The Yuletide Bride by Mary Lyons

Author:Mary Lyons
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1994-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

The heavy, oppressive silence within Max’s car seemed never-ending. As did the short journey back to Elmbridge Hall. Tense and nervous, Amber stared blindly through the windscreen, the rapidly falling snow glistening in the bright glare of the headlights. She could hardly believe that it was still only Friday night. Just how long was she going to have to put up with the ominous, baleful presence of this hard and indomitable man?

Desperately trying to combat a rising tide of fear and panic, Amber closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest. It was nerve-racking to realise that they still hadn’t discussed the all-important matter of Lucy. Or could it be that Max was just playing a game with her? Maybe he was deliberately keeping her in this ghastly state of overwhelming stress and anxiety, piling on the agony until almost the last moment before his departure.

And that wasn’t all. On top of all her other problems, she now had to contend with his apparent decision to buy Elmbridge Hall. How dare he just casually announce the news to that nauseating woman, Cynthia Henderson? Surely he might have had the common decency to discuss the matter with her before telling anyone else. After all, it was still her home. It was up to her to decide whether or not she wished to sell it to Max.

Amber could almost tangibly feel the anger and fury raging through her veins at being treated as though she had no choice in the matter. For all he knew, there might be hundreds of people queuing up to purchase the Hall. The unfortunate fact that Max was the only person who’d expressed any interest in purchasing the old Tudor mansion merely served to increase her frustration at being treated in such a high-handed manner.

By the time Max brought the car to a halt outside Elmbridge Hall, she’d worked herself up into such a state that she could contain herself no longer. ‘What are you intending to do about Lucy?’ she burst out angrily as he came around to open her door. ‘And if you think you can just calmly announce that you’re going to buy my home, you’ve got another think coming!’

‘I suggest we leave any discussion on those points until we get inside. It’s freezing out here,’ Max said, taking hold of her arm and leading her trembling figure up the icy steps to the front door. ‘Why don’t you go and check that your mother’s all right?’ he added as they entered the house.

‘Why don’t you mind your own damn business—and stop ordering me around?’ she retorted furiously before stalking off across the hall towards Violet Grant’s wing of the house.

After checking on her mother, who was fast asleep, Amber was still fuming by the time she made her way to the sitting room, where Max had set out a tray containing a bottle and two glasses. Casting a jaundiced eye over the large flagon of rare malt whiskey—it was years

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