dared—’
‘No need to be melodramatic. I’ve merely made a few enquiries. She seems a decent sort, lives a quiet life.’
‘As you’d expect from a widow grieving for the husband she loved, and who loved her.’
Amos’s smile was coldly self-satisfied. ‘Ah, so you don’t know. I wondered.’
‘Know about what? What the hell are you talking about?’
‘Did she ever take you to see her husband’s grave?’
‘Of course not. Naturally, she prefers to keep it private.’
‘Have you known her visit that grave at all?’
‘How could I know?’
‘How could you indeed since she takes such care to hide the truth? But you’ll find the answer here.’ He thrust a sheet of paper in Darius’s hand. ‘Read it and find out just how cunningly she’s been keeping her secrets. Then see how much of a heroine she looks.’
Darius took the paper and read its contents. Then he grew very still, trying to control his mounting outrage.
His eyes were hard as he looked up at his father, then down again at the paper in his hand. ‘Los Angeles,’ he murmured.
‘Brad Connor died in a car crash in Los Angeles, and he’s buried out there,’ Amos said.
‘And you read something into that? He was in the tourist industry, so he probably travelled a lot.’
‘He wasn’t there to work; he was living with the woman he planned to marry as soon as his divorce came through.’
‘You can’t know that,’ Darius declared. But he knew as he spoke that Amos could find out anything he liked. It had always been one of the things that inspired admiration for his business abilities, but now Darius could feel only a horror that he’d never known before.
‘Of course I know,’ Amos snapped. ‘I know everything that’s been happening to you on that island.’
‘You’ve dared to plant spies?’
‘I’ve taken steps to assess the situation. That’s always been my way and you know it. You should be grateful. Do you think I’d stand back and see you run into danger without doing anything?’
‘I’m not in any danger.’
‘You’re in danger of becoming sentimental, and that’s one thing you can’t afford. I’d hoped by now you’d be seeing things more sensibly but, since you’re not, let me spell it out. This young woman has deceived you, presenting a picture of her life that’s far from the truth.’
‘She has not deceived me,’ Darius snapped. ‘She’s kept things to herself, but why shouldn’t she? Her personal tragedy is none of my business. If she can’t bear to talk about it, that’s up to her.’
His eyes were full of fury and for the first time it dawned on Amos that he’d miscalculated. His son was every bit as enraged as he’d wanted him to be, but his anger was directed not against Harriet, but against the man who sought to damage her. Amos decided that it was time to change tack. Reasoning might work better.
‘I understand that,’ he said, ‘but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s holding things back while pretending to be open. You don’t know her as well as you thought you did. What other secrets is she concealing?’
‘Whatever they are, she’ll confide in me in her own good time, if she wants to.’
‘Just stop and think what’s going on in her head. One husband let her down, so next time she’s going to make certain that she scores. She’s out to marry you with her eyes on the divorce settlement she’ll eventually claim.’
Darius gave a harsh laugh. ‘Out to marry me? You know nothing. She’s here as my companion, no more. I had to promise to stick to her rules or she wouldn’t have come.’
Amos groaned and abandoned reasoning as useless. ‘How can any son of mine be so naïve? That’s the oldest trick in the book.’
‘She doesn’t go in for tricks,’ Darius said. ‘She’s as honest as the day is long. You have no idea.’
‘You’ve really got it bad, haven’t you?’ Amos said in a voice that verged on contempt.
‘If you mean that I’m in love with her, you’re wrong. Harriet and I are friends. With her I’ve found a kind of friendship I didn’t know existed. I can talk to her without wondering if she’ll make use of the information. She gives far more than she takes, and that’s something I never thought to find in anyone. Try to understand. She’s a revelation. I didn’t know women like her existed, and I’m not going to do anything to spoil it.’
Amos regarded him with pity. ‘A revelation—unlike any other woman,’ he echoed. ‘Well, I’ll say this for her. She’s more skilled and astute than I gave her credit for. All right, maybe she’s not out to marry you. Perhaps she’s just stringing you along for the sake of her island friends. After all, you’re the power there. It would pay her to get on your right side.’
‘Stop it!’ Darius raged. ‘If you know what’s good for you, stop it now!’
‘Or what? Is my son threatening me? I really did underestimate her, didn’t I? All right, we’ll say no more. I tried to warn you but there’s no helping a fool.’
‘Maybe I am a fool,’ Darius said. ‘And maybe I’m happy to settle for that.’
‘That makes you an even bigger fool.’
‘If you dare make yourself unpleasant to Harriet—’
‘I’ve no intention of doing so. Now, it’s time we were getting back to the party.’
He strode out. As he walked through the door Darius saw him position a smile on his face, so that he appeared to the assembled company wearing the proper mask.
Suddenly Darius felt sick.
It was an effort to get his own mask in place and he knew he was less successful than his father, managing only an air of calm that covered the turmoil within. Harriet was sitting with her arm across the empty seat beside her, looking around worriedly. Someone spoke to her and she answered briefly before returning to her troubled search. It was as though the world had stopped in its tracks until she found what she was looking for.
Then she saw Darius and he drew in his breath at the transformation. Suddenly it was as though she was illuminated from inside, radiant, joyful.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, going to sit beside her. ‘I got waylaid. Forgive my bad manners.’
‘Is everything all right?’
‘Everything’s fine.’ He laid his hand over hers. ‘Nothing for you to worry about.’
A waiter poured champagne for them both.
‘Now, let’s forget everything
