“That’s what I told them.” She pulled the band off the end of her braid and loosened her hair. “Are you still feeling sick, Liam? Your color doesn’t look quite right.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had some nausea since dinner, but I think it’s passing now. Still fighting that bug, I guess. I hope you don’t get it. You certainly don’t have time to be sick right now.”
She laughed wearily, though she made a mental vow to get him to a doctor the next day if he wasn’t feeling better by then. “Tell me about it. I’ve been obsessive about washing my hands. Maybe I’ll get by without catching it.”
“I hope so.”
“I’m going to wash my face and put on some pajamas and spend a couple of hours going over my notes before bedtime,” she said, moving toward the bedroom doorway where he still stood. He moved aside to allow her past him. “Maybe we could have some soothing tea or something before—”
She came to a sudden stop when she saw the bags sitting beside the bed. She turned slowly to face Liam, her heart beginning to thud in dread. “Are you going somewhere?”
He stood very still, his face grim, one hand pressed against his stomach. “I’m going back to New York. My flight leaves at five-forty in the morning. I hate to disturb you that early, so I’ll bunk on the couch for a few hours, then head out at about three-thirty in the morning or so.”
She tried to process what he was saying. “Is there some sort of problem there? Are you coming back after you’ve taken care of it?”
“There’s not a problem in New York,” he said, his voice very gentle. “The problem is here. I think it’s time for me to go.”
She reached out blindly, groping for support. Her hand fell on the top of the dresser, which she gripped tightly. “I don’t understand.”
What might have been impatience flashed through his eyes. “I don’t see how you can say that after what happened at the restaurant tonight.”
“Nothing happened. My family didn’t see us.”
“No. But it was pretty much a miracle that they didn’t. Do you know how bad that would have been if we’d come face-to-face with them there? Maybe no one else in the place gave a damn who I was, but do you think your dad would fail to recognize me?”
She swallowed hard. “No. Dad would have known you right away.”
“Damn straight he would. And he’d have blown a gasket right there in front of everyone.”
“He wouldn’t have caused a public scene.” Anne wished she could be a bit more certain of that statement. “He wouldn’t have wanted to embarrass my mother that way.”
The mention of her mother made Liam’s face tighten even more. “That was the first time I’ve seen your mom since her stroke, you know. It’s no wonder you’ve been so protective of her. She seemed very…fragile.”
Anne moistened her lips. “She’s stronger than she appears. She always has been.”
“That may well be, but I’m not going to be the cause of her having a setback. I’m clearing out before the inevitable happens. It was foolish of me to think I could live here with you and not have anyone find out. We’ve just been lucky so far. Especially lucky tonight.”
“So, we’ll tell them. We’ll tell everyone,” she said rashly. “I told you I was almost ready.”
He shook his head. “You don’t really mean that. The timing is still all wrong.”
Shock began to morph into anger. Letting go of the dresser, she planted her hands on her hips. “I’m beginning to think you’re the one who is so anxious to keep our marriage a secret. Why is that?”
He frowned. “We’ve gone over the reasons a hundred times. Your family. Your studies…”
“Yes, those were our reasons originally. But I can’t help thinking you’re using my excuses to camouflage your own. Why do you really want to keep this secret, Liam? Is it your career? Are you afraid being married will negatively affect your fame in some way?”
“I don’t worry about fame,” he muttered, both arms crossed over his stomach now.
“Of course you do. That’s the career you’ve chosen. While it might not be something I seek, I do understand that publicity is an important part of your job. But other TV hosts and travel writers are married, and it doesn’t seem to hold them back.”
“I’m not concerned about that,” he repeated stubbornly.
“Maybe you have more personal reasons for wanting to be seen as an eligible bachelor.”
Temper darkened his narrowed eyes to charcoal in response to that pointed suggestion. “Are you implying that you don’t trust me, despite the promises I’ve made to you?”
“The promises you’ve made in secret,” she shot back at him.