Miranda Lee - Contract with Consequences

Oh God, he was!

When a sob caught in her throat, he wrenched the car over to the side of the road, braking to a halt and snapping off the engine. ‘Well, you’ve spoiled everything again now, haven’t you? I was going to do this over a candlelit dinner with all the trimmings: music. Champagne. The works. But it seems some girls just can’t wait.’ As he turned to her he pulled a small silver box out of his jacket pocket and flipped the top open.

Another sob escaped Scarlet’s lips when she saw what was nestled in a bed of dark blue velvet. Her hands came up to clasp her face, her happiness so great it was almost overwhelming.

‘Oh, John,’ she choked out.

‘Scarlet King,’ he said solemnly. ‘I love you. No, that’s understating things. I’m crazy about you and I simply can’t live without you. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?’

Her eyes flooded, her heart too full for words.

His smile was gently wry. ‘You once told me that the only use you had for a diamond was if it came atop a band of gold and with a proposal of marriage.’

Her smile, when it came, was full of a joy which had no bounds. It filled all those empty places in her heart and in her soul which had needed to be filled.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ she murmured, reaching out to touch the huge solitaire diamond. ‘Is it one of yours?’

‘No. I actually don’t have any truly decent diamonds in my gem collection. I bought this one yesterday in Sydney, along with this car and these clothes. I wanted to impress you.’

‘I’m very impressed. But…’

‘No buts. I know I told you once that I didn’t do marriage; that I was a committed bachelor. But no man wants to remain a bachelor, Scarlet, once he truly falls in love. Trust me when I say all I want to do is spend every day of the rest of my life with you.’

‘Oh dear,’ she said, her heart having melted totally at his passionate declaration of love. Tears pricked at her eyes, tears of happiness.

‘No don’t say anything more till I’ve finished,’ he raced on, perhaps worried that she was about to protest further. Which, of course, she was not.

‘I dare say you’re also concerned about my relationship with my family, especially my father. There’s no need, Scarlet. Truly. I had a good long talk to Dad today and I found out something I wasn’t aware of. Apparently, after Josh died, Dad went into a severe depression which was never properly treated. He only survived day to day by becoming a workaholic. It wasn’t till he retired that Mum got him to see a more enlightened doctor and his condition was properly diagnosed and treated, which explains his change of mood lately. He told me today how sorry he was for the way he’d treated me, and Mum too. Terribly sorry.

‘So you see, there’s no reason for you to worry that I’m lying to you about coming to live near home. I’m actually looking forward it. I might even start up a local fishing-charter company rather than go back to mining work. After all, a family man shouldn’t be travelling all over the place, doing dangerous things, should he?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Scarlet said, her voice thickening as her eyes welled up again.

‘Hey, what’s with all the tears? I thought you’d be happy.’

‘I am happy. And, John…’

‘Yes?’

‘I love you too. Very much.’

His eyes gleamed. ‘I sort of figured that out around the same time I figured myself out. Shortly after your plane took off. It just took me a while to work out what to do about it. I had to come up with a proper plan, you see.’

‘Oh, you and your plans! I never did find out what your plan was for up in Darwin.’

‘Mmm. Yes, well, that plan is still in operation.’

‘Really? In what way?’

‘I’ll tell you all about it shortly. So is it a yes? Can I take the ring out of the box and slip it on your finger?’

She nodded and he did just that. It fitted her finger perfectly.

He clasped her hand tightly within both of his and looked deep into her eyes. ‘I can’t tell you how sorry I am for the dreadful things I said to you the other night, Scarlet. It was unforgiv-’

‘Hush,’ she broke in softly. ‘Love is never having to say you’re sorry.’

‘Thank God for that,’ he said with small laugh. ‘Otherwise I could be apologising all night.’

‘I’d rather have that candlelit dinner you told me about.’

‘Me too.’

‘There’s only one small problem I can think of,’ Scarlet said.

‘What’s that?’

‘What on earth are we going to tell our families and friends? They’re not going to believe in our engagement. It’ll look much too sudden in their eyes.’

John frowned. ‘You’re probably right. You might have to hide that ring for a while, at least till you’re safely pregnant.’

