His Diamond Bride by Lucy Gordon Page A

must be protected from hurt.
    â€˜Come on, let’s dance,’ he said, opening his arms.
    It was bliss to dance with him, feeling his arms about her, knowing that the other girls envied her. News of his attractions had gone around the neighbourhood like lightning and everyone wanted to see him. Having seen him, they wanted to stay and see some more, and then to dance with him.
    One or two of them tried to break in, claiming to believe that this was an ‘excuse me’ dance. Dee suppressed the inclination to do murder, swung away to another partner, but then reclaimed Mark as soon as possible.
    â€˜You’re putting me in danger,’ he joked breathlessly as they bounded around together. ‘There are at least three men who thought you should turn to them, but you came to me. I’m flattered.’
    â€˜Don’t be. I’m just keeping Sylvia’s property safe for her. I’m a very good sister.’
    â€˜Her sister or mine?’
    A mysterious instinct to confront the thing she dreaded made her say, ‘It’s going to be the same thing soon, isn’t it?’
    His face darkened. ‘Who can tell? Where is she?’
    â€˜Why don’t you go and find her?’
    His lips twisted wryly, and she understood the message. Mark Sellon did not search yearningly for a woman, or beg for her attention. He let them beg him.
    â€˜You’re the only one she cares about,’ Dee urged. ‘She’s probably just trying to make you jealous.’
    â€˜Then she’s failing,’ he said lightly. ‘Let’s go.’
    He swung her higher in the air but, before he could do more, they both saw Sylvia on the edge of the crowd. She was with a different young man, struggling with him, although not seriously, and laughing all the while. She laughed even louder when he managed to plant a kiss on her mouth.
    Suddenly Dee found herself alone. There was a yell from the young man as he was hauled away and dumped on the pavement, and a shriek of excitement from Sylvia as Mark hurried her unceremoniously down a side street and into the darkness. The fascinated onlookers could just make out raised voices, which stopped very suddenly.
    â€˜No prizes for guessing what’s happening now,’ someone said to a general laugh.
    But then they all fell silent as the church clock began to strike midnight, looking up into the sky as though they could read there the tale of the coming year.
    He’ll marry her, Dee thought forlornly, and I’ll have to move away so that I don’t see him so much. Perhaps I could move into the Nurses’ Home.
    â€˜Hey, Dee!’ Helen and Joe were waving, beckoning for her to join them as the clock neared twelve.
    â€˜Where’s Sylvia?’ Helen demanded. ‘Ah, yes, I can see her.’
    There she was, drifting slowly back along the street, armsaround Mark, her head resting on his shoulder, gazing up at him with a look of adoration; a look he returned in full. As the clock reached the final ‘bong’ he pulled her into a tight embrace, crushing her mouth with his own as the crowd erupted around them.
    â€˜It’s nineteen thirty-nine!’
    â€˜Happy New Year!’
    â€˜Happy New Year, everybody! Happy—happy—happy—’
    Mark and Sylvia heard none of it. At one with each other, they had banished the world. Nothing and nobody else existed.
    â€˜Including me,’ Dee whispered softly. ‘Happy New Year.’
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    Two days later, Mark moved out to a local bed and breakfast, and after that Dee saw less of him. They would sometimes pass as she was leaving for work and he was just arriving at the garage, but she was usually home too late to catch him. Once a week Sylvia would bring him to supper. Other nights she would go out and return late. Watching jealously, Dee saw that sometimes she came home smiling, and sometimes she seemed grumpy, but she always denied that there had been any