Free The Forbidden Innocent by Sharon Kendrick Page B

forced—even though she prayed it didn’t look that way.
Why
had he insisted she make an appearance? Things were bound to be difficult after what had happened between them and surely this would only make them worse. Didn’t he realise that she felt out of place among his rich and elegant friends—no matter how friendly they seemed? And it didn’t help that he looked absolutely amazing in a black dinner suit which seemed designed to emphasise the broad shoulders and long legs.
    She wished that she could wave a magic wand and find herself somewhere else—but what choice did she have other than to stick it out with good grace? Dazzled by the circlet of emeralds strung around Nicole’s slender neck, she realised that leaving now would do her no good except to make her look like an idiot instead of just
feeling
like one. She was going to have to endure this meal no matter how uncomfortable it might be—and she was going to have to do so with a certain amount of dignity. She turned to the russet-haired man with the mischief in his eyes and gave him a polite smile.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t think Jack mentioned your name.’
    The man laughed. ‘Then he should have his knuckles rapped for a lack of etiquette, shouldn’t he? My name’s Barry Connally and I’m delighted to meet you. You deserve a medal for working for someone as irascible as this brute—but in the absence of a medal, you’d better have a glass of champagne instead.’
    ‘No, thank you—honestly, I’m fine.’
    ‘Ashley doesn’t drink much alcohol. And anyway—’ Jack’s black eyes captured hers from across the room. ‘—I think dinner’s ready—so why don’t we go in?’
    It felt strange for Ashley to troop into the dining room where she’d shared so many meals with her boss, when it had been just the two of them. Back then she’d found the setting rather formal until she had become used to it—but she’d never seen the room as dressed-up as it was tonight. Now
this
was formality, she thought, blinking a little as she looked around.
    Christine and her team had certainly been busy because the table was laden with crystal, silver and crisp white linen which Ashley had never seen before. Tall, creamy candles flickered over bowls of white hyacinth which filled the air with their heavy scent. Rows of different knives and forks were lined up on either side of each place setting and she wondered just how many courses they were supposed to be eating. Would she know which implement to use, she wondered—or would she disgrace herself by eating with the wrong ones?
    For Ashley, the meal felt a bit like an endurance test. It was strange to be sitting there, served by some young girls who had been shipped in from the village for theevening. She spent much of the meal in silence, listening to Barry Connally, who thankfully held forth with a constant stream of jokes.
    But although Ashley was listening well enough to smile politely at each punchline, her attention was drawn to the interaction between Jack and the stunning brunette. Unwillingly, she watched as Nicole smiled up at him. How she giggled at pretty much everything he said. And how the glittering green of the emerald circlet at her neck drew attention to a magnificent cleavage, which tapered down to tiny waist. It might have been easier to bear if she’d been a bitchy kind of woman—but she wasn’t. In fact, she went out of her way to chat to Ashley with a manner which wasn’t in the least bit condescending. How could Jack fail to be mesmerised by such a woman?
    After dessert, they all went into the library for coffee, where a fire roared in the grate and a tray of brandies and liqueurs had been placed on a side-table. It should have been a warm and welcoming scene but to Ashley it felt anything but—something she put down to the cold ache in her heart. Unnoticed, she crept over to the window and shrank down into a chair by the curtains, wondering how quickly she