Glass Slippers And Unicorns

‘I know how you feel, dear.’ Maud nodded without chagrin. ‘I’d forgotten just how beautiful England was,’ she added wistfully. ‘It’s so green and—and lush.’

‘And damp and cold in the winter,’ her son drawled unromantically.

Maud gave him an impatient look. ‘You needn’t try and put me off; I have no intention of intruding on the cosy life you’ve made for yourself here away from the rest of the family. I was just stating that I had forgotten how lovely England is.’

Reed scowled. ‘You’re more than welcome to move in with me any time you want to, you know that.’

Green eyes that were so much kinder than her son’s could ever be twinkled merrily at Darcy before she winked conspiratorially. ‘I’d drive you to distraction in a week!’ she mocked without rancour. ‘Your father always said I was the reason you were such a good athlete; you were trying to run away from home!’

Darcy held back her own smile with difficulty. Although she didn’t really know what she had to smile about: Maud Hunter had just confirmed what she had already guessed, that Reed would run a mile from falling in love with a woman even remotely like his mother.

‘You know that isn’t true——’

‘I know it is true,’ his mother chuckled, turning to Darcy. ‘And I was just asking you if you would like to stop for lunch or continue on?’

She shrugged, glancing at Reed. ‘Whatever the two of you would prefer.’

‘Very diplomatic,’ he drawled, his mouth twisted. ‘Mother would like to stop, I would like to go on.’

No wonder they had asked her; now she was in the position to upset one of them. But the rumblings of her stomach told her she had missed breakfast and that it would be grateful if she didn’t give lunch a miss too. ‘It might be nice for your mother if we stopped for a pub lunch,’ she suggested blandly. ‘But, of course, if you would prefer not to bother …’

Maud laughed softly. ‘I like your secretary, Reed,’ she smiled.

‘I get the feeling she likes you, too,’ he muttered, looking around for a pub that served lunches.

Darcy had never seen him quite this caustic before; obviously his mother had a strange effect on him. He definitely wasn’t his usual charming self.

The pub that Reed finally chose had a formal restaurant at the back overlooking the gently flowing stream that was populated by several swans and ducks, the pub itself looking centuries old with its thatched roof and beamed ceilings. But for all the notice Reed took of its rustic charm he might have been sitting in a bus shelter! He really was in a bad humour today.

‘Just ignore him, dear,’ Maud advised her after they had ordered their meal. ‘He’s always been the same until he’s eaten. Even as a baby——’

‘I’m sure Darcy isn’t interested in that, Mother,’ he snapped impatiently.

‘I wonder why it is that men don’t like to admit they were ever drooling babies that needed their nappies changed just like other people?’ Maud mused.

‘Mother!’ Reed threatened in a thunderous voice, Darcy having difficulty holding back her amusement as he shifted uncomfortably on his seat.

‘Well, until you bring a nice girl home for me to tell all your childhood anecdotes to Darcy will do just fine,’ his mother dismissed. ‘Besides, I’m sure she is interested in learning you’re as human as the rest of us.’

Darcy gave the older woman a sharp questioning look, blushing a little at the warm understanding she found in Maud’s eyes. The other woman knew she was in love with her son!

She did enjoy hearing more about Reed’s childhood, so different from her own in that the family had moved between England and America for several years before finally settling in America, all four of the children adapting well to the move. Reed scowled all through the telling of it, but like every other woman in love Darcy loved hearing about his childhood. And if Reed were even more distant by the time they left the restaurant it couldn’t be helped; she could have listened to Maud talking about him all day. And most of all she enjoyed hearing the pride in Maud’s voice when she spoke of her son’s achievements. She would have liked to have known Lloyd Hunter, the two men sounding very much alike, the father having given every encouragement to Reed to succeed, even though he would have preferred his son to take up the sporting career he hadn’t ever been good enough to enter himself.

Once they reached Southampton docks it all became rather a rush, stopping for lunch having made them late—Darcy was sure Reed must be biting his tongue to stop himself saying ‘I told you so!’—and so they barely had time to see Maud settled into her suite on the gleaming white cruise-ship before the signal for visitors to leave was sounding.

‘The Mediterranean for a month.’ Darcy sighed enviously as they lingered to wave goodbye to Maud as she stood up on the deck, turning to give Reed a rueful look as he made no reply. ‘I know,’ she grimaced, ‘knowing my luck I’d probably be seasick the whole time!’

His face relaxed into a smile for the first time that day. ‘If my mother can survive I’m sure you could.’

