Such Sweet Poison Read online

  Morgan’s father had surprised them all, too. When Morgan had mentioned going back to the Embassy in London, General Lynch had declared that in his opinion it would be better if his son made his home in the United States. ‘I’m an old man,’ he said. ‘I can’t fly to London every time I want to see you. Mrs Lambert, now, she’s just a slip of a girl. Crossing, the Atlantic won’t prove too arduous for her.’

  Of course, Catherine’s mother had fallen for that, hook, line and sinker. Or perhaps she had only pretended to, Catherine thought now. Whatever, she had made no demur when her daughter and new son-in-law had accepted Morgan’s father’s suggestion. As Catherine knew, her mother had her own life to lead, and she had always enjoyed travelling.

  But the biggest surprise of all had been when General Lynch had disclosed the news that he owned the controlling interest in a condominium complex on Mango Key. As well as the apartments, there was a golf club, and marina, and, if Morgan was prepared to do it, he could go down there and manage the place for him.

  Of course, Catherine knew why he had done it, but that didn’t stop her from giving him a particularly enthusiastic hug when she heard the news.

  The general was learning, she thought, guessing it would still be some time before he and Morgan became close friends. But they loved one another and that was what really mattered. Catherine believed in love.

  Now, she dropped her clutch bag on to the drinks trolley, and smoothed her palms down the skirt of her loose dress. She had worn the hot pink dress with its flattering spaghetti straps deliberately, because it was light and cool, and it was one of Morgan’s favourites. But now, she wondered if subconsciously she had known the real reason why she was wearing it. It was so apt, and her heart, which had been pounding ever since the doctor had delivered his ultimatum, skipped a couple of beats.

  ‘He said-I’m pregnant,’ she said with a rush, unable when it came down to it, to spin the news out. ‘I-I said it wasn’t possible, but he said it definitely was.’

  Morgan’s hands gripped her shoulders very tightly. ‘You mean-?’

  ‘I mean, my throwing, up every morning has a perfectly innocent explanation,’ said Catherine lightly, anxious that he should be as pleased about the news as she was. ‘Are-are you pleased? I couldn’t believe it when he told me.’

  Morgan pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. ‘Of course I’m pleased,’ he muttered roughly. ‘But are you? It’s not something you expected, is it?’

  Catherine caught her breath. ‘Oh, love,’ she whispered, turning her lips against his shoulder, ‘to be having your baby! Are you joking? If I couldn’t believe it, it’s because I wanted it so much.’

  He kissed her then, his mouth warm and passionate, sharing with her the very special delight of their love. Her spectacles, which always got in the way in moments like this, were quickly discarded on to the trolley beside her bag, and, picking her up in his arms, he carried her back to the sun lounger.

  ‘So, where did you get the idea that you couldn’t have children?’ Morgan demanded, a few minutes later, and Catherine, whose hand had been straying innocently to the waistband of his shorts, gave a rueful sigh.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘Or, at least, I do.’ She looked up at him with a grimace. ‘Neil told me.’

  Morgan’s eyes darkened. ‘And what gave him the right to make judgements of that sort?’ he asked harshly. ‘I knew I should have flattened that guy when I had the chance.'

  ‘You did,’ said Catherine, with a guilty giggle, but Morgan shook his head.

  ‘Not nearly,’ he told her, loosening the strap of her dress on her right shoulder. ‘Go on. I’m listening. What medical qualifications does he have?’

  ‘None.’ Catherine felt her cheeks turning pink. ‘He went to one of those clinics, where they make tests; that sort of thing. His result came back positive. I saw it.’ She lifted her shoulders. ‘He said it had to be me.’

  Morgan shook his head. ‘It didn’t occur to you that you just might not have been compatible, did it? I mean, let’s face it, he and his second wife don’t have any kids, do they?’

  ‘No.’ Catherine’s eyes widened. ‘Do you think that’s why he made all those accusations about her?’ She had told Morgan everything that had happened between her and Neil, including the unsatisfactory relationship they had had when they were married.

  ‘Probably,’ agreed Morgan now. ‘Though my guess is he’d realised he’d made a mistake. He wanted you back, baby. But he was too late.’

  ‘He was always too late,’ said Catherine, touching his cheek. ‘As soon as I met you, I knew what Neil and I had had...’ She shook her head. ‘Well, you know.’

  ‘Tell me,’ said Morgan wickedly, and Catherine did so shyly, pressing her lips against his ear.

  ‘What about your job?’ Morgan asked at last, playing with the other strap of her sun-dress. ‘I know you said you were going to free-lance, but-’

  ‘I don’t care about my job.’ Catherine gazed at him adoringly. ‘I’m going to have a baby! Our baby. I’ll think about my job when I’ve got nothing better to do.’

  Morgan shifted then, until she was lying on the lounger, and he was supporting himself over her. ‘I guess this means we’ll have to-well, be a little less energetic in our relationship, hmm?’

  ‘Don’t you believe it! ’ Catherine grasped his neck with possessive hands, and pulled him down on top of her. ‘The doctor says I’m already three months into my term. And you know what that means, don’t you?’

  ‘You conceived the first time we made love?’ suggested Morgan, his voice just a little thick. ‘What a way to start our lives together.’ He grinned.

  ‘Though, in the circumstances, I can’t say I’m really surprised.'

  ‘That wasn’t what I meant,’ declared Catherine, sliding her hands beneath the waistband of his shorts, and inching them over his hips. ‘I meant-everyone knows, you only have to take care for the first three months, in a normal pregnancy. And as the doctor says I’m excessively normal, and we didn’t even know-’

  ‘I guess we don’t have to worry, right?’ Morgan finished for her lazily.

  ‘Hey, I hope you locked that door when you came in. I wouldn’t want Steve to be embarrassed.’

  ‘Would you be?’ asked Catherine, as the second strap of her dress came undone, and Morgan laughed.

  ‘Me? I’m used to an audience,' he said, with an endearing lack of selfconsciousness, and Catherine thought Hector turned his head the other way.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE