The Yuletide Engagement

Not quite the way she had envisaged the evening beginning!

But then she hadn’t expected Patrick to kiss her either…

Why on earth had he kissed her? Just for effect, as his words afterwards had seemed to imply? Well, he couldn’t even begin to imagine the effect his unexpected behaviour had had on her!

She could still feel the sensuous touch of his lips against hers, still feel the hardness of his body as she moulded perfectly against him, the warmth that had coursed through her, that totally not-knowing-where-she-was-and-not-caring-either feeling.

As for Gareth! Amazingly, she had felt absolutely nothing as she’d looked at him just now. Except perhaps a vague disbelief that she had ever been taken in by his overt good looks and charm…

What did it all mean…?

But as they walked into the restaurant and Patrick was greeted effusively by her boss, George Delacorte, Senior Partner at Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte, Ellie knew she would have to get back to that particularly puzzling question later!

CHAPTER THREE

‘I HAD no idea you were going to be here with Ellie this evening, Patrick.’ The older man greeted him warmly and the two men shook hands. George Delacorte was a tall, distinguished-looking man with iron-grey hair and twinkling brown eyes that belied the shrewd trial lawyer he actually was. ‘You should have told me, Ellie,’ he chided teasingly.

Told him what? Until a few seconds ago she hadn’t even known that he and Patrick were acquainted! Patrick certainly hadn’t mentioned that he knew the older man.

‘How are Anne and Thomas?’ George smiled.

‘Very well, thank you, sir,’ Patrick replied smoothly, his arm still lightly about Ellie’s waist, almost as if he weren’t aware that she was staring up at him in amazement.

Why hadn’t he told her he knew George Delacorte? It was obvious from the easy way he was talking with the older man that Patrick had been perfectly well aware that he would be seeing the other man this evening! In fact, she knew that he had; she had told him herself that it was the Delacorte Christmas dinner!

‘And Teresa?’ the older man continued lightly. ‘Breaking hearts, as usual?’

Patrick shrugged. ‘I think she might finally have met “the one’,” he answered indulgently.

‘Good for her.’ George chuckled.

Who on earth were Anne and Thomas—let alone Teresa? Ellie realised she really should have asked Patrick for a few more personal details. And maybe she would have done if she had known they would be relevant to this evening!

‘I must just go and tell Mary you’re here; she’ll be so pleased to see you,’ George said happily. ‘Sarah is here too—somewhere.’ He frowned. ‘You’re coming to the family party tomorrow?’ he prompted abruptly.

‘Of course,’ Patrick assured him.

‘Bring Ellie, too,’ George went on with a smile in her direction. ‘If you would like to come, my dear?’ he added gently.

She had no idea what party either of these two men were talking about!

‘I’m not sure what Ellie’s plans are for tomorrow.’ Patrick was the one to answer smoothly. ‘We’ll let you know.’

‘Of course,’ George accepted briskly. ‘I’ll just go and find Mary.’ He gave them another smile before going off in search of his wife.

‘So that was the infamous Gareth,’ Patrick murmured thoughtfully once the two of them were alone. ‘I have to say, Ellie, I wasn’t very impressed.’ He shrugged.

‘Never mind Gareth for now—who are Anne, Thomas and Teresa?’ Ellie hissed explosively. ‘And how is it that you know George Delacorte?’

‘He’s my uncle,’ Patrick told her dismissively, at the same time looking interestedly at the forty or so other Delacorte staff in the room. ‘As for Anne, Thomas and—’

‘Your uncle?’ Ellie spluttered incredulously, gaping up at him unbelievingly.

‘By marriage.’ Patrick nodded. ‘Mary Delacorte is my father’s sister.’

‘Why on earth didn’t you tell me?’ she demanded indignantly.

Patrick turned to look at her, dark brows raised over slightly mocking grey eyes. ‘I didn’t think it was relevant.’

‘You-didn’t-think-it-was-relevant!’ she repeated disgustedly.

‘Ellie, why do you keep repeating everything I say?’ he taunted derisively.

‘Because I just can’t believe this!’ The colour was high in her cheeks, blue eyes sparkling. ‘Is Toby aware that my boss is your uncle?’ she asked suspiciously as that idea suddenly occurred to her.

