Page 75

“Oh, Nick! This…this could be over tonight?”
His sense of elation was heady. “Yes, apparently he bribed one of the charter pilots to alter the flight plan and fly him to Germany from Hong Kong three days ago. A member of the ground crew where the plane stopped to refuel spotted Mwana and alerted authorities. They traced the plane to a small airstrip near Dusseldorf.”
“How soon will we know?” she asked, desperately trying to stem the hope that threatened to flood her.
“How soon we will know what?” Alex said from beside them.
Nick filled him in.
“Excellent news. I’ll keep the champagne on ice.”
Nick suppressed the prickle of unease at the back of his mind as they rejoined the party and mingled with his guests. The news couldn’t have come soon enough. By night’s end, he and Belle could draw a line through this sorry mess and get on with their life together. Although he wouldn’t rest until he heard the man was in custody, the news pleased him nonetheless.
Sliding an arm around his wife’s waist, he kissed the side of
her neck.
She smiled up at him. “What’s that for?”
“Is it against the law for a man to kiss his wife in public?”
Her smile widened, and his heart turned over. “Not at all. Just thought I’d ask. Someone once told me there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” she responded drolly.
He laughed and leaning down, whispered in her ear, “You’re right. And I will make my demands very clear after our guests leave.” Watching her struggle to suppress the blush invading her stunning face, he wished the guests gone. The need to be alonewith his wife was eating away at him. He had things to work through, things to explain.
The conversation with his mother replayed in his mind, as well. Had he judged her too harshly? Perhaps…
She hadn’t withstood the test of parenthood, but as Belle had driven home these last two weeks, it took two people to make a marriage work. If what his mother had said was true, then… “What are you thinking about?” his wife asked him.
He laughed. “Where shall I start? I’ve been thinking about my mother. I’ve decided to give her a chance. She was selfish and unloving when I was young, but people can change.”
Belle’s joy glowed from her face. Realizing she was happy forhimsent a bolt of emotion so strong through him that he had to swallow several times just to be able to breathe.
God, now hereallywanted to be alone with her.
Sighing under his breath, he turned to a passing waiter and picked up a glass of champagne. Surreptitiously, he glanced at the mantel clock—only he wasn’t sly enough. Alex, who stood talking to the Greek Ambassador, saw him and winked.
Casting him a wry smile, Nick heard him cut across what the Ambassador was saying. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ambassador, it’s getting late. I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow, so please excuse me,” Alex said, loudly, for other guests to hear.
The other man looked startled, but he nodded and shook the hand Alex held out.
Nick sent his cousin a grateful look when suddenly everyone concurred it was time to leave. Within half an hour, only the wait staff and Belle’s parents remained.
After seeing them off, she joined Nick on the balcony. “I saw you chatting to Liz earlier,” she observed.
“Yes, that friend of yours is a goddamned Rottweiler. Her grilling technique would be most welcome in the Marines. I had to swear my devotion to you on a stack of Bibles beforeshe relented. She also said something about having my guts for garters. Oh, and I found out why she hates those guts so much.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, but I’m not telling you. Suffice it to say, I made a stupid comment that she took to heart. The air’s been cleared.” He made a silent vow never to discuss his wife while her best friend was in the vicinity.
A loud crash in the kitchen drew their attention. Belle answered his question before he voiced it. “There are one or two of the caterers still here.”
“You want me to go check?” he offered.
“No, you don’t want to go in there when Bertrand’s reading them the riot act for breaking his China. Allen should be ringing shortly, yes?” He didn’t miss the anxiety in her voice.
“Yes. Come with me to the study.”