Wife By Contract, Mistress By Demand by Mortimer Carole

Author:Mortimer, Carole [Mortimer, Carole]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Gabriella heard just how capable of dealing with Holly himself Rufus was when she returned to Gresham House late that afternoon!

‘You promised me I could come with you the next time you went to New York!’ Holly was accusing.

‘Because I thought it would be next month when you’re on half-term holiday!’ Rufus came back impatiently, their voices loud enough to be heard as Gabriella walked past the family sitting-room.

‘Then why can’t you go next month?’ Holly demanded angrily.

‘Because I can’t!’ Rufus told her uncompromisingly.

Should she go in and break it up? Gabriella wondered. Or should she just leave them to it?

Considering she was probably the reason for Rufus’s mood being so uncompromising in the first place, and Rufus would probably regret his attitude as soon as he left the house, perhaps it would be better if she didn’t just leave them to it.

But Gabriella knew that if she interrupted them it was more than likely she would become the focus of the resentment of both of them…

So what was new?

She pushed open the sitting-room door, and saw Rufus and Holly glaring at each other like adversaries across the room. They looked so much alike at that moment that Gabriella felt her heart tighten. Holly was very tall for her age, and as well as having that dark blonde hair and glittering green eyes her creamy cheeks were red with the temper that Rufus, as an adult, had learnt to control.

At least, usually…

As Gabriella had expected, they both turned their glaring green gazes on her. ‘Anything I can do to help?’ she enquired lightly.

‘No!’ Holly told her rebelliously.

‘Don’t be rude to Gabriella, Holly,’ Rufus admonished abruptly.

‘Why not? You are!’ Holly came back defiantly.

Gabriella raised dark, mocking brows as Rufus gave a pained wince at the criticism.

Rufus frowned darkly, not aware that he had ever been rude to Gabriella in front of Holly. Although perhaps the fact that he had chosen to stay out of the house all weekend rather than be with his new wife was enough to show Holly the reluctance he had to spend time with Gabriella?

Which wasn’t reluctance at all, just an effort to avoid this deepening physical need he had of her!

His mouth firmed. ‘What Gabriella and I choose to do as adults is none of your concern, Holly.’

‘You’re breaking your promise about taking me to New York!’ Holly tearfully returned to the subject of their argument.

‘I am not,’ Rufus defended frustratedly.

He had been having this same argument with Holly for the last ten minutes—and was getting precisely nowhere. Women, even seven-year-old ones, he had decided, could be extremely unreasonable!

‘I’m sure there’s a very good reason why Daddy can’t take you with him this time, Holly,’ Gabriella put in huskily.

Rufus looked at her warily. After the way the two of them had parted earlier this afternoon, her defence of his actions where his daughter was concerned came as something of a surprise.

‘At least he isn’t taking you, either!’ Holly scorned.

‘Holly—’

‘You’re right, he isn’t,’ Gabriella came back easily.

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