‘I’m really not sure.’ Patrick shrugged. ‘But I would have thought so. Do you think we ought to mingle?’ he added consideringly. ‘Several of your work colleagues have looked curiously across at us in the last few minutes.’

She didn’t care who had looked at them in the last few minutes; she intended getting to the bottom of this if it took all night. If Toby knew that Patrick was related to George Delacorte, then he must also be aware—

‘Patrick!’

Ellie turned just in time to see Sarah Delacorte, George’s daughter and only child, throw herself into Patrick’s arms, kissing him enthusiastically.

Ellie felt her heart plummet as she looked at the beautiful young woman laughing up into Patrick’s face, her pleasure at his presence obvious.

Sarah Delacorte was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, with her tall, slender figure—shown off to advantage now in a slinky black knee-length dress—her long silky blonde hair and delicate child-like features.

Unfortunately she was also the woman Gareth had been dating for the last six weeks and was about to announce his engagement to!

And she was, Ellie realised with dismay, Patrick’s young cousin…

‘What are you doing here?’ Sarah demanded, still holding onto Patrick’s hands as she gazed up at him in obvious delight.

Patrick looked no less pleased to see his cousin, grinning broadly. ‘Ellie brought me,’ he explained lightly, releasing one of his hands to turn and firmly clasp one of Ellie’s, to bring her forward to stand at his side.

‘Goodness, Ellie, I haven’t seen you for ages!’ Sarah greeted her warmly. ‘You look wonderful!’ she added with genuine warmth.

It was true the two women hadn’t met for some time. Sarah had been in Paris for the last year, initially working with one of the fashion designers over there. But her career in modelling had taken a meteoric rise over the last six months, with her photograph appearing on the front page of all the popular women’s magazines.

Sarah’s absence abroad was also the reason she had no idea Ellie had still been dating Gareth until six weeks ago!

Ellie very much doubted that Gareth had told the other woman anything about her, or the fact that they had still been dating after he and Sarah met. And Ellie certainly had no intention of telling the other woman any of that either. Although the fact that she now knew Patrick was the other woman’s cousin certainly made things more than a little awkward in that direction!

‘I understand congratulations are in order?’ Patrick looked down teasingly at his young cousin.

Ellie noted that the warmth was no longer in his eyes, and his smile lacked some of its earlier spontaneity…

‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ Sarah said dreamily, suddenly looking a very young twenty-one-year-old. ‘One moment I was young and fancy-free, and the next—I was just swept off my feet the moment I looked at him!’ She laughed self-consciously.

Patrick’s hand tightened about Ellie’s fingers as he felt her stiffen beside him, although his narrowed gaze remained fixed on his cousin’s glowingly lovely face. ‘Love at first sight, hmm?’ he prompted dryly.

‘Something like that.’ Sarah gave another happy laugh. ‘Wait until you meet him,’ she enthused. ‘You’re going to love him!’

Considering what Patrick had said to Ellie about Gareth a few minutes earlier, she somehow doubted that very much!

Although how much of Patrick’s opinion had been formed by what Ellie might have said or implied about the other man and what Patrick had actually decided for himself she had no idea!

Not that it mattered; this was just a very awkward situation all round.

What on earth had Toby been playing at when he originally organised this date for her with Patrick? Because Toby, of all of them, was well aware of the connection of all the key players in what was turning out to be a fiasco!

Patrick gave a slight inclination of his head. ‘I’m sure you’ll have a chance to introduce the two of us later. For the moment, I think Ellie wants to introduce me to some of her friends,’ he added lightly.

‘Of course,’ Sarah instantly accepted. ‘It really is lovely to see you again, Ellie,’ she added warmly. ‘We must go out and have coffee together some time, like we used to.’

When Sarah, no doubt, would want to wax lyrical about Gareth! No, thank you!

It was true the two women had occasionally had coffee together before Sarah’s departure for Paris, but they had lost touch with each other during the last year. In the present circumstances Ellie thought it better if it remained that way!

‘We must,’ Ellie agreed non-committally.

‘Catch up with you later, Sarah,’ Patrick told his cousin, before strolling away, Ellie very firmly pinned to his side. ‘Save it for later, hmm?’ he told her between barely moving lips.

