Romance of a Lifetime by Carole Mortimer Page A

seen him a lot during those weekends.
    But it hadn't been enough; she had wanted more than just the friendship he seemed to offer.
    And despite all her mother's concern it had ultimately been she who had made it easy for Beth to move to London!
    The boutique they ran on the island had done well—in fact more than well—and now that Beth was no longer a child and dependent upon her Katherine had decided that the time had come to expand into the rest of the world, opening first one boutique in New York, and then one in London too. Katherine had gone herself to take charge in New York, leaving Beth to maintain things on the island. But when they had opened in London several months later it had been easier to leave Beth's maintain things on the island. But when they had opened in London several months later it had been easier to leave Beth's assistant in control on the island and take over in London herself.
    It had been the move her father and Martin had been waiting for!
    She had only been in London several weeks when Martin began to call at the boutique on one pretext or another. She had been deeply flattered, overjoyed when he had finally invited her out to dinner.
    Beth still shuddered when she remembered how worried she had been at the time that her father wouldn't approve of the relationship!
    That first invitation had led to others, and within weeks she had known she was head over heels in love with Martin.
    And her father had known, and approved, of what was going on.
    By the time Beth's mother had returned from New York it was to celebrate Beth's and Martin's engagement.
    Beth had been so excited that evening, her father throwing a huge party for all his friends and associates. Her mother had seen that excitement and done her best to feel happy for her, to appear approving to all the people who eyed her so curiously; they had all been aware that Charles had a wife somewhere, but this was the first time most of these people had actually seen her.
    Beth had been so proud of her mother that evening, of her beauty, the elegant way she dressed, the dark green gown she wore a perfect foil for her blonde hair and green eyes, but most of all Beth had been proud of the way her mother held her head up high and withstood all that curiosity that was directed at her.
    Her mother had met Martin for the first time that evening, and Beth had sensed her reservations about him. But she had dismissed the feelings, knowing that her mother was always cautious until she knew someone well. She hadn't doubted for a moment that her mother would come to love Martin once she got to know him.
    The wedding had been weeks later, a grand affair, totally suitable for the daughter of Charles Palmer. Beth had walked down the aisle with stars in her eyes, had thought Martin the most handsome man in the world as he waited for her, like a golden Adonis.
    To her great relief her father had approved of the marriage, although he had requested, due to the fact that he didn't have a son to carry on the family name, that they keep the name Palmer after the marriage. It had seemed a little unorthodox to Beth; in fact she had been practising in her head for weeks how the name Beth Bradshaw would sound once they were married! But Martin had been agreeable to the idea of keeping Palmer, didn't seem to mind changing his name to hers, and in the end it had seemed a small concession to have to make to ensure her father felt happy about the relationship too; the last thing she had wanted to do was alienate him when she had only recently found him again.
    Her mother had looked at her searchingly after the wedding as she and Martin were about to leave for their honeymoon in the Bahamas. 'I just want you to be happy, darling,' she had said worriedly.
    'And I will be,' Beth had assured her with glowing happiness.
    The honeymoon had been her first disappointment.
    There had been no question of their consummating their relationship before they were married; the situation had