The Bride In Blue

SOPHIA’S first response was a bitter resentment. Who did he think he was, forcing another kiss on her when he knew she hadn’t wanted him to kiss her at all?

But as those determined lips moved over hers a second time, Sophia’s resentment was shattered by an astonishing discovery. Jonathon’s mouth on hers was not an entirely unpleasant experience.

Of course, I’m not really enjoying it, she kept telling herself for several totally bewildering seconds.

When Jonathon made no move to end the kiss, the pressure of his mouth increasing, if anything, Sophia began to panic. What must the others be thinking? The grip on her shoulders increased as well, his fingers digging into her flesh. When Sophia felt his tongue demanding entry between her lips, she gasped and reefed her head backwards.

Her eyes, which had closed at some stage, flew open, flashing outrage. But Jonathon was already turning away to shake the celebrant’s hand.

‘I never tire of seeing couples genuinely in love,’ the man said, pumping Jonathon’s hand. ‘But if you don’t mind, Mr Parnell, could we sign the appropriate documents straight away? I really must dash.’

Jonathon turned back to Sophia then, his eyes and demeanour as unflappable as ever, while her face was burning up, her heart still beating madly in her chest. How dared he presume to kiss her like that?

Not that she didn’t know what lay behind it. Frustration. He was frustrated with the situation his deathbed promise to Godfrey had put him in. A kiss, Sophia imagined, could be an expression of anger as well as love—both emotions capable of evoking a fiery passion.

It just showed what kind of man Jonathon was. Nothing like Godfrey at all! Godfrey would never have kissed her out of anger or frustration. Why, Godfrey hadn’t even kissed her at all till that fateful night. Even then, she’d been the one to initiate the first kiss. Not that he hadn’t kissed her back quickly enough, cupping her cheeks and covering her face with beautiful, gentle kisses.

Her eyes misted with the memory of the sweet pleasure they had evoked, of how they had fulfilled all those wonderfully romantic dreams she’d been harbouring about Godfrey for such a long time.

‘Sophia.’

The impatient calling of her name snapped her out of her daydreaming, as did those harsh blue eyes glowering at her blurred vision.

‘W-what?’

‘Good God,’ Jonathon muttered darkly.

‘You have to sign the marriage certificate, Mrs Parnell,’ said a gentler male voice beside her. ‘It’s all set up in Jonathon’s study.’

She glanced over her shoulder up at Harvey Taylor’s smoothly urbane face. In his mid-thirties, Harvey was as fair as Jonathon was dark. Apparently, he had inherited control of Taylor and Sons—Solicitors, around the same time Jonathon took charge of Parnell Properties. He and Jonathon had gone to school together, both of them excelling in their studies. But he possessed none of Jonathon’s hard-edged strength, either in his face or his nature. He was a charming man, but a little weak, Sophia suspected.

Still, it was good to feel a kind hand on her arm for a change, and she liked the way he was looking at her. With admiration and respect. Not like her pretend husband. His eyes carried nothing but an illconcealed exasperation.

‘Best you bring her along, Harvey,’ Jonathon said with a sardonic twist to his mouth. ‘You seem to have the right touch. Mother, you can help Maud with the refreshments while we get the paperwork out of the way. Wilma! You have to come with us, being one of the witnesses. This way, Mr Weston. The study is just across the hall…’ And he was striding away from them without a backwards glance.

‘Yes, commandant,’ Wilma saluted to Jonathon’s rapidly disappearing back, and marched off after him.

Sophia couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping her lips.

‘You should take a leaf out of Wilma’s book,’ Harvey whispered as he ushered Sophia in the secretary’s wake. ‘Jonathon can’t hurt you if you don’t let him, Sophia.’

She lifted startled eyes. ‘Why should you think he can hurt me at all? You better than anyone know this isn’t a real marriage. Jonathon and I will be divorced as soon as the baby is born.’

‘That is your intention now, I’m sure, but Jonathon is a very attractive man. What if you fall in love with him? What if he decides having a wife who looks like you is just what the doctor ordered?’

She ground to a halt in the doorway of the study and stared at Harvey, his last remark not even registering after his first ridiculous suggestion. ‘I will never fall in love with Jonathon. Never!’

