'She can try!' she grimaced
Rita Hammond certainly didn't have the look of a woman about to apologise for anything as she swept regally into the room seconds later, her eyes flashing angrily as she looked ready to do battle.
'Good afternoon, Mother,' Alex drawled.
'Alex,' she nodded coolly. 'Morgan.' Her voice hardened even more.
The silence seemed to stretch out after these curt greetings. Alex was unwilling to bridge the awkwardness, Rita Hammond was unlikely to, and Morgan was unable to. She knew Alex was determined his mother should apologise or leave.Hard blue eyes were finally turned on Morgan, the words seeming forced out of Rita Hammond's red-painted lips. 'I believe I owe you an apology, that you took exception to something I said '
'I took exception to it,' Alex corrected hardly.
His mother flushed her displeasure. 'Very well. I'm sorry, Morgan,' she ground out, 'if anything I said to you seemed rude.'
'It didn't "seem" it, Mother,' Alex bit out. 'It was. I heard it all, remember?'
For a brief moment Morgan saw the older woman's bottom lip tremble precariously, and she realised that Rita Hammond wasn't as in control of herself as she wanted to appear. 'That's perfectly all right,' she rushed into speech, unable to bear the other woman's humiliation any longer. Alex could still be a very hard man, despite his apparent satisfaction with their marriage. 'Would you like to come up to the nursery and see how well Courtney is doing? He should be awake now.'
'Thank you,' her mother-in-law accepted huskily.
If she expected the other woman to take back her apology as soon as they were out of the room then she was disappointed, pleasantly so. They discussed only Courtney, and that in a friendly way too.
'He's grown so much in just two weeks.' Rita lifted the baby up into her arms as he lay gurgling up at them from his cot.
'Yes.' Morgan at once felt guilty, knowing it was her fault the other woman had been denied access to her grandson. 'Mrs Hammond
'Rita,' the other woman invited, laughing softly at Morgan's shocked expression. 'Oh, don't worry, I'm not suddenly going to turn from the Wicked Witch into the Good Fairy,' she drawled. 'I'm just wise enough to know that Alex has made the choice everyone has to make one day, that between family and a new spouse. Mark never did seem to make the transition, and that was probably my fault, but Alex is more like me than any of my children. He has made a decision, that you and Courtney come first in his life now, and I either accept that or lose you all. I'll accept it,' she added dryly.
It was the nearest to an acceptance into the Hammond family she was ever likely to get, and she knew that. As for coming first in Alex's life, she knew the baby did that, that despite the physical attractionbetween Alex and herself that he still didn't love her, that he probably never would.
Her parents flew over for Christmas, and stayed on for Courtney's christening in January. Her father was much stronger now, Courtney was all he needed to make the recovery a hundred per cent.
The christening was the first real formal occasion Morgan had hosted for Alex, and she wanted everything to be perfect for him, wanted him to be proud she was his wife. Rita had been a lot of help in the organisation of the party. The older woman had been right—they hadn't suddenly become friends, but they did tolerate each other, and Rita Hammond was much more helpful as a mother-in-law than an enemy.
The church service was short and beautiful, and even when the water was dribbled over his head Courtney didn't cry.
'He reminded me so much of you at that moment, Alex,' Morgan's mother laughed softly later at the house, her parents and Alex having become good friends the last three weeks during their visit. 'He looked positively indignant!' she chuckled.
Morgan held back her "own smile as Alex's brows rose, knowing that her husband had been the recipient of a lot of teasing while her parents had been here, his English reserve amusing them. It amused her too, and yet she knew that when it came to making love Alex wasn't reserved at all.
'He probably wondered what on earth was going on,' he drawled, glancing at the sleeping baby in his carrycot. 'He isn't even going to know that we're about to toast him in champagne.
'We are?' Morgan's eyes widened.
'A gift from your father,' he nodded. 'I'll go and organise it.'
He strode off towards the kitchen, tall and attractive in a navy blue suit and constrasting lighter blue shirt.
Morgan watched him with pride—she would give up a hundred parts like Mary-Beth to be his wife. The series had been shown over here the last few months, and her death as Mary-Beth had shocked a lot of the public. What they couldn't realise was the happiness she had found as Morgan Hammond. She shivered with the anticipation of sharing a bed with Alex that night, knowing that tonight, as every other night since they were married, Alex would make love to her until she was mindless.
