One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents (123 page)

Cryssie sat down as well, and leaned her head back. ‘This is such a beautiful place, Jed,' she said quietly. ‘You were very lucky to be brought up here.'

‘I was,' he agreed. ‘Though I don't think I realised it at the time. I was always allowed to bring my friends here—it was a fun time for me.'

They were so close that Cryssie could feel his strong thigh against hers, the warmth of his flesh mingling with her own. She ran her tongue over her lips, aware that her pulse had begun to race, and to break the spell that he always seemed to cast on her when they were alone she said, ‘Have you decided what you're going to do about the manager, the chef, and the chef's wife?' she asked lightly, and he frowned, his mood changing in a second.

‘I was hoping for some input from you about that,' he said seriously.

Cryssie was surprised that her opinion meant that much to him, but she said without hesitation, ‘I'd have both Kevin and Max's wife in, together, and tell them that this affair must stop—now. Or they'll both be
out
—with no reference for them to give any future employer. You told me that Kevin adores his four sons, so he has a great deal to lose if his family splits up—and I doubt whether he'd ever get a salary to match the one you're paying him. The same goes for the wife. She must behave herself or she goes.'

Cryssie sat forward a moment, clasping her hands around her knees.

‘Of course, that strategy may not work if they're deeply in love—but I very much doubt that is the case. From my impression of Kevin lust, not love, is the operative word, and Max's wife—obviously a much younger girl—has had her head turned by an older man. She'll get over it. And with a bit of luck poor Max may never be any the wiser—if it works out.' She leant back again, looking up at Jed, who hadn't taken his eyes off her as she'd been speaking. ‘Don't blame me if you take that course and they end up resigning because they can't live without each other, though,' she added. ‘That's a risk you'll have to take, and then the scenario for you will be having to find a new manager and waitress.'

She paused, frowning slightly. ‘The most important thing, Jed, is the goodwill and contentment amongst the rest of the staff—and from what I was told that's in short supply at the moment. This very serious undercurrent can't be allowed to go on—it's undermining the running of the hotel, and the people who will soon be affected by this are your visitors. The ones who use their credit cards.'

‘What if the two culprits go to law claiming unfair dismissal?' Jed asked.

‘They're not likely to do that, are they?' Cryssie said. ‘Because then the whole business will become public property. Anyway,' she added, ‘if they do, you can settle out of court…A few thousand each won't hurt you, will it?'

Fixing her attention on matters of business had cleared Cryssie's mind of other things for a moment, and she stretched her arms above her head to run her hands through her long ponytail while she thought over what she'd just been saying. Turning to face him again, she said, ‘But of course that's only
my
opinion…'

Instinctively he moved even closer to her. ‘But that is exactly what I asked you for, Cryssie,' he said slowly. ‘It's what I'll be paying you for…it's what I
need!
'

She looked up into his eyes, a slight frown clouding her expression. She wished that she could reach right into the mind of the man, really interpret what was going on behind those expressive eyes, she thought. What did he
really
want from her that he couldn't find elsewhere? she asked herself honestly. Because there was nothing special about her, and never had been. She'd been aware of that for most of her life. As for his seduction attempt the other day in his flat—she knew that that counted for absolutely nothing. That sort of passionate incident was obviously normal routine for his type—relevant only to the passing moment, easily discounted and forgotten.

‘Cryssie! Cryssie!' Suddenly Milo's voice broke the brief silence between them, and Jed cleared his throat.

‘Anyway—thanks for your advice,' he said. ‘I'll let you know what I intend to do, but we may have to go over there again at some point.'

Standing up quickly, they went outside, where Alice, Henry and Milo were strolling towards them. The little boy ran up to Cryssie.

‘Jed's got an ace train set,' he said. ‘I was allowed to work it by myself!'

‘That's lovely, darling,' Cryssie said, smiling down at her little nephew.

Together they all wandered down to the river, where Milo's attention was soon taken up by finding small stones to throw into the water.

‘He's having such a lovely day, Mrs Hunter,' Cryssie said, glad to have someone else to talk to for a minute, and to disengage herself from her employer and his tactics. She was aware of feeling unsettled—again! ‘Thank you so much for inviting us,' she murmured.

‘Oh, I hope you'll come often, my dear—and do call me Alice,' the woman added.

They sat down together on a grassy boulder a little way away, while the men watched Milo, and Alice said, ‘The house is much too big now for Henry and me, of course. It was different when Jeremy was a child, and all his friends came to stay and to play. But the place—and the grounds—needs children. It's a family home, not a residence for the elderly!' She turned to smile at Cryssie. ‘But that's
our
problem!' She paused. ‘Jeremy has spoken so well of you—he says you're the first intelligent woman he's employed to date!'

