She glared at Ross over Aunt Doris's shoulder, wonder ing why he was standing there grinning like an idiot. Had Aunt Doris seen him yet? Why didn't he take this oppor tunity to sneak out the back way and set her free from ex planations that promised to be embarrassing at best? Her mind was beginning to clear, and memories of the night before came flooding back. She'd decided not to lie to Aunt Doris, hadn't she? And now here was Ross, ruining everything.
Go! she mouthed at him.
No, he mouthed back, still grinning.
Aunt Doris released her. "I've met your husband, Charity," she said, shattering her last hope. "And I must tell you how pleased I am."
Doris turned and motioned for Ross to join them. Charity's heart sank. All her good in tentions were down the drain. If Ross had already identi fied himself as her husband, how could she contradict him? The whole ugly story would come out, and things would be that much worse. She'd have to bluff her way through this and then send Ross on his way.
What would she tell Aunt Doris? Panic roiled through her and she fought hard to keep it in check. It was going to be okay. Something would come to mind. It had to.
"Now, I want a picture of the two of you together," Doris was saying. Charity stiffened as Ross slipped down on the bed beside her, reaching out to tousle her hair af fectionately.
"Yes, Char and I are quite happy together," he said, looking like the cat that ate the canary. "You won't find another couple like us."
"That's for sure," Charity replied a bit more causti cally than necessary. She was bristling at his use of the nickname only Mason ever used. "We're unique."
"Get closer, now," Aunt Doris said, her eye to the viewfinder.
"The closer the better," Ross murmured, putting an arm around Charity's shoulders and drawing her near.
The hand she threw out to stop him connected with the wiry hair of his muscular chest, and she pulled it back im mediately.
"Say 'cheese,'" Aunt Doris cried from behind the camera.
"Say 'goodbye,'" Charity whispered to Ross from behind teeth clenched into a semblance of a smile. "You've got to get out of here."
"Too late," he said back, his own smile even wider and much more realistic.
"There." Aunt Doris snapped the picture, and the flash nearly blinded them both. "Now I've got to run down and see if the taxi man has unloaded my luggage." Doris strode purposefully toward the door. "I won't be but a minute, dears," she called cheerfully before she disappeared.