Undertaking Love Page 0,61

to catch.

Marla sat down on her mother’s other side and picked at her dinner for a second before placing her knife and fork down – her food was significantly messier but barely eaten. She had no appetite for anything except the mercifully large glass of Shiraz in front of her. Tonight had turned into a fiasco of unprecedented levels, and the only constructive thing she could think of to do was to get too drunk to remember it.

Gabe picked up the wine bottle to refill first Cecilia’s glass, and then Marla’s, but a big tanned hand stretched across the table and covered it.

Rupert.

God, with all of the shenanigans, Marla had almost forgotten he was there.

He looked a little odd, actually. Fidgety and awkward. Maybe he’d spotted that she was at the end of her tether and was about to sweep her right out of there? A violent longing to be curled up at home on the sofa with Bluey pierced her, and her heart cracked afresh. Her head hurt, and she smiled gratefully as Rupert got to his feet.

Phew. They were leaving.

Hang on, why was he clinking his glass with his knife? There was no need to make a drama of it, much better to slink out … Jeez, he was going to make a leaving speech. Why did he always have to be so formal? She sank back down into her chair and picked up her wine glass in resignation as a hush fell around the table.

Rupert let the table settle into silenced anticipation, and then carefully placed the knife and glass back down on the table.

‘I have something important that I need to say … or should I say, I need to ask.’

He flashed a wide smile. ‘And there could be no better time than here, in the presence of our friends and family,’ he continued, in the style of a vicar about to deliver a sermon to his flock. Beside her, Marla heard a tiny gasp from her mother – and a much more audible one from Melanie.

‘Marla,’ Rupert turned to face her. She nodded encouragingly back.

Just wrap it up, Rupert. Say thanks for coming and goodnight, then let’s get the hell out of here. Please.

But it was another prayer to no one that fell on deaf ears.

‘Marla, we’ve been together now for some time, and I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so happy, and I think you feel the same way.’ He paused for dramatic effect and laid a hand over his heart. ‘You complete me.’

‘Plagiarism! Get yer own lines!’ Jonny heckled. Rupert shot Jonny a murderous look whilst he started a slow walk around the table towards Marla. She knew he was still speaking because his lips were moving, but the roar of blood in her ears made it impossible to hear his voice.

Sweet baby Jesus, No! Please don’t let him get down on one knee, or I’m done for. I take back all I said about being a non-believer, I’ll change my ways if you help me just this once.

Please, he’s coming …

Rupert picked up her limp hand and sank down on one knee.

Alone in his luxurious marble bathroom the next morning, Rupert angled his chin from side to side to better admire himself in the mirror. Last night couldn’t have gone better if he’d planned it. He threw a celebratory wink at his reflection.

Keeeer-ching! Hoist by your own petard, Melanie.

In one foul swoop he’d managed to propose to Marla and spell it out to Melanie that he wasn’t a man to mess with. Jesus, he’d only slept with the woman once out of sympathy; well, three times, if you wanted to split hairs. Rupert glanced ruefully down at his flaccid cock. He couldn’t help it if his little tiger had a big stride when it was let out, could he?

And now she was trying to cling on, making unreasonable demands as if she had some right to his time. Tiresome. She probably thought she’d been terribly clever last night; he hadn’t missed the sly glint of triumph in her eyes when she’d wangled herself a place at his table. What sweet revenge it had been to watch fury twist her thin face when he’d proposed to Marla; almost as pleasurable as the tears of joy Marla had cried. Poor girl had been completely overcome, couldn’t get a coherent word out. She’d seemed jumpy of late. Probably in need of a good seeing-to; it was frustrating for them both with her mother