Miss Prim and the Billionaire. Lucy Gordon

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СКАЧАТЬ Would your husband object? He doesn’t mind you working for Smith.’

      ‘I’m divorced.’

      ‘So you’re the mistress of your own destiny and can do as you choose.’

      She almost laughed aloud. Once she’d imagined exactly the same, and been shown otherwise in the most brutal fashion.

      ‘Nobody chooses their own destiny,’ she said. ‘We only think we do. Wise people remember that.’

      He gave her a curious look. ‘Are you wise, Mrs Henshaw?’ ‘Sooner or later we all become wise, don’t we?’ ‘Some of us.’

      As he said it he looked directly at her. She met his eyes, seeking recognition in them, but seeing only a blank. Or merely a weariness and disillusion that matched her own.

      ‘Things are moving fast in the property world,’ he said, ‘as I’m sure you know. When I tell Smith that I’ve decided to employ you I’m sure he’ll release you quickly.’

      He’d decided, she noted. No suggestion that she had a decision to make.

      ‘I need a little time to think,’ she hedged. ‘I’ll pay you twice what you’re getting now.’ ‘I could lie about the amount.’

      ‘And I could check with him. I won’t, though, I trust you. Don’t worry, I’m a hard taskmaster. I’ll get full value from you.’

      ‘Now, look—’

      ‘I won’t take no for an answer. Fine, that’s settled.’ ‘It is not,’ she said, her temper rising. ‘Please don’t try to tell me what to do.’

      ‘As your employer I shall expect to.’ ‘But you’re not my employer.’ ‘I soon will be.’

      He’d always liked his own way, she recalled, but he’d used charm. Now charm was gone, replaced by bullying. Perhaps she couldn’t entirely blame him after the way he’d suffered. But still she knew she had to escape.

      ‘Mr Falcon, I think it’s time you understood—’

      ‘Well, well, well. Who’d have thought it?’

      The words, coming out of nowhere, startled them both. Approaching them was a large man with an air of pathological self-satisfaction.

      ‘Oh, no,’ she groaned. ‘Not him.’

      ‘You know this man?’

      ‘He’s Keith Lanley, part financial journalist, part muckraker. He spends his days scurrying around trying to work out who’s going to go bankrupt next.’

      ‘What a thing to happen!’ Lanley exclaimed, coming up to them. ‘So the rumours are true, Jane. You’re a sly character, getting out of Daneworth while the going’s good. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend? Of course I already know who he is. Everyone’s ears pricked up when the Falcon family came to town.’

      ‘I’m here for a wedding,’ Marcel said coldly. ‘So are the other members of my family.’

      ‘Of course, of course. But no Falcon ever passed up the chance of making money, now, did he? And a lot depends on how you present it to the world. Suppose we three—’

      But she’d had enough.

      ‘Goodbye,’ she said, rising to her feet.

      ‘Now, wait—’

      Lanley reached to grab her but she evaded him and fled deeper into the garden. Trying to follow her, Lanley found himself detained by Marcel, his face dark with rage.

      ‘Leave her alone,’ he said furiously.

      ‘Hey, no need to get irate. I could do you a favour.’

      ‘The only favour you could do me is to vanish off the face of the earth. Now, get out before I have you arrested.’

      ‘I suppose you could, too,’ Lanley said in a resigned voice. ‘All right, I’ll go—for now.’ He began to go but turned. ‘You couldn’t just give me a quote about your father?’

       ‘Get out!’

      When the man had departed Marcel looked around. He was breathing hard, trying to force himself to be calm when all he wanted to do was roar to the heavens. Anguish possessed him, but more than anguish was rage—terrifying anger at her, at himself, at the cruel fate that had allowed this to happen.

      Where was she? Vanished into thin air?

       Again!

      He began to run, hunting her here and there until at last he came across her leaning against a tree, her back to him. He touched her and her reaction was instant and violent.

      ‘No, leave me alone. I won’t talk to you.’

      ‘It’s not Lanley, I’ve sent him away.’

      But she didn’t seem to hear, fending him off madly until she lost her balance and fell, knocking her head against the tree. He tried to catch her but could only partly break her fall, steadying her as she slid to the ground.

      ‘Your head,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Cassie.’

      People were approaching, calling out.

      ‘She’s collapsed,’ he called back. ‘She needs a doctor.’

      Lifting her in his arms, he hurried the hundred yards back to the hotel. Word had gone ahead and the hotel doctor was waiting for them.

      Her eyes were closed but she was aware of everything, especially Marcel’s arms holding her firmly. Where their bodies touched she could feel his warmth, and just sense the soft thunder of his heart.

      Cassie. He’d called her Cassie.

      Hadn’t he?

      Her mind was swimming. Through the confusion she could hear his voice crying ‘Cassie,’ but had he said it or had she imagined it through the fog of her agitation? Had he known her all the time and concealed it? What would he do now?

      She felt herself laid down and heard voices above her. She gave a soft gasp and opened her eyes.

      ‘I think Mrs Henshaw’s coming round,’ the doctor said.

      Marcel’s face hovered over her.

      ‘I’m all right, honestly,’ she murmured. ‘I just bumped my head against the tree and it made me dizzy for a moment.’

      ‘Let’s do a check,’ the doctor said.

      She barely heard. Her eyes were seeking Marcel’s face, desperate to know what she could read in it.

      But it was blank. There was nothing there.

      For a moment she fought the truth, but then she forced herself to accept it. He hadn’t СКАЧАТЬ