When Harvey suddenly frowned, his eyes darting to a spot behind her left shoulder, she spun round to find a stony-faced Jonathon standing there. ‘Do you think we might get on with signing these papers?’ he rapped out.

‘Sure thing,’ Harvey agreed smoothly, and waved Sophia into the room.

She hesitated, her emotions seesawing between embarrassment and guilt. Yet why should she feel guilty at Jonathon’s overhearing her assertion? He already knew her feelings about falling in love again, and while she could concede she might love another man at some point in the far distant future, that man would never be someone like him. She could only love a man who made her feel good about herself, who made her feel special, not gauche and stupid.

‘Sophia,’ Harvey murmured, and urged her into the room.

But as she made her way across the polished parquet flooring on to the richly patterned rug that lay in front of the huge oak desk, flashes of the first time she’d stood in front of this desk jumped into her mind.

It had been the day after Godfrey’s funeral, a cold, wet, windy August morning on which she hadn’t been able to drag herself out of bed. She’d been lying there, watching the rain slap against the window, when Maud had come in with the message that Jonathon wanted to see her in his study when she finally did get up.

A guilty embarrassment had propelled her out of bed immediately, hating for Godfrey’s brother to think she was going to be a lazy house guest. Showering hurriedly, she’d thrown on a pair of jeans and a pale peach sweater, put a few vigorous brushstrokes through her long dark hair, subdued its thick waves into a single plait then practically run downstairs, only ten minutes having passed since Maud had come into her room.

Her knock on Jonathon’s study door had been timid. Not so the barked, ‘Come,’ from within. Taking several hopefully steadying breaths, she’d gone inside, shutting the door carefully behind her. Her sidewards glances had been nervous, however, as she’d hesitantly approached the desk, the room being as intimidating as its owner. Wood-panelled walls, masses of bookshelves filled with heavy-looking tomes, dark curtains at the windows blocking most of the natural light from entering. Not a welcoming room at all.

‘You…you wanted to see me?’ she asked, feeling like a recalcitrant student who’d been hauled in front of the headmaster for misconduct.

When Jonathon looked up from his paperwork, he leant back in his chair, removing himself from the circle of light from his desk lamp. His face fell into shadow, making him appear more menacing than usual.

‘Pull up a chair, Sophia,’ he ordered. ‘We have things to discuss.’

‘D-d-discuss?’

He sighed. ‘Perhaps it would be better if you just sat down and listened.’

Sophia agreed wholeheartedly, despising herself for stammering all the time. She couldn’t understand why he had such an effect on her. She’d never stammered before in her life. There again, she’d never had anything to do with anyone quite like Jonathon Parnell before.

She settled into a large brown leather chair, happy to fall silent.

‘I’m sorry to intrude on your grief,’ he started, without much apology in his brusque voice. He wasn’t even looking at her, some papers on his desk holding his attention. ‘But there are legal matters I must make you aware of. Godfrey’s will—made a few years back unfortunately—leaves everything to his wife. The one who didn’t even bother to come to his funeral yesterday,’ he muttered before glancing up and giving Sophia a long, hard look. ‘Though perhaps it was as well she chose not to show up…’

He sighed a weary sounding sigh. ‘Whatever, Godfrey left her his entire estate, which includes the home at Roseville he once lived in with Alicia, and which she has been occupying since he disappeared, plus its contents, as well as a third share in Parnell Properties, all up valued at approximately fifteen million dollars.’

Sophia simply gaped. Godfrey had been a millionaire? And yet he’d lived so poorly during the years she’d known him, never buying any new clothes, growing his own vegetables, cutting firewood from dead trees. It had been a hand-to-mouth existence, his only extravagance being his art supplies. She’d often teased him about what he could do with the money when he became a famous painter. Now she understood why he’d brushed aside her fantasies, telling her instead that money didn’t bring happiness and never to believe it could.

‘My solicitor informs me, Sophia,’ Jonathon went on, ‘that you could contest the will on the grounds that you lived with Godfrey as his common-law wife for at least six months preceding his death, and are expecting his child.’

Sophia opened her mouth to protest that first assumption, then closed it again. She had lived with Godfrey, she supposed. What difference did it make that they hadn’t consummated their relationship till that last night? Still…contesting Godfrey’s will didn’t feel right. He’d had enough time and opportunity to change his will, if that was what he’d wanted to do.

