A New Dream, Maggie Ford [books to read romance txt] 📗

‘We shouldn’t meet too often,’ she’d said ‘in case he does find out.’

‘Are you worried?’ Chester would challenge, too lightly for her peace of mind. He had nothing to lose, soon to be divorced. She had everything to lose. Even if he wanted to marry her after his divorce, did she want to marry him? What she wanted was to be married to Simon. The brief excitement of being with Chester wasn’t what she really yearned for. In truth, all she was doing was jeopardizing her own happiness for an occasional thrill with a man who’d already let her down once, even though he swore he still loved her.

‘This Simon isn’t married to you,’ he’d often reminded her.

But I love him, came the irrational thought. The idea of losing him made her go cold. ‘It’s all becoming too risky,’ she now said inadequately.

Chester had laughed softly. ‘It’s a little late to be getting cold feet,’ he had pointed out. But seconds later he’d become intense. ‘I still love you, Julia. I made such a mistake last time. I won’t ever make it again, my sweet darling.’

Today, enfolded in his arms, she almost succumbed to the need inside her but seconds later, as so often happened, Simon’s image shot into her mind. ‘No, Chester, not today.’ How many times in the past had she said that?

But she wanted to be made love to. That overwhelming excitement was pounding deep inside her, lately becoming ever more frequent and urgent. These days her mind seemed to be in a constant whirl, affecting her whole concentration on ordinary everyday things.

On top of it all Ginny’s marriage to Robert in August was rushing closer until Julia was near to exhaustion trying to fit in her own work as well as putting the finishing touches to the bridal gown and in the absence of her parents organizing the event with Simon. During the final week before the wedding Julia found it impossible to see Chester. All thought of him was driven from her mind; her only concern was for her sister, and Ginny’s sadness that her mother would not be there to see her youngest daughter wed.

In church, listening to Ginny hardly able to say her vows for tears, Julia felt her own throat constrict as she in turn fought her own tears. Next to her, where their mother should have been sitting, was Stephanie, with her husband on her other side. Stephanie was staring ahead, eyes bleak but dry, with Edward’s arm around her.

She was holding her baby son while little Violet, sitting beside her father, toyed happily with a doll. The child had hardly known her grandmother, she had so seldom been taken to see her. And Stephanie had the audacity to look sorrowful, Julia thought bitterly. Glancing at James and his wife further along the pew, he too seemed unmoved by the absence of his mother at the wedding and Julia knew he hadn’t thought once about her.

Sadness, however, vanished completely amid the fun of photos being taken, wedding guests filling the rooms at the Savoy to be welcomed by the newly-weds, champagne flowing, the three-tiered wedding cake cut. The band played throughout the evening, dance music, slow foxtrots like ‘Stardust’, ‘A Room With a View’, as well as lively quicksteps such as ‘I Can’t Give you Anything but Love, Baby’, waltzes, the first of which the happy couple started off, and of course jazz numbers. That year, 1929, was a good year for jazz and swing. There was lots of money for the rich to spend and investments were riding high.

Julia forgot all about Chester as she and Simon danced together. That night they made love and it seemed somehow different, new, full of passion and joy. Somehow Julia felt something happen in that moment of climax, though she couldn’t have defined what it was even if she had wanted to.

The wedding had been five days ago and the couple were still away on honeymoon in the South of France. Already Julia was missing the sight of her sister’s face.

Today she looked up from speaking to a client to glimpse what seemed to be Chester’s white car pass slowly by the door to her establishment. She tried not to look on edge as her client continued discussing the new designs she was being shown, but after half an hour the business was concluded and the customer left, well pleased after having placed a substantial order.

Hurrying outside, Julia looked towards New Bond Street to see the white car standing there. It could only be Chester.

Simon was out for the morning, his assistant Merriman keeping an eye on things in his absence. Her own helper, Miss Cleaves, was occupied neatly folding and putting away materials.

‘I have to go out for a few minutes,’ Julia called to both young people who glanced up and nodded.

Making towards the car she saw that the driver was Chester but when he greeted her it was not with his usual smiling face. He patted the passenger seat as she approached. ‘Get in, Julia.’

She stood where she was. ‘I can’t go with you just like that,’ she said. ‘We have to make proper times to meet, you know that.’

‘Please, Julia,’ he interrupted. ‘Get in. I’ve something I need to tell you. It’s important. I can’t tell you while you’re standing there in the street.’

Wondering, she opened the door and slipped in beside him. It was a while before he spoke. When he did his voice was low and grave.

‘Look, darling, I don’t know how you’re going to take this. But I need to talk about these meetings of ours. Things are going to have to change.’

Julia felt her body give a jolt, apprehension filling every part of her. What did he mean, things would have to change? But he was still talking – slowly, his voice low, yet buried within was a hint of excitement.

‘The thing is, with this divorce on the