‘Oh, please don’t,’ she sobbed.
Rupert was on his knees beside her. ‘Darling. Oh, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. I shouldn’t have rushed things. I’ve behaved like a pig.’
She looked at him through her tears. ‘You won’t stop seeing me because I won’t?’
He shook his head wryly. ‘I couldn’t if I tried now. I’m in too deep.’
After he’d gone she looked at herself in the mirror. ‘You’re a rotten bitch, Bella. God, you’re in a muddle,’ she said slowly.
She wanted men to want her, but once they tried to get involved she ran away, frightened they’d find out the truth.
Chapter Three
Rupert arrived next evening, his arms loaded with presents.
‘I’ve decided you missed out on a proper childhood, so we’re going to start now,’ he said.
In the parcels were a huge teddy bear, a Dutch doll, a kaleidoscope, a solitaire board filled with coloured marbles, a complete set of Beatrix Potter and The Wind in the Willows.
Bella felt a great lump in her throat. ‘Oh, darling, you shouldn’t spend all your money on me.’
Rupert took her face in his hands. ‘Sweetheart, listen. There’s one thing you must get into your head; there are a hell of a lot of disadvantages about being a Henriques, but being short of bread isn’t one of them.’ He held out his hands. ‘We’ve got buckets of it. My father’s worth a fortune and, since Lazlo put a bomb under the bank, we’re all worth a lot more. I’ve got a private income of well over £25,000.’
Bella’s jaw dropped.
‘That’s what’s so lovely about you, Bella. Anyone else would know about the Henriques millions. I’ve never worried about money in my life, and when I was twenty-one last month I inherited. .’
‘Twenty-one?’ said Bella quickly. ‘You said you were twenty-seven.’