The Diamond Bride - Carole Mortimer

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private family conversation. But I would be quite happy, Mr Diamond, to talk to you about Jessica’s accident at a more convenient time.’ She met his eyes challengingly, still slightly confused as to why he didn’t seem to have told his mother that the two of them had already met earlier down on the beach.

      Why hadn’t he told Celia Diamond? Why hadn’t she confessed? The answer to the last was easy; she shouldn’t really have been down on the beach at all this afternoon. Celia Diamond had warned her when she’d first come to work here not to go down there when the weather was like it was today...

      ‘Now is a convenient time for me,’ Rufus Diamond invited her.

      ‘It’s Annie’s afternoon off,’ Celia told him quickly before Annie could make any sort of reply.

      Rufus looked at her with narrowed eyes now. ‘Is it indeed?’ he finally drawled slowly.

      Annie didn’t need to be told that, with this new information, he was again adding up two and two and coming up with the answer of five! The speculation was clearly there in his mocking gaze.

      ‘It is,’ she confirmed briskly. ‘But I’m not going anywhere, except upstairs to check on Jessica, so I’ll be perfectly happy to talk to you once you’ve finished your conversation with your mother—’ She broke off with a puzzled frown as her remark brought forth a harsh laugh from Rufus. ‘Did I say something...funny?’ she said haltingly—although for the life of her she couldn’t imagine what it had been.

      ‘To me, yes. To Celia, no,’ Rufus replied, his grin wolfish again now, as it had been down on the beach. ‘If you’ve been here two months someone really should have filled you in on the family history by now—’

      ‘Rufus!’ Celia admonished sharply, two spots of angry colour in her cheeks.

      He gave her only a cursory glance. ‘Something else the servants shouldn’t know?’ he taunted.

      Celia gave him one of her chilling looks—a look that had no visible effect on him whatsoever!—before turning back to Annie. ‘Perhaps if you wouldn’t mind going and checking on Jessica now...?’ she suggested smoothly—although it was more in the order of an instruction. ‘I’m sure you and Rufus can catch up with each other later,’ she dismissed.

      Annie was beginning to wish she had never set eyes on the man!

      There was no doubting that Celia Diamond could be slightly condescending in her manner, or that things had become a little complicated since Anthony had arrived with his fiancée for a visit, but for the main part Annie had enjoyed her time here, found Jessica a delight to work with. Admittedly, it hadn’t all been peace and harmony, but she loved Jessica, and anything else was just discomfort she had learnt to live with.

      With the arrival of Rufus Diamond, she had a feeling all that was about to change!

      CHAPTER TWO

      ‘ISN’T it wonderful?’ Jessica’s eyes glowed deeply blue. ‘Daddy’s home!’ She clapped her hands together in pleasure.

      Annie wished she could share the young girl’s enthusiasm, but, having made her escape from the man downstairs only minutes ago, she was in no hurry to see Rufus Diamond again. Although it was obvious, from Jessica’s excitement, that his daughter couldn’t wait for him to come back up to her bedroom.

      ‘It’s a lovely surprise for you,’ Annie acknowledged guardedly, straightening the pillows behind her charge. ‘Does your father often return unexpectedly in this way?’

      ‘Always!’ Jessica nodded happily, dark curls bouncing. ‘But he leaves just as suddenly too,’ she added wistfully.

      Annie realised he probably had to; as an investigative reporter he would just have to go where the story was, whenever it occurred. Which was pretty tough on his young daughter. Although, she had to admit, Jessica seemed a well-adjusted child to her; she certainly didn’t qualify as neglected or psychologically disturbed!

      Annie herself was still puzzled as to what she could have said earlier to so amuse Rufus Diamond. Neither he nor Celia had offered an explanation before she’d excused herself to come upstairs to Jessica. And she had no intention of asking the little girl; that would be most unfair.

      ‘How are you feeling this afternoon?’ She smiled down at her young charge.

      Jessica grinned back at her—her grin, Annie now knew, was not unlike her father’s! ‘Well enough to go downstairs for dinner!’ she announced cheerfully.

      Annie felt her heart sink at the statement. If Jessica went down to the family dining-room for the meal, then it meant she had to join them too. And if the tension between Celia and Rufus was any indication of the man’s effect on the rest of the family it boded ill for everyone’s digestion—including her own!

      ‘Are you sure?’ she prompted lightly. ‘You’re still using the crutches to get about.’ The accident had happened at the weekend, three days ago, and Jessica had been advised by the doctor to rest for several days before attempting to put any stress on her ankle.

      The first day or so Jessica had enjoyed being waited on, having visitors come up to her bedroom, but after that the novelty had begun to pall. Consequently, this morning she had announced she would get up for a while, although after a couple of hours’ activity she had been happy to spend the afternoon back in her bed resting. But not now, with the arrival of her father, it seemed!

      ‘Daddy will carry me down,’ Jessica assured her warmly, obviously liking this idea very much.

      ‘The sooner you get up on your own two feet, the sooner you can go back to school,’ Annie teased the little girl.

      Jessica’s face lit up at the thought. ‘Can I go back tomorrow?’

      Annie laughed indulgently, knowing that the week Jessica had been told to take as sick-leave from the private day school she attended twenty miles away had been an added incentive to Jessica when it came to the bed-rest. But even that had started to fade as Jessica had begun to miss her schoolfriends, especially her best friend, Lucy.

      ‘I think that may be a little soon.’ Annie shook her head regretfully. ‘Besides, you can spend some time with your father now.’ Her humour faded at that thought; hopefully she wouldn’t have to spend time with him too! ‘Speaking of which,’ she added briskly, ‘I had better go and shower and dress for dinner so that I can come back and help you later.’

      ‘Is Daddy coming back up soon?’ Jessica frowned at his non-appearance.

      Very soon, if the abruptness of his conversation with Celia was anything to go by! ‘I’m sure he is.’ Annie squeezed the little girl’s hand reassuringly. ‘He was just saying hello to your grandmother when I came up.’

      Jessica grimaced at this news. ‘Oh.’

      Obviously the tension that existed between her father and Celia wasn’t a family secret, not even from someone as young as Jessica!

      ‘Try and get some rest,’ Annie encouraged. ‘Then you won’t feel sleepy over dinner.’

      She wished, as she walked slowly down the hallway to her own bedroom, that she could sleep through dinner; it didn’t promise, with Rufus Diamond’s arrival, to be a very restful meal.

      ‘Annie!’

      She turned sharply at the sound of her name being called, colour warming her cheeks as she saw Anthony hurrying towards her, her heart giving its usual leap of excitement just at the sight of him, his blond good looks breathtaking to say the least. Annie had been bowled over by him the first time she’d looked at him.

      ‘God, I’m sorry about earlier.’ He spoke agitatedly as he reached her side, hair windswept, sky-blue eyes troubled as he looked down at her. ‘Davina decided she just had to go into town, and I just had to drive her because the weather was so bad.’ He mimicked a good impression of the slightly breathless way his fiancée spoke. ‘I hope you

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