reflected in the mirror wearing the white satin gown and delicate lace veil over the dark cascade of her hair certainly looked like her, but Bella could feel no joy in her appearance, or at the thought of becoming Gabriel’s wife.
They had shared the news of their engagement with their delighted families five weeks ago. Bella and Toby had then remained in San Francisco for two more days to give Gabriel the time to settle his affairs before he flew back to England with them.
Since arriving in England, Gabriel had been staying in the house in Surrey where Bella had first met him, but coming to the cottage every day in order to spend time with Toby.
When in the company of her family and Gabriel’s they had, as agreed, given every impression that they were happy in each other’s company.
Not an easy thing on Bella’s part when the more time she spent in Gabriel’s company, the more physically aware of him she became. Until now, on their wedding day, she felt so tense with that physical awareness it was a constant painful ache. So much for her condition that this was to be a marriage in name only…
This was her wedding day, Bella accepted heavily.
And she couldn’t have felt more miserable!
‘Where are we going?’
‘On our honeymoon, of course,’ Gabriel said with satisfaction as he drove the black sports car to the private airfield where the Danti jet was fuelled and waiting to take off, the two of them having just been given a warm send-off by their wedding guests.
‘What honeymoon?’ Bella frowned as she turned in her seat to look at him, still wearing her wedding gown and veil. ‘At no time in the last five weeks did we discuss going away on a honeymoon!’
‘We did not discuss it because I knew this would be your reaction if we had,’ Gabriel told her unrepentantly.
She scowled her frustration with his high-handedness. ‘If you knew that then, why—?’
‘It was meant to be a surprise,’ Gabriel growled.
Her mouth compressed. ‘Oh it’s certainly that all right.’
‘It is Toby’s surprise, Bella,’ he elaborated softly.
She looked at him sharply. ‘Toby’s?’
Gabriel nodded. ‘Our son confided in me several weeks ago that newly married people go away on honeymoon together after the wedding.’
Bella’s cheeks were flushed. ‘You should have explained to him—’
‘Should have explained what exactly to him, Isabella?’ Gabriel grated harshly. ‘That although his mother and father are now married, they are not in love with each other? That his mother has no desire whatsoever to spend time alone with his father?’
Bella winced. When he put it like that…!
They had spent the last few weeks, individually and together, convincing Toby that they were all going to be happy as a real family. Obviously they had succeeded as far as Toby was concerned, which was why he had decided his parents going away on honeymoon together was what a ‘real family’ did…
‘I don’t have any other clothes with me—’
‘Claudia was kind enough to pack a suitcase for you,’ Gabriel explained. ‘It is in the trunk of the car with my own.’
Well, that explained the mischievous glint Bella had seen in Claudia’s eyes earlier as her sister had stood with the other wedding guests outside the hotel to wave them off!
‘Toby also arranged to stay with your parents for the week we are away,’ Gabriel supplied. ‘With my father remaining in England and visiting him often.’
‘He’s certainly been busy, hasn’t he?’ Bella sighed as she raised her hands to take the pins out of her hair and remove the veil, her head throbbing. ‘That’s better.’ She threw the veil onto the back seat before sitting back more comfortably.
This really had been the most difficult day of Bella’s life. Starting with the conversation her father had insisted on having with her early this morning…
He had been alone in the kitchen drinking coffee when Bella had come downstairs at six-thirty, his conversation light as she had made herself a cup of coffee. Once Bella had sat down at the kitchen table with him it had been a different matter, however.
He had gently voiced his own and her mother’s worries about the haste with which Bella and Gabriel were getting married. Was she doing the right thing? Was she really sure this was what she wanted? There was no doubting Toby’s excitement but was Bella going to be happy?
Lying to her father had possibly been the hardest thing Bella had ever done.
Even now, thinking of his gentle concern for her happiness, Bella could feel the tears prick her eyes. ‘So, where have you decided we’re going on our honeymoon?’ she asked Gabriel heavily.
Gabriel’s mouth tightened at the fatigue in Bella’s tone as she made no effort to hide the fact that today had been no more than a trial she’d had to get through.
She had looked stunningly beautiful as she had walked down the aisle towards him. A vision in white satin and lace.
A vision in white satin and lace who had avoided so much as meeting his gaze. Whose voice had quivered with uncertainty as she made her vows, her hand trembling slightly as she allowed Gabriel to slide the thin gold wedding band in place. Her fingers had been cold as she’d placed the matching gold band Gabriel had insisted on upon his own finger, her mouth stiff and unresponsive as Gabriel kissed her to seal their vows. Although admittedly she had made an effort to smile and acknowledge their guests as they’d walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife.
Probably because looking and smiling at their guests was preferable to looking at him, Gabriel acknowledged grimly to himself.
‘We are flying to your island in the Caribbean,’ Gabriel told her.
‘Don’t you mean your island in the Caribbean?’ she corrected.
‘No, I mean yours,’ Gabriel said. ‘It is my wedding gift to you.’ He hadn’t meant to tell her that quite so abruptly; had intended surprising her with his gift once they arrived at their destination. He would have stuck to that plan, too, if he weren’t feeling quite so frustrated with her distant behaviour.
Bella was absolutely stunned as she stared at Gabriel in complete disbelief. Gabriel was giving her a whole island in the Caribbean as a wedding present?
His mouth quirked as he obviously read some of her incredulity. ‘Do not look so concerned, Isabella. It is only a small island.’
‘Isn’t even a small island a little overkill when I only gave you a pair of cufflinks?’A frown marred her brow.
Bella had only bought the cufflinks at the last moment because Claudia, as Chief Bridesmaid, said she had to; until then Bella hadn’t even thought of giving Gabriel a gift to mark their marriage. What could she possibly give to the man who had everything?
Although Bella had noted,
