‘What the hell is the matter with you?’ Jarrod demanded tautly.
She gave him a chilling look. ‘I’m perfectly all right, thank you.’
‘I wasn’t asking you if you were all right, I asked you what was the matter with you! You’re—you’re different, more—–’
‘More self-confident, you mean. But then why shouldn’t I be? You’re not such a great person after all, are you? I think you’re disgusting!’ she spat the words at him, glaring her dislike. ‘And I actually felt guilty about playing this trick on you. You deserve all that you get—and more!’
Jarrod’s mouth tightened and he retained his temper with effort. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘You know very well what I’m talking about, so don’t try to act the innocent with me. I never would have believed you could stoop so low. To—–’
‘Jarrod!’
Brooke didn’t need to turn to know who that voice belonged to. Selina Howard! And she was smiling in an intimate way at Jarrod, her arm through his. But of course, they didn’t need to worry about gossip now, not now that Jarrod was engaged to her! Oh, it was so humiliating to be used in this way.
She watched the two of them, watched the way Selina Howard made Jarrod bend his head so that she could whisper in his ear, the way he laughed throatily at whatever it was she had said to him.
It was several minutes before either of them seemed to become aware of her still standing there. Finally it was Selina Howard who turned to include her in the conversation.
‘We meet again, Brooke,’ she said softly, her green eyes assessing as they took in Brooke’s figure-hugging dress. ‘I’m sure you didn’t expect it to be so soon.’
‘I didn’t expect it at all, Mrs Howard,’ Brooke replied shortly.
The small beautiful woman gave a tinkling laugh, but the humour didn’t reach her hard pebble-green eyes. ‘Please call me Selina,’ she invited graciously. ‘Being Jarrod’s fiancée you’re sure to see a lot of me in future.’
Brooke raised one eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘Oh yes. Jarrod and I are great friends,’ Selina Howard informed her triumphantly.
‘And your husband.’ She smiled sweetly at them. ‘We mustn’t forget your husband. Where is he, by the way?’
‘Charles is in Europe at the moment.’
‘How convenient for you!’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Those green eyes narrowed dangerously.
‘I said how miserable for you,’ Brooke replied.
‘Yes, isn’t it?’ Selina glowed up at Jarrod. ‘But friends always help to ease the loneliness. Jarrod has been so good to me during Charles’ absence.’
‘I’m sure he has. But he could be rather preoccupied in future, arranging the wedding, things like that.’ Brooke smiled glowingly at Jarrod, uncaring of the scowl on his face. ‘There’s always such a lot to organise. You must realise that, being married yourself.’
A faint flush coloured the other woman’s pale cheeks. ‘When is the wedding to be?’
‘We—–’
‘Oh, quite soon,’ Brooke interrupted Jarrod. ‘We have no reason to wait. Jarrod’s very anxious that the wedding should take place soon, aren’t you, darling?’
He looked thunderous, and she knew that once they were alone he would let her feel the full force of his anger. But she didn’t care about that now. He wasn’t going to get away with making a fool out of her!
Selina Howard looked less sure of herself now, looking uncertainly from Jarrod to Brooke. ‘I didn’t realise you’d already set a date. You’ve only just become engaged.’
Brooke looked deliberately shy. ‘The engagement is only a formality as far as Jarrod and I are concerned. The marriage will take place next month.’
Jarrod looked visibly startled, his expression becoming grimmer as she calmly met his furious gaze. ‘I thought we’d agreed not to disclose that,’ he said tautly.
She smiled at him. ‘As Mrs Howard is such a friend of yours it can’t possibly matter if we tell her. Besides, we’ll be sending out the invitations quite soon, and we wouldn’t want Mrs Howard to be too shocked when she receives hers, now would we?’
Selina Howard’s head flicked back haughtily. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow, Jarrod. Goodbye, Brooke.’
‘Oh, surely not goodbye,’ she returned sweetly. ‘As you said, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.’
Another cool look was directed at her before Selina Howard swept away from them, leaving behind a cloud of perfume. That perfume seemed to belong exclusively to her, and Brooke wouldn’t be at all surprised if that wasn’t the case. Charles Howard was rich enough to buy a hundred perfumes exclusively for the use of his wife if he wanted to.
Brooke looked innocently up at Jarrod, sipping her champagne with cool deliberation. ‘She’s very beautiful.’
Jarrod grasped her arm, his fingers pressing painfully into her flesh. ‘Selina Howard’s looks don’t seem important right at this moment,’ he muttered between gritted teeth.
‘Really? They seemed very important to you this morning.’
He frowned darkly. ‘This morning?’
‘Your important appointment.’
‘Oh—oh, yes. Forget that for a moment,’ he dismissed. ‘Why did you tell her we were getting married next month? What game are you playing now.’
‘No game, Mr Stone. I just don’t like being used.’
He shook his head dazedly. ‘You’re being used? I thought that was my fate.’
‘So did I. I even felt sorry for you—but not any more. You disgust me.’
‘That’s the second time you’ve said that,’ he said curiously. ‘You were like this when you came back from the powder-room. What happened in there?’
‘How clever of you to guess,’ she smiled at him brightly. ‘Just a couple of your so-called friends having a cosy little chat about you. Quite enlightening really.’
‘Let’s leave,’ Jarrod said abruptly. ‘We can talk about this better alone. Wait here while I make our excuses.’
‘I would prefer to wait outside.’
‘I said wait here.’
‘I’ll be outside,’ she declared stubbornly, moving away before he could stop her. She could imagine what construction his friends would put on their early departure. Let them think what they liked! She didn’t care as long as she knew in her own mind that it wasn’t true.
At least she had got him back for using her, stirring things up a little between him and his mistress. Not that she thought he would have much difficulty explaining his way out of that, but no doubt Selina Howard would give him a difficult time for a while. Good, she thought spitefully.
‘Why are you always so damned stubborn?’ Jarrod demanded on the way home.
‘I’m not stubborn. I just don’t like to be bullied.’
‘What did these so-called friends of mine have to say? I take it that’s the reason for your attitude?’
‘Oh, they just told me of your sordid little affair with Mrs Howard. Well, I wouldn’t exactly say they told me. They were discussing it between them, I just happened to be there at the time.’ She made a determined effort not to look at him.
‘My affair