Сара Морган – Summer With Love: The Spanish Consultant (страница 2)
As if to prove a point, Libby tugged her dress down to expose a little more of her already exposed cleavage.
‘Elizabeth.’ Lady Caroline Westerling stopped in front of her daughters and her eyes darted nervously towards her husband. Fortunately he still had his back to them. ‘Your hair is a disgrace, and what
‘A party dress.’ Libby smiled happily at her mother. ‘For
Katy winced at her less than subtle reminder that this annual event had originated as a celebration of their birthday. Her mother seemed oblivious to the dig.
‘It’s indecent and common.’ She ran her eyes over Libby’s long bare legs and winced. ‘Your father will … He’ll throw a fit.’
Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘Oh, I do hope so,’ she said softly, and their mother gave her a helpless look.
‘Why, Elizabeth? Why do you have to do this?’ Her eyes flickered around the lawn. ‘There are any number of suitable men that you might have been introduced to this evening, but not dressed like that.’
Libby’s smile widened. ‘I’m only interested in unsuitable men.’
Her mother’s eyes closed and sweat broke out on her brow. ‘You look like a prostitute. Go upstairs and ask Sally to find you something more conservative before he sees you.’
‘I like this dress and I don’t care what he thinks. And neither should you.’ Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘You shouldn’t let him bully you, Mum.’
Katy let out a breath. ‘Not here, Lib,
Libby was staring at their mother. ‘You should stand up to him.’
Caroline Westerling ignored her comment and looked away, her breathing suddenly rapid. ‘Your father has some very important guests here today.’ She turned to Katy and gave a bright smile that fooled no one. ‘Freddie is doing
‘Hopefully he’ll bang his head when he gets there,’ Libby drawled, and Katy hid a smile.
What would she do without her sister? She loved her irrepressible nature and the fact that no one scared her.
No one made Libby do anything she didn’t want to do.
Not even their father.
Katy watched Freddie weave his way through the crowd, exchanging smiles and handshakes.
Her mother gave a sigh. ‘
Katy stiffened. ‘I won’t be giving it up.’
What did it take to convince her parents that this was the career she wanted?
‘What about me?’ Libby’s tone was airy. ‘I’m a nurse—does that count? And Alex is a doctor. Doesn’t Dad want us to give up, too?’
Their mother bit her lip. ‘You and Alex are different.’
‘He can’t bully us, you mean,’ Libby said softly, and Caroline’s eyes darted nervously around the lawn.
‘Keep your voice down, Elizabeth.’ Her mother looked pained and turned back to Katy. ‘You’ve qualified now. You’ve shown everyone that you can do it. You don’t need to carry on working any more. Freddie is extraordinarily wealthy in his own right and with your trust fund there’s absolutely no need for you to work. When you’re married Freddie will need you at home for entertaining clients. You won’t have time for a job.’
Katy felt stifled again. ‘I love being a doctor, it’s what I do. There’s no way I’m giving it up.’
Sometimes she felt that her job was the only thing that kept her sane.
Her mother rubbed her hands together nervously. ‘You can’t carry on doing nights and all those horrible hours once you’re married.’
Katy liked the horrible hours. Horrible hours gave her a perfect excuse not to have a social life.
‘I’ve got a new job starting in two weeks,’ Katy reminded her. ‘I’m a casualty officer in the accident and emergency department.’
‘Oh, Katherine, what is the matter with you?’ Her mother screwed up her face in horror. ‘All those drunks and rough people—Saturday nights after the rugby. Why would you want to do that when you don’t have to?’
Because she loved medicine. And it was a million miles away from the ruthless world of banking that had been her entire life.
The garden was closing in on her.
‘It’s just such a waste,’ her mother was saying. ‘I still tell everyone that you were a successful model when you were seventeen. You were on so many magazine covers and if you hadn’t thrown it all in to become a doctor you’d be one of those supermodels now.’
‘No, she wouldn’t,’ Libby interrupted cheerfully. ‘Katy’s grown hips and boobs since then and you’re not allowed to have those if you’re a supermodel. Just bones.’
Their mother’s mouth tightened. ‘Just promise me you’ll give up this emergency department rubbish. I know Freddie’s parents are worried about it, too. It’s just not suitable, Katherine.’
Suitable. There was that word again.
Katy felt as though her head was exploding.
What was happening to her?
Normally she’d do anything to keep the peace for her mother’s sake, but today she just wanted to run screaming into the distance.
‘Start the job if you must,’ her mother carried on, ‘but you’ll be marrying Freddie in three months and you’ll have to give it up then. Oh, look, there’s Freddie’s mother. I must talk to her about the arrangements.’ She glared at Libby. ‘Elizabeth, go and change into something that hides your underwear before your father sees you.
She turned and walked with studied elegance across the lawn, beaming at her guests and reaching for another glass of champagne.
Libby gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘It’s a good job we’re triplets. At least they managed to get the physical contact over in one go.’
‘Libby!’ Katy turned to her, her blue eyes wide with reproach, and Libby shrugged.
‘Well, it’s true. Look at them.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘They don’t show each other any affection. Their marriage is a business arrangement. It’s no wonder you, Alex and I are so dysfunctional. Look at our role models.’
Katy licked dry lips. ‘We’re not dysfunctional.’
‘Yes, we are. You’ve spent so much of your life trying to please Dad and avoid his wrath that you don’t even know who you are any more. I’m so determined to be the opposite of everything they want me to be that I’ve forgotten who I am, too. And as for Alex …’ Libby turned and scanned the garden, looking for their brother. ‘Alex is so disillusioned about marriage that he sets a three-month rule. After three months with a woman he ends the relationship just to be sure that they don’t start hearing the word “serious”. He’s the original commitment-phobe.’
Katy looked at her. ‘So are you.’
‘And can you blame me?’ Libby looked at her parents and shuddered dramatically. ‘If that’s marriage, then I hope I die single.’
‘Libby, that’s an awful thing to say.’
A bee hovered close to them and Libby took a step backwards.
‘Oops. Killer insects.’
Katy frowned, knowing that her sister was very allergic to bee stings. ‘Are you carrying adrenaline?’
Libby grinned and tapped her tiny bag. ‘Lipstick and adrenaline. A girl’s best friends.’
Katy knew that, despite the smile, Libby took her allergy seriously. They all did. Libby had had a frighteningly severe reaction to a sting in the past and none of them had ever forgotten it. Particularly Alex, who had been the one who’d kept his sister alive until the ambulance had arrived. Ever since then Katy had always carried adrenaline and she knew that Alex did, too. Just in case.
The bee moved away and Katy’s gaze was caught by Freddie, who was taking a call on his mobile phone.
Libby’s soft mouth tightened. ‘Don’t marry him, Katy.’ Her voice was soft. ‘As Mum says, there are three months to go. Plenty of time to change your mind.’
‘I don’t want to change my mind.’
Libby shook her head in disbelief. ‘Katy, life with Lord Frederick is going to be one long round of business entertaining. He’s marrying you because of Daddy.’
‘I know.’ Her sister’s bluntness should have upset her but it didn’t. It was the truth, after all. Freddie
Libby looked at her with exasperation. ‘So why are
‘Because I want to.’
Because their relationship was safe and predictable. Libby shook her head. ‘It isn’t right, Katy. Don’t you want to be in love with the man you marry?’
Katy felt her breathing quicken.