The Secret Heiress (9 page)

He opened the boot of the car. “I could leave you here for a week and you wouldn’t notice that I was gone.”

She smiled at him. “I’d notice.”

“You definitely made a good impression.”

“I enjoyed it and learned a ton.”

They both got in the Land Rover.

Driving down the driveway, he asked, “Did it give you a better idea of what to do for the event?”

“Maybe. But now I’m obsessed with the idea of living on a vineyard. I don’t know how you leave this place.”

“The business is much larger than just producing the wine. There is also the sales and distribution network to manage.”

She thought about the business aspects of Martin Enterprises. “You’ve managed to build an empire. Everyone I met yesterday and today was focused on the role that they play for the company. The desire to want to do an excellent job was palpable. I’ve observed it at your corporate offices and at the microbreweries. I’m sure very few organizations get to that level of dedication and clarity.”

“It’s part of being a strong leader. I actively cultivate an organization that seeks clarity, improvement and the overall mission.”

Looking out the window, she realized Alistair was so much more than just a man who inherited a vineyard. He had the intellect and insight to grow the business and ensure its success.

“I know Gala & More is much smaller, but I want to learn to do some of the same things.”

“I guess it is advantageous that you have a business advisor.”

Something told her that he would be setting out more growth opportunities for her in the near future. But now she almost welcomed the challenge. He had backed off on the physical aspects of their relationship. Had he lost interest or was he waiting until she was no longer a client?

Alistair turned down a driveway marked “private” on the other side of the vineyard. After a considerable distance, his grandparent’s cottage came into view.

“It’s beautiful. Is it historic?”

“No. It was built five years ago with the intent to have an old world feel, but it offers all of the modern conveniences.”

He parked the Land Rover in the front circle and got out to open the door for Anna. She had already stepped out of the vehicle and was straightening her shirt and running a hand through her hair.

“I hope stopping by doesn’t seem intrusive to them. I probably should have changed.”

He placed his hand on her lower back and guided her up the front path. “I called last night. They are excited to meet you. Don’t worry. Everyone who is part of the vineyard is relaxed. It’s understood that this is a hands-on operation.”

He had warned them that she was a Bolles so hopefully they would be on good behavior. His grandparents were not huge fans of Oliver Bolles. There had been bad blood between Oliver and his father over a series of gambling debts. He had never completely understood the issue, but his grandfather never forgave Oliver for trying to financially ruin his son.

He had formed a close relationship with both of his grandparents but had never taken an interest in his father’s life. The man had chosen not to meet him, and by the time his grandparents had reached out, he was dead. It was like the man didn’t exist, except occasionally he would see a sad look on one of his grandparents’ faces and in that moment the grief was real enough.

His grandmother opened the door and invited them in. She was in her gardening clothes, still holding her gloves with smudges of dirt on her pants.

“I lost track of time. I must apologize. Please come in and I’ll go and wash up.”

Alistair watched his grandmother disappear. “That was my grandmother, Rose Martin. She’ll be back in a few minutes. My grandfather is probably on the back porch.”

He brought her through the cottage to an expansive enclosed porch along the back of the cottage. His grandfather was reading the paper.

“Granddad, I’d like you to meet Anna Bolles.”

He stood up and offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Ms. Bolles, please call me Arthur.”

She shook his hand and said, “Anna, please.”

He gestured to the sofa and Anna sat down. He had never brought a woman over to formally meet his grandparents. They had met some of his dates out at events, but he had never felt the need to bring a woman over to meet them.

“I don’t know where Rose is. Maybe the garden?” His granddad relied on his wife to make small talk.

Alistair sat next to Anna. “She let us in and is washing up. We’ve spent a couple of days at the vineyard.”

His grandfather put his paper down. “The harvest is not long off. We’ll see how some of your new varieties work out.”

For several minutes, they all discussed the coming harvest.

His grandmother came in with the housekeeper who was carrying a tray with tea and biscuits.

Everyone stood up. Alistair said, “Nan, this is Anna Bolles. My grandmother, Rose Martin.”

Anna smiled and said, “It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Martin.”

“You as well, my dear. Please call me Rose.”

The housekeeper placed a three-tier cake stand at the center of the table with a layer of sandwiches, a layer of cakes and a layer of scones. She then set out plates and teacups.