‘Oh, that's nice,' Cryssie said, feeling embarrassed at the older woman's words. ‘I hope I shall live up to that!' She looked away for a second. ‘You must be very proud of him, Alice.'

‘Oh, of course we are—but he took rather a long time to grow up, you know! And that was our fault, of course. An only child, and we gave him the best of everything.' She was silent for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. ‘It's not good to be an only child, you know,' she went on. ‘To develop properly, to learn about life, there should be siblings to spar with, to share with, to match up to. And that's what we didn't give him. We always meant to, but we were so caught up with our various business interests it never seemed the right time. And before we knew it it was too late!'

She shook her head briefly. ‘We spoilt Jeremy, and never expected too much of him, so he did spend a long time having too
good
a time! But since my husband was diagnosed with a heart complaint he's changed overnight—it's quite incredible. He takes virtually all the responsibility now for our businesses—which is a great relief. There does come a time when one must take a back seat. The work is hard, tiring, and relentless.' She patted Cryssie's knee. ‘I know he's been on the look-out for a good assistant for a very long time, so we're grateful that he seems to have found one at last!'

The two women chatted amiably for a while, and Cryssie explained something of her background, and of her fears, to Alice, who was a thoughtful listener. But soon the sun went in, and Cryssie smiled, glancing at her watch. ‘We must be going home soon,' she said gently. ‘I know Milo won't want to leave, but my sister Polly will be expecting us at teatime.'

‘Oh, must you go so soon? It's been so nice having a young woman to chat to, and hearing a child's voice in the place!' Alice said.

But presently they took their leave of Alice and Henry, and Jed walked slowly back with them to the car.

‘We've had a fantastic day, Jed. Thanks,' Cryssie said simply, looking up at him.

He didn't reply for a moment, but watched as she strapped Milo into the back seat. ‘I really must have a meeting with you soon, one to one, Cryssie,' he said. ‘Perhaps it would be best for us to go to the London flat, where we can discuss things uninterrupted?' He looked away for a second. ‘Find an excuse to have Thursday afternoon off. I'm free that day,' he added abruptly.

Cryssie got into the car and shut the door, looking up at him through the open window. ‘I'll do my best,' she said slowly. ‘It may be difficult, but I'll try and manage it somehow…' Then, with a brief nod of her head, she looked away, suddenly anxious at the coldness of his request, but knowing that of course she would do exactly as instructed!

C
RYSSIE
couldn't help feeling a warm glow of contentment. While she had to admit that
she'd
really enjoyed every minute of her time spent with the Hunters, it was Milo's obvious delight which had pleased her the most. Together with the undeniable fact that she couldn't help
liking
the wretched Mr Jeremy Hunter!

When they got home, she was surprised to find that Polly had gone out. A note on the kitchen table announced that the girl had taken herself off into town for a couple of hours. Cryssie was just tucking Milo up for the night when Polly returned.

‘Hi, Poll! Where have you been? The shops are long shut. I was getting worried!' Cryssie teased.

‘Oh…just wandering around town for a bit,' Polly remarked casually, going over to the bed to give her son a kiss. ‘Did you have a good time?'

Cryssie gave her a brief outline of their day, with Milo chipping in enthusiastically, and presently the two women went downstairs.

As soon as they were alone Polly suddenly burst into a flood of hysterical tears, slipping down onto the floor and covering her face with her hands. Full of alarm, Cryssie crouched down beside her to hold her tightly. ‘Whatever is the matter, Polly?' she said desperately. ‘What…what on earth
is
it?'

Between gasps and sobs Polly poured her heart out to Cryssie, who could only sit there in a state of unbelievable shock as she listened. It was difficult to take everything in, to make sense of it, but eventually a cold rush of apprehension flooded her body. What sort of reaction was
this
going to get in certain quarters?

She let Polly go over and over everything for a solid hour, before she finally felt able to go and make some tea for them both, while promising her sister that somehow she would make things right. As she stood waiting for the kettle to boil Cryssie couldn't believe that such a happy day could end so disastrously. She buried her face in her hands. Once again, it had all landed in
her
lap!

As Jed had instructed, Cryssie arranged to take Thursday afternoon off. Thankfully, Rose had readily accepted Cryssie's excuse of a personal appointment with her bank, and soon she was once more sitting next to her employer on the way to London, feeling depressed and anxious.

The predicament that Polly had presented them with was proving to be an almost unbearable burden to her, and Cryssie knew that it would change everything. Obviously it would mean the end of her association with the Hunter dynasty. That was a foregone conclusion. She shuddered as she recalled Sunday evening and Polly's histrionics. She hadn't managed to get much sleep since. But she'd decided that today would be the ideal opportunity to draw everything to a conclusion. Whatever the very important business reasons Jed had for insisting they have this time together, nothing was more important than what
she
had to say to
him
.

