His Penniless Beauty

If I had waited—if I had trusted him—

‘I ruined it all,’ she whispered. Anguish at what she had done stabbed her. What she had lost and destroyed. Yet through the anguish another emotion pierced, like a brilliant diamond light. He loved me! He loved me all along! Loved me all along! The wondrous joy of the realisation scintillated in her consciousness like a precious jewel.

But he was speaking again, and each word fell like a blow, shattering her brief joy.

‘When I realised what I meant to you—a financial rescue package—it made me cruel. Vicious. That’s why I laid into you. Said what I did and left you.’

She bit her lip. The pain was fitting. ‘I deserved it,’ she said, her voice low with self-hatred. ‘I deserved what you said to me—what you did!’

‘Did you?’ The same light, neutral tone was in his voice.

Her eyes flashed. ‘Yes! I was stupid and selfish and spoilt, and I thought that if only we were married you would sort everything out for my father and save him from ruin.’

His eyes were still resting on her, never flickering by a fraction. But there was something in their depths, something she could not recognise. Something powerful and veiled. ‘And if you’d never found out that day about your father’s financial problems, would you still have tried to persuade me to stay the night?’

She dropped her eyes. Swallowed. He wanted truth—he could have truth. Deserved truth.

‘Yes,’ she said in a low voice.

‘Why, Sophie? Why would you have wanted me to stay the night?’

She threw back her head. ‘This is pointless! It didn’t happen that way, so what’s the use of asking?’

‘Just answer, Sophie.’

‘What for?’ she countered fiercely.

‘Was it because you hoped that I would marry you?’

‘Yes!’

He was stripping her soul bare and she could not stop him.

‘And you wanted me to marry you because I was rich?’

Her lips pressed together.

Against her persistent silence he continued, inexorable. ‘But why would my wealth attract you? Your father was already wealthy. So why did you want me to marry you?’ His interrogation was remorseless, pitiless.

She would not answer. What use was the truth now, when her lack of faith in him, her lack of trust, had ruined her life?

‘You didn’t want to marry me for money—there was another reason, wasn’t there? Wasn’t there, Sophie? A reason I could see shining from your beautiful eyes every time I looked at you! A reason I could taste in the sweetness of your lips every time I kissed you! A reason that was in every touch, every caress, every trembling cry that came from you as I made you mine that night! A reason that my hurt and anger has blinded me to! But it was there all along! And it was there that night at Belledon, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it, Sophie?’ He paused, his vehemence stilled.

But still she would not speak. Could not speak.

‘You were in love with me,’ he said.

The words hung on the air.

Then, slowly, very slowly, she whispered, her voice as faint as air, ‘Yes.’

Hot, salty tears oozed in her eyes. She turned away blindly, seeking the handle of the door. Her vision blurred as she fumbled for the catch.

Nikos’s arms closed around her.

‘Sophie! Dear God, Sophie—don’t go! Why are you trying to go? Trying to leave?’

His arms were folding her back against him, clasping her to him, close against him, so close…

He turned her around in his arms, the emotion in his eyes pouring over her.

‘If I had known—if I had only known four years ago that you loved me!’ His voice was choked. ‘But I thought you only wanted me for my wealth, because your father’s wealth was threatened! That you only wanted me to save him—!’

He broke off. She was gazing at him, her eyes anguished. ‘But I did want you to save him! I did! What you threw at me was true! I can’t excuse what I did!’

His eyes were still pouring into hers, full and lambent.

‘But I can excuse it, Sophie.’ He drew breath, and she felt his warm palms pressing on her shoulders, steadying her, supporting her, though she felt she must collapse. ‘I can excuse it. You had only just found out that the father you adored was on the brink of ruin! And you thought that I was leaving you. That I didn’t love you as you loved me.’ His face twisted. ‘I should have told you—told you what I felt about you! If I had only told you!’

He took a shuddering breath. But he had never told her, had let her fear that she meant nothing to him, and she had been desperate to discover if her fears were false.