The Hired Husband. Judith Stacy

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      Mitch shifted in the chair. “You don’t think it’s more than a coincidence?”

      Rachel looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Whatever do you mean?”

      Of course, there could be several reasons why George and the money’s disappearance coincided, other than the obvious. Mitch decided not to pursue it with Rachel.

      “Georgie is my half brother, actually. My mother’s son from a previous marriage,” Rachel explained. “But Father never treated him any differently than the rest of us. He gave Georgie his name, educated him.”

      “Turned the business over to him?”

      “Oh, yes. Of course,” she said. “And I just know that as soon as Georgie returns, everything will be fine. The police are looking, and a detective agency of some sort has been engaged. We’ve learned nothing about his whereabouts, though. I just hope—”

      “I’m sure he’s fine,” Mitch said, wanting to relieve her distress. Making her feel better suddenly seemed important to him.

      “Noah is having a particularly difficult time of it,” Rachel went on. “And Chelsey…well, Chelsey is a situation that must be handled, also. So you can see, Mr. Kincade, that our circumstances are, indeed, desperate.”

      Mitch nodded. “They are.”

      She leaned forward a little. “So you’ll reconsider? You’ll stay and help us?”

      “No.”

      A few seconds passed before his words seemed to dawn on her.

      “But you just said you understood—”

      “I do understand,” Mitch said. “But it doesn’t make any difference.”

      “You know my father’s holdings are vast and complicated. You come highly recommended,” Rachel said. “There must be something I can say that will convince you to stay.”

      “There’s not.”

      She sat up straighter. “Then why come all this way? Why get my hopes up just to refuse the work?”

      “I don’t have to give you a reason,” Mitch told her. “I choose my clients, not the other way around.”

      “You must help us.” Rachel gave him a hopeful little smile. “After all, that’s what knights in shining armour do.”

      “I’m not here to rescue you,” Mitch said, though he knew that’s what she wanted. He knew her type. He’d seen it dozens of times. Pampered and spoiled by a life of leisure. Circumspect, reserved, a slave to social status. And now she was completely out of her element after being thrust into these dire circumstances, and expected someone else to fix the problem.

      “Then your reason must be…” Rachel nodded. “Oh, I understand.”

      Mitch frowned. “Understand what?”

      “That after arriving here, you can see that you aren’t up to the task.” Rachel smiled pleasantly. “It’s perfectly all right. I wouldn’t want you to take it on if you can’t handle it.”

      Mitch uttered a laugh. “Let me assure you, Miss Branford, that I’ve untangled finances far more complicated than those of your father. I checked before I came here so I know what I’m talking about. I can have this job finished in less than two weeks.”

      “Then you are the perfect man for the job,” Rachel insisted. “You are the only one who can help us.”

      Mitch pushed out of the chair. “Listen, Miss Branford, I’m not your preacher, your helpful brother, or your knight in shining armor. I do this for money. That’s all.”

      “Fine. If that’s what you care about, then that’s what you’ll have. I’ll double your salary.”

      “No.”

      “Triple it.”

      Mitch shook his head. “I don’t want to work for you.”

      “Quadruple it.”

      He glared at her.

      Rachel got to her feet and drew herself up. “We’re talking about my family, Mr. Kincade. Name your price.”

      “I don’t want the job.”

      She flung out her arms. “You don’t want four times your usual fee? For less than two weeks work? Really, Mr. Kincade, what sort of businessman are you?”

      “Do you even know what my salary is?” he demanded. “Do you have any idea?”

      “Whatever it is,” Rachel told him, “it’s nothing compared to the survival of my family.”

      He’d be a fool to turn it down. The sum was impressive. In his mind, Mitch reviewed the ledger he kept that tracked his money and thus his dream, and imagined the balance shooting upward. That much closer to the things he’d worked for his entire life.

      And all he had to do was stay here.

      “Well?” Rachel asked.

      A few moments dragged by while Mitch wrestled with his conscience, old memories and the ache in his stomach it all caused. Finally, the money won out.

      “All right. I’ll do it,” he said. “For four times my usual fee.”

      “Good. Then it’s settled.” Rachel drew in a breath. “I’ve already prepared a very nice room for you overlooking the rear gardens. You’ll—”

      “You expect me to stay here?”

      “Well, yes, of course.”

      “No.” Mitch paced a few feet away.

      “You must stay with us,” Rachel told him. “And you must work here, too.”

      “No,” Mitch said. “That’s out of the question.”

      Rachel huffed. “Fine. Then I’ll pay you five times your salary.”

      He swung back to face her. “You don’t even know if you can afford that.”

      “Then you’d better see to it that I can,” she told him.

      A long moment dragged past with the two of them glaring at each other. Finally, Mitch broke the silence.

      “Just so we’re clear,” he said. “I don’t care about you or your family. I’m here to do a job. That’s all.”

      She drew herself up and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what sort of services you’ve provided for your previous employers, Mr. Kincade, but all I need you to do is the job for which you’ve been hired.”

      “I expect to be left alone to do just that.”

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