Rose asked, “Anna would you like Earl Grey, peppermint, chamomile, English Breakfast?”

“Peppermint, please.” Anna accepted the teacup.

His grandmother served him and his grandfather Earl Grey and then peppermint for herself.

Anna served herself a sandwich and a scone.

“We are very fortunate to have a housekeeper that likes to bake.”

“Everything is delicious,” Anna said and took a small bite. “Thank you for having me.”

“I knew your father,” Rose offered.

Anna placed her teacup down. “Unfortunately, I didn’t know him well. I saw him occasionally when I was a young child and then years went by and then I saw him shortly before he died.”

“I’m sorry. You must have been very young when he passed.” His grandmother didn’t believe in ignoring basic truths.

Anna glanced down at her hands. “Seventeen.”

She had been young. Alistair thought Oliver had been more involved in her life, but he was often in New York with his other family. In some ways, they had a similar experience. He grew up without his father and often wondered what he was like and why he had made the choices he had. His father wasn’t nearly as wealthy or well-known as Oliver Bolles. Oliver had made a fortune in investment banking while his father gambled away the assets of the vineyard. It wasn’t until the last ten years or so that the family regained and expanded their wealth.

Anna turned to Rose. “I loved the vineyard. Everything about it. The vines go on for miles and miles and then the people that have been with the vineyard forever were so friendly and helpful.”

His grandmother smiled at Anna. “Alistair tells us that you are going to help put together a launch party for a new wine and a harvest celebration.”

“It’s being worked on, but we are considering one of the public gardens on the outskirts of London. It will give the garden a boost in funding and then also provide a beautiful outside venue.”

“It sounds marvelous.”

His grandparents had been slightly nervous when he mentioned bringing Anna over, but they seemed relaxed and at ease.

His grandmother smiled at Anna. “Would you like to see my garden?”

Anna stood. “I’d love to.”

He watched the two of them walk out arm in arm.

His grandfather said, “You’ve made Nan happy. I bet she will talk of little else in the coming week.”

“Anna does get along with people.”

“Are you involved with her?” his granddad asked.

Alistair sat back. “We have a business relationship at the moment and she is holding me to that, but in the future I imagine something more.”

His granddad hesitated and then said, “Don’t trivialize the Bolles legacy. Her father was not a good man.”

Alistair ran a hand through his hair. “She was not raised by Oliver.”

“They say she has his mathematical ability. She probably has his logical thinking and ability with cards.”

Alistair laughed. “Do you know how absurd that sounds? My father and Oliver were from a different generation and did get involved with gambling. I’ve never had the urge to gamble, and from what I can tell neither does Anna.”

His grandfather frowned. “I hope she is nothing like him.”

“Yes, but you have to admit that we are seeing things from the Martin side and maybe not with enough perspective. I’m sure Oliver Bolles had his reasons.”

His grandfather had a distant look and Alistair felt a bit of remorse. He shouldn’t have pushed him. Granddad wanted to remember the good things about his son, not the problems.

His grandmother and Anna returned from the garden, chatting and laughing.

He met Anna’s gaze. “I’m sorry, but we need to head back.”

His grandmother touched his arm. “Are you sure you can’t stay for supper?”

“I’ll invite Anna again, but I need to be in London this evening.”

They all said a hurried goodbye and Alistair led Anna from the cottage. It had been a mistake bringing her to meet them. He didn’t want to disappoint either one of his grandparents. But in truth, he preferred to keep his personal life to himself. They were desperate for him to settle down and while his grandfather held a grudge against Oliver Bolles, his grandmother seemed to adore Anna. But he wasn’t ready to get involved in a serious relationship. If he was inclined to settle down, would he be drawn to Anna Bolles? He craved her physically but he wasn’t sure that would be enough for a long-term relationship.

The following week, Anna received a text from Alistair cancelling their standing appointment on Wednesday. He was staying in Costa Rica for a few more days, but when he returned on the weekend, he asked to attend an event she was coordinating. She responded with the information on the launch for a new cosmetics line on Saturday evening. She hoped the event would reflect well on Gala & More.

