Can't Buy Me Love

Chapter Five

Nathan had been shocked at both the premature return of Paul Beaufort, although he had been tipped off by Paula a little earlier, hence him being there, and also the fact that he had chosen to spend four hours in a Hollywood members club with this woman instead of the daughter who was in such a desperate place at the moment. He’d managed to leave without Beaufort seeing him, but he knew that Marina had spotted him. He anticipated awkward questions the next day, if anything her pain, her anger would mean that she was more likely to wonder why, or even how he was at her home as her father arrived back unexpectedly and witnessed such a tragic reunion for her.

That was the least of his worries; he had heard her arrange to meet the Beach Club chancer the following day. He was suspicious of the clean cut, butter-wouldn’t-melt boy. NO one was that clean, that perfect. Something stunk, but he knew if he even tried to intervene she’d rebel, do the opposite to anything he asked of her. Instead he had to work out another plan.

It was late before he managed to sleep, and it was with the knowledge that he’d had to set his alarm for early, he wanted to be there first thing, he was having bad vibes about the whole scenario and he didn’t want Marina to get away before he arrived.

Before half past seven he pulled into the large semicircular driveway, and as he shut the car door he could hear raised voices.  Striding across the forecourt he found the front door ajar. The voices were louder and he paused for a moment to take in what was being said.

                “And you’re SO much better than me, is that it?” he recognised Marina’s clipped English accent immediately.

                “I don’t act like a spoilt child! Sometimes you’ve got to accept that your father loves me more than his ‘little girl’. Get over it!” He’d only read about Anna LaFaire, and he’d been less than impressed, the peroxide surgically enhanced blonde had nothing more about her than the articles suggested. This tirade of abuse was doing little to sway his judgement. As he rounded the corner to the lounge, he saw the bleached blonde wannabe who was the same age as him, leaning forward to Marina and hiss, “you think you can control this? I’m winning you little bitch! This will take me to where I want to be. HE will take me there. And the more you act like this, the more I will poison your father against you! Soon you’ll be nothing to him.”

Marina squared up to her, “that sounds like heaven! Just tell me what I have to do! You deserve each other you money grabbing bitch!”

She’d flown out of another door and was at the top of the stairs before Nathan had caught up with her, and reaching for her he pulled her into his arms. It was only then that the anger, the pain caught up with her, and despite the mortification, she started to cry, huge body racking sobs, and he just held her, silently, supportively, words weren’t needed. It was minutes before she’d calmed, and stopped, a huge mess of snot and tears. 

Hiding her head she ducked away from him, but he pulled her back, “why don’t you tell him? Explain what she’s like?”

She raised an eyebrow, the ridiculousness of the question making her forget that she was a mess, “you think I haven’t aired that view?” She sniffed heavily trying to clear her airways. “You think he’d listen? To his drunk, disruptive daughter? Ha! I wonder why he brought me here, I was so happy with my brother. He doesn’t want me, doesn’t love me, if he did he wouldn’t make me second all the time. All I am is a constant chance for him to get even with my mother’s memory, his full time revenge weapon.” She glared up at him, “and you wonder why I despise you for siding with him?”

With that she opened her bedroom door and slammed it behind her.

Now that Paul Beaufort was home, Nathan’s ‘extra’ duties were withdrawn. So he had some time to himself. He headed to the office, wanting to catch up with his sister’s whereabouts if nothing else. After a lengthy conversation with Cal, a good friend, he was happy that for the moment at least, Emma was behaving, playing by the rules.