chapter 22. Pain as he kissed another woman.
1006 Words
Several weeks passed in a more restrained manner, as if he'd placed himself on his best behavior, and she managed to push away the hurt. He insisted that she accompany him whenever he went out socially, and she was his hostess whenever he enter-
tained
The strain on her was telling. At yet another party, She felt smothered and escaped into the coolness of the dark garden, where she sucked in deep lungfuls of fresh, sweet air; she had been unable to breathe in the smoke-laden atmosphere inside. In the weeks since she had met William, she
had learned to be relaxed at social gatherings, but she still felt the need to be by herself occasionally, and those quiet times had been rare. William had the power of a volcano, spewing out orders and moving everyone along in the lava flow of his authority.
She wasn't certain just where he was at the moment, but she took advantage of his lapse of attention to seek the quietness of the garden.
Just before leaving for the dinner party tonight, they'd had a flaming argument over her continued refusal to sell the stock to him, their first argument
since the awful scene in his office.
He wouldn't back down an inch; he was furious with her for defying
him, and he had even accused her of trying to trick him into increasing his offer. Sick to death of his lack
of understanding and tired of the running battle,
Ursula had grabbed the paper and signed it, then thrown it to the floor in a fit of temper.
"Well, there it is!" she had snapped furiously. It wasn't until he'd
leaned down and picked up the paper to fold it and replace it in his pocket that she'd seen the speculative gleam in his eyes and realized that she'd made a
mistake.
Signing now, after he had accused her of
holding out for a higher price and assured her that she wouldn't get it, had convinced him that she'd been doing exactly that all along, biding her time and hoping lor a higher price. But it was too late now to do anything about it, and she had grimly conquered the tears that sprang to her eyes as the pain of his
Suspicions hurt her.
Strolling along the night-dewed path of white gravel, she wondered sadly if the sense of ease which had come into their relationship lately had been destroyed.
He had ceased pressuring her to let him
make love to her, had in fact become increasingly tender with her, as if he was at last beginning to care.
The thought made her breathless, for it was like a dream come true. In a thousand ways, he spoiled her
and curbed his impatient nature for her, and she no longer tried to fight her love for him.
She didn't even want to any longer, so thoroughly had he taken her under his influence.
But all of that might be gone now. She should never have signed that agreement! She'd given in to his bullying tactics in a fit of temper, and all she had
done was to reinforce his picture of her as a mercenary temptress. What ground she'd gained in his affections had been lost in that one moment.
Moving slowly along, her head down while she dreamed wistfully of marrying William and having his children-something not likely to happen
now-it was some moments before she heard the murmur of voices. She was almost upon the couple before she realized it. She halted, but it seemed that
they hadn't notioed her. They were only a dim shape in the darkness, the pale blur of the woman's gown blending into the darknessof the man's dinner jacket
as they embraced.
Trying to move quietly, Ursula stepped back with the intention of withdrawing without attracting attention to herself, but then the woman gave a sharp
sigh and moaned,
"William ! Ah, my love......"
Ursula's legs went numb and refused to move as strength drained away from her. William ? Her William?
She was too dazed to feel any pain; she didn't really believe it. At last she managed to turn and look again at the entwined couple. Diana. Most
assuredly Diana. She had recognized that voice.
And-William? The bent black head, the powertul shoulders, Could be William , but she couldn't be certain.
Then his head lifted and he muttered in
English,
"What's wrong, Diana? Has no one been
taking care of you, as lovely as you are?"
"No, no one," she whispered. "I've waited for you,"
"Were you so certain I would return?" he asked,
amusement coming into his voice as he raised his head higher to look into the gorgeous upturned face.
Ursula turned away, not wanting to see him kiss the other woman again. The pain had started when
she saw for certain that William was the man holding Diana so passionately, but she determinedly forced it down. If she let go, she would weep and make
fool of herself, so she tilted her chin arrogantly and gnored the vise that squeezed her chest, the knife
that stabbed her insides. Behind her, she heard him call her name, but she moved swiftly across the patio
and into the protection of the house and the throng of people. People smiled at her now, and spoke, and she put a faint smile on her stiff lips and made her
way very calmly to the informal bar.
Everyone was getting their own drinks, so she poured herself a liberal portion of tart white wine and sipped it as she moved steadily about the room,
Smiling, but not allowing herself to be drawn into conversation.
She could not talk to anyone just now
she would just walk about and sip her wine and concentrate on mastering the savage thrust of pain inside her, She wasn't certain how she would leave
the patty, whether she was strong enough to leave with William or if it would be best to call a taxi.
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