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she told him flatly.
Raff looked taken aback. 'But the doctor said that you're well enough
to leave, that there's been no more bleeding, that --'
'I know exactly what the doctor said,' she cut in firmly. 'When I said I
wasn't coming home, I meant to your home.' She met his gaze
challengingly as his head went back in protest.
'It's our home, damn you,' he finally bit out gratingly. 'And where else
would you go?'
She shrugged. 'Back to Scotland, to my parents '
'You aren't well enough to travel,' he rasped.
She knew that, but she had hoped Raff wouldn't. She should have
known better! But she hadn't really had time to think all her plans
through yet. All she did know was that she had to get away from Raff.
'Then perhaps my mother could continue to stay on here and we could
get a flat --'
'You know your father is having difficulty coping at home without
your mother, that it's a busy time of year for them,' Raff dismissed.
'Besides, you don't have a flat any more.'
Her cheeks flushed in her agitation. 'I could rent one --'
'You aren't strong enough to shop for furnishings,' he bit out grimly.
'Then I'll rent a furnished one,' she told him desperately. 'But I am not
living with you!' she glared at him, breathing hard.
'Calm down,' he instructed authoritatively. 'Do you want your
blood-pressure to shoot up again?'
'No,' she conceded tightly. 'But our marriage is over, Raff. I want
nothing more to do with you.'
A nerve pulsed in his jaw, fury glittering in his eyes. 'Do you have to
move out for that?' he demanded finally.
Puzzlement darkened her eyes as she looked at him questioningly.
He gave an impatient shrug. 'We managed to live together all right the
last time we ignored each other's existence!'
Bryna shook her head. 'I'm not sure I'll be able to do that this time,'
she snapped.
'Why not?' he rasped.
'Because I don't trust you,' she scorned.
Raff's mouth tightened. 'I'm hardly likely to risk the life of my child
by upsetting you again!'
'We married because of the baby, we agreed that would be all it was,
but you broke your promise almost as soon as we were married,' she
reminded him tautly. 'I can't trust you,' she repeated flatly.
'You can!' he grated. 'I give you my word I won't come near you or try
to touch you again. I just want to take care of you. Let me take care of
you,' his voice gentled.
She didn't want to do it, she wanted to get as far away from him and
his continuous spying on her, but she knew she never would. 'You
said you would stay away from me!' She looked at him with narrowed
eyes.
'I will,' he agreed heavily. 'But I have staff at the house who can look
after you, make sure that you don't overdo things. And you know it
would only worry your parents if you asked your mother to stay on
any longer than she already has.'
Her parents had both come down as soon as they knew she had been
admitted to hospital, but her father had had to return to Scotland after
a couple of days. Having convinced both her parents that both she and
the baby were fine now, she knew it would only upset them if she left
Raff now.
'I don't even want to see you, Raff,' she told him coldly. 'And once the
baby is born I'm finding a place of my own.'
His mouth tightened over the last, but he said nothing, nodding
acceptance of her conditions.
CHAPTER TEN
SHE had only been back in the house a few days when Kate arrived
with her suitcase in her hand.
Bryna put down the book she was reading to look anxiously at her
stepdaughter as she dropped the suitcase down on the floor to run
sobbing across the lounge. Bryna opened her arms to the girl,
murmuring words of soothing comfort as she stroked the glossy black
curls while waiting for the tears to stop.
Kate finally gave a last shuddering sob and moved back out of
Bryna's arms. She looked so young and vulnerable that Bryna's heart
went out to her.
'What happened?' she prompted gently.
Kate shook her head, wiping away the tears with her fingertips. 'I
shouldn't be worrying you in your condition --'
'My "condition" at the moment is that of being your stand-in mother,'
chided Bryna. 'I care about you, Kate.'
'I care about you, too,' the girl gave a watery smile. 'And I do think of
you as my mother, but Paul and I decided you're too young to have us
call you Mum. We thought you could be our big sister instead.'
Bryna wasn't upset that Kate and Paul had decided on the latter; the
fact that her stepchildren had discussed the possibility of calling her
'Mum' and only vetoed it because of her age filled her with a warm
glow. 'Big sisters are for confiding in,' she encouraged softly.
Kate grimaced. 'It's Brenda!' she said with feeling.
Bryna had an idea that it might be, in fact she was surprised Kate had
lasted the two months that she had with the other girl. 'Do you want to
tell me about it?' she prompted lightly.
Kate stood up restlessly. 'Why not?' she said disgustedly. 'I thought
she was my friend,' her eyes blazed darkly grey. 'But she isn't,' she
scorned. 'She doesn't know the meaning of the word friendship!'
The presence of the suitcase, and Kate's obvious anger, implied that
the disagreement between the two girls was serious. 'Did Brenda do
something you disapprove of?' Bryna probed.
'Oh, I could accept her untidiness, her selfishness, even the men she
occasionally had staying overnight with her.' Kate blushed as she
revealed the latter. 'But I can't, and I won't, accept her trying to seduce
Roger!'
It was worse than Bryna had expected, knowing how much Kate liked
Roger; her affection for him had been obvious on the occasions he
had accompanied Kate to see her over the last ten days.
'Did she succeed?' Bryna asked reluctantly.
'Of course not!' Kate defended indignantly. 'Roger isn't interested in
her, he lo well, it's me he likes,' she amended blushingly. 'He's as
disgusted by her behaviour as I am.'
Bryna could imagine that he was, but she had felt the question had to
be asked. She was glad, for Kate's sake, that Roger's affection was as
deep as her own for him. 'What exactly happened?' she frowned.
'I was late getting out of my class this evening, and Roger thought I
must have already left, and went straight to the flat. I walked in just as
Brenda was trying to kiss him while he tried to fight her off!' Her eyes
glittered angrily with remembered outrage. 'I watched them as he
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