Godfrey’s words came back to her about money not bringing happiness and she knew then that she didn’t want any of the money he’d left behind, the money that had obviously made him miserable. But before she could open her mouth again, Jonathon preempted her.

‘Knowing you,’ he drawled, ‘I’m sure you don’t want to do that any more than I want you to. Besides, Alicia is not the sort of woman to go quietly in matters of money. Any contesting of Godfrey’s will could get very nasty and very expensive. There’s no guarantee of your winning, either. So I would not advise that course of action. Godfrey entrusted you to me, knowing I would never see you destitute, so I have set up a trust fund for yourself and the child, in exchange for which you will sign a legal waiving of your rights to Godfrey’s estate and any more Parnell money. How does that sound to you?’

She hesitated. How could she refuse financial security for her child and herself? That would be crazy. And it wasn’t the same as fighting for that obscene amount of money. Jonathon obviously wasn’t talking about millions, just enough for her to live on.

The only problem was that it was Jonathon’s money. Sophia hated feeling obliged to him for more than he’d already given her. Dear heavens, he’d spent a fortune on her already, having Wilma select her a new wardrobe and a host of other things. Still, she supposed he must be very rich too and wouldn’t really miss it, so she swallowed and nodded her assent.

‘Good,’ he muttered. ‘For a second there, I thought you were going to be stubborn and foolish. Again.’

Sophia blushed, knowing he was referring to her distress over the price-tags on some of the clothes Wilma insisted she buy. Sophia had telephoned Jonathon at his office in a panic, only to have her protest swept aside with total exasperation. Instead of his admiring her for not wanting to spend his money, he’d seemed angry at her worrying.

She’d since learnt not to complain when he ordered her to buy something he thought she needed. Her dressing-table was covered in jars of cosmetics and bottles of perfume she’d never opened, her drawers full of expensive and very delicate lingerie she felt it a sin to wear on an everyday basis. As if she’d been interested in material things, anyway, when her Godfrey was dying.

Jonathon came forward on his chair and cleared his throat. ‘Now along to the matter of our getting married…’

Sophia sat up straight. She’d been wondering when he’d get round to that. Of course, he wouldn’t want to go through with it. No one could condemn him for that. People said anything to make a person’s last days happy.

‘If you’ll just sign where indicated,’ he said, picking up a sheet of paper, turning it round and facing it towards her, ‘we should be able to get married next month.’

‘You mean you…you still want to m-marry me?’

His coming forward in the chair to pass over the document had brought him into full light, so that she saw the hard glitter in his blue eyes. ‘The word “want” does not come into it, Sophia. I have no other option. I could not live with myself if I did not fulfil my promise to my brother, for it was the first and only thing he has ever asked me to do for him. I realise I am not the sort of man you would choose for a husband, but we only have to go through the motions. It will not be a real marriage. Later on, we can secure a discreet divorce.’

Sophia gulped when he directed a pen her way.

Her hand had trembled as she took it, her signature wobbly. Now, five weeks later, she was signing her marriage certificate on the same desk, and her hand was shaking just as much.

When she’d signed for the last wobbly time, Sophia heaved a sigh of relief and gave the pen to Wilma who stepped forward with her usual brisk confidence. Dressed in a severely tailored brown woollen suit with black patent accessories, her straight brown hair cropped mannishly short, she still exuded a strength of personality that was oddly attractive. In seconds, she’d whisked her distinctive signature in the allotted spaces, followed by an equally dashing Harvey.

Sophia watched them both with a degree of envy. One day, she would be like that, she vowed. Undaunted by any situation, and totally in command of herself.

Her sigh carried a certain amount of disappointment in herself that all Godfrey had achieved with her had turned out to be an illusion. She’d mistakenly believed he’d turned her from a shy, ignorant girl into a culturally informed young woman who would not have been at a loss in any company.

But she’d been wrong, realising within days of her arrival in the cosmopolitan city of Sydney and the elegant grandeur of Parnell Hall that she was still a country bumpkin, with few real social graces and no style at all. Wilma had done her best in the dress department—she’d certainly been given enough money to squander—but a presentable face and good figure could not disguise Sophia’s innate lack of sophistication. Her recognition of her failings had obliterated her self-confidence, everything only made worse by her unfortunate reaction to Jonathon’s bossy, almost bullying nature.

