Picnics in Hyde Park. Nikki Moore

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СКАЧАТЬ for his brother, and ask her to come back to them. But the text that had just pinged on her mobile meant the idea was a non-starter.

       Appreciate the support Sis, but

       please don’t cause a scene and

       DON’T try and get my job back.

       I’m never going back there.

       M x

      Zoe didn’t really want her sister anywhere near them anyway. Still, an apology from Matt, an opportunity for Melody to say goodbye to the kids properly, pick up her belongings and be offered some kind of compensation for the notice pay she was surely entitled to would be something. Along with some explanation as to why Stephen had gone AWOL and seemed to be letting Matt make all the decisions. Perhaps he didn’t feel able to stand up to him? Or maybe he was intimidated by his older brother’s success.

      According to the tabloids, Stephen was abroad a lot of the time, a playboy who basically partied and shopped his way around Europe with the family money. Why her sister had fallen for him she couldn’t understand. At thirty, Matt was older by seven years, a famous music producer who was hardly ever out of the press, despite his attempts to evade the spotlight. Snapping pictures of his children was a rabid hobby for British journos and there were rumours of a new girlfriend every week, although you couldn’t believe everything you read in the papers. She and Melody were close, despite the vast miles that’d been between them, and Melody had told her a lot about Matt’s children via Skype and text messages but nothing about any of his personal relationships, respecting her boss’s right to privacy. Not that she’d got any thanks for that loyalty and professionalism.

      Zoe banged her fist on the wood one last time and to her satisfaction finally heard footsteps. The door was yanked open by a dark-haired guy in his twenties.

      ‘Yes?’ he drawled, stepping out into the sunlight, forcing her to move backwards down the three concrete stairs and onto the pavement.

      Cocky green eyes ran over her flat black shoes, tight black jeans and the fashionable short-sleeved print top that hung off one shoulder. Having had no chance to change out of the clothes she’d travelled in, she felt rumpled, sticky and at a distinct disadvantage.

      She couldn’t afford to jump to any conclusions, but this guy had to be Stephen.

      ‘Are you planning to say something today, or not?’ he demanded, looking her up and down again, a bit too slowly for her liking.

      Sucking in a deep breath, shudders of rage and adrenalin swirled with the giddy exhaustion of jet lag and noon heat, making her feel light-headed and dangerously out of control. Face scalding, she started shaking, hands bunching into fists around her oversized bag. Ignoring the feeling, along with the urge to ask if he was done checking her out and start demanding what the hell he was playing at with her sister, she expelled the breath. If she lost it too soon it was game over; he’d likely slam the door in her face. Getting over the threshold was the important bit. Then she could tear strips off them both.

      ‘Yes, sorry. Hello. Matthew Reilly?’ It was Matt’s house and it might seem weird if she asked for Stephen.

      ‘God, no! Definitely not,’ smirking, he turned his head to yell over his shoulder. ‘Matt, there’s some Katy Perry lookalike-wannabe here for an interview.’ A pause. ‘I’m off.’ Shrugging when there was no reply, a strange expression flashed across his face. ‘All right,’ he hollered, ‘see you when I’m back.’ Reaching back inside the hallway, he grabbed a travel bag and hustled past her, leaving the front door yawning open behind him.

       See you when I’m back?

      ‘Wait—’ she yelped, spinning around as his comment registered.

      But the arrogant jerk ignored her, running down the steps and leaping into the yellow open-top car like some Dukes of Hazzard extra. Screeching away with a spin of tyres, gravel flew everywhere in an unholy rain of stones and he barely paused before roaring off towards the main Knightsbridge road. God knew how many people he was going to take out driving like that. Complete maniac.

      Then his other words sunk into her sluggish, travel-addled brain. Katy Perry lookalike-wannabe? He was a cheeky bugger! She might have black hair and blue eyes but was no wannabe, wasn’t here to audition for some tacky talent show, didn’t care that Matthew Reilly was in the music business— Hang on, interview?

      ‘That was my brother Stephen. I’m Matt.’ A deep, terse voice said behind her.

      She swung around to face the door, stumbling slightly. She needed to get out of this relentless sunshine, she was starting to feel pretty sick.

      ‘Ready?’

      ‘Ready?’ she repeated, thinking. She’d missed her chance to have it out with Stephen for now, but it was this man stood in the shadows who was ultimately responsible for her sister’s confused distress.

      Keep calm, just breathe. She squinted, hardly able to make him out. The inside of the house was too dim and it was so bright outside, red dots blurring her vision.

      ‘Look, I’m very busy. Are you here to interview for the nanny position or not? I haven’t got any time to waste.’

      He’d got rid of her sister only yesterday and was already trying to replace her.

      At her dumbfounded silence, he began shutting the door. ‘Okay then, goodbye.’

      ‘I, uh— hang on! Sorry, of course I’m here for an interview,’ she thought fast. ‘There’s just a slight problem.’

      The breath hissed loudly from between his teeth. ‘Which is?’

      ‘I flew in from New York this morning and came straight from the airport, as you can see from my lack of a suitable outfit,’ she gestured to her jeans, ‘so I don’t have my CV with me.’

      ‘How did you hear about the job then?’

      It was hardly surprising he was suspicious. ‘A contact at the agency called me, knowing I was due back in the UK today,’ she fibbed, hoping she was right. ‘Zoe Harper, pleased to meet you.’ She nodded briskly in greeting to avoid shaking his hand. ‘I was added to the list at the last minute,’ she finished the lie, ‘haven’t the agency emailed the updated schedule?’ She prayed it was the same agency that’d placed Melody here originally, the one Zoe had also got the placement in America through.

      A ringtone filled the hallway. Blowing out an exasperated breath, he prised a sleek mobile from his pocket and after checking the screen, cut the call off.

      As he tucked the phone away, she chattered on. ‘When this job was mentioned,’ ironically one she was more than qualified for, ‘I asked to be put forward, especially when it’s working for you and this is such a lovely area to live in.’ Sucking up to him felt wrong but if it gave her an in, it’d be worth it.

      ‘My assistant is off sick, I haven’t had time to mess around checking emails and my kids are due back in two hours,’ he said in an irritated tone, ‘so I’m sorry but—’

      ‘But I’ve come all this way—’

      His phone СКАЧАТЬ