Chapter Ten
The birthday party for Elsie, while small by Wilde standards, was no less glamorous.
Instead of using the ballroom, the garden room was set up with beautiful flower arrangements and balloons and streamers and a banner with Happy Birthday on the wall above the spectacular birthday cake.
While the last touches were being made by the staff, Mollie went upstairs to get ready.
She dressed with care, pleased with the way her blue dress hadn’t dated and showcased her slim build and the grey-blue of her eyes.
She put her hair up in a stylish bun, leaving a couple of tendrils to dance around her face.
She was putting the finishing touches to her make-up when Jago came in.
‘You look stunning,’ he said coming over to drop a kiss to her bare shoulder, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror.
‘So do you.’ Mollie drank in his handsome features, his dress suit highlighting his tall, broad-shouldered frame and athletic build to perfection.
‘I have something for you.’ He opened his jacket to take out a slim rectangular jewellery box the same colour as his eyes.
Mollie took it from him, her heart skipping in her chest. She prised open the lid to find a gorgeous sapphire pendant, surrounded by sparkling diamonds and a pair of dangling earrings to match. ‘Oh…they’re beautiful…’ She met his gaze in the mirror once more. ‘Are they…real?’
He gave a short laugh. ‘Of course they’re real. Here, I’ll help you with the pendant.’ He took the box from her and took out the necklace, placing it around her neck and fastening it. ‘You’d better do the earrings yourself.’ He handed her each one in turn as she put them on.
Mollie stared at herself in the mirror, feeling like Cinderella dressed for the ball. The earrings sparkled as they moved, the pendant’s sapphire as dark as the ring on her left hand. ‘I’ll give them back once the party is over.’
‘No need to,’ Jago said. ‘Consider it a gift.’
‘But, Jago, these are so expensive. I can’t possibly accept such a—’
His hands came down on her shoulders, sending shivers of reaction through her body. ‘I want you to have them.’ There was an implacable quality to his voice and a determined look in his eyes.
She rose from the chair she was sitting on and turned to face him. Her thoughts were tumbling like leaves in a whirlwind. ‘When did you buy these?’
Something moved at the backs of his eyes. ‘Why do you want to know?’
‘Because it’s important.’
‘It’s just a bit of jewellery.’
‘When?’ Mollie persisted.
Jago let out a rough sigh. ‘I bought them two years ago while I was in New York. They were going to be a gift for our wedding day.’
Mollie bit down on her lower lip, her heart contracting at the thought of how much she had hurt him back then. ‘You kept them all this time?’ Her voice came out as a scratchy whisper.
He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Who else was I going to give them to?’
‘You’ve had those five lovers since…haven’t you?’
He stepped away as if he needed some space, one of his hands raking through his hair, leaving it tousled. ‘I didn’t date anyone for the first year.’
Shock, surprise and relief washed over her. ‘No one?’
His expression became wry. ‘I shelved my playboy lifestyle for twelve months, then I began a few flings but…’ He gave another shrug and went on. ‘It wasn’t the same. I wasn’t the same.’
Mollie blinked back the moisture in her eyes. ‘I don’t know if this is any comfort to you, but I haven’t slept with anyone since we broke up.’
Jago’s eyes widened a fraction. ‘No one?’
‘No one.’
He came over to her and took her hands in his, drawing her closer to his body. ‘Why?’ His gaze was searching, a deep frown pulling at his brow.
Mollie let out a soft sigh. ‘Lots of reasons. I had my brother to look after. I had to find a new job, a place to live. There’s not been time for anything else.’
And I didn’t want anyone but you.
She wanted to say it, but what good would it do now?
Jago lifted her chin with the tip of his finger, his gaze still locked on hers.
‘We’d better not be late for Gran’s party, but this conversation isn’t over.
My grandfather was behind you leaving me, and if you won’t tell me what led you to do it, I’ll have to find out some other way.
