‘Freya, this is Erica Hanson. Erica, this is my stepsister. My father is married to her mother.’
‘And we bicker like a real brother and sister,’ Freya said cheerfully. ‘Hello, Erica. It’s nice to meet you. Very nice indeed.’
She said the last words with a mysterious significance, and a glance at Leonid that was laden with meaning.
‘I’m off to the chapel,’ she said. ‘They’ll be starting the rehearsal soon. Are you coming, Leonid?’
‘I’m not sure for the moment—’
‘Don’t worry, Amos won’t be there. He hasn’t arrived yet. Anyway, I’ll see you later at the family gathering. Erica, I look forward to seeing you there.’
‘Well, I don’t know if I—’
‘Of course you do. Bye for now.’
She hurried out, but not without turning in the doorway and giving them a thumbs up sign.
‘What was that all about?’ Perdita asked.
‘I’m afraid it means that my family is trying to take you over for its own purpose,’ he said ruefully. ‘Freya has a problem. My father has five sons but no daughter, and he wants to see Freya married off to one of us so that she’ll be more than just his stepdaughter. But he’s rapidly running out of sons. Darius is already married, Marcel is marrying Cassie tomorrow, and that just leaves three of us.
‘We all like Freya but we don’t fancy being dictated to. Luckily she doesn’t like it either. That’s why she was so glad to meet you. She sees you as protection.’
‘You mean if your father thinks—?’
‘That we’re a couple, yes.’
‘That will make Freya safe?’
‘Safe from me. There’s still Jackson and Travis.’
‘But isn’t Travis—? I mean there’s been a lot in the press about his latest love. Surely she’ll be here with him?’
‘I don’t know. Probably, but nobody’s really sure about them. We’re not even certain that Amos is coming. He’s annoyed with Marcel for daring to choose his own wife. But if he does turn up we’re all in danger, Jackson, Travis—and me. Unless—’ he looked at her with meaning ‘—unless some guardian angel will be my shield.’
Perdita’s lips twitched. ‘You mean stand between you and your father and divert his scheming to your brothers?’
‘Exactly. I think Freya rather misunderstood the fact that she saw you in bed.’
‘But don’t you have a girlfriend back wherever you live? From your accent you sound as if you come from a great distance.’
‘I live in Moscow.’
‘How exciting. And I’m sure you must know a lot of women.’
She had a sense that the question displeased him. His voice was edgy as he replied, ‘I have many acquaintances but none that I’m close to in that sense. Otherwise I’d have brought someone with me. Are you attached to anyone?’
‘No, I’m a free agent too.’
‘So you’ll stick with me while we’re here, this evening and at the wedding? I’ll look after you.’ He gave a wry grin and indicated the damp patch on his suit. ‘After all, you owe me a favour.’
‘Yes, I suppose I do.’
‘So you’ll be my “shield and protector”?’
She thought no man had ever looked less in need of protection. There was a formidable air about him that contrasted oddly with the flickers of warmth and humour that had begun to appear in his manner.
‘Unless you’ve got other plans,’ he added.
‘Hardly,’ she said, pointing at her foot.
‘No, you’re going to need me to act as nurse and carer,’ he said with a hint of mischievous triumph. ‘In fact this suits me so well that you might almost think I caused your fall to suit my own purposes.’
This came uncomfortably near to her own actions, but by now her spirits were rising and she was able to say theatrically, ‘Oh, surely not! You could never be so scheming and dishonest.’
He grinned. ‘Believe it or not, there are people in the world who’d descend to that.’
‘I’m shocked! Shocked!’
‘Naturally. You and I rise above such scandalous behaviour.’ His eyes gleamed. ‘Unless, of course, it’s really necessary to push the boundaries.’
‘There really are people who sink so low? You must tell me about them.’
‘I will. We’ll discuss it over dinner tonight. I promise you’ll have a good time.’
That depended on how you defined a good time, she thought. So far she was achieving everything she’d wanted—tricking her way into the inner circle, an invitation to the wedding. That wasn’t a good time. That was a wonderful, fantastic time.
And as if to underline her good fortune, she had the company of a man whose brooding good looks might have been designed to make everything thrilling. Even his slightly fierce manner, instead of being off-putting, was merely intriguing.
‘You don’t answer,’ he said. ‘Are you afraid that I’m going to take advantage? Don’t be.’ His wolfish eyes gleamed, but his smile softened the look. ‘Even if you weren’t poorly, this is strictly a performance to convince my father. Just be at my side, and let me put my arm around you so that he can see. But when we’re alone you won’t have to fight me off, I promise.’
‘That makes me feel a lot better,’ she said untruthfully.
‘Then you’ll do it?’
She smiled at him. She had the sudden feeling of standing at the edge of a high cliff. One false step meant danger, but danger didn’t frighten her. Danger was like fun: exhilarating.
‘I’ll do it,’ she said.
‘Splendid. I’ll arrange for the hotel to send you a maid to help you dress, and I’ll collect you at six-thirty. And … er … if you’d like to buy a new dress—at my expense—’
‘Certainly not!’ she said primly. ‘I can dress myself appropriately.’
‘Of course you can, but—’
‘And I prefer to dress myself,’ she added with a perfectly calculated amount of injured virtue. ‘I hope you understand that.’
‘Perfectly. Please don’t be insulted. I was merely showing my gratitude.’
‘But I’m doing this because I want to,’ she assured him. ‘We
