‘Never.’
He manoeuvred her into the corner with great adeptness. Emma realized, and with mounting dismay, that there was now no opportunity for immediate flight, and she also acknowledged that she owed it to Frank to stay at Dolly’s for a respectable interval. She sat down on the sofa, relieved to be released from the major’s grip, and grudgingly took the glass of champagne which he whisked off the tray as the waiter glided past.
But she had no intention of pandering to this arrogant devil of a man, nor would she spare his feelings, and so she said icily, ‘I suppose this rough and masterful technique you adopt is successful with most women, Major.’
Paul nodded and crossed his legs nonchalantly. ‘Generally speaking, I would say,’ he said lazily. He looked her over with an insolence that brought a deep flush to her chest and neck.
‘Let me assure you it won’t be with me!’ Emma exclaimed, her face haughty. ‘I am different from most women.’
‘I am aware of that,’ he admitted, the roguish glint still lingering in his eyes. ‘In fact, I do believe I detected that characteristic in you at once. I think that’s what attracted me to you, apart from your staggering looks.’ He grinned. ‘You are seemingly staggeringly blunt as well, Mrs Lowther. And strong-minded and sassy to boot. Yes, very different, I would say. Fire and ice perhaps?’
‘All ice, Major,’ Emma parried.
‘Ice can melt, you know.’
‘It can also be very dangerous. People have been known to have fatal accidents with ice,’ Emma snapped.
‘Danger has always attracted me, Mrs Lowther. I find it exciting. Challenging. It brings out all my masculine instincts.’
Emma threw him a scathing look, turned away contemptuously, and glanced around the room, her eyes seeking Frank. This man elicited an immediate and direct response from her, and one that both infuriated and baffled her. With his monumental egotism, his astonishing appearance, his swaggering self-assurance, and his flippant tongue, he was quite unlike any man she had ever met. And no man had ever had the temerity to be so brash with her or address her in such a suggestive manner. She detested the major and resented his assumption that she was about to fall swooning at his feet. There was also a ruthlessness about him that oddly enough did not trouble her and she was nonplussed, momentarily not understanding that ruthlessness was a trait she was familiar with and could easily handle.
Paul leaned back in the chair, his eyes reflective as he studied Emma’s exquisite profile, and he marvelled at his incredible luck in meeting her quite by accident this very night. He thought: She is very different. An original. She must belong to me. I won’t rest until I have her for myself. All of her. Not only her body but her heart and her mind as well. He was shaken to his very core, for no woman had evoked such a violent reaction in him before. Paul McGill, at thirty-six, was lusty, adventurous, worldly, and charismatic, with a down-to-earth sexuality that cut across class lines to awaken a fervent response in all women. Shopgirls and upper-class ladies equally found him irresistible and, consequently, his conquests had been all too easy, and so numerous he had long ago lost count of his romantic entanglements. His approach, until this precise moment in his life, had been based on a ‘take me or leave me’ attitude. Women fell over themselves to take him, and with an eagerness that was almost indecent, before he sauntered out of their lives, the rakish grin intact, his heart untouched.
For all that, and despite the debonair and hedonistic stance he struck, Paul McGill was intelligent and possessed shrewdness and psychological insight. Much smarter than he pretended to be, he now recognized, with a sudden flash of clarity, that Emma was a wholly different proposition. She was not going to succumb to his brash charm or his potent virility. This was a woman to be conquered only through understanding, honesty, and subtle strategy. Ruefully admitting he was antagonizing her unnecessarily with his raillery, he decided to change his tactics and cease his baiting of her at once.
He leaned forward and said, ‘Let’s stop this silly bantering. We’re spoiling it.’
‘Spoiling what?’ Emma asked snappishly.
‘Our first meeting. Our first evening together.’
‘And our last!’
Paul brought his face closer to hers. ‘I like a woman with spirit. Mrs Lowther. I presume Mr Lowther has the same preference.’
Taken by surprise, Emma gaped at him. What a blundering imbecile he is, she thought with irritation. Her stare was glacial. ‘I am a widow, Major McGill. My husband was killed eighteen months ago. In the Somme offensive.’
Oh, my God, Paul thought. He said quickly, ‘Please forgive me. I am so terribly sorry. I had no idea. I am a thoughtless fool.’ He swore under his breath and sat very still. Emma was silent and unresponsive.
Paul now said, ‘It was very tactless of me. One should be more careful in wartime. I am truly sorry. I hope you will also accept my apologies for my appalling behaviour at the Ritz. It was quite unforgivable.’
Emma heard the sincerity in his voice, detected sympathy in his eyes, saw that the mocking expression had been wiped off his face, and she was amazed at the radical change in his manner.
‘Will you accept my apology?’
‘Yes,’ Emma murmured.
Frank joined them and handed a walking stick to Paul. ‘Dolly asked me to give you this.’ He turned to Emma. ‘How are you feeling? Better, I hope.’
‘Yes, thank you,’ Emma said. ‘I am sorry, Frank, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.’
‘Look here, Frank, it was all my fault,’ Paul cut in. ‘Let’s forget the incident, shall we?’
‘Of course, Paul.’ He grinned at them and strolled off to join a well-known politician holding court at the far end of the room.
Emma was eyeing the walking stick. Paul said, ‘I’m wounded. But you probably didn’t notice the limp.’ There was a sheepish look in his eyes as he said, ‘I have to admit I was trying my hardest to conceal it when we walked across the room.’
‘You succeeded very well.’ Emma found herself smiling at him and she discovered this small admission of pride on his part induced her to revise her opinion of him. She knew all about self-esteem, and she softened a fraction. She leaned back against the sofa feeling more relaxed. With that grin he looked like the eternal little boy. ‘I hope your wound is not too painful, or serious,’ she remarked softly.
‘No, not at all. In fact, I’ll be going back to France shortly.’ Paul regarded her thoughtfully, his face serious. He was aware he had gained ground with her, but he hesitated before saying, ‘I’m on leave for a few more weeks. Would it be possible for us to meet again? I know you think I’m some sort of scoundrel, but I’m not, really. I have no excuse for my ghastly display at the Ritz, other than to confess I was bowled over by your beauty. Still, I should not have caused you discomfort. Can we lunch tomorrow so that I can make amends?’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I promise I’ll behave – like an officer and a gentleman and not a scallywag from the Outback.’
‘I have a luncheon engagement,’ Emma said.
‘Is it terribly important? Couldn’t you break it?’
‘I don’t think so. It’s with Frank and I don’t see him very often. He would be disappointed.’
‘Yes, I understand.’ Paul’s face lit up. ‘I don’t want to seem forward, but could I join you? May I invite you both to be my guests?’ He smiled engagingly. ‘After all, you would be chaperoned with your brother present.’
Emma smiled. He was quite transparent. ‘I would have to ask Frank. I’m not sure how he would feel.’
To Paul’s annoyance Dolly sailed up to them and he stood up, offering her his chair. She declined and said, ‘I see you two have recovered