To Make a Marriage Read Online Free Page B

admission. ‘You haven’t…?’ she said slowly. ‘But I assumed—I thought you must have found yourself a better job?’ She frowned her confusion.
    Was it her imagination, or did Audrey’s gaze suddenly become slightly evasive. And if so, why had it?
    Could Adam be right, after all—damn him!—and there was more to Audrey’s decision to leave than was at first apparent?
    Audrey shrugged. ‘I’m actually thinking of not getting another job for a while. I have quite a bit of money saved—after all, what do I have to spend it on?—and so, I thought I might travel, see some of the world.’
    Andie didn’t feel in the least reassured by this answer. ‘But you travel with Daddy all the time…’
    The other woman sighed. ‘Travelling with Rome is nothing more than a series of business meetings. Most of the time I have no idea which country I’m in at any particular moment; boardrooms look the same the world over!’
    This explanation sounded feasible enough, Andie decided. After all, Audrey was only in her early forties, still young enough to want to do some of the things that she might have dreamed of in her youth. And yet…
    Adam had put these doubts into her mind, Andie realised irritably. After all, it was Audrey’s life, and she must be allowed the freedom to do with it what she wanted. The same freedom Andie had recently insisted on in her own life…
    â€˜You never know,’ Audrey added with a smile, ‘I might just meet someone and have children of my own. I’m not too old yet, you know.’
    â€˜You most certainly aren’t,’ Adam remarked firmly as he strolled unannounced into the sun-lounge. ‘And whoever he is, he’ll be a lucky man!’ he added warmly.
    Andie had known Adam would be here this weekend—he had made that more than obvious on Monday!—but, nevertheless, she was rather nonplussed at having him walk in on her conversation with Audrey in this way.
    It was also a little disconcerting to hear him talking to Audrey in this slightly flirtatious way, especially as she was still processing Audrey’s remark through her own thoughts!
    She was ashamed to admit she had never thought of Audrey in that particular way before, had always assumed the older woman was happy with her life and career. Or maybe Adam was right, and they had all just selfishly taken Audrey’s presence here for granted all these years…!
    But Audrey was quite right, too; at only forty-two, there was still time for her to have a family and home of her own.
    From the warmly appreciative way Adam was looking at Audrey now, he was more than aware of the other woman’s attraction. And why shouldn’t he be? There were only just over two years’ difference in their ages…
    â€˜Thank you for that kind remark, Adam,’ Audrey told him warmly as she stood up to kiss him on the cheek.
    â€˜I’m not being kind, Audrey.’ He looked down at her intensely. ‘I’m stating a fact.’
    â€˜I thank you, anyway.’ Audrey smiled up at him as she squeezed his arm. ‘I’ll just go and get another cup and you can join us for a coffee,’ she said before disappearing out of the room.
    The silence that followed her departure was stilted to say the least, Andie decided as she glanced across at Adam beneath long lashes.
    He was dressed casually today, in a black silk shirt teamed with fitted black denims, having thrown his silver-grey jacket into one of the wicker chairs as he’d entered the sun-lounge a few minutes ago. He was looking tall and lithe, his slightly overlong silver-blonde hair brushing the collar of his shirt, a slender gold watch nestling in the golden hair of his right wrist.
    Adam looked exactly what he was, Andie realised: ahighly successful businessman, and a very eligible bachelor!
    His expression was guarded as he looked across at her.