Whisper Of Scandal

He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes. ‘Thirty-six... why?’

She shrugged. ‘I was just wondering about you, that’s all.’

‘What were you wondering?’

‘Well... why you’re not married... don’t you want to settle down, have children?’ It must have been the champagne. She would never have asked him such a question ordinarily.

To her surprise he considered her question. ‘I would like children one day,’ he said seriously. ‘I’ve just never met anyone I want to settle down with.’

‘Garth says you are a heartbreaker.’ The words just slipped out and she regretted them immediately.

‘Does he now?’ Marc’s voice was arid.

‘Oh, don’t get me wrong. Garth thinks the world of you,’ she continued hurriedly. ‘He was just...concerned.’

“That you might fall for me?’ He looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes.

‘No...’ Sabrina trailed off, wishing she had never started this conversation.

‘Did you tell Garth you were coming out with me today?’ he asked abruptly.

‘Yes, of course.’ Sabrina looked over at Marc. For a moment his expression looked harsh and remote, then he caught her watching him and smiled, making her wonder if she had imagined that look.

‘Are you hungry?’ he asked now.

She nodded. It was amazing but she was; for the first time in ages she had a real appetite.

They ate lunch in a beautiful restaurant that looked out over the river. It had a stylish ambience and Sabrina was very glad that she had taken so much trouble over her appearance that day.

The food was excellent. Sabrina chose seafood while Marc went for steak washed down with some excellent wine.

Later, as she listened to him speaking French to the waiters, Sabrina was reminded forcibly that he was half French and that he lived most of the time out here. He wasn’t in London very often. That thought upset her more than she had thought possible. How ridiculous, she chided herself. She couldn’t get involved with Marc anyway. It wasn’t fair to Garth and it wasn’t fair to Marc. You couldn’t possibly have any kind of relationship with a man that you had to keep such a large secret from.