Free The Marriage Merger by Sandy Curtis Page A

steel
fence backed by thick shrubbery completely surrounded Veronica’s
house at Sunshine Beach. Jenna felt all her old qualms coming back
as Braden pulled up in front of an imposing double story house
which looked like it had been transported from the movie set of
‘Gone With The Wind’.
    The impression deepened as the three of them
walked up the curving concrete steps, past tall marble colonnades,
through a huge carved wooden door opened by a maid, and into a
marble floored foyer. A foyer larger than Braden's penthouse
lounge-room, with twin staircases circling down from the upper
story.
    Jenna had stopped to re-tie Caitlin’s sneaker
lace and was partially obscured by a large marble statue on a
stand. A movement at the top of the staircase caught her attention.
Veronica stood, poised like an eagle planning to swoop on its prey,
on the top stair. Her outfit was an exquisite blend of sky blue,
aqua and lemon, beautifully tailored to emphasize her svelte
figure, her hair a smooth cap of gold around a flawless face.
    “Braden, darling.” Her voice, husky and
eager, floated down. “How lovely to have you come ...” Annoyance
followed surprise across her features as Jenna stood and Veronica
focused on her and Caitlin. But she swiftly regained her beguiling
smile and glided down to them. “I see you’ve brought Caitlin and
... Jennifer.”
    “Jenna.” Braden corrected, a faint tinge of
annoyance in his tone. “I thought I might pick up those papers we
were discussing last night. I’ll take them back to Brisbane with me
and give them my full attention.”
    Jenna wondered what else he had been doing
that he wasn’t able to give his full attention to them last
night.
    “There are a few details I’d like to go
through with you first, Braden.” Veronica turned away from Braden
and Jenna saw the swiftly disguised loathing in her eyes as she
looked at Caitlin. “Perhaps Caitlin and ... Jenna ... would be more
comfortable on the patio. I’m sure they’d find all this business
talk boring.”
    Before anyone could protest she waved over
the maid who had been standing nearby and issued orders to take
Jenna and Caitlin to the patio and provide them with refreshments.
Then she took Braden’s arm and led him away.
    The maid escorted Jenna and Caitlin through a
large room reminiscent of an old English banqueting hall. A table
large enough to seat at least twenty people dominated one end.
Statues on pedestals, paintings in gilt frames, luxuriant green
plants in huge brass pots surrounded the walls and left a large
floor space suitable for dancing.
    Caitlin stared around her with interest as
they followed the maid through French doors out onto an enormous
tiled patio. It had to be straight from a movie set, Jenna decided.
Elegant wrought iron tables and chairs, pale blue, white-fringed
patio umbrellas, lush plants in built-up garden surrounds terraced
down to a swimming pool which was a smaller replica of the one at
the Taj Mahal, complete with spraying fountains. A surrounding
expanse of manicured lawn overlooked the ocean.
    Far from feeling the inadequacies she thought
she would, Jenna felt like laughing. It was so ostentatious, so
lacking in subtlety, that Jenna realised that Veronica would always
use her wealth to dominate and put people down. For a fleeting
moment she felt sorry for the woman, then thoughts of her in
Braden’s arms made any pity swiftly dissipate.
    They had just finished their cold drinks when
Braden appeared. He noticed Caitlin’s head drooping and quickly
gathered the child in his arms and carried her to the car. Veronica
didn’t see them off and Jenna wondered what had passed between her
and Braden. She hoped it was only business, then chided herself for
even allowing such wishful thinking. It was obvious Braden and
Veronica were involved, and if Jenna let herself fall in love with
Braden she would surely end up being hurt.
     
    The long day out had exhausted Caitlin.
Braden laid her down on her