The Deserving Mistress

‘It’s too late for that, anyway,’ Jude murmured at her side.

It was too late, but it was David Melton who had spotted them rather than April, the film director leaning towards the beautiful actress to murmur something in her ear, April turning slowly towards them, her eyes deeply green in a face gone suddenly white.

And she hadn’t even seen January and March yet. May groaned inwardly, knowing the reason for the older woman’s obvious distress was the memory of the last meeting between the two of them.

But what else could she have done but tell April to stay away from them, and in such a way that the other woman would have no doubts about how strongly May felt?

‘I told you I would be here for you, May,’ Jude reminded huskily, his grip tightening on her arm as the other couple began to walk in their direction.

Yes, he had told her that. But not that it would be as her so-called fiancé.

Could this situation get any worse than it was? May wondered dazedly.

‘How fortuitous that we should see the two of you this morning,’ David was the one to greet brightly. ‘Just in time to celebrate the engagement.’

May turned to glare accusingly at Jude; she had thought his announcement just now had been completely spontaneous—the surprised look on his own face had seemed to imply that it was—but if the other couple were aware of it, too…

‘David…’ April murmured protestingly, the colour coming back into her cheeks as she gave May an embarrassed glance. ‘I thought we were going to keep that to ourselves for a while?’ she added awkwardly.

May looked from April to David, frowning as it dawned on her that David hadn’t been referring to her own supposed engagement to Jude at all, but to his own. To April…

‘We were,’ David acknowledged apologetically, reaching out to squeeze April’s hand reassuringly. ‘But I thought, as May and Jude are actually here now…’ He turned to raise questioning brows at May.

He knew. The knowledge was there, in his eyes, a mixture of compassion for her, and pleading on behalf of the woman he had just asked to marry him.

May’s gaze shifted abruptly to April, easily able to read the uncertainty in her expression as she returned May’s gaze, that same pleading in those deep green eyes.

What did they want from her? Pleasure? Forgiveness? Heartfelt congratulations? What?

Jude gave her arm a brief squeeze before stepping forward to kiss April lightly on one cheek. ‘I’m very happy for you,’ he told her huskily. ‘David.’ He held his hand out to the other man.

‘Thanks.’ David gave a boyish grin as he took the proffered hand.

Which left them all waiting for May’s response…

She blinked, looking across at the woman who had been her mother, for the first time wondering—

Max had told her that not everything was as black and white as when seen through a child’s eyes, that he had made mistakes about his own mother’s actions; could there possibly, just possibly, be a way for her to be wrong about April, too? After all, as Jude had already pointed out to her, despite the fact that April was a beautiful and desirable woman, she hadn’t remarried while their father was still alive…

May didn’t know any more, had no idea how any of them were going to wipe out the past, all she did know was that she could no longer even try to control what was going to happen in the next few minutes.

‘Congratulations, David,’ she said warmly before turning to April. ‘I’m very pleased for you, April,’ she told the older woman huskily, moving forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

There were tears in April’s eyes as she looked at her. ‘Thank you,’ she returned gratefully.

May looked at her wordlessly for several moments, her own vision blurring slightly as she felt close to tears herself.

This wouldn’t do, she told herself firmly; the two of them couldn’t just stand here blubbing.

She breathed deeply, knowing the moment of truth had arrived—whether she was ready for it or not. ‘April, there are some people over here I would like you to meet,’ she said evenly, moving to link her arm with April’s as she turned her in the direction of the hotel lounge.

She heard April draw in a sharp breath beside her, turning to see April staring across to where March and January were sitting with Max and Will, also knowing that there could be no mistaking exactly who the two young women were.

‘May…?’ April choked at her side.

M

ay gave an encouraging squeeze of her arm. ‘It will be all right,’ she told the other woman with more confidence than she actually felt; she really had no idea what was going to happen when April was introduced to March and January.