Sins

Every word Emerald had spoken and the manner in which she had said them, carefully spacing them out in that way that those who had had too much to drink always did, had increased Dougie’s concern.

He watched Emerald walk carefully up the stairs, clinging to the banister as she did so, Henry’s words reverberating inside his head. Emerald was old enough to look after herself and she certainly wouldn’t thank him for interfering. On the other hand, she was a member of the ancient and proud family of which he was now the head, the daughter of someone who had shown him great kindness, and most of all she was the girl he loved. He realised that now. Hate had somehow grown into love, impossible though that should have been. By the time Emerald had come back downstairs again Dougie knew what he had to do.

He was waiting for her, out of sight of her companions and holding her coat.

‘What’s this?’ Emerald demanded in a slurred voice. ‘What are you doing with my coat?’

‘I’m going to take you home so put this on because it’s cold outside.’

‘Go home?’ Emerald stared at him, but Dougie had already taken possession of her arm and was holding her in a determined grip whilst urging her towards the exit. The last thing he wanted was for her attentive dinner partner to come over and an argument to develop.

‘Don’t wanna go home. Going dancing with Tod. Tod likes me. He think I’m extraor…he says I’m beautiful.’

They were outside on the street now and Dougie’s Bentley was parked less than five yards away.

As he guided her towards it, Emerald stopped and demanded, ‘Do you think I am beautiful, Dougie?’

Dougie swallowed hard. ‘I think you are very beautiful, Emerald.’

How much exactly had she had to drink, Dougie wondered, as he unlocked the passenger door of his car and Emerald almost collapsed onto the seat. He had never seen her drink more than a glass of wine over dinner, and somehow he suspected that Emerald, who so prided herself on being in control, would hate it if she could see herself now.

As he got into the driving seat and made sure the doors were locked, Emerald sat up in the passenger seat and informed him, ‘And desirable. Tod says I am very desirable. He wanted to kiss me, I could tell.’ She paused and then asked, ‘Would you like to kiss me, Dougie?’

The question shocked him, forcing him to suppress his surging desire that yes, he would like to kiss her.

Dougie wasn’t sure when he had first recognised that, mixed up in the irritation that Emerald made him feel, was something very different, somehow very unwelcome. But now that he had recognised that feeling for what it was, he knew instinctively that there was no going back.

Emerald had been leaning towards him and, as he fought to remind himself that he had a duty to behave like a ‘gentleman’ and not take advantage of her offer, she collapsed abruptly against him, her head on his shoulder. Dougie took a deep breath and then wished that he hadn’t as he inhaled her scent. His need for her ricocheted inside him like a mad steer on a death mission. Her hair was brushing against his skin and she was toying with the buttons on his jacket, whilst humming the tune the band had been playing just before they had left.

Firmly sitting her upright again, and then turning his attention to manoeuvring the car away from the kerb, Dougie reminded her hardily, ‘You are a married woman, Emerald, with a husband and—’

‘No I’m not.’

Had she taken leave of her senses? Was she even more drunk than he had thought?

‘Emerald, this is me, Dougie,’ he pointed out patient

ly.

‘Know that. Dougie the lost heir, Duke Dougie…’

‘I don’t care what you’ve told that slimeball you were having dinner with, you are married to Alessandro.’

‘Tod not a slimeball. He is a gentleman. And am not married to Alessandro. His mother is having our marriage annulled.’

Dougie missed his gear change and stalled the car. He turned to stare at her in stunned shock and saw that a single tear was running down her face.

‘She can’t do that,’ he protested.

‘Yes she can, because she knows that my stupid bloody mother went and had an affair with some painter and that means that I’m illegitimate.’

Emerald started to sob uncontrollably whilst Dougie wrestled with disbelief. All he could manage was an uncertain, ‘I’m sure that isn’t true.’

‘Yes it is true,’ Emerald insisted. ‘I’ve asked her, my mother…It is true, and if anyone finds out it will kill me so you must promise never ever to tell anyone.’

‘I promise,’ Dougie assured her.

‘Well, you had better mean it.’