She looked around the room with the critical eye of the hostess, checking that everyone had food and drink, that no one was sitting in a corner being bored. Everyone looked happy enough—
Her gaze was caught and held by belligerent blue eyes—Janet Fairchild's eyes! The other woman stood slightly across the room from her, her mouth twisted sardonically.
Morgan never felt comfortable about Alex's sister; she always sensed that the other woman was just waiting for something, the right time, and she was going to strike, and strike hard. It was a ridiculous feeling, the other woman's manner was always pleasant, and the day they had spent with them over Christmas had been enjoyable. And yet that unease persisted . . .
Janet was smiling at her now, the dislike gone from her face, making Morgan wonder if she had just imagined the venom there to start with.
'Champagne, darling?
She turned to look at her husband, accepting the champagne he held out to her, used to the casual words of endearment he gave her now. She smiled at him warmly, Janet forgotten as the toast was given to Courtney.
When Courtney woke up he was passed from guest to guest to be duly admired, looking quite affronted by all these different people admiring him; as if he needed anyone else's opinion on how wonderful he was!
'Your mother was right.' Janet suddenly stood at Morgan's side, still sipping at her glass of champagne. 'Courtney does have Alex's air of breeding. And that wasn't meant to be insulting,' she drawled with amusement. 'Heaven forbid that Alex should order me from the house!
Morgan felt that feeling of unease return. 'I'm sure it wasn't,' she returned smoothly.
Janet strolled over to the window, looking up at the grey sky. 'They forecast snow for today,' she murmured thoughtfully. It looks as if they might actually be right for once!'
Morgan moved to stand next to the other woman. 'Yes,' she agreed softly, still wary.
Hard blue eyes were turned on her. 'Your parents return home soon, don't they?'
She felt a sense of sadness, and nodded slowly. 'In two days' time.'
'Obviously you'll miss them.'
'Obviously,' she agreed, more than ever wary of this seemingly pleasant conversation with a woman who seemed to dislike her intensely.
'Still, you have Alex—and my mother.'
'Yes,' Morgan was frowning now. Janet hadn't spoke to her this much since her wedding day, and they both knew how that conversation had ended!
'My mother came round beautifully, didn't she ? ' said Janet with humour—only Morgan doubted the other woman was genuinely amused. The humour was hard, mocking, not friendly at all. 'But then you have her grandson,' she added softly.
'Janet, don't think- '
'This is the place to discuss this,' Janet finished dryly. 'Are you happy with my brother, Morgan?'
Her gaze went instinctively to her husband, love lighting her eyes as she watched him charming her parents, looking up as if he sensed her gaze on him, giving her a warm smile before Courtney attracted his attention from his position of pride in his grandmother's arms.
'Of course you are,' Janet answered her own question. 'And he and Courtney look so right together, don't they, almost like father and son.'
'Janet-- '
'But then maybe that's because they probably are,' Janet continued softly.
Morgan's face was suddenly pale as the words sank in, her eyes huge with disbelief. 'Wh-what did you say?' Her mouth felt dry, her tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth, she was sure that she couldn't have heard the other woman properly. What she was saying was insane!
'You want me to say the words again?' the other woman scorned. 'I won't bother to say it, Morgan, I don't need to—just look at the two of them together. Look!' she ordered sharply as Morgan averted her face. 'The same wavy hair, the same grey eyes, the same high cheekbones, even the same determined chin,' she listed the similarity in features that was all too obvious now to even the most casual observer.
And Morgan was far from being that! The similarities were all too obvious to her too—now that this vindictive woman had pointed them out! Except for the colour of his hair, that soft red down, at four months Courtney was almost a mirror image of Alex. But his son? No, she couldn't believe that, wouldn't believe it.
CHAPTER NINE
'I SHOULD, Morgan,' Janet drawled, guessing her thoughts. 'Because it's the truth.'
'No. ..!' Morgan choked, so white now she was almost grey, her eyes like huge emeralds in her face, the black of her dress making her skin appear translucent.
'Morgan?' Alex suddenly appeared at her side, looking down at her anxiously. 'Darling, what is it?' he frowned, clasping her hands in his.
'She isn't feeling too well.' Janet was the one to answer hum. 'It's very warm in here, with the fire going and all these people. I'll take her upstairs and she can lie down for a while.'