Burning with Passion

‘I wish we were, Michelle,’ Caitlin said with a warmth that showed her heartfelt approval of the romantic reconciliation.

Michelle dropped that line of conversation and they were too busy to talk much for a while. The twenty-eight guests were seated with their host and hostess at the long, beautifully decorated table that had been set up in the rumpus room. David and Trevor circled the table with bottles of wine, pouring what was requested by the guests. Caitlin and Michelle served the pumpkin soup.

Michelle opened fire again as she and Caitlin prepared the entrée. ‘Who is David Hartley, anyway?’

‘You know that already.’

Caitlin didn’t wish to divulge the information that she had quit her position today. It was none of Michelle’s business. Besides, at the rate things were happening, Caitlin couldn’t discount going back to work for him. Maybe tomorrow.

‘What is he?’ Michelle asked tartly.

‘You know the answer to that as well.’

‘How much money does he have?’

‘I have no idea. Why don’t you ask him?’

Michelle’s eyes narrowed. ‘How much money does he owe on the Ferrari?’

Caitlin began to bristle. ‘Five million, seven hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars and sixteen cents.’

‘He might be about to go bankrupt,’ Michelle said sweetly.

‘I don’t care.’

‘People who spend their money on flashy cars and cases of French champagne often do go broke. Serves them right, too.’

Envy, Caitlin thought.

She’d never been in tune with her older sister. She suspected Michelle had married Trevor because he was a good, solid income-earner. Perhaps that was also why she stayed so close to their mother, who held the purse-strings in their family. It was a fairly hefty purse since the sale of the farm. Caitlin didn’t like this train of thought but she couldn’t dismiss it.

They cleared the table of the soup-plates, started cooking the baked vegetables, then served the entrée. Her mother and father were having a wonderful time. Trevor was assiduously keeping glasses filled. Caitlin wondered if they would have to hire a fleet of taxis to take everyone home when the party was over. The atmosphere was very merry.

David had appointed himself disc-jockey and was playing guests’ requests from her parents’ collection of old-time songs. He didn’t seem to mind, being here with her family, solving their problems, contributing to their pleasure. He grinned at Caitlin, as though he was really enjoying himself. It made her feel happy. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling back at him before returning to the kitchen.

Once dinner was over, she would make the opportunity to ask David about his family. His claim that he had been lonely for most of his life seemed to indicate a long lack of close relationships. Perhaps that was the reason for his reticence on the subject, and also why he drove himself so hard to be successful at business. It filled in what he missed out on in other areas of his life.

Now that David had opened the door for her to ask him about his feelings, Caitlin decided she could satisfy herself about a lot of things that had frustrated her in the past. She could hardly put more of a step wrong than when she had walked out on him this morning. His subsequent response to that action proved she could take more steps than she had ever dreamed possible.

Her heart felt particularly light as she emptied the dishwasher of the soup-plates, ready to load in the entrée plates. She put the clean crockery away on its shelf in the walk-in pantry, collected the carving dishes for the legs of pork and lamb, and set them on the kitchen bench.

Michelle made the gravy and put it aside to be heated again later. With their schedule right up to the minute, Michelle took the opportunity to peck at Caitlin again.

‘Why has Dad got to deal with you? What about?’

Caitlin gritted her teeth. She was sick of Michelle’s peevish mood. If the burr under her sister’s skin was frustrated curiosity, perhaps the best thing to do was give her something she could really chew on. She turned to Michelle with a careless shrug.

‘Oh, Mum found out that I’m having an affair with David.’

Michelle’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes whirled with the thought that Caitlin might have found herself a better deal with David Hartley than she had with Trevor. It was unacceptable.

‘You’re not!’ she jeered in disbelief.

‘I most certainly am! And what’s more...’ Caitlin advanced on Michelle to shove her enviable situation right down her sister’s throat ‘...I am enjoying it to the hilt!’

It was only a little white lie, Caitlin reflected, and it couldn’t possibly do any harm.

‘Darling!’