She turned away so that he shouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes. ‘Thank you for the necklace, by the way,’ she told him woodenly, waving enthusiastically to Maud.

‘I saw it in a shop window and it seemed appropriate,’ he dismissed.

She nodded. ‘It’s lovely.’

‘I thought so.’ His eyes were narrowed on the paleness of her face, the intensity of his gaze causing Darcy to look away. ‘Darcy?’ He frowned, his hand under her chin as he tilted her face up to his. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Wrong?’ she evaded.

‘For a moment you looked——’ He broke off, shrugging. ‘Lost, somehow.’

She gave him an overbright smile. ‘Don’t you wish you were going on the cruise?’ She looked up blindly to where she knew hundreds of happy faces were smiling in anticipation of the trip ahead, her inability to see them having nothing to do with not wearing her contact lenses.

‘No.’ A glittering hardness entered his eyes. ‘I have something much more important to take care of.’

Darcy blinked up at him, frowning at his vehemence. ‘In Florida?’

‘Yes,’ he rasped.

‘What——’

‘Not here,’ he dismissed harshly, looking around pointedly at the other people seeing off relatives.

Maybe it was the business in Florida that was making Reed so bad-tempered even now his mother had left; he certainly still looked grim.

She tried to think of any business dealings they had had with Florida in recent months, and couldn’t remember any.

‘Is there any way I can help, Reed?’ she offered once they were back in his car, Darcy beside him in the front this time.

‘No,’ he rasped.

Darcy lapsed into silence, knowing from experience that Reed would talk when he was ready, or not, whatever the case might be. More often than not he didn’t feel the inclination to confide in her.

It wasn’t until they were on the plane the next day that he felt ‘ready’ to talk, and then what he had to say first stunned her and then rocked the foundations of her being!

‘Darcy?’ he prompted sharply at the choking sound in her throat which was her reaction to his news.

She moistened lips gone suddenly dry. ‘Could you— Would you say it again?’

‘We’ll be staying with my youngest sister Diane——’

‘I heard that part,’ she dismissed impatiently, wondering why he could possibly think she would feel in the least distressed about that.

‘I want everyone, including my family, to think that I’m just on vacation——’

‘I heard that bit, too.’ She was breathing deeply as she waited to see if he would repeat what she had thought she heard him say earlier.

‘Surely you aren’t going to find it that difficult letting people believe we’re—a couple?’ he mocked.

A couple. Yes, he had definitely said it again. And he couldn’t know how difficult she would find that to do; if he had he would probably put her on the first return flight to England. But he obviously didn’t know, would never have suggested it if he had ever guessed she was in love with him.

‘Marc never has to know about it if that’s what you’re worried about,’ he drawled dismissively.

Marc—she hadn’t given him a second thought, had no doubt that while she was away he would be dating one of the numerous models who were so available to him! It was herself she was worried about; how far did being thought ‘a couple’ go?

‘I can understand that you’re a little reluctant——’

He couldn’t!

‘… but just think of this as a working vacation,’ he continued lightly.

Working? It would be purgatory!

‘We don’t have to act as if we can’t take our hands off each other or anything like that,’ he assured her. ‘It should be enough if you just act unsecretaryish,’ he derided. ‘And I don’t think you’ll find that too difficult to do!’

‘Now just a minute——’

‘I meant, of course, that the holiday setting should make it easier for you to just relax in the Florida sunshine and enjoy yourself.’

Darcy eyed him suspiciously, not at all sure he had meant anything of the sort. She unconsciously took the unicorn in the palm of her hand and moved it from side to side on the gold chain. ‘Am I to be told what all this is about?’ She frowned.

‘Some of it.’ He nodded evasively. ‘As much as I feel you need to know.’

‘I don’t think I like the sound of that.’ She shook her head, still frowning. ‘Reed, just what are you up to?’

‘It isn’t a question of what I’m up to,’ he told her grimly. ‘I’m the innocent one in all of this!’

‘Innocent?’ she repeated in a strained voice. ‘If you’re innocent then that must mean someone else is—guilty, of something?’

‘Yes,’ he rasped.

Darcy felt the rush of blood in her ears, could feel a threatening blackness descending. ‘I don’t think I can do this, Reed,’ she denied, desperately trying to cling to consciousness.

‘You don’t have to do a thing.’ He was too lost in his own grim thoughts to notice how pale and agitated she had become. ‘Just enjoy your holiday, I’ll take care of the rest.’

‘What “rest"?’ She swallowed hard, her fingers tightly gripping the arms of the seat.

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