The Nanny and the Millionaire. Линда Гуднайт

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СКАЧАТЬ walking to the door, wondering if it might be a good idea to find Holt McMaster and settle the matter. Georgia wouldn’t give up. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day,’ she remarked. ‘Please remember, Riley, the two of you must stay inside the home compound at all times.’

      ‘Right, Ma!’ Riley promised.

      As she went out the door she heard Riley launch into a thumbnail sketch of Julius Caesar, undisputed master of ancient Rome and how he came to his gory end. Georgia hung on his every word.

      Lois beckoned Marissa farther down the corridor, her face tight and cold. ‘You’re really going all out to ingratiate yourself here, aren’t you? Holt, Olly, even my quite impossible little niece. I suppose you’ll drop a curtsy to Mrs McMaster, when you meet her?’

      Breathe in. Breathe out. Count to ten. Maybe fifteen. ‘Why do you dislike me so much, Ms Aldridge?’ she asked, wishing it weren’t so. ‘You don’t even know me. I don’t want to be on bad terms with you, rather the reverse. What’s the problem? Georgy does need a governess and a firm hand. I’m hoping to supply both.’

      The reasonable approach didn’t touch Lois. The unwelcome glare never left her eyes. She didn’t want conciliation. She wanted confrontation. ‘I suppose because you’ve had a child you think you know all about how to handle them?’ There was a bitter twist to her mouth. She was nearing thirty and her biological clock was ticking away like a time bomb. It was all too sad!

      ‘Why in the world do I have to keep repeating myself.’ Marissa gave a heartfelt sigh. ‘Riley is my half brother. I don’t seem to be able to get you to understand that.’

      Lois made an unladylike snorting sound. ‘Stupid to deny it,’ she spoke scornfully. ‘It can be easily checked out.’

      ‘Maybe then I can expect an apology?’

      Lois didn’t answer.

      ‘What is it you wish to see me about?’ Marissa asked, not wanting to hang around crossing swords.

      ‘I actually want to warn you,’ Lois said, her eyes glowing eerily. ‘My sister may have left Georgia in Holt’s care, but she is still Georgia’s mother and she’s still in love with Holt no matter what she says. Don’t try to get too close to him, that’s all.’

      Marissa suddenly felt intensely irritated. ‘I have no intention whatever of getting too close to him, Ms Aldridge, whatever that means. Maybe you can relay that to your sister. I’m sure you report to her.’

      ‘Why ever not!’ Colour flew into Lois’s cheeks. ‘She is my sister.’

       And I bet she knows you’re in love with him. Probably gets a cruel kick out of it.

      ‘What?’ The word came out like a gunshot. Lois obviously had ESP. She had read Marissa’s mind.

      ‘I didn’t say anything,’ Marissa protested.

      ‘What can you possibly get out of burying yourself way out here?’ Lois changed tack. ‘I have noticed how pretty you are.’ She couldn’t bring herself to say lovely.

      ‘I need to keep Riley with me until he’s old enough to go to school,’ Marissa made another bid for understanding. ‘It proved too difficult in the city. A good friend of mine was raised on the land. She had a governess. She was the one who suggested I try governessing for a year or two. Riley was devastated when our father died. He needs me close by for a while.’

      ‘So you’re going to persist with your story?’ Lois asked, her nostrils pinched. This was all a bad dream—a nightmare really—this girl coming here. Lois could see Trouble written all over her.

      ‘No story, Ms Aldridge, it’s true.’ Marissa was quite aware of Lois’s silent fears. They shocked her. ‘I must go back to the children.’

      ‘You don’t appear to be doing a good job so far,’ Lois snapped in satisfaction.

      ‘Actually things are going a lot better than I anticipated. I’m immensely grateful. Do please excuse me.’

      But Lois was in a foul temper, an unfortunate trait that appeared to run in the family. ‘I suggest you don’t go after Holt. Georgia has a beautiful room of her own. I was the one who refurbished it. Leave well alone.’

      Please, God, help! Marissa stopped, then turned around. ‘I’m sure you’ve been a very good aunt to Georgia, Ms Aldridge, but I answer to Mr McMaster. He is my employer.’ She had to stand her ground, even in the light of Lois’s aggression. ‘I may have needed the job, but I would never have taken it if I wasn’t going to have a free hand.’

      ‘Free hand!’ Lois gave her a furious look. ‘Okay, have it your own way! But make an enemy of me and my sister and you’ll be sorry.’

      That sounded like a threat. Marissa retraced her steps so she was standing only a foot away from Lois. ‘I wonder if you’re not overestimating your own power?’ she asked quietly, dismayed at inciting so much dislike. She could have pointed out Holt McMaster had already told Lois not to interfere, but she simply didn’t have the heart. Everything about Lois screamed here was a woman tearing herself to pieces over a forbidden man. Marissa wasn’t even sure if one could marry one’s sister’s ex-husband? Probably. Lots of things had changed.

      Lois’s cheeks went from pink to crimson. ‘You’re certainly different from the other governesses we’ve had.’ Her voice shook with outrage. ‘How dare you speak to me like that. I’m family. You’re an employee. And not for long, I can assure you of that. I’m a tabby cat compared to my sister. She’s a tigress.’

      Marissa didn’t doubt that for a moment. Holt McMaster wouldn’t have married a tabby cat. ‘Is that why she didn’t like the desert?’ she asked, before going on her way.

      Marissa sought Olly’s advice before leaving the house. She found her in the kitchen, writing up menus.

      ‘Georgy wants to change bedrooms,’ she said, coming right to the point. ‘She wants to shift down to our wing. She appears to have taken a great fancy to Riley, praise the Lord!’

      ‘I’m not surprised,’ Olly said. ‘Take a seat. He’s a beautiful sunny-natured child, a great credit to you, Marissa.’

      ‘Thank you.’ Marissa felt besieged by mistaken assumptions, even from Olly. ‘What do you think?’ She slipped into a chair, studying Olly’s slightly worried expression.

      ‘Lois put a lot of money and time into refurbishing Georgy’s bedroom,’ Olly pointed out, looking at Marissa over the top of her glasses. ‘Very extravagant and much too grown-up for a little girl, if you ask me, but of course she didn’t. I don’t think she knows any other way. Tara was the same.’

      ‘Tara being the ex-Mrs McMaster?’

      ‘One and the same,’ Olly said, brushing away a bothersome insect. ‘It makes sense the child wanting to be near you. Certainly you can keep a better eye on her. She hasn’t for a while, but she used to sleepwalk.’

      Sleepwalk? Marissa found herself drooping a bit. ‘Oh, that must have been a worry?’ She waited for Olly to say more.

      ‘It СКАЧАТЬ