‘Don’t you think that if I’d wanted it decorated I’d have done so before, myself? Don’t you think I’d have had the best decorators in the damned country working for me?’
She slammed his gin and tonic down so hard that it slopped all over the sideboard, but she was too angry to care and Finn didn’t seem to notice.
‘Oh, I’m sorry! The best money can buy? Is that what you mean?’ she questioned witheringly. ‘Is that why you’re so mad? Because I was stupid enough to do it myself? Because I picked up the paintbrush instead of snapping my fingers to get someone else to do it for me? Well, don’t you worry, Finn Delaney—I happened to be very careful. And if I say so myself I did a bloody good job—even if you’re too stupid and too arrogant to see it!’
And she stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
‘Catherine, just you come right back here!’
‘Go to hell! Except they’d probably turn you away!’ she yelled back.
He took the stairs two at a time and reached her just as she was about to close the bathroom door, puffing and out of breath. She saw him coming and tried to slam it, but he stuck his foot in it.
‘Get your foot out!’
‘Not until you open it!’
‘I want a bath!’
‘And I want to talk to you!’
‘Well, tough! If you want to complain about the wretched walls again, then don’t worry—we’ll go out in the morning and get some peat and rub it in. Then they’ll look as dingy as before.’
He started to laugh, and she took the opportunity to push at the door again.
‘Open the door, Catherine.’
‘Open it yourself!’ But she let go and he stepped inside, dwarfing the room with
his powerful presence.
He saw the defiant yet defeated droop of her shoulders and something inside him melted. ‘Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that!’
‘You should have thought before you opened your stupid mouth! But you never do!’
‘Yes, I should. And, no, I don’t.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘But I think we’ve already established that my thinking goes out of the window whenever you’re around, Catherine!’
‘Then maybe we should reconsider this whole stupid scheme!’
‘You think it’s stupid?’
‘I think that we must be out of our minds to think we can go through with it, yes!’
‘But I thought you were enjoying life down here—’
‘Oh, you stupid man!’
He burst out laughing. ‘You know, for a journalist, you’re having terrible trouble with your command of the English language, Catherine. That’s three times you’ve used the word “stupid” in as many—’
Her hand flew up to slap his face, but he caught it, using it to pull her right up close to him, and she saw that he was having difficulty controlling his breathing, that his blue eyes had suddenly darkened like the night.
‘My, my, my, but you’ve a temper on you like a witch sometimes!’
‘And is it any wonder, living with you?’
They stared at one another and the air was suddenly tight with tension.
‘Do you know we’re arguing like an old married couple?’ he said unsteadily. ‘You realise that we’re getting all the worst bits out of marriage with none of the best bits?’