Anna added him to an invite list and continued to work on the event. In between, she managed to visit three public gardens and stopped in to see Frances and the baby. She held the little girl while Frances put on tea and helped her brainstorm ideas for Alistair’s event.

“The biggest issue you are going to have, besides the lack of a real kitchen, is the terrain. Women will wear heels so you will have to find a cost effective way to put down some type of material to create a walking path.”

Anna nodded, relishing the sensation of the warm bundle in her arms. She had enjoyed her nieces as infants, but something had shifted in her recently, and she had begun to crave a baby of her own. It was a crazy idea. She needed to focus on the business.

Frances poured tea for them. “I’m sorry to abandon you right now, it’s just my mother was always working and I want to be home with her. You understand, right?”

Anna placed the baby in the nearby bassinet. “Yes. You are being immensely helpful by weighing in and helping me brainstorm.”

She finished her tea and hugged Frances. She didn’t even allow herself to glance at the baby. She didn’t want to long for something that was impossible at the moment.

She stopped by Olivia’s studio later in the afternoon and offered to take the girls to the park. Olivia said, “It’ll be an unexpected treat for them. It’ll give their nanny a chance to go home and prepare their tea. Just drop them off at home?”

Her nieces were dressed in their play clothes. The five-year-old, Beatrice, kept up a conversation throughout the six-block walk while Anna chased after the two-year-old, Addy, getting her to drop things she picked up from the sidewalk.

She took a few brief phone calls while she watched the two play in the park. The day was warm for September and when Addy insisted on being carried, Anna called out to Beatrice, knowing it was time to go.

Walking back to their house with Addy in her arms, she relaxed. Her nieces were full of love and happiness. She kissed them both goodbye on the doorstep, and when the nanny took them inside, she waved and walked back down the path to the street.

Instead of going home, she decided to check on the venues for Alistair’s event at night. Gala & More had hired a car for the week to handle deliveries to the events that they were coordinating. She needed to get back to the office to get the car. She flagged down a taxi and headed to the outskirts of London.

One of the venues looked spectacular at night. It had a great view of the night sky and seemed to stretch for acres and acres. Taking a few photographs, she texted the images to Alistair.

Climbing back into the car, she considered purchasing a company lorry but decided to wait until the investment was confirmed.

The night of the cosmetics launch, Anna was stressed. The addition of a dozen or so models added a heightened tension. There were complaints about the lighting and the product samples were late. Katie had opened the shipment that morning and had discovered the wrong order had been sent so she had to drive two hours each way to pick up the right product.

When Anna arrived at the venue, hundreds of gift bags needed to be assembled.

The product manager for the launch, Judy, glared at her. “Why didn’t you check the order before this morning?” The woman was relentless.

In a calm, controlled voice, Anna said, “I apologize for the oversight. My staff will make it work.”

Judy stamped her heel on the floor and clenched her hands into fists. “I need this evening to be flawless.”

Noticing a ladder was not properly secured, Anna said, “It will be. Please excuse me.” The maintenance staff was changing out light bulbs and Anna rushed over to alert them.

She motioned for the foreman to deal with it. She called the caterer to remind them about having a nut-free table for hors d’oeuvres.

The florist brought in large displays of flowers and Judy began complaining about the overpowering fragrance.

If the woman yelled her name one more time across the ballroom, Anna was not going to be responsible for her actions. Why would Gala & More have taken on this event?

Elyse arrived at that moment and distracted her. The maintenance staff finished the lighting change and retreated from the ballroom. Elyse helped her position the tables and Anna thought the set-up looked amazing. Anna spoke with the florist about the fragrance and they let her know Judy had changed the order a few days ago. Anna asked them to remove the displays and come up with another solution. She needed flowers with almost no fragrance. Why would Judy mess with the order?

Katie and Elyse were filling the giveaway cosmetics bags. Anna hoped it would come together. Everyone who was part of this event was on edge. There were so many undercurrents, Anna couldn’t tell where her time should be spent.

Somehow all the pieces came together and they were able to open the doors on time.

The models took turns handing out the gift bags and talking up the new line of cosmetics. The event was well attended. After it was underway, she didn’t speak with Judy again. She hoped to avoid the woman for the remainder of the evening.