They arrived at the flat by mid-afternoon. ‘Make us a cup of tea,' Jed said casually, glancing at some mail that had been left on the table. ‘You know where everything is.'

Obediently Cryssie went into the kitchen and quickly found everything she needed, filling two mugs and taking them inside.

Jed was standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, and as Cryssie handed him his tea she was struck by the expression on his rugged features. There was obviously something very important that they had to go through, she thought.

He put his tea down without tasting it, and said flatly, ‘I want us to have a serious discussion.' He was choosing his words carefully. ‘I want a more…shall we say—established agreement than we have at present,' he began, and Cryssie frowned. She didn't know what he was driving at—but anyway it didn't matter now.

He came across to stand close to her, forcing her to look up at him. ‘I want you to link yourself more…personally…with me,' he said slowly, and when she continued to look mystified, he went on, ‘I'm talking about marriage, Cryssie. And don't look like that! Are you so blind that the thought has never crossed
your
mind? Most women would have thought of it by now!'

Cryssie was staggered—and she almost did! She put her tea down and steadied herself against the back of the sofa.

‘I'll spell it out for you,' he went on. ‘I've been thinking about it for some time, and I believe it would be the perfect solution for both of us—mutually convenient in every way. Don't you get it? I want you
when
I want you, not just between the hours of nine and five. I need your good sense, your loyalty, your perceptiveness, your dedication. If we live together under the same roof it'll make things run more smoothly, more efficiently. I'll have everything I need—and
you'll
have everything you'll ever want or need for the rest of your life.'

Cryssie suddenly found the ability to speak, but when she did her voice was more of a croak! ‘You're my
boss,
Jed,' she said, trying to add firmness to her voice. ‘Business and…personal…relationships should be kept strictly apart!'

‘Precisely,' he said smoothly. ‘I've always avoided engaging in any relationships with members of staff—'

‘But surely what you've just suggested—?'

‘You won't
just
be a member of staff, will you, you little fool? You'll be my wife! You'll become one of the Hunters!'

Cryssie swallowed, reeling from this latest onslaught on her emotions. ‘I'm sorry, but for me, the only acceptable aspect of our relationship is the formal one.' She shook her head. ‘Have I got to explain everything to you
again?
Polly and Milo are utterly dependent on me. They are my life. I can't afford to think of anything or anyone else!'

‘Oh, no?' He reached forward in one swift move and pulled her towards him, covering her mouth with his. ‘I think I'm beginning to know more about you than you know about yourself…' he said softly.

Gathering her strength from somewhere, she pushed him away. ‘No, Jed. You don't understand. I…'

‘Oh, I understand perfectly,' he said huskily. ‘You rather enjoy your life of martyrdom, don't you, Cryssie? There's a certain safety in what you have, with no emotional interruptions or commitments, no man to share your existence with. Yes, your sister and her son need you—but you need
them,
don't you? You enjoy their reliance on you. And what I'm offering you is the best of all possible worlds! You'll do yourself a big favour—and them too. There's plenty of room for them at Shepherd's Keep—they'd have their own part of the house, the run of the gardens—it would be their home! Surely you can see all the advantages? See what a practical, sensible thing it would be—for all of us?'

He released her slightly, waiting for a response. Looking up at him helplessly, Cryssie thought, Well, that was my first proposal of marriage. But
what
a proposal!

Suddenly her mind cleared, and she said coldly, ‘What you've just accused me of—that I'm a martyr to the family cause—is true to some extent, I suppose, Jed. But I do have an even deeper reason for wanting nothing to change.' She took a deep breath. ‘I was employed by someone once who was almost a carbon copy of you—in fact in some ways you could be blood brothers.' She looked away, knowing that he was staring at her intently. ‘And do you know what? I believed that man—believed every promise that he made. But when something happened to make me see how close I was to ruining my life I got out. Fast.' She swallowed. ‘You accused me of being blind just now. I was certainly blind then! And it made me realise that my true happiness will only ever be found with my family. Where I am, where I'm rooted. Where I can trust. And so far nothing has happened to make me change my mind.'

He shrugged then, and his lip curled. ‘You're misguided, Cryssie. Take my word for it. The years will fly by, and there'll come a time when Milo won't need you—he'll be off living his own life. And you'll have given up half of yours! You'll be redundant! And what then? Will you look around for someone else to nurture?'

Cryssie was stung at his words, even though she knew he was right about Milo wanting his independence one day. ‘My sister will
always
need me—' she began.

