Marriage of Convenience

Chapter Eighteen

Meeting Theo's ironic eyes across the table Freya thought, I hate him! Hate him!, then inclined her head to listen to what Sir George was saying.

He was a short round man who loved his food as evidenced by the way he had enjoyed eating the lamb and no doubt he would make hearty inroads into the cheese- board, Freya decided, thus prolonging the agony of having to sit opposite Theo with his ironic eyes and derisive endearments. But at least Sir George's appetite made up for her lack of one, although Theo would have noticed, she picking up her wineglass and drinking recklessly. He had hardly taken his eyes from her throughout the meal. It was a Perfect form of torture.

Whenever she had glanced up at the cold, hard, self- righteous devil, she had found him watching her with those clever, knowing, shaming eyes. And her skin had crawled with hot color as she'd recalled his threat to make love to her until she reeled, and why. And so she had looked his way as little as possible, putting her mind to conversing with Sir George and Helen, his skinny, overdressed wife.

Neither of them would know that things were very far from perfect between the handsome, charming chief executive of Dylan Dexter and his new wife. They wouldn't be able to read behind the cynicism of his superficial smiles, those lying words of Love, to the utter hatred, he felt for her.

So much for her stupid belief that she only had to talk rationally to him to make him listen to her because he, more than anyone else she knew, was rational to his fingertips. And how could she have ever believed she could make things right between them again? Her arrogant husband had made up his mind. As far as he was concerned she was devious, sly, unfaithful and greedy, and that was that. No amount of pleading or explaining on her part would make him change his mind.

And so she wouldn't humiliate herself by pleading for a fair hearing ever again!

Unguardedly, she caught his eyes again, saw the hateful, mocking glance as he answered a gushing request Lady Anderson had just thrown into the air.

'I'm sure Freya will let you have the recipe for the Lamb, Helen. Won't you, my darling?' And, expounding hatefully, his long strong fingers toying idly with his silver fruit knife, his smile holding savagery only Freya could detect, 'I'm fortunate in having such a devotedly domesticated wife. She, I'm delighted to say, neglects no area of my comfort.' 'Such a beautiful wife, too,' Sir George said, and Freya felt her face burn with rage because domesticated she was not, and Theo knew it, and his reference to 'comfort' had an entirely different concept.

Hoping the Andersons would attribute her fiery color to new-bride embarrassment over Theo's seeming compliment, she plastered a smile on her face.

'I'll ask Mary for the recipe, of course. Now, shall we have coffee in the living-room, Helen? Leave the men to what will probably be interminable business talk.'

Thankfully, Helen was a talkative lady and Freya only needed to make smiling responses now and again, so she should have been able to relax And then what? Would Jude walk away from her with icy contempt, or would he make good his threat to make love to her until she couldn't even think? Both options made her feel physically ill. She didn't want to be alone with him.

Almost hysterically, she wondered what Sir Geoffrey and his wife would say if she begged them to stay for the night, for the rest of the week, for the rest of the month!

Holding the impulse to move around the room, pulling her hair out by the handful, she injected what she prayed were the right noises into Helen's non-stop chatter and almost leaped out of her skin when the door opened and Theo brought Sir George through. The tubby little man looked pleased with life, rubbing his hands together, and Theo's look of grim satisfaction, Freya deduced that Theo had won the Andersons account, which was what he'd been angling for.

It wasn't long before their guests left and the house was silent, the only sound Freya was aware of was her shallow breathing. And she scrambled to her feet as Theo came back into the living room, closing the door behind him, leaning against it as he untied his tie, his eyes never leaving her face.