Substitute Bride Read Free

weakness, Emma accepted his clean white handkerchief. 'Please take no notice,' she whispered stiffly. 'It wasn't so much what you said. Believe me, I've no ilusions about my looks. You must have caught me at a vulnerable moment. We've been busy lately and I must be overtired.'
    'And I haven't exactly helped,' he commented dryly. 'I ought to have let Blanche know I was coming. If I had you would at least have been spared this.'
    'It doesn't realy matter,' Emma insisted, her thoughts too busy now to alow for sulks. She could see he wasn't going to change his mind about staying, and she wondered uneasily what time Blanche would be back. Hadn't she said something about Rex bringing her home, so she could change before they went on to dance somewhere? Casting a furtive glance at Rick, as she returned his handkerchief, Emma realised she must somehow get rid of him before then.
    'Wouldn't it be better if you returned to London and caled to see Blanche tomorrow?' she suggested hopefuly.
    He merely smiled and shook his head. 'I'm in no hurry,' he drawled, 'I'll wait.'
    Emma tried again. 'She could be staying in town?'
    'No, I checked her flat. Her roommate said she was coming here.'
    'You might get tired of waiting.'
    Rick's smile was faint and wry. 'Don't you think it' might be worth it? It's quite a time since I had a woman in my arms.
    If a man has a conscience, being engaged rather limits his activities in that direction, if his fiancée isn't around.'
    Tauntingly, his eyes glinted on Emma's closed face. 'I don't suppose you know much about that kind of desire, little Miss Davis?'
    Again Emma flushed, with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. 'I'm not as ignorant as all that!' she lied defiantly. 'I do have boy-friends.'
    'I wonder?' he mused softly, his dark brows rising, slightly insolent as his glance wandered consideringly around the cowshed. 'I suppose this kind of thing does tend to rub off eventualy?'
    'You're still being insulting!' she retorted sharply.
    'I didn't mean to be,' he shrugged. 'I believe any man would prefer a little earthiness to ice. Come to think of it,' his blue eyes were suddenly keener, 'you have a very promising mouth. With a little tuition,' he grinned, 'of the right kind, you might have distinct possibilities.'
    'Which I suppose,' she snapped, 'might make up for my lack of beauty?'
    'Wel, no one,' he taunted, 'needs rose-coloured spectacles in bed.'
    His careless frankness was making her quiver and bringing wild colour to her pale cheeks. Yet there was nothing realy offensive in his manner. He was annoyed because Blanche wasn't here and was obviously getting rid of his frustration. Rex Oliver often said much the same kind of thing, but the effect was different. Some of his remarks to Blanche made Emma almost squirm. Often she felt like teling him to shut up, only Blanche wouldn't have thanked her.
    Frankly, she didn't know how Blanche could stand him, especialy now she was engaged to a man like Rick Conway.
    'Are you in England for long?' she made a rather obvious attempt to change the conversation.
    'Just for the next couple of days,' he replied, surprising her. 'This is why I feel it's important to see Blanche tonight. I have to fly to Australia for approximately three weeks. My cousin runs some sugar plantations in Northern Queensland for me and something has come up unexpectedly. I could have taken Blanche with me and made it part of our honeymoon, but there'll be a lot of business to get through and not much time for pleasure. Somehow I couldn't see her enjoying it. I thought three weeks would give her time to complete her preparations for our wedding and we could be married immediately I got back.'
    'That seems reasonable.' Emma, realising her own voice sounded remarkably flat, tried to smile to make up for it.
    'I already have a licence,' he said lightly. 'Think she'll be pleased?'
    'Of course.' Again Emma was aware of a curious holowness inside her and wondered why it was there. Surely she