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No one else has to know it's merely a legality.. Certainly not your family.'
He was intent on protecting her. Robyn appreciated the thought and didn't
argue. She glanced down at her bare hands, i don't know what size. I've
never bought rings.'
'I noticed a jeweller in the hotel first shop along Lahaina corridor. Go there
tomorrow morning and have the size measured. I'll give them your name so
they'll be expecting you and I'll buy something appropriate for the
ceremony.'
'All right,' she nodded, then turned to him curiously. 'What about your
family, Julian? What are they going to think about this?'
'There's only my father and Janet, Davey's mother. I'll handle them,' he said
with the air of ruthless efficiency that was so much part of the man.
Head of the Lassiter Corporation, Robyn reminded herself. But he had heart
too, and it was the heart she wanted, to be gathered into the fold of his
caring. And that was why she was marrying David, Robyn suddenly
realised. The main reason.
Maybe... one day... but first there was David, and nothing was going to
change that. A deep sadness settled into her soul.
The greatest sadness, the old lady had said.
Robyn shook her head. Was she to be haunted by that prediction for the rest
of her life?
It was a relief to part from Julian back at the hotel. By agreeing to become
David's wife and bear his child, she might have become a very special
woman in Julian's eyes one he had vowed to take care of but that was all.
It was stupid to imagine or want more from him.
Once back in her room, Robyn didn't leave it. She ordered a meal, did her
best to force it down, then watched television until she was tired enough to
go to bed. She didn't want to think, and mercifully sleep came quickly,
blanketing the pain that hadn't gone away. She slept for a long time.
The buzzing of the telephone woke her at nine o'clock the next morning. It
was Julian, telling her the marriage ceremony was set for four o'clock that
afternoon. He would come and take her up to Davey's room after the Justice
of the Peace had arrived.
'Thank you,' she half slurred, still drugged with sleep.
'Are you all right, Robyn?'
The concerned note in his voice hurt. 'Yes. Fine. I'll see you at four, then.'
'Robyn.' His steady tone sounded strained. 'Is there anything you'd like me to
do for you? Anything you want today?'
'No. No, thank you, Julian. I'll be ready,' she said quickly, and hung up.
Robyn sat staring blankly at the telephone, clenching her hands as she
fought down panic. I'm not going to think about it, she recited to herself over
and over again. I'm just going to do it. A few days... that was all it was. And
thank God the time was right, so there'd be no waiting for the nights that had
to be got through.
She showered and dressed in a light cotton shift, then went straight down to
the Pavilion for breakfast. It was an informal restaurant situated near one
end ofthe swimming-pool. Robyn sat at one of the outside tables that were
shaded by huge straw umbrellas.
Although it was still quite early in the day, most of the loungers around the
pool were occupied by guests soaking up the sun. Robyn felt oddly detached
from the whole holiday scene. She told herself that there was nothing to stop
her enjoying the various activities that were available for her pleasure, but
she could not work up enough enthusiasm actually to plan something.
Tomorrow, she promised herself. Tomorrow when the worst was over.
She was trying to eat a breakfast dish of tropical fruits when she
remembered about the jeweller, but she didn't hurry. There was plenty of
time. Too much time. Eventually she walked through the Japanese garden
and entered Lahaina corridor from the far end of the building.
She stopped to buy a bestseller paperback at one of the shops. Perhaps it
would fill in the hours.
She lingered through the art gallery which featured many local artists as well
as prints of more famous artists' paintings. Would Julian's home contain
famous originals? she wondered. Did he live alone, or had he gone back to
live with his father and stepmother since he was widowed and childless? She
reminded herself to ask him.
Robyn thought of her small terraced house in Paddington. It was far from
luxurious, but it was handy to the business centre of Oxford Street and she
had turned the ground-floor rooms into a smart place of business. The two
bedrooms upstairs were somewhat spartan, but it wouldn't take too much
work and money to turn the second bedroom into a nursery for the baby. A
smile lightened the heavy burden in her mind. How she would love that
baby!
Julian had called on the jeweller. As soon as Robyn gave her name at the
counter of the elegant boutique the manager promptly came forward,
treating her with the utmost deference as he tested her finger-size. He smiled
at her as he noted it down.
Til have a selection ready for Mr Lassiter,' he assured her.
Robyn could have told him that a plain gold ring would suffice, but found
the situation too embarrassing to discuss. She left it to Julian.
There was one other thing she had to do. She did her best to smother her
sense of embarrassment and headed for the registration desk to ask for a
duplicate key to her room, a key for David to use when he came to her
tonight. She shrank from letting him in, talking. Better for her to be in bed
with the lights out. Maybe that way she could cope without falling to pieces
at the last moment.
The day passed with agonising slowness. Robyn was ready long before
Julian knocked on her door at five minutes to four. In deference to the fact
that she was getting married an extraordinary occasion in more ways than
one she had put on her favourite yellow dinner- dress: a simple affair with
a soft blouson bodice, a white leather belt that curved down at the front of
her trim waist and featured an enamel daisy, and a skirt that fitted snugly
over her hips before swinging out into graceful gores. She had strapped on
the white high-heeled sandals which went with every dress she had brought
with her, and tucked the extra room-key into her white handbag. Her short
blonde hair had been washed and brushed into shape. Some judicious
make-up added some colour to her pale face. She had even revarnished her
nails a pearly coral colour to pass some time.
Robyn was satisfied that she looked composed, but when the expected
knock came she took a long, deep breath before opening the door.
Julian was in his dark grey suit. A freshly made lei of frangipani flowers
hung from his wrist. He smiled at her, a smile of encouraging approval.
Robyn could not return it. She stared at him, stiff- faced, the most terrible
panic pounding through her heart. It was Julian she wanted. Julian! And he
was giving her to his brother. Approving a marriage that should be as wrong
to him as it was to her. She searched his eyes in frantic appeal. Didn't he
even sense it was wrong?
He lifted the lei off his wrist and carefully positioned it around her neck.
4
Aloha, Robyn,' he murmured, his hands still resting on her shoulders. Then
he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. This is a fine thing you do. Don't
ever think otherwise,' he added in a husky whisper.
Robyn couldn't speak. She was fighting tears.
Julian took a small velvet bag out of his jacket pocket, extracted a ring, took
her left hand and slid a dazzling solitaire diamond on to her third finger.
'And this is from Davey. In appreciation.'
'No. I...' She choked. Julian couldn't possibly feel what she felt for him. He
couldn't do this if he did. And she couldn't pull away from him now. It was
too late. Somehow she had become irrevocably tied to his will, and she had
to do what he wanted.
'It's little enough for what you do for him,' Julian insisted gravely. 'Accept it,
Robyn.'
She nodded, too wrought up to argue. Julian took her arm and walked her up
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