these two weeks with her new group of children for the year had helped cement a relationship that she hoped the children would remember until she returned. And by that time her name would have changed from O’Rourke to Simond-Smith. It was quite a mouthful for small children, but Graham’s family wouldn’t hear of using just Simond or Smith.
The last few weeks had been so hectic, but the weekend would see the culmination of all their plans. Saturday was her wedding day to Graham.
Caitlin had tried so hard not to think of Rogan McCord today, but it was difficult not to remember her wanton response to the man. She had wanted him to go on kissing and caressing her. Who knew where it might have ended if she hadn’t come to her senses! She had blushed profusely at lunch-time when Paul Raymond had delivered her car to the school and asked if she had got home all right.
After that thoughts of Rogan had been impossible to put from her mind, and the last thing she felt like facing tonight was a family dinner party. But her mother had made the arrangements weeks ago, and she couldn’t disappoint her. Besides, she needed this time with Graham, to sort out her feelings for him. God, it was a bit late in the day to start having doubts about their marriage now! But the disturbing memory of her response to Rogan McCord wouldn’t go away.
‘You look lovely, darling,’ her mother complimented, entering Caitlin’s bedroom after a brief knock.
She knew the black of her dress set off the fire of her hair, although that had been subdued to a burnished bronze by the loosely swept-up hair-style that left several loose tendrils framing the oval of her face. ‘So do you.’ She put her arm companionably through the crook of her mother’s, several inches taller than the tiny woman at her side.
‘Brian and Beth have arrived, but Graham rang a short time ago to say he would be slightly late; he’s been delayed at the office,’ she frowned. ‘He and his parents should be here soon, though.’
Why did Graham have to be late tonight of all nights, when she needed to see him so badly!
‘—your father was sure you wouldn’t mind,’ her mother was saying.
‘I’m sorry, Mummy.’ She shook her head with a guilty grimace. ‘I wasn’t listening.’
Her mother gave her an indulgent smile. ‘Thinking about Saturday?’
‘Yes,’ she confirmed shakily.
Her mother squeezed her arm. ‘You’re going to be a beautiful bride.’
What woman wouldn’t in the gown that had cost a small fortune? Oh God, if only she had never met Rogan McCord!
‘I was just explaining earlier that—well, you can see for yourself now,’ her mother said brightly as they entered the lounge.
‘See what for myself?’ She frowned her puzzlement. ‘Mummy, what——.’
‘I think your mother was just trying to tell you that I’m their guest,’ cut in an arrogantly mocking voice that she had hoped never to hear again!
All the colour drained from her cheeks as she turned to face her tormentor. Rogan was wearing a black dinner-suit and snowy white shirt tonight, but even those trappings of civilisation couldn’t disguise his rakish, rather than polished, attraction.
What was he doing here? How had he managed to wangle an invitation to a family dinner from her father? By the look of the half empty glass in his hand he had been here for some time!
Before she could make any comment to his mocking statement Rogan put out his hand. ‘I’m Rogan McCord,’ he introduced himself unnecessarily. ‘A business associate of your father’s,’ he added derisively.
He wasn’t going to give her away to her family! Why wasn’t he?
A business associate of her father’s, he said. Since when? Today, perhaps? She looked at him suspiciously.
‘Poor Rogan has been staying at a hotel the last few days,’ her father put in sympathetically. ‘I wouldn’t hear of that continuing once he told me; I insisted he stay on here until our business is concluded.’
The two of them made that elegantly expensive hotel sound like the next thing up from a hovel! And she still didn’t know how long this ‘business association’ had been going on.
Rogan was the one to answer that question. ‘It was originally planned for me to see your father next week,’ he explained. ‘But I wound my business up in Germany much quicker than I expected to and came straight over.’ His gaze levelled on her coldly. ‘I had no idea I would be intruding on such an intimate family occasion.’
‘You aren’t intruding,’ her father dismissed. ‘We’re glad to have you.’
‘Miss O’Rourke?’ Rogan prompted, his gaze fixed firmly on her flushed face.
‘Any friend of my father’s is most welcome,’ she assured flatly.
‘He’s just invited me to attend the wedding, too,’ he continued remorselessly. ‘Saturday, isn’t it?’
Oh God, now he must believe her to have been a panicked bride last night when she had responded to him so easily! ‘Yes,’ she rasped. ‘Please do come, Mr McCord,’ she regained some of her usual poise. ‘We’re hoping it will be a memorable occasion.’
‘I’m sure it will be.’ He gave an inclination of his head.
‘Excuse me,’ she said abruptly. ‘I have to say hello to my brother and his wife.’
Saying hello to Brian and Beth took all of two minutes, by which time Rogan was ensconced on one of the sofas with her mother, the two of them deep in conversation. Surely he wouldn’t—? No … Would he?
‘What do you think of him, then, little sister?’ Brian mused at her side, following her gaze as she watched Rogan charming their mother.
She sipped the dry sherry her father had brought over to her before answering, knowing how astute her brother could be at times. ‘I don’t really know much about him,’ she shrugged uninterestedly.
Brian, tall and whipcord-thin, raised his brows over laughing blue eyes. ‘You’ve never heard of Rogan McCord?’
Obviously not in the way her brother meant! ‘Should I have done?’ She sounded bored.
‘He’s a big shot in the real estate business,’ Brian drawled. ‘Although I think this is the first time he’s ever ventured across the Atlantic.’
‘And what lured him?’ she asked.
‘Dad, of course, and a partnership in a hotel chain they’re both interested in,’ Brian chuckled. ‘The two of them met while Dad was in the States a few months ago. Of course your head has been too filled with wedding plans to be interested in the dry old family business, otherwise you would probably have heard all about him.’
Caitlin deliberately took the time to sip her sherry, not wanting her brother to see just how curious she was about the man who had been able to talk her father into a partnership in anything. ‘Tell me now,’ she invited softly, her eyes narrowing as Rogan made her mother giggle like a schoolgirl. Her mother never giggled!
