Scandals and Secrets

'Ah, yes, but they don't know the real you. You're a softie underneath.'

Celeste laughed her way out of the kitchen and along the hall. When she turned to walk up the stairs and encountered the glass-cold eyes of the angel looking down at her, she stopped laughing. 'So what are you turning your nose up at?' she snapped. 'Don't you agree that I'm a softie underneath?'

Lifting up her own nose, she careered back up the stairs and into her bedroom where she flopped her tipsy self down on the bed and reached for the telephone before she lost her nerve. She was actually punching in Byron's number before it occurred to her that she knew his damned number off by heart, yet she hadn't dialed it in donkey's years.

But she'd looked it up plenty of times. Looked it up and stared at it and been tempted to call, call and tell him the awful truth, the crippling truth,

the soul-destroying truth. Her courage had always failed her, as it was in danger of doing now. But she persisted, gripping the receiver more tightly with each successive unanswered ring, with a bit of luck, he wouldn't be home.

'Belleview,' Byron answered curtly on the sixth ring.

'It. . .it's Celeste here, Byron.'

Dead silence.

Celeste hoped and prayed his reaction was shock that she'd called him at all, and not because she'd sounded as rattled as she was sure she had. Pulling herself together, she continued in a much more controlled manner.

'Sorry to call you at home, or at all for that matter, but this was an emergency.'

More silence.

Damn the man! Now she was getting angry. Gritting her teeth, she launched forth again, quite bluntly. 'Nathan's wife has left him.'

'What did you say?' Byron stormed down the line so loudly that she flinched and held the receiver away from her ear.

It was a pleasure to keep her cool while he was losing his.

'There's no need to shout, Byron. I can hear you as well as I'm sure you can hear me. And you heard me correctly the first time, I'm sure. Gemma has left Nathan. When I arrived home this evening, he was waiting for me in the driveway, looking for her.'

'And he thought he might find her at your place?'

'Believe me, I found it as odd as you do. He seemed pretty upset, I'm afraid, and not thinking straight. I gather he hasn't contacted you about any of this yet?' Celeste had already guessed that he wouldn't have. Men like

Nathan solved their own problems, their own way. They didn't run to their fathers for help.

'No, he hasn't,' Byron growled. 'Where is he now, do you know?'

'Probably at home. I told him I couldn't help him and he went away.'

'So why have you rung me? Surely it's not merely to crow, is it? I wouldn't have even taken you for being that vicious!'

It irritated Celeste that Byron could still hurt her, but she staunchly ignored the jab of dismay and went on. 'I have since found out some information which you might like to relay to Nathan.'

'What kind of information?'

'When I spoke to him earlier, I gained the impression he had no idea why Gemma had left him. I have since found out the reason.'

'You found out the reason?'

'That's right. Gemma made a trip to Lightning Ridge this weekend, didn't she?'

'Yes. She flew there last Friday and was due home today. But what the hell does that have to do with anything? Nathan knew she was going there.'

'I realize that, but the thing is she flew home earlier than expected. When she arrived at wherever she and Nathan live, his ex-wife was there with him in compromising circumstances.'

'Lenore? In bed with Nathan? I don't believe that. I won't believe that.'

'Don't, then! But Gemma does and she's the one who's left Nathan. Apparently neither Nathan nor Lenore actually saw her and she simply left.'

'Who told you this? None of this makes sense. Or maybe it does,' he muttered, Celeste almost able to hear his sharp mind ticking over. 'Nathan

for some reason thought Gemma would be at Campbell Court. .. Since she wouldn't be going out there to see you, then that only leaves that snake of a brother of years. Damian's behind all this, isn't he, Celeste?' Byron pounced. 'He's turned Gemma against Nathan somehow, twisted things, made things look bad for him.'

'That's not true!' Celeste defended.

'Bulldust! I saw the way he looked at her the night of the ball and I know his reputation for seducing other men's wives. Can you swear to me that Gemma's not with Damian at this very moment?'