It can’t have just been your brother’s issues. ’
Mollie pressed her lips together to stop herself blurting out the truth. If she told him, she would be breaking the terms of the non-disclosure agreement and risking Maxwell retaliating by releasing the images.
The guests were still arriving as Mollie and Jago entered the party room hand in hand.
Mollie could see Jack, Jago’s older brother, leaning down to kiss Elsie.
He straightened to his full height and glanced Mollie’s way.
His dark eyebrows rose a fraction, and he sauntered over with his mouth smiling with welcome, but his ice-blue eyes had a cynical glint.
‘Welcome back into the Wilde fold, Mollie,’ he said with a mock bow. He turned to Jago and added, ‘What did the old man think of you two getting back together?’
Jago’s mouth flattened into a thin line of tension. ‘He’s not happy, but I’m only concerned with Gran at the moment. She’s thrilled to see Mollie.’
‘Yeah, so I just heard.’ Jack rubbed at his jaw in a thoughtful manner. ‘I don’t buy it, you know.’
Jago frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I think Gran remembers more than she’s letting on,’ Jack said.
‘You’ve been a lawyer way too long,’ Jago said, but he was still frowning. ‘Her memory is patchy, sure, but she thinks we’re still planning the wedding.’
Jack’s smile was as cynical as his eyes. ‘And are you?’
Jago’s hand tightened as it held Mollie’s. ‘No,’ Jago said. ‘This is just for the weekend.’
Jack’s gaze went to the jewellery around Mollie’s neck and the earrings dangling from her ears before glancing at the ring on her left hand. ‘Given the amount of money you’ve spent, I’d be stringing it out a bit longer to get value for money.’
Jago muttered a thick curse word. ‘Keep your opinions to yourself, Jack. I know what I’m doing.’
Jack gave a careless shrug, and with another mercurial smile directed at Mollie, he strolled away to speak to some of the other guests.
Jago turned to Mollie. ‘I’m sorry about Jack. He’s always been a bit of a pot-stirrer.’
‘It’s okay. I know the terms of our deal.’ Mollie glanced in Elsie’s direction to see her chatting with some old friends. She turned back to Jago. ‘But what if your gran does remember?’
‘I’ll cross that bridge if and when I need to.
But for now, why don’t we go and get some fresh air?
’ He led her out through the French door that opened to the garden, taking her past a maze to a summer house enveloped in white clematis.
Bees were busily buzzing, and birds were twittering, and the afternoon sunlight cast everything in a golden glow.
Jago looked back at the manor where the party was continuing without them. He was frowning when he turned to look at Mollie. ‘This weekend might not be enough.’
Mollie licked her suddenly dry lips. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We might need to continue our relationship for a little longer than I anticipated.’
‘How much longer?’
‘Jack could be right about Gran. She may well remember more than we thought, but I don’t want to upset her by suddenly ending our relationship when she’s clearly thrilled we’re back together.’
‘I’m not sure your grandfather is going to be happy about that,’ Mollie said, biting down on her lip.
Jago’s frown carved deep into his forehead. ‘Why is he anything to do with us?’
‘He’s everything to do with us,’ she said before she could put the brakes on her tongue.
He squeezed her hands. ‘Tell me everything, Mollie, please. I’m determined to find out either way, but it would be better if I heard it from you.’
‘You know I can’t say anything. I signed a—’
‘Screw the NDA. This is about us. It’s about you learning to trust me, damn it.’
Mollie pulled out of his hold as the music coming from the house signalled it was cake-cutting time. ‘We’d better go back. It will look strange if we’re not there to sing “Happy Birthday” to your gran.’
Jago let out a savage sigh and walked with her back to the manor in silence.
The party had livened up, and people were gathering for the blowing out of the candles.
Mollie put her on best party smile, but it took an effort to keep it in place.
What did Jago want from her? A fling? A proper relationship?
To try again? He hadn’t said anything about his feelings.
Their relationship was based on lust just as it had been two years ago.
Wouldn’t she be making the same mistake to settle for anything less than love?