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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Chapter Fifty
As stunned silences went, the one that followed her confession was epic. It went on and on, stretching the air until she thought it would snap. That Dan might never speak to her again. Mira didn’t blame him. Saying the words out loud had been as shocking to her as to him. She’d buried the truth so deep inside her that for long periods she could forget those ten minutes when she’d stood in front of a registrar, barely nineteen, burning with ideals, going through a ceremony that had seemed meaningless to her. Marriage was an outdated institution. Just another way of controlling people, so why not use it against the system? It seemed like a lifetime ago. It was only when, pregnant with Toby, Nate had asked her to marry him that the reality of her situation had dawned on her. Maybe that was why she’d told Dan to expiate herself. She was never going to be able to put it right with Natenow. But his total stillness, total silence, was so frightening that she reached out, instinctively,
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Chapter 51.‘Good job. Okay, now I’m going to take your finger…’ He took his tinyhand in his own and laid the end of his finger over Toby’s. ‘And we’regoing to press that key. Just once. Lightly.’ He tapped the key with Toby’sfinger and a list of files came up. ‘Oh!’‘You liked that? Want to do it again?’After doing it half a dozen times they moved on, and between them theymarked the files and copied them to the CD. It took longer than if he’d doneit on his own, but that didn’t matter. He’d wasted too much time, stayingaway, doing the right thing. This was the right thing…When they’d done he looked up and discovered that both Connie andMira were watching them, apparently transfixed.‘What?’ he said.‘Nothing.’ Mira swallowed. ‘It’s just that…people don’t usually letlittle boys play with thousands of pounds worth of computer hardware.’‘No? Believe me, this was easy. Toby speaks English. It’s a lot harderwhen you’re in some place that the world forgot—or more likely neverkn
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Chapter 52.‘That’s what Natetold me. Apparently he was being economical withthe truth. The house did once belong to the family, but was sold off by hisfather some years ago. It was just chance it happened to be available to letwhen we were looking for somewhere to live.’Matty choked as she swallowed a mouthful of her drink and let slip anexpletive. ‘What did Dan have to say about that?’‘It’s none of his business, Matty.’‘Look, I don’t want to sound over-anxious, but you’re going to needsomeone on your side—’‘Not him,’ she snapped back.‘Is there anyone else?’‘You don’t understand—’‘I understand the situation perfectly. Dan Dymoke is the devil himself.The one whose name must never be spoken. Anyone would think the pair ofyou had had a passionate affair or something—’‘No!’ Then, because she knew she’d overreacted, ‘We only met oncebefore. When Nateand I had dinner with him when we told him that wewere moving in together. And about the baby.’‘Oh, please! I wouldn’t have
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Chapter 53.EASY enough to announce that she was answering the wake-up call that fatehad rung so loudly in her ears. It was quite another to look the world in theeye at eight o’clock in the morning—and most of it appeared to be packedinto the underground train with her—and act on it.Miracesca had put in a couple of years at the coal face of marketingbefore she’d met Nate n. It hadn’t exactly been a riveting experience. Whatideas she’d offered had been brushed aside before, as the most juniormember of the team, she’d been despatched for coffee, sandwiches,photocopying. She hadn’t needed too much persuading not to return afterToby was born. None of the wives or partners of Nate n’s business friendshad worked, and it had been easy enough to fall into the round of gymworkouts, lunches and dinner parties. To pretend to herself that she had afull and rewarding life.Easy to pretend that she was happy. Bury the memory of a momentwhen the world had appeared to light up. Nate was
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Chapter Fifty Four
Chapter 54.Concentrated all her attention on the keys that were cutting into her palmshe was holding on to them so tightly.‘Brian Hicks,’ she said, coming back to the point. ‘He must be owedmoney. Salary, holiday entitlement. Until I’ve been to the bank…’‘I paid him.’‘Oh. Well, thank you. I’ll reimburse you, of course,’ she said, mentallycrossing her fingers. She had no idea what the company finances were like.‘It’s not necessary. We’re going to be partners, remember.’‘No.’ She didn’t want Dan’s disturbing presence invading her life. Himbeing there every time she turned around. She’d had three years of feelingguilty because every time she closed her eyes…‘It’s what Nate wanted. The dying wish of a man who loved you,’ hesaid. ‘It will make everything simpler, although I do intend to be a silentpartner. In all aspects of the arrangement,’ he added.‘You mean you don’t anticipate leaping into my bed with the samespeed with which you’ve taken over my office?’‘I somehow dou
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Chapter Fifty Five
Chapter 55.‘Anyway, that’s not my concern,’ she said briskly, refusing to give in tothem. ‘What’s worrying me is that if you fall asleep in that chair I won’t beable to get into the desk. Did you come in your car?’‘No, I left it at my office yesterday.’‘Good. You’re in no fit state to be behind the wheel.’ She dug around inher bag for her front door key—which she laid on the desk in front of him—and a tissue, which she used to blow her nose. And wondered how muchof his car Nate had owned. Whether she’d be able to use the money toease finances a little. It was a company car so it would be hers. The papersmust be here…‘Should you be here at all?’ he asked, distracting her as he got up, camearound the desk. ‘This would be tough for anyone.’His eyes were full of compassion, concern, and something else that shethought might be despair but was more likely exhaustion. She wanted to layher hand against his cheek. To kiss his brow. To wrap her arms around himand hold him for a
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Chapter 56.MiraCESCA’S heart stopped. Dan had fallen asleep in the bath. His arm washanging over the edge, his fingers brushing against the floor. The tensionhad flowed out of his face and his long, elegant limbs were totally relaxedand, for the first time since he’d come home, she caught a glimpse of theman who had looked at her across a crowded restaurant bar and made herfeel as if she was the only woman in the world.Her gaze drifted down the length of his body, then stopped, transfixedmomentarily on what might just have been the movement of water causedby his breathing, or a stirring of something much more dangerous. Her heartkicked back in, racing to catch up as she forced herself to return to his face,certain that he’d be watching her, his eyes mocking…But no, he was still fast asleep. He looked so much younger, so muchmore approachable with the harsh lines smoothed from his face. So muchmore vulnerable…She really should wake him. If he’d come home and got straight
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Chapter Fifty Seven
Chapter 57.As he waited, giving her time to clear the room, he realised he shouldhave asked her how her elbow was doing. Unfortunately, the quick flash ofher smooth, golden backside as she’d finally turned and fled had knocked itclean out of his mind.Miracesca didn’t hang around to ask whether Dan was going to continue hisnap or would prefer to go downstairs and have something to eat. She justgrabbed the first clothes that came to hand and bolted. And, havinggathered up the paperwork she’d brought back from the office, she shutherself away in the study.Her jeans were the comfortable baggy fit cut that she’d worn whenNate wasn’t around to grumble that she looked untidy, the top somethingloose and equally figure obscuring. It felt disloyal somehow—even in thelast couple of weeks, when he’d hardly been able to lift his head, he’d stillwanted to see her looking like his ‘princess’—but it was too late to thinkabout changing. Too late to think about obscuring anything, too.D
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