birthday party,’ Libby reminded her pointedly. ‘This is supposed to be our birthday party, remember? You, me and Alex.’ She glanced round the manicured garden at the hordes of elegant guests and rolled her eyes. ‘We’re the only triplets in the world whose parents throw them a garden party and then invite all their own guests and offset it against tax as business entertaining. Well, I, for one, refuse to play the game. And you only do it because you’re so sweet and gentle and hate confrontation.’
There was a light in her eye that made Katy feel extraordinarily jumpy. ‘We can all go home in a few hours,’ she reminded her sister wearily. ‘Just play along, Libby. For Mum’s sake. Please.’
‘Like you do, you mean?’ Libby’s eyes slid over her. ‘Don’t you ever want to shock them all, Katy? Rip your clothes off, get drunk, take drugs, swear?’
‘All at once?’ Katy gave a wan smile and glanced towards a group of men who were downing champagne at a remarkable rate.
‘Ah—yes. I forgot. You can’t do things like that. Lord Frederick Hamilton wouldn’t approve.’ Libby was silent for a moment and then she gave a sigh, her pretty face suddenly serious. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to marry that man, Katy.’
Katy swallowed.
Sometimes she couldn’t believe it either.
But it was the right thing to do.
‘I mean, look at him now! Why isn’t he trying to drag you into the bushes for a grope?’ Libby studied him curiously, her head on one side. ‘He’s too busy networking to even notice that you’re here. You could be naked and covered in whipped cream and he’d still be mingling with the movers and shakers.’
Everything her sister said was true and Katy wondered why she didn’t mind more. She chewed her lip. The truth was that she didn’t mind because she didn’t want Freddie to take her into the bushes for a grope. She was quite happy for him to be talking to his business colleagues, leaving her alone to make her own amusement.
Freddie was safe.
At that moment their mother glanced towards them and a horrified expression crossed her face. Visibly agitated, she cast a terrified look towards her husband who was still deep in conversation and hadn’t yet noticed his daughters.
Libby sucked in a breath and grinned. ‘We have lift-off. Ten, nine, eight …’
The girls waited as their mother hurried towards them, Katy tense and on edge, Libby amused and defiant.
Katy glanced at her sister with a mixture of exasperation and envy. How could she be so completely unafraid of their father?
Instead of avoiding confrontation, she relished it.
As if to prove a point, Libby tugged her dress down to expose a little more of her already exposed cleavage.
‘Elizabeth.’ Lady Caroline Westerling stopped in front of her daughters and her eyes darted nervously towards her husband. Fortunately he still had his back to them. ‘Your hair is a disgrace, and what do you think you’re wearing?’
‘A party dress.’ Libby smiled happily at her mother. ‘For my birthday party.’
Katy winced at her less than subtle reminder that this annual event had originated as a celebration of their birthday. Her mother seemed oblivious to the dig.
‘It’s indecent and common.’ She ran her eyes over Libby’s long bare legs and winced. ‘Your father will … He’ll throw a fit.’
Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘Oh, I do hope so,’ she said softly, and their mother gave her a helpless look.
‘Why, Elizabeth? Why do you have to do this?’ Her eyes flickered around the lawn. ‘There are any number of suitable men that you might have been introduced to this evening, but not dressed like that.’
Libby’s smile widened. ‘I’m only interested in unsuitable men.’
Her mother’s eyes closed and sweat broke out on her brow. ‘You look like a prostitute. Go upstairs and ask Sally to find you something more conservative before he sees you.’
‘I like this dress and I don’t care what he thinks. And neither should you.’ Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘You shouldn’t let him bully you, Mum.’
Katy let out a breath. ‘Not here, Lib, please.’
Libby was staring at their mother. ‘You should stand up to him.’
Caroline Westerling ignored her comment and looked away, her breathing suddenly rapid. ‘Your father has some very important guests here today.’ She turned to Katy and gave a bright smile that fooled no one. ‘Freddie is doing so well. He has something to say to everyone. Your father thinks he’s heading straight for the top.’
‘Hopefully he’ll bang his head when he gets there,’ Libby drawled, and Katy hid a smile.
What would she do without her sister? She loved her irrepressible nature and the fact that no one scared her.
No one made Libby do anything she didn’t want to do.
Not even their father.
Katy watched Freddie weave his way through the crowd, exchanging smiles and handshakes.
Her mother gave a sigh. ‘Such a suitable man. You’ve made a wonderful match, Katherine. All we need to do now is to sort your job out. I hope that once you’re married you’ll give up all this doctor nonsense.’
Katy stiffened. ‘I won’t be giving it up.’
What did it take to convince her parents that this was the career she wanted?
‘What about me?’ Libby’s tone was airy. ‘I’m a nurse—does that count? And Alex is a doctor. Doesn’t Dad want us to give up, too?’
Their mother bit her lip. ‘You and Alex are different.’
‘He can’t bully us, you mean,’ Libby said softly, and Caroline’s eyes darted nervously around the lawn.
‘Keep your voice down, Elizabeth.’ Her mother looked pained and turned back to Katy. ‘You’ve qualified now. You’ve shown everyone that you can do it. You don’t need to carry on working any more. Freddie is extraordinarily wealthy in his own right and with your trust fund there’s absolutely no need for you to work. When you’re married Freddie will need you at home for entertaining clients. You won’t have time for a job.’
Katy felt stifled again. ‘I love being a doctor, it’s what I do. There’s no way I’m giving it up.’
Sometimes she felt that her job was the only thing that kept her sane.
Her mother rubbed her hands together nervously. ‘You can’t carry on doing nights and all those horrible hours once you’re married.’
Katy liked the horrible hours. Horrible hours gave her a perfect excuse not to have a social life.
‘I’ve
