Finally the best man stood up to speak and Beth breathed an audible sigh of relief. It can't be much longer now, she thought.
Dex bent his dark head towards her. 'Your boredom is showing, Beth.' His grey eyes glinted mockingly into hers. 'Weddings not your scene?'
With a flash of insight she realised Dex was right. 'No, not really. After attending three of my mother's, they tend to lose their appeal,' she responded coolly.
'I'm sorry.' He smiled softly, and she saw a glint of something very like pity in his eyes.
'Don't be.' She didn't need his sympathy; she didn't need anything from Dex. 'I'm not. But I suppose it's different for you. This must remind you of your own wedding, no doubt. Bring back pleasant memories, does it?' she goaded. As a conversation-stopper it was perfect.
The slight smile vanished from his face to be replaced with a hard mask of indifference
. 'No.' Dex picked up his wine glass from the table, drained it, and ignored Beth for the rest of the reception.
By ten in the evening Beth had had more than enough. There were people everywhere. A trio was playing dance music and the huge hall had become the dance floor. She had danced with a dozen different men, drunk a few classes of champagne and was feeling absolutely shattered. Paul and Anna had left hours ago, for a destination unknown.
Beth sighed. She was in a room full of people and had never felt so alone. Paul, the one constant in her life, was married, and very soon would have his own family—which was only right. But Beth couldn't help the tears that welled up in her throat. Things would never be the same again.
Beth was considering her chances of slipping off to bed when a voice in her ear whispered, 'Our tune—care to dance?'
'Bob.' She grinned as she realised the band was playing 'Lady in Red'. 'Very funny,' she said—at least he spoke her language. 'But, no, thanks. I'm too hot.' She didn't dare take her jacket off, knowing the brevity of the camisole underneath.
'Okay. I'm not much of a dancer anyway. So, how about a stroll outside?'
Why not? she thought, and, linking her arm through his, she followed him outside and down onto the lower terrace, where the floodlit swimming pool gleamed in the darkness.
'Fresh air at last,' she murmured, taking a few deep breaths of the cool night air.
'Here, sit down, Beth, and relax.' Bob indicated a small patio table surrounded by chairs and pulled one out for her. Beth gratefully sat down.
'This is much better,' she said as Bob sat down in the chair opposite.
'Some party.' Bob smiled. 'But Dex doesn't look too happy in there.'
'Maybe the food didn't agree with him,' she said lightly, and grinned back at Bob. He was a nice, uncomplicated man, and she needed someone to take her mind off how very alone in the world she felt.
'The food of love, maybe,' Bob said seriously. 'I know who you are, Beth, and I know you and Dex were engaged.'
Beth felt the colour rise in her cheeks. 'It was a mistake.'
'I don't think so. I've seen the way he looks at you; he has hardly taken his eyes off you all evening. That's not like Dex. I've known him for years and I have never seen him show the least interest in a woman.'
'Please, I don't want to talk about him.'
'Don't be too hard on him, Beth. His ex-wife did a real number on him. He was just starting out when they married, and he worked like a slave while she spent like a queen! Eventually she took off with a very rich, very much older man.'
'Really, I'm not interested.' But in her heart of hearts she knew she was.
'Look, all I'm saying is Dex is my friend as well as my boss. In fact, I'm probably the only friend he has. He's a very hard man to get to know. But if you care anything for him you should make the effort, Beth. I don't know what went wrong between you weeks ago, but I do know he's been like a bear with a sore head ever since. He was always a workaholic, but lately he's driving himself to the edge.'
'That has nothing to do with me,' Beth muttered, getting to her feet. 'I'm going back.'
'If you say so.' Bob stood up and took her elbow. 'I don't usually interfere in other people's affairs, and if I've offended you, I'm sorry.'
Arm in arm, they walked back into the villa. The crowd was thinning out and Dex saw them immediately. He strolled over, his grey eyes narrowed on Beth. 'Where the devil have you been?' he snapped.
Beth shrank from the rage in his eyes, but before she could answer he added furiously, 'Not content to flirt with every man you danced with, you have to go outside with one!'
'I wasn't flirting,' she choked, feeling incredibly angry. He hadn't spoken to her all night, hadn't danced with her, and now he had the gall to insult her. 'And I went outside because I was hot.'