‘Just what do you think you’re doing?’
‘Taking you for a short but romantic cruise,’ he said. ‘At least I hope it will be romantic. However, the Bay of Biscay may rule against that.’
‘I’m on the side of the Bay of Biscay.’ She lifted her chin. ‘Diaz, you’re being ridiculous. You can’t behave like this.’
‘And just who is going to stop me?’ His voice held faint amusement.
‘Your own common sense, I hope,’ she said coldly. ‘We’re both supposed to be attending a wedding tomorrow—your cousin, my oldest friend. You think our absence won’t be noted? That people won’t ask questions and start looking for us?’
‘They won’t have to,’ he said. ‘The letter I left for Carrie earlier when I was collecting your stuff from the house makes the situation perfectly clear.’
Her heartbeat seemed to be rattling against her ribcage. ‘Then maybe you could offer me equal clarification. If it’s not too much trouble.’
‘Not at all.’ He settled himself more comfortably against the door, hands in his pockets. ‘I told her that we’d got together in London earlier this year, but things had gone wrong between us.’ He paused. ‘I didn’t specify what, or how, but I said I felt I had a real chance to put things right if you and I could just be alone together for a while to work things out.
‘I mentioned that I knew that you planned to leave straight after the wedding, and once you’d gone any opportunity to get you to myself would probably be blown too, and I couldn’t risk it. So I was extending our dinner date into a trip on Windhover for a few days. A kind of advance honeymoon. I thought that was the kind of excuse that might appeal, as she’s about to embark on a honeymoon of her own.’
He added unsmilingly, ‘I also asked her to forgive us both, and wish us luck.’
She said huskily, ‘You actually believe that anyone will be deceived by such nonsense? By that—tissue of lies?’
He shrugged. ‘Why not? Admittedly my explanation may not go down well in some quarters, and Carrie will indeed be disappointed, but in this case I feel the end justifies the means.’
‘But I don’t agree,’ she said. ‘So I’d be glad if you’d turn this floating prison right around and take me back to Polkernick.’
‘Not a chance, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘You’re coming with me. You might not be my companion of choice, you understand, but—hey—the time will soon pass. And when we eventually put in somewhere, you’ll find yourself on a flight back to London before you know it.’
‘Kidnap is a crime,’ she said. ‘People end up in jail for things like this.’
‘For “kidnap” substitute “brief idyllic interlude for two people who fancy each other like crazy”.’ His smile was cold. ‘Quite apart from the note, I think most of the evidence is on my side. Mrs Henderson was delighted to collaborate in my “surprise” and pack your things for Juan to collect after you’d left for the hotel. Everyone saw us leave the party in perfect amity, and knew we were having dinner together. There was no kicking and screaming at the harbour. There were people around who can verify that you came on board without coercion.’
‘But that’s not how I’ve stayed,’ she said tautly. ‘You had me locked in.’
‘Did I?’ he countered. ‘Or have we just experienced some teething troubles with an ill-fitting door, perhaps?’
‘No doubt that will be confirmed by Enrique,’ she said bitterly. ‘But it makes no difference. Because now I want to leave.’ She swallowed. ‘I don’t even have to go back to Polkernick, if that’s inconvenient. There are loads of harbours along the coast. You could simply drop me ashore at one of them, and be rid of me. I—I promise I’ll make no official complaint.’
‘A selfless thought,’ he returned. ‘And a real temptation. But no chance, my pet. We’re sailing off into tomorrow’s sunrise. Together.’
‘But why are you doing this?’ Her voice was a strained whisper. ‘Why? I don’t understand.’
Diaz straightened, coming away from the door and walking across to her. Standing over her so that in spite of herself she shrank back against the cushions.
His voice bit. ‘To make sure that Carrie’s wedding, however ill-advised I may think it, goes ahead, unhindered and unhampered by any dramatic revelations from you, darling.’
His eyes were hard. ‘You see, Rhianna, I just don’t think you can be trusted. I think you spell trouble in every line of that delectable body that you use to such effect. But what finally tipped the scales against you was when I caught you parading yourself in front of the mirror yesterday—taking advantage of Carrie’s momentary absence to see how her wedding dress and veil would look if you were wearing them instead of her.’
Rhianna felt the colour drain from her face. ‘So it was you,’ she said. ‘I thought I heard someone.’
His mouth curled. ‘Unfortunately for you—yes. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Dear God, you’d only been in the house five minutes and already you were pretending to be the bride. Imagining yourself taking her place. And who could guarantee you might be not be tempted to turn your pathetic little fantasy into reality?’
She said hoarsely, ‘Diaz—you have to let me explain…’
‘Not necessary,’ he said. ‘You see, I came back a little later to tell you—warn you that I’d seen you—and tell you for the last time to go. Only I discovered that you were otherwise engaged, talking to bloody Simon.’
She said thickly, ‘And you listened?’
‘Wild horses wouldn’t have dragged me away,’ he returned harshly. ‘It was—most revealing. Everything finally made a kind of sick sense.’
He looked at her with contempt. ‘I don’t know if being pregnant by the bridegroom is the kind of “just impediment” the Church was thinking of when it wrote the marriage service, but I sure as hell wasn’t planning to find out. I couldn’t risk you staging some hysterical last-minute confession scene, Rhianna, some touching plea for your unborn child. So I decided it would be better if you were removed—out of harm’s way. And, ironically, Simon’s ghastly mother supplied me with the means.’
‘How fortunate for you,’ she said hoarsely. ‘And if she hadn’t?’
‘I’d have found some other way.’ He gave her a cynical look. ‘And you won’t be gone for too long,’ he added. ‘Not enough to jeopardise your abortion plans anyway. I presume there’s an appointment already booked?’
‘Yes,’ she said. It was difficult to speak evenly. ‘As it happens, there is.’
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Always best to keep things neat and tidy. Although even if Simon had been free to marry you I can’t imagine you wanting to have the child,’ he went on. ‘After all, nothing must impede your precious career, and a pregnant Lady Ariadne would never do.’
‘Totally out of character, I agree.’ She lifted her brows, fighting the pain that raked her. ‘I didn’t realise you were such a fan.’
