Page 18 of Lifelong Affair

'No doubt,' he bit out tautly.

Morgan made her way slowly up to her bedroom. She hadn't wanted to deny Alex tonight, in fact it would have been all too easy to say yes to him. But it was very important to her, for Alex's sake as well as her own, that they wait until after they were married. Her wedding gift to him was priceless, beyond compare, all the more so to Alex because of bi bitterness and distrust of woman. She would give him the gift of herself gladly on their wedding night. And then let him dare to accuse her of being promiscuous!

It was so very easy choosing a house the next day. Alex had wonderful taste, and most of his likes and dislikes seemed to coincide with hers, so that the choosing of the six-bedroomed Regency-style house was a mutual one.

Morgan liked the house because it was more in the country than the Hammond one, had room for a stable and a couple of horses on the land attached. Riding had been something she had enjoyed as a child but had little opportunity to do since then. The garden was big, but not too big, something she would like to keep tidy herself, with help from Courtney as he got older, no doubt. And it had a small family pool out the back of it too.

'I'll teach Courtney to swim,' she said excitedly as they drove home after dealing with the legal formalities of buying a house in England.

Alex had been very cold towards her when they had first met this morning, but as the day progressed he had seemed to thaw, throwing her an indulgent smile now. 'He can't even focus yet,' he taunted. 'Give him a chance. And with all these activities you intend to become involved in—gardening, riding, taking care of Courtney, teaching him to swim—how do you think you're going to find time to resume your career.'

TU wait until he goes to school,' she shrugged.^

'You could be a thing of the past by then,' he warned softly. 'The public are very fickle, they forget so easily.'

'I could have other children to think about by then anyway,' she said abruptly.

'I'm not trying to push you back out to work, Morgan,' he said with amusement. 'I'm as chauvinistic as the next man, and I don't relish the thought of my wife going out to work. And in normal circumstances I would probably ask you not to do so. But these aren't normal circumstances, you're marrying me because of Courtney, because of a sense of duty to him.'

'And because I wanted you,' she reminded him with challenge.

His mouth twisted. 'You'll have to forgive me if I feel a little sceptical about that,' he taunted. 'There hasn't been much evidence of it lately. Most women seem to find the idea of a physical relationship interesting until they have a ring on their finger, then sex just becomes bargaining power.'

'You're very cynical,' she sighed.

'I've learnt to be,' he nodded grimly. 'Most men do in time.'

Morgan couldn't fight this cynicism now, knew that she wouldn't be able to until they were married and she could show him how wrong he was about her.

Rita Hammond came back to the house on the morning of the wedding, claiming haughtily that if Alex insisted on going through with this ridiculous marriage the least she could do was give him her moral support.

Morgan had to smile at the last. Alex didn't need anyone's support, least of all that of his mother!

'White?' Janet Fairchild came into Morgan's bedroom as she was getting dressed for the wedding.

Morgan bristled angrily at the other woman's ridicule of the colour of her wedding dress. 'Some of us arc entitled to wear the colour,' she replied haughtily.

'I know,' Janet nodded. 'I was.'

'And so am I.' Morgan straightened the soft chiffon dress about her hips, a tiny white lace cap attached to her flaming hair.

'I doubt it,' Janet drawled. 'I must say I'm surprised at Alex's stupidity at marrying you. I'd always credited him with more sense. And why on earth you have to move into your own house I have no idea. This house is big enough for ten families!'

Morgan looked at the other woman with hard green eyes. 'Alex and I do not intend making the same mistakes Glenna and Mark did. Why did you never move in here with your husband?' she taunted.

'Because Mother would eat Charles alive,' Janet said bluntly.

Morgan's mouth twisted. I doubt she would ever have the same effect on me, nevertheless I can do without her vitriolic comments day and night.'

'Are you and Alex lovers?'

'None of your damned business!' Morgan told her in a controlled voice.

Blue eyes hardened. 'I've seen the way he watches you.' Janet shrugged. 'It would also be a way of explaining this madness.'

'AJex doesn't consider it madness, Morgan snapped.

'I don't suppose you do either,' Janet sneered. 'A career as an actress, when all you have is your body and your beauty, can't last very long. Marriage to a rich man means you can't lose. If the marriage lasts you live in luxury, if it fails you get a nice healthy settlement. You're as clever as Glenna, Morgan, maybe more so,'

Morgan's hand seemed to move of its own volition, moving in a slow arc to make hard contact with Janet Fairchild's cheek. The other woman gasped, her own hand going up to the reddening area, as she stared at Morgan in disbelief.

