Free Second Best Wife by Isobel Chace Page A

staying while I'm working on this irrigation project.'
    'Alone?' Georgina gasped.
    'Of course not! She has her nurse with her —a woman I very much want to get rid of, incidentally. If you can do that for me, I'll be eternally in your debt.'
    Georgina eyed him covertly. 'Are you afraid of this dragon? I don't believe it!'
    'You needn't. Miss Campbell doesn't alarm me, she bores me with her baby-talk and her upsy-daisies! Celine doesn't understand much, but she's a human being and should be addressed as such.'
    Georgina allowed herself a faint smile. 'All right,' she said, I'll get rid of your Miss Campbell for you. Anything to oblige and all that.'
    His eyes narrowed, openly mocking her. 'Anything?'
    'Almost anything,' she amended, and yawned to show she didn't care what he thought. But she did care! And she was alarmed too, because now she was back at the beginning with him, not knowing or understanding him at all. She had got used to his being in love with Jennifer. Now she didn't know if he was in love with anybody at all—and she had to know! She had to know something!
    She cleared her throat, hesitated, and then started again in a now or never voice that betrayed her nervousness. 'William, why did you marry me? As an alternative Miss Campbell?'
    'Does it matter?' He stood up, pushing back his chair with a vigour that had the backs of her hands tingling.
    'It matters to me,' she said.
    He bent over her, leaning his hands on the arms of her chair. 'Does it? Why did you marry me, Georgie Porgie? You see, you can't answer that either, can you? It's better not to ask questions that have no answer to them. It'll have to be enough for you that you're here — that in itself fulfils one of your ambitions, doesn't it? Haven't you always wanted to travel and see the world?'
    'Yes,' she admitted. 'But I want to know where I stand too. Was all you wanted a nursemaid for Celine?'
    His face was unreadable, at least to her. 'I wanted a wife. Wives are usually expected to share their husband's responsibilities, aren't they?'
    She made a last effort to explain her anxieties to him. 'I don't resent Celine —'
    'You haven't met her yet. You resented Jennifer all right and with much less cause. Where do you want to stand, Georgina?'
    She shrugged her shoulders. 'I want adventure!' she burst out. 'I don't know what exactly!' Only she did. She wanted the whole of her adventuring to be with him!'Are you in love with Celine?'
    His fingers brushed her cheek. 'My dear girl, are you going to be jealous of her too? I don't kiss Celine like this —at least you can be sure of that!' He bent his head and put his lips to hers, kissing her hard and with an expertise that rendered her breathless and made her heart pound against her ribs. 'She won't be taking anything away from you, Georgie Porgie, and you'll fight with her at your peril! If you want to let fly at anyone, you'll have to make do with me. Okay?'
    It was so unfair! But then she caught sight of the slight yellowing that was all that was left of the black eye she had given him and her conscience was aroused, making her feel both uncertain and tearful.
    'I don't want to fight with anybody!' she exclaimed.
    He straightened his back, looking down at her with amused eyes. 'That'll be the day, my dear. Come and eat. You'll be meeting Celine soon enough and then you can make up your own mind about her. The only thing that's wrong with your fighting instincts right now is that you're half asleep.' A smile flickered across his lips. 'Shall I carry you, or will you walk?'
    She stood up quickly, avoiding his helping hand with a disdainful gesture. 'You'll never have to carry me, William Ayres!' she declared. 'I can look after myself, just as I always have!'
    'But you have a husband now,' he reminded her. 'Won't you allow him to look after you?'
    If she only could! 'A husband is as a husband does,' she answered pertly. 'I don't need a keeper too, you know, so you'd better keep your care for Celine —