Perhaps if he’d been a bit more like Godfrey…

She sighed again, thinking to herself that she’d never known two brothers less alike.

All the formalities over, Jonathon saw the hearty Mr Weston to the door while the rest of them returned to the sitting-room where Maud was still laying out the buffet supper she’d been preparing all afternoon. Ivy was standing around, looking lost. Wilma immediately pressed a sherry into her hands, Sophia declining. Harvey moved off to pour himself a drink from the selection of crystal decanters lined up next to the food.

‘I wanted to tell you how beautiful you look today, my dear,’ Ivy complimented Sophia.

‘Blue’s not her colour, though,’ Wilma joined in tactlessly before Sophia could say a word. ‘She’d have looked much better in cream with her dark colouring, but Sophia thought it too close to white.’

‘I can understand her not wanting to wear white,’ Ivy murmured. ‘If only poor Godfrey could have been here…’

The words hung in the air, the group falling silent as the wretched reality of the occasion sank in.

‘Then there wouldn’t have been a wedding at all, Mother dear,’ Jonathon inserted drily into the emotion-charged atmosphere.

All heads turned to stare at him, Wilma recovering first.

‘Hardly a fair thing to say,’ was her tart comment, ‘especially when Godfrey isn’t here to defend himself.’

‘Oh I have no doubt that Godfrey meant to marry Sophia,’ Jonathon elaborated, that sardonic edge still in his voice, ‘but he was, at the time of his death, still married to Alicia. It takes twelve months after the initial application to gain a no-fault divorce in this country and Godfrey had instigated nothing in the three years he’d been away.’

‘Do we have to talk about that today, Jonathon?’ Ivy looked quite distressed and Sophia’s heart went out to her. ‘We all know Godfrey meant to divorce that woman.’

Jonathon, however, was not about to be swayed.

‘He didn’t divorce her, though, did he?’ he drawled. ‘But that was just like Godfrey, wasn’t it? Always meaning to do something but never getting round to it.’

‘Jonathon, don’t,’ his mother cried brokenly, a hand coming up to flutter at her throat.

‘I’m sorry, Mother, but I’m the one who’s always had to pick up the pieces whenever Godfrey decided to run away from real life and embrace one of his fancies.’

Sophia sucked in a sharp breath, but Jonathon swept on, seemingly intent on assassinating his brother’s character.

‘The man never grew up, never developed a sense of responsibility. I’m prepared to forget his business fiascos, but when it comes to his personal life I find it hard to be as tolerant. Alicia might be a spoiled, mercenary bitch, but she didn’t deserve being walked out on without a word. She’s been in limbo for three years, for God’s sake. The least Godfrey could have done was give her a divorce. Then what does he do? He takes up with a girl almost young enough to be his daughter and makes her pregnant when he knew, he knew dammit, that he was dying. What kind of selfish stupidity was that, I ask you?’

A hushed silence descended on the room once Jonathon ran out of steam, and it was while the air vibrated with everyone’s tension that Sophia stepped forward and slapped him hard around the face. The sound of her hand cracking across his cheek echoed with the gasps of shock her action produced. But she heard nothing, saw nothing except a haze of red-hot fury before her eyes.

‘Don’t you ever,’ she launched forth, her voice and body shaking with emotion, ‘call my Godfrey selfish or stupid again, do you hear me? He might not have been perfect. He probably made mistakes. But Godfrey would never deliberately hurt another human being. He did whatever he did because he had to! As for his callously making me pregnant, nothing could be further than the truth! During the time I knew Godfrey, not once did he make improper advances to me, even after he took me in when I had nowhere else to go.

‘If you must blame someone for my pregnancy, then blame me. I went to my Godfrey’s bed when he was obviously distraught and I comforted him the only way I could think of. Neither of us thought of the child we might have as a consequence, but do you know what? I’m proud I’m having Godfrey’s baby. Extremely proud. He was a fine man and would have made a fine father. But I am not proud of being your wife, Jonathon Parnell. The day cannot come quickly enough that I have done with you!’

So saying, she burst into tears and ran from the room, dashing up the stairs and along the hall into her bedroom where she threw herself on to the bed, weeping copiously into the green silk quilt.