The eyes hardened to hatred, her mouth twisted viciously. 'You'll regret that, Morgan!' she spat out the words.

'I don't think so.' Morgan was shaking with the reaction of losing her temper so completely, but she refused to let Janet Fairchild see that. She would allow no insults to Glenna on her wedding day!

'Oh, but you will.' Her hand dropped to her side, the mark of Morgan's fingers clearly visible on her cheek. 'I'll make sure of it!' She turned on her heel and slammed out of the room.

Morgan could no longer control the shaking; she dropped down on to the bed, breathing deeply. If she didn't love Alex so desperately this constant and vicious hatred from his family would have her running far away from here, Courtney or no Courtney. She knew she had made even more of an enemy of Janet Fairchild today, and that the other woman would need careful watching.

But there was no evidence of the other woman's antagonism as they drove to the wedding, in fact her pleasantly charming manner was more unsettling than the open hatred she had displayed earlier when they were alone.

Alex l

There were few guests at the actual wedding, although the reception being held at the house was a different matter. Rita Hammond considered it her duty to have all the relatives and family friends at hereldest son's wedding reception, even if she didn't approve of his choice of bride.

'Formidable, aren't they?' Alex mocked against Morgan's ear lobe as the last guest had been welcomed and the two of them could relax a little.

'A little,' she agreed dryly, wondering at the family's reaction to a second gathering like this within the space of a month, for two such different occasions. Most of them looked a little dazed by it all!

'We'll leave as soon as we can,' he promised softly.

They were spending their first night together as husband and wife in London, taking a plane to the States tomorrow, staying overnight with her parents before flying to Barbados for their three-week honeymoon. Morgan could hardly wait for the time they could be alone.

'I'd like that,' she acknowledged.

'The house will be ready to move into by the time we get back.'

They had spent a frantic two days choosing fabrics and colour schemes so that the house could be furnished and decorated for their return, Courtney's room had given Morgan the most pleasure; it was in the predictable Disney characters, of course. The fact that it was all going to be ready when they got back meant she wouldn't have to move in with this den of lions again.

As if reading some of her thoughts, Alex asked, 'What happened with Janet earlier?' His tone had hardened perceptively. 'She came out of your room looking as if someone had hit her.'

'/ had,' Morgan admitted simply. 'She was insulting, and so I hit her.' She looked at him in challenge.

'Didn't you know that wives are supposed to let husbands protect them?' he taunted, not in the least concerned that she had struck his sister.

She smiled her relief, not at all sure what his reaction had been going to be. 'You weren't my husband then.'

'But I am now,' he reminded her huskily. 'So any more—insults, tell me and I'll deal with them, in my own way,' he added grimly.

She had no doubt he would too. Always an independent woman, she found it strange to think that she now had someone to rely on, someone who would help her fight her battles. But it was a two-way thing; she would help Alex in any way she could too.

By the time they left just after eight o'clock she had a throbbing headache. She had met so many relatives of Alex's it made her head spin; she had fenced barbs with Rita Hammond in so many two-edged conversations she could no longer think straight, and all the time she had been conscious of Janet Fairchild's derisive glance, as if she knew something Morgan didn't but wasn't yet prepared to divulge it. Saying goodbye to Courtney made it all the worse, and the thought of three weeks without him seemed like a lifetime.

But she daren't even mention the headache to Alex, remembering all too vividly his taunt about her developing headaches after they were married to avoid sharing his bed.

'Tired?' he asked as she leant her head back weakly against the car seat.

'A little,' she admitted.

His hand came out to grasp hers. 'We can eat in our suite if you would prefer that.'

Eat? heavens, the thought of food nauseated her! 'l—Fine,' she agreed weakly, closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep.

When the sleep became a reality she had no idea, but suddenly Alex was shaking her gently to wake her up. 'We're at the hotel,' he told her softly. 'Feeling better? Headache gone?' he prompted huskily. Morgan sat up, her eyes widened. You knew?' 'You're very pale, and your eyes seemed sensitive _ the light. Of course I knew,' he rasped, straightening in his scat. 'Don't be afraid of me, Morgan,' he warned.