Birthday Bride. Jessica Hart

is the obvious answer.’

      ‘The only thing obvious to me is how some women are prepared to go to any lengths to get their man!’ said David, who was torn between wanting to get on the road as soon as possible and outrage at the methods Claudia was employing to get her own way. It would serve her right if he refused point-blank to have anything more to do with her!

      Claudia cast another frenzied glance over her shoulder. By the door, Amil caught her eye, waved in acknowledgement, and began making his way through the crowd towards them.

      Almost weeping with frustration, she turned back to David. If he wanted her to beg, she would beg. ‘Please come,’ she pleaded. ‘You must see that I can’t go on my own, and it’s not as if you would have to do anything.’

      ‘Except look like the kind of fool who would marry you!’

      ‘Oh, please say yes!’ Claudia threw pride to the wind and David braced himself for the effect of those great, blue-grey eyes. ‘He’ll be here any second. Please, please, please, please!’

      ‘Ah, there you are! I thought I had lost you!’ Amil was too well-mannered to look impatient as he came up to them, and Claudia turned to him with a bright, desperate smile.

      ‘I’m sorry I’ve been so long. I was just, um, telling my husband about your kind offer.’ She risked a glance at David who was looking wooden. Claudia took a deep breath and prayed that he wouldn’t let her down. ‘Amil, this is my husband, David Stirling.’

      There was a frozen pause that seemed to Claudia to last for ever. She didn’t dare look at David again. David himself was rigid with distaste at the embarrassing situation he had found himself in. Damn it, it wasn’t fair of her to embroil him in her ridiculous lies and then stand there looking like that, blue-grey eyes apprehensive, slender body taut, but her bearing almost gallant as she waited to hear whether he would denounce her as a liar or not.

      What would she do if he told Amil that he had never met her before that morning, and wouldn’t marry her if somebody paid him? He wouldn’t put it past her to burst into tears, and David’s masculine soul quailed at the thought. Wouldn’t the ensuing scene be even more embarrassing than pretending that she was indeed his wife? And she was right about one thing. He did want to get to Telama’an...

      ‘How do you do?’ he said, and put out his hand with a sinking sense of having passed the point of no return. ‘It’s very generous of you to offer to take us with you. I hope it’s not putting you to too much trouble?’

      ‘Not at all,’ said Amil courteously as the two men shook hands. ‘I will be glad of the company.’

      Limp with relief, Claudia let out her breath in a long sigh that made Amil glance at her in concern. ‘We have a long drive ahead of us. I am anxious to get to Telama’an as soon as possible, so I was planning to leave straight away, but if you are tired....?’ He trailed off interrogatively and she hastened to reassure him.

      ‘We’re not in the least tired,’ she said firmly. ‘All we want is to get there too.’ She glanced at David. ‘Don’t we, darling?’ she added, prompted by sheer mischief.

      David was poker-faced. ‘We can’t get there soon enough as far as I’m concerned,’ he agreed, with a meaningful glance at Claudia.

      ‘Good.’ If Amil was puzzled by the atmosphere between them, he was too polite to show it. ‘Well,’ he said, opening his hands, ‘the car is outside. I will wait for you there while you get your cases.’