice neutral, but there was a definite threat underlying his words. ‘I hope for your sake that you don’t want to argue the point with me.’ He looked Nathan up and down. ‘If you don’t release her and walk away from here, I’ll be forced to remove you myself. Do you really want to cause a scene?’

      Nathan finally appeared to be having second thoughts. Perhaps he took on board the unyielding purpose in his opponent’s glittering gaze, or maybe it was the breadth of those shoulders that gave him pause, along with the hint of controlled strength that no amount of trappings could disguise … whatever the reason, Nathan suddenly didn’t seem quite so sure of himself. Cautiously, he released his grip on her, and took a step backwards.

      ‘Good,’ Lucas said. ‘I’m glad you managed to see sense.’ He turned his back on Nathan and laid a hand gently beneath Sophie’s elbow, leading her away from the edge of the crowded dance floor towards the buffet table. ‘It’s Sophie isn’t it? I’m Lucas. I hope you didn’t mind my interruption but you seemed to need a way out of that situation. Now, can I get you something to eat?’ he asked.

      Sophie shook her head. Right now she couldn’t manage to eat a morsel. It was as though her throat was clogged and there was a tight band of pressure around her head. ‘No, thanks.’

      ‘Maybe a drink, then?’

      ‘Yes, that would be good.’

      ‘It looks as though pink champagne is the order of the day.’ He smiled. ‘Would you like a glass?’

      She nodded, and waited as he gave the bartender their order. For himself, he chose an ice-cold lager, and after handing her a fluted glass he said softly, ‘Here’s to new beginnings.’

      Her eyes widened a fraction. She was all out of new beginnings. She was wary, guarded against getting involved ever again. But she clinked glasses with him, all the same. ‘New beginnings,’ she said, and took a sip of the cold liquid. ‘I want to thank you for what you did for me, back there. Nathan’s a good man, but he’s not been himself lately, and I wasn’t altogether sure how to handle things. I’m glad that you came along.’

      ‘It was my pleasure.’ His glance drifted over her, trailing over the shimmering golden hair that fell in soft waves to rest on her bare shoulders, and then moved on to trace the line of the silk dress that faithfully outlined her slender figure. ‘It means I get to be with the most beautiful woman in the room.’

      He studied her once more, making her all too conscious of the way the softly ruched material of the bodice clung to her breasts and showed off her narrow waist and emphasised the gentle swell of her hips. From the dropped waistline the skirt was delicately layered, falling to mid-calf. ‘The colour suits you,’ he said. ‘It reflects the blush of your cheeks. You’re all peaches and cream … perfect. The bride must have been glad to have you as her chief bridesmaid.’

      Hot colour swept along her cheekbones. He was flirting with her, being outlandishly flattering, and she ought to tell him that he was wasting his time but she stayed quiet. She wouldn’t be seeing him again after today, so what did it matter?

      ‘You must be a good friend of Harry’s?’ she remarked, glancing towards the bridegroom, who was still having fun with his new bride on the dance floor. ‘He chose you as his best man, so I guess you must have known one another for some time.’

      ‘That’s right.’ He nodded. ‘We grew up together in the same village, here in Buckinghamshire. Of course, we’ve both moved away since then, but we’ve always been good friends.’ He sent her an oblique glance. ‘Do you live locally?’

      ‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I booked into the hotel for the night so that I wouldn’t have to drive home in the early hours. And, of course, it means that I can have a drink without worrying.’

      He nodded. ‘That was a sensible decision—though you don’t seem to be having all that great a time. I’ve been watching you and you seem a touch on edge. Is that purely because of Nathan?’

      ‘I suppose so.’ Her blue eyes clouded. She wasn’t going to confide in him all the things she had on her mind. He was a stranger. A charming, persuasive and thoughtful stranger, but all the same he was not someone she could open her heart to. ‘I should have known he would be here. He knows both the bride and groom.’

      ‘He obviously has very strong feelings for you. Had you been together long?’

      ‘About a year.’ She finished off her pink champagne. ‘We met when he came to look at one of the animals on my parents’ farm. He’s a vet, and he treated one of the horses that had gone lame. Now it’s as good as new.’

      ‘That must have been a great relief for you.’

      She nodded, and he took the champagne glass from her, signalling to the barman to fill it up again. ‘So you got together, and then things went wrong?’

      That hunted feeling caught up with her once more, so that her stomach clenched and she wondered how long it would be before she could escape to her room. ‘Yes … only now he won’t let go.’

      The corners of his mouth turned upwards. ‘I can’t say I blame him for that. I think I would feel much the same way.’

      He handed her a second glass of champagne and she watched the bubbles fizz and sparkle. The air in the room was hot and oppressive, and she had a raging thirst. She put the glass to her lips and swallowed, feeling the effervescent sting as the liquid coursed down her throat. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe, as though the room was closing in on her.

      ‘It looks as though the bride and groom are getting ready to leave,’ he murmured. ‘Perhaps we ought to say our goodbyes to them?’

      She nodded, putting down her empty glass and allowing him to lead the way across the room to the main doors. Lucas pinned back one of the doors so that the bride and groom could slip out and head for their waiting taxi. Sophie tilted her face to the waft of cool air, taking comfort in the brief respite.

      They waved off the happy couple, and then had to battle their way through a small crowd of people in order to get back into the ballroom. A wave of heat and dizziness overcame her, and her legs seemed to buckle under her. She fumbled for a handhold on the shelf against the wall, but Lucas was already reaching out for her, supporting her in strong arms.

      ‘Are you feeling faint?’ he asked.

      She nodded, unable to speak just then, and he turned her towards the foyer. She was content to let him take over. For some reason, her body felt like lead, and her head was muzzy, her brain fogged. In the far reaches of her consciousness, she heard him say something about finding her keys, but she wasn’t in any state to answer him. It was strange, having to rely on him like this. She had always been so fiercely independent, but right now she was glad that he was there to help her, because there was no way she could have managed by herself.

      They must have gone up in the lift, because she vaguely remembered being still, her body resting against Lucas, her cheek buried in the fine worsted fabric of his jacket. There was a gentle bump as the lift came to a stop and he wrapped his arm more closely around her in order to stop her from falling.

      She didn’t recall any more of what happened after that. Blackness closed in on her, and there was instant peace, nothingness.

      When СКАЧАТЬ