Instead, she'd had her child stolen from her, had been left bleeding and broken on that cold stone floor. If a passing shepherd hadn't heard her pathetic cries for help, she would be dead now. Instead, she had lived to survive. But had her survival been worth it?
Maybe, she decided, looking at Gemma down the end of the table. She could still be of help to people occasionally. And she could still get pleasure out of life occasionally.
Her mind drifted to Byron and she shuddered. Oh, yes, she could still feel pleasure. But when would the pain stop? When would she be able to forget?
CHAPTER TEN
Gemma sat on the edge of the bed, holding her temples. She shouldn't have drunk so much of that wine. The blood was pounding in her head and she felt a little nauseous. The wine had made her run off at the mouth a little over dinner as well, something she regretted now.
At least she'd stopped herself before she'd told them all about the Heart of Fire. Irrespective of her breakup with Nathan, Gemma felt she owed some loyalty to the Whitmores. Byron had always been good to her and she was sure he wouldn't like her blurting out Whitmore business to the Campbells. Celeste's buying the Heart of Fire at the ball had clearly annoyed Byron. He'd been reluctant to tell her any real details that night of how the opal had come back into Whitmore possession, so one didn't have to be too bright to conclude he wanted to keep that information a secret.
Gemma wasn't too sure why, but since her own father had clearly been involved in the original theft of the opal she didn't mind not telling all and sundry. Celeste and Damian had already been shocked by her less than genteel upbringing at Lightning Ridge. What would they think if she had revealed her father had not only been a drunk and a loser, but a criminal as well?
Not that Celeste Campbell had any right to judge others, Gemma reasoned quickly. Her reputation was hardly lily-white. And yet ...
Gemma shook her head, frowning. The scandalous lady boss of Campbell Jewels was not at all as Gemma had imagined her to be. Though clearly an assertive and confident businesswoman who Gemma was sure could be very tough given the right occasion, she also had a surprisingly soft and warm side to her character that was very engaging. Gemma had found herself drawn to the woman. She had wanted to pour all her woes out to her, sensing a genuinely sympathetic ear.
But a lifetime of being a very private person with no mother, no brothers or sisters and few friends had made Gemma reluctant to open up to people. Not that Celeste Campbell could solve her problems. No one could solve her problems, for there was no solution. She'd fallen in love with the wrong
man, had married him, made him her life, and now he'd snatched that life out from under her.
It would be a long, long time before she got over his betrayal. Maybe a lifetime would not be enough.
A tap on the door had her jumping to her feet. Lord, but she was a bundle of nerves.
'Yes?' she asked agitatedly through the door.
'I've brought you a nightcap,' Damian returned. 'I thought you might need one to help you sleep.'
With a sigh, Gemma went over and opened the door to find Damian standing there with a smile on his handsome face and what looked like a glass of port in his hands.
'I couldn't possibly drink any more alcohol, Damian,' she said apologetically. 'But thank you for the thought.'
'You're still dressed,' he chided. 'Look, why don't you have a relaxing shower, climb into bed and I'll bring you a mug of hot chocolate?'
'Really, there's no need.'
'There's every need,' he said firmly. 'You should see the dark rings under your eyes. You need a good night's sleep, Gemma.'
'All right,' she sighed, agreeing with him. If she didn't sleep tonight, she wasn't sure what she'd do.
Gemma was under the bedclothes, the sheet pulled well up over her rather revealing ivory silk nightie she didn't have any other kind-when Damian knocked.
Was it her being in bed that made her feel suddenly vulnerable when he came back in and closed the door behind him? Or was it the way his
flashing black eyes narrowed on her near naked shoulders as he walked towards her?
Whatever, Gemma found her whole insides contracting, her stomach fluttering with a funny little feeling something like fear. She was not such a fool as to be unaware that Damian fancied her. She'd been rather expecting him to make a pass some time, but she didn't think he'd try something here, with his sister just down the hall.