The Almost Wives Club: Kate Read Online Free PDF

of half of the room, but Ted kept the louvered windows overhead open most of the time to let in fresh air. She discovered it also let out the conversation very clearly.
    “Thank you. With a little water, please,” a female voice said.
    With a lurch in her stomach she recognized her mother’s voice. What on earth was her mother doing at Ted’s place at this time of night? And with his parents? Without ever breathing a word to Kate?
    The privet hedge scratched at her legs as she pushed closer to the window.
    To receive even a bigger shock.
    She blinked to make sure she was seeing straight.
    A third man walked from behind the bar and into the main room like an actor walking on stage. It was Nick. Nick, the man she’d eaten dinner with tonight. The man who’d claimed to be a stranger and encouraged her to spill her secrets.
    He’d removed his jacket and she saw his shirt sleeves rolled up to reveal powerful forearms. He hadn’t stopped to shave or comb his hair so he still had that slightly disreputable look to him. Also a somewhat grim expression on his face.
    Ted delivered her mother’s drink and then picked up his own and went to stand by Nick. He held onto his glass with a rigid clasp. “Okay, let’s have your report,” he said curtly.
    Report?
    She felt the energy in the room shift as every eye turned to Nick standing center stage.
    For a tiny moment everything was still. Nick turned to look at the pool, though for a moment it felt as though he were staring at her. Tension filled the room and she felt its echo in her stomach.
    She began to tremble as a sense of betrayal infused her. She gripped her hands together and the big diamond pressed into her fingers, hurting her. She’d believed when she’d arrived here that the day which had gone from bad to worse was about to end. But she had a very bad feeling that she hadn’t even plumbed the depths of ‘worse’ yet.
    Finally, Nick spoke. “It’s a short report. She’s untouchable.”
    Her mother tripped into the frame, still wearing the green Chanel suit and beaming. “I told you so, didn’t I?”
    Ted’s father rose, ignored her mother and said, “How hard did you try? I’m not paying for shoddy work.”
    “How hard did I try to seduce Ted’s fiancée?” Nick seemed to think about it. “I joined her for dinner, was as charming as I know how to—”
    “So, she didn’t prevent you from joining her?” Mr. Carnarvon senior interrupted.
    “Duncan, please. Let him finish,” Ted’s mother pleaded.
    It was insane, like finding herself in the middle of a nightmare and trying to wake up, but the dream kept going on. One of those bad dreams where some awful thing was behind her and even as she tried to scream, no sound came out of her mouth. That’s how she felt now. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, she could only watch this nightmare play out before her.
    Nick continued, “She tried to leave, but I can be very persuasive.” He turned to Ted. “Your prime rib arrived as she started to get out of her chair. I think she was too polite to leave me alone to eat your dinner.”
    “Hmm.”
    “That seems reasonable, dear. She’s a very polite girl,” Ted’s mother said.
And thanks for that, Millicent.
    “Then what happened?”
    “I gave her plenty of opportunity to trash talk her groom. I thought she might be irked enough at being left alone in a busy restaurant that she’d vent.”
    “And did she?”
    “No. She didn’t have anything but good to say about Ted. I, then, did my best to seduce her. She stormed out of the restaurant. I followed and attempted one last time to get her at least to see me again. She wasn’t interested.”
    Not exactly how it had gone down. She wondered why he was lying to make her look a hell of a lot more saintly than she’d acted?
    “Maybe she simply wasn’t interested in you,” Ted’s dad said.
    Ted laughed. “Nick? He’s legendary with women. That’s why he was the perfect choice. If Nick can’t