Rogue's Revenge - By Gail MacMillan Page 0,25
haughty dignity as she could muster in mud-stained evening shoes and torn pantyhose.
Why did I react like that? I should have calmly denied it. Instead, I left it wide open to speculation. Fool! Now she probably sees me as her competition.
As she returned to the table where Paul and her parents sat, annoyance and disgust colored her mood. It was all Heath Oakes’ fault. He was responsible for her irritability with Paul, her repulsion of his attention, her mishap with the car, and now her rude run-in with her mother’s friend who, together with her husband, were expected to be major contributors to her mother’s charities.
Retaking her seat, she saw Candace Breckenridge standing in front of her husband across the room, her face distorted with anger. From the way she was flailing her arms and gesturing toward the entrance, Allison deduced the woman was demanding to leave.
Robert Breckenridge made futile efforts to calm his wife. Finally he shrugged and took her arm. She slapped his hand away and strode from the room alone. Her husband hesitated; then, with a shake of his head, he followed her.
“Oh, dear!” Myra Armstrong had also witnessed the confrontation. “Robert and Candace must have had another fight. They’re leaving, and they haven’t made their contribution yet.”
Oh, God, not more guilt. I didn’t mean to drive them away. A sinking feeling rose in Allison’s stomach. No, not my fault. She revived. Heath Oakes’ fault. The man taints everything he touches, and that includes Candace Breckenridge.
“I wish I could say I feel sorry for them.” Cameron Armstrong shook his head. “Hell of their own making, though.”
“Cam, watch your language.” His wife laid a restraining hand on his arm. “You’re not herding cows on an Alberta ranch now.”
“Sorry, darlin’, but that pair…”
“What do you mean, hell of their own making?” Allison broke in.
“Now see what you’ve done.” Myra frowned at her husband. “There’s no need to go spreading stories.”
“Why shouldn’t Allison know the truth? Everyone else east of the Rockies seems to. And since Allison is almost half owner of the Lodge that’s one of their favorite vacation spots, she should be aware of their situation before she’s confronted with it.”
“Very well,” Myra sighed. “It’s such a sad, hopeless affair.”
“Sad? Hopeless?” Allison glanced from one parent to another, astonished. “But they’re wealthy, socially prominent…”
“Not always the stuff happiness is made of.” Dr. Armstrong made a move to tuck his napkin into the neckline of his evening shirt, but his wife’s hand stopped him.
“Cam, really. I thought by now you’d have developed decent table manners.”
“Just teasin’, darlin’.” His grin confirmed his words as he chucked her under the chin. “Checkin’ to see if you were on your toes.”
“Of course.” Allison caught the glint of humor in her mother’s eyes while the remainder of her expression fought to display exasperation. Lord, how they love each other; what a wonderful time they have together. She glanced over at Paul, who’d arrived bone dry in the tow truck sent to his rescue while she was in the washroom. I wonder…
“You see, theirs was an arranged marriage of mutual convenience…or so it seemed.” Her father’s words drew her out of speculation. “When Candace’s father, Abe Maxler, became ill many years ago, he started looking around for someone to succeed him as CEO of his multi-faceted company. He knew Candace, his only child, had neither the intellect nor the inclination to do it. But he wanted the firm to remain in the family.
“He saw only one solution. Marry Candace off to an excellent businessman and make him CEO, with the clause that if he ever left Candace he’d face instant dismissal. If Candace left him, she’d be disinherited.”
“That’s medieval!” Allison couldn’t believe what her father was telling her. “I thought that type of thing disappeared centuries ago. No wonder Candace is so…” She stopped, discarded “promiscuous,” and opted for “discontent.”
“Hang on, hon,” Paul admonished. “It’s not a crime to marry well. In fact, business these days demands a good appearance on all fronts, personal as well as professional.”
“There’s nothing wrong with marrying well, of course.” Myra, always the peacemaker, stepped in as Allison opened her mouth to respond. “But love and happiness must always take precedence. Otherwise, discontent sets in and…”
“And when a woman who’s been unfulfilled emotionally as well as physically in her marriage reaches Candace’s age, that discontent can manifest itself in some pretty bizarre behavior.” Cameron Armstrong made a display of trying to find the correct fork for the lobster. “Believe