determined jaw set in unflattering lines. “If I recall correctly, you and Chloe Compton are to make a match of it.” She sounded chilly and utterly shocked.
“That might be Dad’s plan,” Boyd said, “but not mine. I make my own decisions, Jinty. I thought you knew that. I’m no more in love with Chloe than—who shall I say?—I’m in love with your sister, Tonya. Oh, by the way—” Boyd keeping one arm around the deeply trembling Leona, dug the other hand into his trouser pocket “—you really shouldn’t leave extremely valuable heirloom jewellery lying around. Is that why you came downstairs?”
Jinty’s skin flushed as if she were in disgrace. “You have my earrings?”
“I have the family earrings, Jinty,” Boyd said pointedly, swiftly seizing the advantage. “They will eventually come to my wife. It’s a good thing I happened to notice where you put them.” He held the earrings out to her and Jinty moved forward to take them, her features sharply honed with all manner of emotions.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to your father,” she said stiffly.
“Jinty, I wouldn’t dream of telling him. Just be a little more careful with them in future.”
Jinty, diamonds in hand, turned to go. “I may be a little slow,” she said, “but I had no idea what was going on with you and Leona.”
“But nothing has been going on, as you put it,” Boyd assured her. “Not until this weekend. I was giving Leo a little time, that’s all. She’s been enjoying her career. I’m sure we’re all very proud of her, but now I’ve decided we have to get on with the rest of our lives.”
“Does your father know any of this?” Jinty asked through clenched teeth. It was obvious she had difficulty speaking she was so clearly stunned.
“Not as yet. He’s been too busy trying to push Chloe at me. I’ll tell him when I’m ready. Leona will make the most beautiful bride.”
Jinty couldn’t get out of the drawing room fast enough.
“Has everyone taken leave of their senses?” Leona asked when she was quite sure that Jinty had gone up the staircase.
“Well, I’m certainly in possession of mine,” Boyd said. “We’d better get you upstairs before you collapse. And you could tell that cowardly little brother of yours—”
“He’s not a coward,” she said loyally. “He wanted to return the earrings to the Limoges bowl.”
Boyd ignored her. “You know another thing about Robbie? He’s well over his ears in debt.”
“Is he?” She moaned as if it was all too much for her.
“You don’t know?”
Her green eyes were dark with dismay. “Well … he tells me everything, but …”
Boyd cut her off. “He’s got himself mixed up with people who are little more than thugs. The kind who target young idiots like Robbie, a rich kid, an easy mark.”
“Dear God!” Leona let her head fall into her hands. “I blame myself.”
“Well, you would, wouldn’t you?” Boyd returned very crisply. “You’ve been covering for Robbie for years. Where is he now? And don’t, I beg of you, Leona, lie.”
“He’s in my room.”
“What, hiding under the bed?”
“You know why he gets into trouble, don’t you?” Leona made a passionate effort to try to absolve Robbie from some of the blame.
“He has an identity crisis?” Boyd asked, unbearably suave.
“Yes, he does. His father deserted him. Dad doesn’t know what to make of him. For heaven’s sake, he doesn’t know what to make of me. The proverbial cat would make a better mother than Delia. Robbie has suffered.”
“Don’t be absurd!” Boyd cut her short. “Robbie wallows in his suffering when he’s being looked after very well,” he told her grimly. “He has a more than adequate allowance. He buys the best of everything from Blanchards, then forgets to pay off his account. He’s at university. He’s a fine athlete, good-looking and clever. My heart bleeds for him.”
“So what are you going to do?” she whispered.
“Oh, give me a break! I’m going to knock him senseless.”
Leona winced. “You wouldn’t do that.” Was it possible?
“What good would that do?” Boyd shrugged. “You tell Robbie I want to meet him ten o’clock sharp tomorrow morning in the hall. We’ll go for a nice long walk together.”
“Oh, thank you, Boyd. Thank you.” She felt like falling to her knees and kissing his hand.
“Alas, not the end of the story, Leona,” he said tersely. “I meant what I said. That wasn’t a bit of play-acting for Jinty’s benefit. You will make a beautiful bride. My bride. You belong to me. No one else. Consider that our deal. Robbie gets thrown a lifeline. But if there’s a next time when he gets himself into a really bad situation, he can drown. But for now, you marry me. You’re the only one who can give me what I want.”
The more she scanned his dynamic face, the angrier she became. So angry she started to stutter. “So … can … you t-tell me exactly why you want me?” Her green eyes flashed and rosy colour swept into her face. She was maddened by his easy arrogant assumption that she would go along with his grand plan. Robbie or no Robbie, she wasn’t going to accept this sort of proposal when it was clearly as he said, a deal.
“Is it because you think you own me? Or think you can. Is that it?”
For answer, he knotted his fingers through her rose-gold hair, drawing her mutinous face closer. Then he brought his masterful mouth down on hers, almost bruising in its intensity, leaving his indelible mark. “That’s it,” he said. “That’s it exactly.”
“But that’s blackmail!” Her legs were buckling. The fine flavour of him was on her lips and her tongue. No matter what heart, body and spirit craved, it would be spineless to give in to him without a fight.
“You have the choice, Leona,” he told her. “It’s over for Robbie or we start a new life together.”
It was near impossible to calm herself. “What if your father decides it simply won’t do?” She knew that was bound to happen.
His expression hardened. “My private life is a no-go area where my father is concerned, Leona. I pick my wife, Leona. I choose you. I’ve known you since you were a child. I understand you better than anyone else. For your sake I’ll make sure Robbie gets pulled very firmly into line. And it will go no further. In my view, Robbie is more pampered than suffering and it has to stop.” He sounded so incredibly stern she could have wept.
“How long have you been thinking about this?” she asked, considering with a rush of horror that it might be one way of getting rid of all the women who were chasing him.
