A Moment in Time Read Free Page A

will of its
own, almost involuntarily begin to nod that yes that he was begging
for. A yes that was perhaps a lie, a yes that was a defeat of her
spirit.
    She looked up at him, her eyes teary. She
wanted to tell Teddy that she loved him, but that she wasn't
certain that she was "in love" with him. The words, however, could
not be summoned up from her tortured soul.
    Teddy threw his arms around her again,
pulling her to him passionately, kissing her neck, her ears,
forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth. Then he began to lick the
tears that had spilled down onto her cheeks.
    "I love you, Val," he murmured. "Oh, I love
you so much. I want to make you the happiest woman alive. I want to
make you mine.'"
    Valerie stiffened at these last words, but
she remained mute, hoping that her silence would neither offend him
nor imply assent to his wishes.
    When he drew back again, Teddy smiled at her
radiantly. "You've made me the happiest man in the world."
    She couldn't help but find his excitement
infectious. "I'm . . . I'm glad, Teddy," she said, returning his
smile.
    "Do you like it?" he asked.
    "Like it?" She looked down at the ring.
"Teddy, it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."
    "Put it on," he said. "Let's see what it
looks like on.
    Valerie took the ring from its nest of
softest suede and held it between two fingers. Her hand trembled
slightly.
    "Here," Teddy said, "let me put it on your
finger." He took the ring from her, and Valerie held her hand out
straight, trying to keep it from shaking.
    Teddy slipped the ring onto her finger, and
Valerie moved her hand back and forth, watching the diamond reflect
the candlelight. Despite the turmoil that she felt about committing
to Teddy, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the diamond's
beauty. It's truly magnificent , she thought . More than
I'd ever dreamed of . . . or even wanted, for that matter.
    She moved her hand again, watching the
gemstone reflect the light. Trust Teddy to go for the
unusual , she thought . He would have to get something
extraordinary, something over the top.
    She looked up at him. "I'm practically
speechless, Teddy," she said. "It really is the most beautiful ring
I've ever seen."
    Teddy grinned like a proud little boy. "You
don't think it's vulgar?" he asked. Then he laughed.
    "It is a little big," she allowed, joining in
his laughter.
    "If you ask me, only people who can't afford
them call them vulgar," Teddy said. He stood up and leaned down,
kissing her on the forehead. "Why don't we go back to the
conservatory and have coffee and a brandy in there?"
    She nodded. "That'd be great."
    Teddy took her hand, and Valerie rose to her
feet. They walked back to the conservatory, one of Teddy's powerful
arms slung around her shoulders.
    "I'll go get the coffee," he said. "You get
comfortable."
    "You spoil me, Teddy."
    "I want to," he replied.
    She sank back onto the downy luxury of the
huge sofa, watching Teddy leave the room. She couldn't help but
smile. There was a spring in his step that she recognized
immediately. It was almost a cocky strut that said he was immensely
pleased with himself.
    She looked down at the ring on her finger,
becoming entranced again as she watched it sparkle. My God ,
she thought, this ring must have cost Teddy a fortune. I wonder
if he can really afford it.
    The thought made her feel uncomfortable
again. He had always kept her in the dark about his mysterious
wheeling and dealing. She knew that he'd inherited money and that
he had rental income here in the country, but he kept her at a
distance about his job in New York City, trading stock and
investing money for friends.
    When she asked him, Teddy always shrugged off
her questions, telling her that she'd only be bored with the
details. At the same time, he'd never failed to boast about the
enormous profits he had reaped on a particular day or during a
particular week.
    At first she'd found his secrecy
intriguing—just one of the many things she had to learn about
him—but