‘But—’

‘Ellie, this is not the place to discuss it. Okay?’ he prompted as she came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the crowded room.

No, it was not okay. She had no idea what was going on—how could she when the whole evening had been turned upside down by Patrick’s family connection to the Delacortes?

He sighed at the mutinous expression on her face. ‘I know how this must look to you—’

‘You can have no idea how this looks to me,’ she assured him derisively.

‘Probably not,’ Patrick conceded with a grimace. ‘But we do have the rest of this evening to get through,’ he reasoned. ‘And your ex-boyfriend’s engagement is still going to be announced before the end of it.’

‘Gareth’s engagement to your cousin,’ Ellie bit out pointedly.

‘Yes,’ he acknowledged heavily. ‘It probably escaped your notice earlier, but George isn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of having Gareth Davies as his son-in-law!’

Ellie blinked. ‘He isn’t?’

Of course George had known that Ellie was dating Gareth until a couple of months ago—everyone at Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte had been aware of it. But when the older man had approached the subject of Sarah’s involvement with the other man with Ellie she had dismissed her own relationship with him as a mere friendship. After all, she did have her pride…

She hadn’t realised that George was talking to her about Gareth because he didn’t exactly trust the younger man’s motives regarding his daughter!

‘No,’ Patrick confirmed grimly.

She frowned. ‘Then why doesn’t he do something about it?’

Patrick smile derisively. ‘Such as what? Tell Sarah he’s nothing but a fortune-hunter? Because he is, isn’t he?’ he drawled scathingly. ‘A man with an eye to the main chance. A man who fancies the name Davies being added to the end of Delacorte, Delacorte and Delacorte!’

Yes, that was exactly what Gareth was. Handsome, charming—but totally mercenary. Ellie, as George’s much-valued secretary, had seemed like a good prospect to him six months ago. But Gareth had dropped her like a hot coal when Sarah had returned from Paris and he’d realised George had a marriageable daughter.

‘Yes,’ Ellie confirmed miserably, feeling totally humiliated by her own past gullibility.

Patrick nodded abruptly. ‘And how do you think Sarah is likely to react if anyone should tell her that about the man she believes herself madly in love with?’

How would Ellie have reacted if someone had told her those things about Gareth three months ago? Even two months ago? Would she have believed them if she weren’t now the one with the knowledge of just how mercenary Gareth could be?

She gave a derisive grimace. ‘She’ll tell them to mind their own business!’

‘In one.’ Patrick nodded in mocking confirmation.

Ellie shook her head dismissively. ‘But if George really distrusts his motives—’

‘He does,’ Patrick bit out grimly.

‘Then why doesn’t he just sack him?’

‘For the same reason, wouldn’t you think?’ Patrick derided.

Yes, Ellie did think. It was obvious from Sarah’s behaviour earlier, from the things she had said about Gareth, that the other woman was completely taken in by him.

As Ellie had once been…

But, as Ellie had learnt only too well—and obviously Patrick and his uncle knew too—Gareth’s charm was all a front for his calculating brain, to create Delacorte, Delacorte, Delacorte, and Davies!

At only thirty-two Gareth had ambitions that he had no intention of working at if they could be achieved by a simpler route—such as marrying the senior partner’s daughter!

It had taken Ellie almost two weeks to realise that Gareth was dating someone else besides herself—he hadn’t wanted to give up on one option before making absolutely sure of the second one! Once she had realised what he was doing she had told him precisely what she thought of him. And what he could do with the relationship he had tried to offer her as consolation prize.

If she had thought he was genuinely in love with Sarah then it would have been a different matter; she would have just accepted the inevitable. But by that time her eyes had been wide open where Gareth was concerned, her illusions shattered.

But she still had no idea what Patrick was up to…

Because he was up to something. She was sure of it!

‘So, Ellie, what do you think?’ Patrick looked at her consideringly now. ‘Do you want to help us prove to Sarah what an absolute bas—What a calculating mercenary her new fiancé actually is?’ he amended harshly.

Ellie glanced across the room to where she could see Gareth, now talking to Sarah, a superior smile curving his lips as she looked up at him with absolute adoration, obviously enthralled by his every word.

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