Forbidden Surrender

‘All the more reason for you to come and live with Daddy,’ Marie said smilingly. ‘Then he won’t be lonely when I’ve gone.’

There was no bitchiness intended in that remark, Marie just didn’t have it in her, and yet Sara realised that once again she was being used as a replacement. She had never felt second-best in her life before, but she did so now. Marie was a lovely, friendly girl, well liked by everyone, and Sara felt that she was being compared to her and found wanting. Marie was placid where she was fiery-tempered, accepted without demur the wishes of the people around her, namely their father and Dominic, whereas she rebelled at restrictions being put on her. Her independent upbringing was possibly responsible for that.

‘I want you to come and live with us for yourself.’ Her father perhaps sensed her bitterness. ‘After all this time I would just like us all to be together.’

‘I—I’ll think about it,’ she told him jerkily.

‘You go back to work, Daddy,’ Marie cut in on the tension. ‘Sara and I will go for a swim this afternoon, and I promise you she’ll still be here when you get home tonight.’

‘Okay.’ He bent to kiss her on the cheek. ‘I think your persuasive powers are a lot stronger than mine.’ He hesitated in front of Sara. ‘May I?’ he asked huskily.

She raised her cheek in acceptance, watching as he left the room with long strides. He was a man any girl would be proud to have as a father, and she was fast coming round to thinking that way. After all, what had happened twenty years ago had been a joint decision, and she had loved her mother very much, so why shouldn’t she eventually come to love her father! Eventually? The way he had been talking earlier to her aunt and uncle, there might not be time for ‘eventually’.

‘Poor Daddy,’ Marie giggled. ‘All this has put him in a terrible state. He hasn’t rested since he found out.’

Sara frowned. ‘I don’t understand how you can accept it all so easily.’

Marie shrugged. ‘Life is too short to make an issue out of something like this. Oh, I know you think Daddy treated you badly, but your mother—our mother, treated me just as badly, and I don’t resent her. After all, she did leave me behind. New angle?’ she quirked a teasing eyebrow.

Sara laughed, nodding. ‘New angle.’

Her sister became serious. ‘What was she like? Was she beautiful? I mean, we must have got our looks from someone.’

‘Conceited!’ Sara’s eyes twinkled merrily.

‘Well, I have to be something to have captured Dominic. Everyone thought he was a confirmed bachelor before he asked me to marry him. I would have been a fool to refuse. Don’t you think he’s just gorgeous?’

Sara was puzzled. If Marie thought he was so wonderful, and she obviously did, then why did she go out with other men, men Dominic knew about, even though it angered him? Marie didn’t seem the sort to try and deceive Dominic, she seemed to love him very much, and yet she had these other men. And she didn’t know Marie well enough yet to ask her why she did!

‘Sara?’ Marie prompted at her continued silence.

‘He’s very nice.’ Her manner was rather stilted, her love for the man a feeling she had never before experienced. ‘You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a bit reserved about him,’ she gave a nervy smile. ‘After all, the first time I met him he verbally attacked me, the second time he accused me of all kinds of things.’

‘Oh yes,’ Marie giggled, ‘I can sympathise. You should have heard what he said to me the next day! He’s so protective. I think he must be the best friend I ever had. Shall we go for a swim?’ she suggested. ‘You can wear one of my bikinis, it’s sure to fit you. You still haven’t told me what our mother was like. Oh dear,’ she gave a rueful smile, ‘I’m chattering again! Dan—Dominic always says I talk nonsense. And I suppose I do. But I do hate silence, don’t you? I never like to be alone,’ she grimaced. ‘I really hate that.’

Sara was aware that her sister was now chattering not for the sake of it but to cover something up. She hadn’t been going to say Dominic at all, she had mentioned someone called Dan and then tried to act as if she hadn’t. Who was Dan?