In Want of a Wife? by Cathy Williams

Author:Cathy Williams [Williams, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780263219876
Google: SYGlJ_KZof0C
Amazon: B004SOYW5I
Published: 2010-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

HARD on the heels of Louis, appearing like a rabbit from a magician’s hat, her mother materialised next to him. Lizzy hadn’t spotted her mother all evening. From the looks of it, she had been having a grand time. Someone had stuck a hat on her head, which she was now sporting in a jaunty fashion, and she was beaming like a Cheshire cat—although the smile fell away when she spotted her daughter.

Lizzy firmly pushed Louis away and steadied herself.

‘Where’s Dad?’ she asked in an accusing voice.

‘He’s helping himself to seconds. Fantastic food!’ She turned her smile to Louis, who smiled back in polite acknowledgment of the compliment. ‘Have you been drinking, Lizzy? You look a little green round the gills.’

Which provided her with the perfect excuse. ‘I do feel a little under par, Mum …’ She threw her mother a wan smile and ignored Louis who was standing on the sidelines, his arms folded, his eyebrows raised. ‘And I don’t want to drag anyone away from a good time, so I thought I might just take the car and head home. I’m sure you’ll be able to cadge a lift back with the Robinsons, and Maisie and Leigh can fend for themselves; there are a hundred boys here who look like they would jump at the chance.’

‘You’re not leaving already, are you?’ Her mother sounded as horrified as if she had just jumped on a table and begun a striptease. ‘It’s not even midnight yet!’

‘There’s no need for you to worry, Mrs Sharp.’ Louis inserted himself smoothly into the conversation. ‘If Lizzy isn’t feeling well, then of course she must go home.’

Lizzy looked at him narrowly, torn between healthy suspicion and gratitude for getting her off the hook.

‘And I would be delighted to deliver her back to your house in one piece. Or, of course,’ he mused thoughtfully, turning to her, ‘you could always stay here overnight. You’re familiar with the layout of the house and I can make sure that you have the same room as you had last time. Naturally, it won’t be quite as peaceful. There are a considerable number of people staying over.’

‘I’m fine driving back.’

‘Are you? You’ve been drinking.’

‘So have you.’

‘I’ve spent a lot of time nursing two drinks, interspersed with gallons of water.’ He turned to Grace. ‘I’m more than capable of driving your daughter home, leaving you all here to enjoy yourselves.’

Lizzy plastered a stiff smile on her face while she made her excuses to Rose and Nicholas. She was the first guest to leave; she could feel Jessica’s eyes stonily watching her as she and Louis disappeared from the party.

‘There was no need.’ She turned to him as soon as they were outside. Even with her cape wrapped cosily around her, she could still feel the bitter, crisp cold.

She wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. Louis knew that he was acting wildly out of character, but for the first time in living memory something other than pure, cold reason had motivated his behaviour.

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