‘Don't count on it!' Jed replied quickly. ‘She's a beautiful, glamorous woman. It'll only take the right man to come along one day—someone who will understand her needs. Anyway…' he picked up his mug of tea and drank ‘…you'll obviously want time to think over what I've put to you, but be careful. This could be a turning point in your life that may never come again.'

Cryssie felt like bursting into tears. How could he think that she'd
ever
accept such a proposal? That she would agree to a marriage of convenience? And it was his
own
convenience that was uppermost in his mind! The word ‘love' had been conspicuous by its absence! He clearly saw her as a good business deal, that was all! And although she never really expected to marry, if it ever did happen it would be for love! And to someone who needed her as a loving partner, not a live-in PA!

The last few minutes had almost bowled her over, but she found the strength to pick up her tea and take a sip, even though her hands were shaking. Now it was her turn!

‘There's something else we need to discuss,' she said quietly. ‘Something very serious.'

She looked up at him. ‘Have you been in to the store—to Latimer's—this week?'

He frowned. ‘No, I haven't. I've been caught up elsewhere. I've been ringing in, of course, but my managers are more than capable of holding the fort. Why do you ask?'

Cryssie's mouth dried. ‘You've not heard anything about any…stealing?' she said hoarsely.

‘Stealing?' he repeated curiously. ‘Why on earth should you ask that? There've been a couple of incidents of petty pilfering, I believe. That's all. Nothing important.'

Cryssie took a long, deep breath. ‘I'm afraid it
is
very important, Jed,' she said. ‘Because it concerns Polly.' She looked away for a second, biting her lip, knowing that the words she was going to utter would hurt her like a knife wound. ‘Polly stole a scarf—an expensive scarf—on Sunday…' Now the words came quickly. ‘She was admiring a rack of them that they've got by the main entrance door, and in an act of total and utter stupidity she slipped one of them into her bag.' Cryssie took another desperate sip from her mug. ‘Of course, the security guard saw her, stopped her, and warned her that she might face prosecution. She's threatened to kill herself if she ever has to go to court.' She looked up at Jed, her eyes filling with tears. ‘And the thing is, she wanted the wretched thing for me, not for herself. It was to be a present for
me
.'

There was a moment's complete silence as Jed took this in, then, ‘Your poor, poor sister,' he said quietly. ‘How utterly traumatic for her.'

Cryssie was amazed at the kindness of his remark. ‘How can you say that?' she asked shakily. ‘She stole…actually
stole
something. And was caught!'

‘Because Polly is in need of help—of support,' he replied grimly. ‘She obviously lost all confidence after Milo's father took off, and she must feel so unwanted, so ineffectual—especially with a sister like you as an example of what she
could
be worth. Doing something completely out of character is typical behaviour for someone who needs consolation and reassurance.'

He shook his head, and Cryssie could almost—but not quite—have thrown her arms around him. She would never have credited Jeremy Hunter with this level of understanding!

She took a hanky from her pocket and blew her nose. Confessing Polly's crime had been a terrible thing to do, especially to someone like Jeremy Hunter, and she realised that she'd almost begun to sob. ‘So…' She sniffed. ‘Now that you know our…dark side, you'll be wanting to reconsider your proposition. We're in disgrace and I feel freaked out about it, to be truthful—even though I find it hard to blame my sister.'

Now he caught hold of her again, his voice raw. ‘You idiot, Cryssie,' he said. ‘Do you really think that my opinion of you is altered in any way by what you've just told me? For heaven's sake, give me some credit, woman!' He folded his arms around her, and despite her tortured emotions she found herself wallowing in the feel of him, of his arms wrapped around her. ‘On the contrary, this makes my—ambitions—even more worthy of consideration, don't you agree?' he murmured. ‘Just think. We can arrange the best possible treatment for Polly—which she is desperately in need of. And as for Milo.' He released her and turned away for a second. ‘Nothing will be too good for Milo. He'll go to a top school, have whatever is needed to help him grow into a fully-rounded adult. And not totally influenced by over-protective women all the time.'

The tone of his voice was throbbing, urgent, and, despite being stung by some of his remarks, Cryssie felt herself beginning to let her mind think the unthinkable. Could she really go against all her preconceived notions and go along with his request? But what sort of a union would it be? she asked herself. He'd spelt out all the pros and cons in a way that only someone like Jed Hunter could—but, as always, it did make some sense! Could she honestly afford to turn him down? Yet what woman looked for a sensible marriage? Not that there wouldn't be moments of passion—he'd demonstrated that side of his nature before—but…love? He didn't know the meaning of the word. And what was the chilling phrase he'd used when describing his ex-marriage? That his ‘terms and conditions' didn't tally? What on earth could
that
have meant?