Scarlet’s mouth dropped open whilst John just smiled. ‘I did say that my Darwin plan is still in operation. It really was a good plan, involving great sex for days on end, followed by two or three days of abstinence till you entered your most likely to conceive phase…’

‘Good grief!’ Scarlet exclaimed.

‘Yes, I know it sounds a bit much when you say it out loud, but it’s still a good plan. Given we’ve already been through an enforced abstinence phase, I didn’t just book a table for dinner at the Crowne Plaza tonight. I booked us a room as well. And, before you say it, my darling wife-to-be, I know there are no guarantees of our making a baby tonight, but you have one thing going for you which is new-tonight, you will be made love to by a man who truly loves you. Tonight, you will feel safe and secure in his arms. Tonight, there will be no stress because, baby or not, we will still have each other till death do us part.’

Scarlet fought back more tears, having never been so moved in her life. She had read about the healing power of love but she’d never seen it for herself, or felt its power. But she felt it now and would never forget it.

‘John Mitchell,’ she choked out. ‘They are the loveliest words I have ever heard. And you are the loveliest man. I think I must be luckiest girl in all the world to have found someone like you to love me.’

‘I think I’m the lucky one here. But, before this deteriorates to a mutual admiration society, do you think we could move on? I haven’t had a bite to eat in hours and I’m so hungry I could eat a whole barramundi all by myself!’

Scarlet smiled. She smiled on and off all night.

Fifteen months later

SCARLET tiptoed into the nursery and stood beside the rather large cot, her heart filling with joy and wonder as it always did when she looked down at her beautiful baby girls. It still amazed her to think that she and John had not made one baby that night, as they’d secretly hoped, but two.

Life had been kind to her for once. Very kind.

Any initial anxiety over expecting twins had soon been dispelled once she knew they were girls and, thankfully, not identical. John had claimed he wasn’t worried at all, that he’d been thrilled to pieces by the news, but Scarlet had privately been of the opinion it wasn’t a good idea to repeat a history which hadn’t turned out well.

Jessica and Jennifer had been born a month early but so healthy that, after only a few days, their already besotted parents had been allowed to bring them home to the rather old but brilliantly located house which Scarlet had recommended John buy and which he had been spending all his time renovating and refurbishing. Situated between Wamberal and Terrigal beaches, it was only a short drive from both grandparents’ homes, but far enough away to give them privacy. John hadn’t bothered with his idea of a fishing-charter business as yet, saying he was too busy being a house husband. Not that Scarlet had returned to hairdressing. She hadn’t. Looking after twins was a full-time occupation even with two doting grandmothers to help and a grandfather who, whilst not hands-on with the twins as yet-babies made him nervous-had become very hands-on helping John with the house. It made Scarlet happy to see that they were finally forging a good father and son relationship. A bit late perhaps, but better late than never.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump slightly.

‘Your mum’s here,’ John said quietly as he bent to kiss her on the cheek. ‘I told her the girls were sound asleep and to just sit down and watch TV whilst she could. Meanwhile, it’s time we were off, madam. Although, before we go, can I just say how beautiful you look for an old married lady.’

‘I do my best,’ she said somewhat drily. Despite being madly in love, they hadn’t given up their habit of verbal sparring.

‘How long have we been married now? Oh yes. One year today. Twelve whole months. Three hundred and sixty-five days and you haven’t divorced me yet. I think that deserves a reward, don’t you?’

And there it was again, another silver box.

Scarlet’s heart squeezed tight when he flipped it open. This time, it wasn’t a diamond which graced the band of gold but three different stones: an emerald in the middle flanked by a sapphire and a ruby, the design curved so it sat perfectly against the large diamond solitaire of her engagement ring.

‘Now these are from my personal gem collection,’ John said as he slipped the eternity ring on her finger.

‘It’s a truly beautiful ring and I love it. But, John, I really didn’t expect you to get me anything else. You’ve already filled the living room with flowers.’

‘Which is exactly why you deserve more. Because you didn’t expect it. Any other wife would have.’

‘You’re in danger of spoiling me.’

‘True. But what else have I got to do with my money?’

‘Yes, I can see that. But money doesn’t buy happiness, John. Happiness is what we have here, in this cot. It comes from love and family. Which is why my anniversary present to you is something I can’t wrap up in a box.’