Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage

Her wedding was only two weeks away. Just two more weeks. Charlotte Ramsey knew she should be happy about it. But she wasn't. All this past week spent trying to stay positive about marrying Mark--it hadn't worked. No matter how de- terminedly she argued against letting her father ruin how she should be feeling, hewasruining it. So the problem had to be dealt with. Right now. Before tonight. Her stomach was knotted with nerves, her mind churning miserably over her dilemma as she set out on the hour-long drive from the inner city of Sydney to the family mansion at Palm Beach. It was impossible to have a happy wedding if her father persisted in his unacceptable attitude towards the man she was marrying. The way he had treated Mark on Christmas day--and if he did the same tonight--her heart clenched at the thought. It hurt. It really hurt. She had to talk to him, make him understand. Okay, he didn't approve of Mark as a husband for her. It was no use hoping he ever would. Mark was not his kind of man. But he was right for her--as right as she was going to get--and surely she could persuade her father to respect that, if only for her sake. The wedding was so close now. He had to listen to her this time. Her cheeks burned as she remembered the flaming row they'd had over her engagement when she had openly defied his disapproval, throwing down the threat of possible estrangement. "Whether you like it or not, Dad, I'm going to marry him ." Which had caused an eruption of frustration over her decision. "you're too damned headstrong for your own good, Charlotte. Marriage to Mark Freedman--what on earth do you see in the man? He's a playboy, not a--" "Not a bull in the financial world," she'd sliced in, cutting off his point of view to push her own. "Which is precisely what I love about Mark. He's there for me, Dad, not constantly flying off to do another deal in another country." As her billionaire father had done all her life. "Hewantsmy company. Heenjoysmy com- pany. We have fun together ." "Fun!" her father had thundered. "You've gotmyblood in your veins, girl. Freedman's kind of fun will pall after a while. By all means have him as a novelty. Not too bad a toy for you to play with as long as he gives you pleasure. But marriage is serious business ." "It's not aboutbusinessto me," she had fiercely retorted, incensed by his contemptuous colouring of her relationship with Mark. "It's about feeling loved. And I'm very, very serious about having that in my life ." "It won't last," her father had growled. But Charlotte was determined it would. She was thirty years old. She wanted to have children. Mark did, too. They were happy together, happy about the future they were planning. He wasn't a playboy. He was an events organiser and very successful at it, too. She was looking forward to helping him with his business after they were married. But she didn't want to be completely estranged from her father. For the past few months he seemed to have accepted Mark into the family's social circle--albeit grudg- ingly--but on Christmas day--she had to get this sorted out before the wedding. Before tonight's NewYear's Eve party on the yacht. If her father snubbed Mark again-- Charlotte took a deep breath to relieve the tightness in her chest. A glance at the clock on the dashboard told her it was past lunchtime, almost two o'clock. With any luck she should be able to get her father to herself for a private chat, just say hello to her mother in passing. She'd told Mark she'd be spending the day at the beauty salon, getting ready for tonight. Best he didn't know about this meeting. It would have to be a quick one, though. He would expect her to be back at the apartment they shared at Double Bay by late afternDarcy, Emma is the author of 'Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373126279 and ISBN 0373126271.