energy to figuring out how she might handle actually meeting Dan’s mother. Which with hindsight would have been an excellent idea because if she had she’d have run through a couple of possible conversations in her head and planned something charming and insightful to say instead being unprepared, off-balance and tongue-tied.
As it was, however, she hadn’t done any mental preparation, and now all she had to rely on were her wits, and as the sight of Dan had comprehensively scattered those they weren’t all that great a resource.
Swallowing back the knot of nerves that was lodged in her throat, Zoe reminded herself about the progress she was making and the faith Dan seemed to have in her, and got to her feet. ‘Hello,’ she said and remembered to smile.
‘And who might you be?’ asked Dan’s mother with an imperious arch of her eyebrow and none of the self-doubt that was part of Zoe’s make-up.
‘Zoe Montgomery.’
‘Catherine Forrester.’
She held out her hand and Zoe shook it. ‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ said Zoe politely.
Catherine Forrester tilted her head and regarded her thoughtfully. ‘You too,’ she murmured, before frowning as if racking her brains for something. And then her expression cleared and her eyes lit up. ‘Wait a moment. Zoe Montgomery, did you say?’
‘I did.’
‘The fake fiancée?’
Under any other circumstances, Zoe might have appreciated Dan’s mother’s forthrightness. She might even have sensed a kindred spirit. However, in these circumstances all she could do was inwardly cringe, and blush. ‘That’s right.’
‘I see.’ Her eyes dropped to Zoe’s left hand. ‘Still fake?’
‘Still fake.’ And then thinking she’d better clarify just in case his mother had them walking up the aisle as Dan had suggested she might, she added, ‘Not even fake, actually.’
‘Then what was my son doing smiling at you like that?’
For a moment Zoe forgot her manners and stared at her. ‘Like what?’
‘Sort of warmly. Protectively.’ Dan’s mother tilted her head and considered. ‘It was odd. Unusual. When I saw it I had to come over and find out why.’
‘Well, I am his date,’ said Zoe, telling herself to ignore the heat that flooded through her at the thought that Dan might feel warm and protective of her because he probably felt like that of all the women he dated. ‘I’ve just arrived. I imagine he wanted to make sure I was all right.’
‘His date?’ said Catherine Forrester, who seemed to have an unerring talent for picking out the details that Zoe least wanted to talk about.
‘That’s right.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘But I understood you hardly knew each other.’
OK, so this was definitely veering into minefield territory, thought Zoe, reminding herself to think carefully and concentrate. ‘Yes, well, we’ve-ah-kind of got to know each other a bit better since the whole fake engagement fiasco.’
‘How well?’
‘Well-ish.’
At the thought of just how well she and Dan knew each other, at the very least physically, she felt her blush deepen to a shade that probably clashed horribly with her pale pink outfit.
‘I see,’ said Dan’s mother, clearly and mortifyingly seeing far too much. ‘And what are my son’s intentions towards you?’
‘I don’t think he has any.’ Unfortunately. Although she was here, wasn’t she, meeting his family and friends...?
‘Do you have any towards him?’
Slightly disturbed by the idea that she suddenly didn’t like the fact that they hadn’t discussed the future and deciding that on balance, despite her brave words, she couldn’t really tell Dan’s mother that she was simply using him for sex, Zoe said instead, ‘None at all.’
‘Are you certain?’
‘Completely.’ Although, God, she’d love to have a few. Maybe when she had a chance she ought to ask him where he thought they were heading, if they were heading anywhere at all.