The Redemption of Darius Sterne. Carole Mortimer

from his mother in return. It was not the ideal, by any means, but as the years had passed it had become the best way for him to deal with the situation.

      Consequently mother and son now rarely talked, let alone spent evenings together like this.

      Thankfully the rest of his family usually more than made up for Darius’s brooding silences.

      Xander was currently behaving with his usual charming urbanity.

      Their mother, Catherine, still beautiful at fifty-eight, was also presenting a gracious and charming front for the benefit of the other diners, who they were all only too well aware were continuing to watch the family surreptitiously.

      Only Charlie, or Charles, as his mother preferred her second husband to be called, was being his usual warm and affable self as he ignored the other diners, and the underlying tensions at their table, in favour of keeping the conversation light and impersonal.

      It might be Catherine’s birthday today, and the reason they were all sitting here, but his relationship with his mother was now such that it was out of respect and affection for Charlie that Darius had made the effort to make an appearance at all this evening.

      ‘Isn’t it time we drank the toast to your birthday, Mother?’ He picked up his glass of champagne. ‘I can’t stay long. I have somewhere else I need to be.’ He glanced towards the back of the restaurant where the second blonde’s escort had disappeared a few minutes ago. Probably on his way to the men’s room.

      His mother gave another frown of disapproval. ‘Surely you can spare me one evening of your time, Darius?’

      ‘Unfortunately not,’ he cut her off unapologetically.

      ‘You speak to him, Charles!’ Catherine turned to appeal to her husband.

      ‘You heard the boy, Catherine, he has work he needs to do.’

      Silver-haired, and in his mid-sixties, Charles Latimer obviously adored his wife, and Darius knew that the older man did everything in his power to ensure her happiness. But even Charlie knew better than to argue when Darius made a statement in that flat, uncompromising tone.

      ‘He didn’t say it was work.’

      ‘It is,’ Darius bit out tersely, deliberately choosing to ignore Xander’s accusing glare.

      He had turned up tonight, hadn’t he? Had made the required appearance at his mother’s private birthday dinner celebrations, as he would make an appearance at the more public celebrations next weekend, at a dinner given in aid of one of his mother’s numerous charities. What more did any of them want from him? Whatever it was, the estrangement between Darius and his mother was now such that he wasn’t willing to give it.

      He gave another glance towards the back of the restaurant, having just decided exactly what he did want.

      * * *

      ‘It was Xander you were looking at, wasn’t it?’ Kim questioned with concern. Three years older than Andy, she had always taken her ‘protective big sister’ role very seriously, even more so since the loss of their parents.

      Andy didn’t reply immediately, continuing to watch Darius Sterne as he suddenly stood up abruptly from his table.

      The woman seated at the table with the three men was beautiful, but obviously aged in her fifties, and with her blonde hair and dark eyes she bore a resemblance to Xander Sterne. Perhaps she was the twins’ mother? Although Andy could see no resemblance to Darius whatsoever.

      The older man didn’t look like either of the brothers, so perhaps he was the twins’ stepfather?

      Whatever the relationship between the Sterne twins and the older couple, it had been impossible not to miss the edge of tension at the table since the twins sat down. A tension that seemed to ease as Darius Sterne now left their company.

      Andy’s gaze continued to follow him as he walked towards the back of the restaurant.

      ‘No,’ she finally answered her sister distractedly, her breath leaving her in a whoosh as Darius disappeared from view down a marble corridor at the back of the restaurant.

      Allowing her to realise she had actually stopped breathing, as well as being unable to take her eyes off him until he disappeared, his elegance of movement so like that of a stalking predator. A sleek and powerful jaguar, perhaps, or maybe a tiger? Definitely something feral and lethal!

      ‘I advise you not to even bother looking at Darius Sterne, Andy,’ Kim said hastily. ‘Admittedly he’s gorgeous, in a dark and dangerously compelling way, but he’s also way out of your league, my love. Well out of any sane woman’s league!’ her sister added with feeling.

      Andy took a much-needed sip of the champagne in her glass; her mouth had gone dry just from watching Darius Sterne.

      ‘There have been stories and hints in the newspapers for years regarding the extent of Darius Sterne’s darkness,’ Kim cautioned as Andy made no reply.

      She turned to give her sister a teasing smile. ‘You aren’t saying he’s into black magic?’

      ‘More like wielding whips and paddles.’

      Andy almost choked on her champagne. ‘Kim!’ she finally managed to splutter incredulously. ‘Why is everyone so obsessed with that stuff nowadays?’ Personally, she could imagine nothing more demeaning to a woman than having some man put his collar of ownership on her and demanding she call him master. Or tying her to his bed before doing whatever he wanted with her. Or that same man demanding that she kneel subserviently at his feet until he told her otherwise. It made Andy’s skin crawl just to think about any man treating a woman like that.

      Even a man she found as fascinating as Darius Sterne.

      Her sister held up her hands defensively. ‘I’m not responsible for the gossip about him.’

      ‘You’re responsible for reading it,’ Andy scolded. ‘What’s printed in the gutter press isn’t gossip, Kim, it’s pure fantasy most of the time. Sensationalised speculation, and luridly made-up headlines to encourage people to buy their newspaper rather than someone else’s.’

      Her sister shrugged slender shoulders. ‘You’ve heard the saying, there’s no smoke without fire.’

      She raised her brows. ‘I also remember Mum telling us years ago that it isn’t wise, or fair, to listen to gossip or hearsay, that we should make our own minds up about other people.’

      ‘If Mum were here, I have no doubts she would also tell you that there’s nothing in the least wise in being attracted to a man like Darius Sterne,’ her sister stated with certainty.

      Both girls sobered at the mention of their mother. At the time of their parents’ deaths the sisters, Kim twenty-one, and Andy eighteen, had been absolutely devastated by the loss, but with the passing of time they had both come to appreciate the years they had been able to spend with their parents. Andy had always been grateful that at least they had lived long enough to see Kim happily married to Colin, and they had also been present the night Andy had appeared in the lead of Giselle with England’s most reputable ballet company.

      Andy’s own accident, just six months after their death, had meant that she would never dance in public again.

      Andy determinedly shook off the sadness that realisation still gave her, even four years later. She had her studio, was slowly, sometimes too slowly, making a success of it. She also conveniently lived in the flat above the studio. It was so much more than a lot of people had.

      ‘I really wouldn’t worry about it, Kim; I’m never likely to so much as set eyes on Darius Sterne again, so it really isn’t an issue,’ she pointed out ruefully. ‘As you said, it’s nice to window-shop.’

      ‘You ladies are never going to believe what just happened to me in the Gents,’ a red-faced Colin announced as he arrived back at their table before plonking himself back down into his seat to look at them both