Downstairs, Jonathon was still staring after her, his face ashen, except for the bright red mark on his cheek.

‘Well, Jonathon?’ Wilma mocked. ‘I see the much vaunted Parnell charm is still intact.’

‘Go after her, man,’ Harvey advised. ‘Apologise profusely. Beg her forgiveness.’

‘Please, Jonathon,’ Ivy pleaded. ‘She’s going to have Godfrey’s child…’

His eyes turned slowly towards his mother, their expression haunted. ‘Must I spend the rest of my life paying for the dubious privilege of being born in the image of my father?’ he muttered.

When no one commented further after this cryptic statement, he whirled and strode from the room, mounting the stairs two at a time till he disappeared from the others’ view. Maud returned from the kitchen at that precise moment to find three silent, drooping faces.

‘What is it?’ she demanded to know. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Jonathon said something that upset Sophia,’ Wilma volunteered.

‘Oh, no, not again! What’s wrong with that man? Can’t he see what a prize that girl is? Why, if he had any brains he’d snap her up for himself good and proper.’

‘Life isn’t that neat, Maud,’ was Harvey’s wry remark.

‘I don’t see why not,’ the old lady muttered crossly. ‘She’s a beautiful girl. He’s a handsome man. They’re married now. Why can’t nature take its natural course?’

‘She’s having his brother’s baby, for pity’s sake,’ Wilma argued. ‘Give the man a break. This hasn’t been easy for Jonathon. Besides, Sophia is still very much in love with Godfrey.’

‘You’re right,’ Maud sighed. ‘I’m just a silly old fool, thinking things can be all tied up with pink bows. So what are we going to do?’

‘I know what I’m going to do,’ Harvey said, lifting his whisky and draining every drop. ‘I’m going to have another drink.’

‘Good idea,’ Wilma agreed. ‘I’ll join you.’

CHAPTER THREE

THE first awareness Sophia had that someone had followed her came when the bed dipped low on one side, but she never dreamt it was Jonathon sitting there. She presumed it was Wilma, or maybe Maud. Not Ivy. Godfrey’s mother was not one to confront or even actively comfort. She was a gentle, but very passive creature.

So it wasn’t till Jonathon actually spoke that she realised who it was in the room with her.

‘I’m sorry, Sophia,’ he began with a ragged sigh. ‘I have no excuse for my appallingly thoughtless behaviour other than I’ve been finding it difficult to deal with certain aspects of Godfrey’s life prior to his illness. I’m glad you’ve cleared up my misconception that he had somehow taken advantage of your youth and innocence. Please also believe me when I say I make no judgement of your actions, either with Godfrey or with me downstairs. I have nothing but admiration for the way you defended my brother just now. A man would kill to have a woman love him as you obviously loved Godfrey.’

Sophia lay there for a moment, unsure if his seemingly heartfelt words had soothed, or flustered her further. She did not associate Jonathon with apologies.

Rolling slowly over, she encountered a face so bleak her heart filled with instant remorse. She couldn’t see into his eyes for he was looking down at the floor, but the uncharacteristic droop of his head and shoulders pulled at her heartstrings.

‘I…I’m sorry too,’ she whispered. ‘I shouldn’t have hit you.’

When his head lifted and he twisted round to face her, Sophia gasped at the still stark imprint of her hand on his cheek. She had no idea she’d hit him that hard. Appalled, she reached up blindly with shocked fingers, a guilty groan escaping her lips as her shaking hand made contact with the red mark.

‘Don’t!’ he snapped, iron fingers enclosing her wrist and ramming her hand down on to the quilt, the action jerking her up into a semi-sitting position.

With the abrupt movement, her hat, which had been partially dislodged when she’d first flung herself on the bed, fell off, the large comb holding her hair up also coming adrift, sending her dark glossy waves tumbling down around her face and shoulders.

‘Oh!’ she cried.

When she tried to disengage her hand from his to push back her hair, his grip remained fast, his eyes boring into hers with such intensity that she was completely bamboozled by the whole situation. Did he think she’d been going to hit him again? Sophia couldn’t see why he should. She’d already said she was sorry for that.

So why didn’t he say something? Why did he just sit there, staring at her like that? And why, oh, why couldn’t she seem to find her own voice?