Anna was in the kitchen when she noticed Alistair arrive on the monitor. She studied his reaction to the event for a moment and then she watched a model approach him. The tall, slim, red-haired model offered him a sample bag, but he declined. The model seemed to hang on his every word. Anna could feel her irritation building. She reminded herself Alistair was a business associate. It wouldn’t help anything to become jealous.

She gave a few instructions to the caterer, then headed out into the event to greet Alistair.

He caught her gaze and retreated from the model.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t onsite.” His tone was sharp.

Did having a model fawning all over him make him irritated? “I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation.”

He checked his watch. “Not amusing. Show me the event and I’d like to meet the client.”

Her stomach plummeted. Judy would invariably complain about every detail. She hadn’t had one pleasant thing to say all day.

She turned away from the guests and said quietly, “Alistair, they demanded a run of the mill event. No surprises. Nothing special and then tried to make last minute adjustments themselves. The client is impossible and I’d rather not introduce you.”

He paused before saying, “Knowing how to manage difficult clients is part of the business.”

Moving closer to him, she lowered her voice further. “Can you evaluate another event?”

Placing his hands in his pockets, he said, “I’ve a packed schedule and we agreed on this event.”

Anna looked around the ballroom and turned back to Alistair. She gripped his arm. “Please. Make an exception. Trust me on this. It won’t be pleasant.”

Judy walked over and interrupted them. “Is there an issue, Ms. Bolles?”

Anna let go of his arm. “No, not at all.” After a brief moment, she said, “I’d like to introduce Alistair Martin to you.”

Before she completed the introduction, Judy gushed, “I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Martin. The pleasure is all mine.”

Anna walked away from them. She didn’t want to hear the bitter woman’s interpretation of the event. She had worked incredibly hard and was ready to move on.

Guests were beginning to leave so she reminded those working the event to stay attentive and to keep the tables cleared.

It was nine o’clock by the time she was ready to leave the hotel. Alistair had messaged her to say he was waiting at the hotel bar.

Her body was exhausted and she didn’t want to face Alistair’s wrath. She had missed him and didn’t look forward to discussing the company tonight. Walking into the bar, she caught sight of him having a pint and watching a football match.

Anna slid onto the stool next to him. The bartender put a napkin down in front of her and she asked for a Guinness.

“Were you happy with the event?”

Anna could feel her anxiety rise. It wasn’t a stellar effort by Gala & More, but the client was exceedingly difficult.

“There were some adjustments that had to be dealt with at the last moment. I agree that there could have been better planning.”

He took a swallow of his ale. “What would you have changed?”

“The flower arrangements were too high and the pervasive lily scent messed with the perfume scent in the launch. The lighting hadn’t been changed the day before so it caused craziness during the set-up. The samples shipped to Gala & More were incorrect so Katie had to drive four hours to get the right samples. I could go on.”

He met her gaze. “I’m getting the sense you aren’t particularly concerned.”

She shrugged. “I’m not. I’ve no intention of ever working for that client again. Most of the issues were caused by their mismanagement and lack of communication.”

He took another swallow of his ale. “Clients talk, so even if you intend to decline their next event, the negative public relations could hurt Gala & More.”

Anna smoothed her dress. “The event, while a struggle, came off well.”

Alistair shook his head. “The client isn’t satisfied.”

“It would be impossible to make her happy.”

He met her gaze and she felt her skin warm. “Have you considered your part in this debacle?”

Looking away, she said, “My part? I worked extremely hard on this event.”

His voice was controlled and low. “Yes, but why didn’t your hard work pay off?”

Anna thought about her role in the event. They were understaffed for the number of events that they had taken on. “I should have been double-checking the details, knowing that the client withheld information and had high impossible standards.”

Alistair ran a hand through his hair. “True. But you also need to assert your authority. Call the client if they communicate directly with the florist and tell them that behavior is unacceptable. Insist that all your vendors check with you on any changes.”

She thought about the line between taking over and being flexible. “The client has the ultimate say on the elements of the event.”

Alistair touched her knee and she thought she would fall off her stool. He said, “I don’t agree. The event becomes a reflection on Gala & More. You need to protect your reputation.”

Trying to ignore his hand, she said, “I can’t force my vision on them.”

He removed his hand and took out his wallet. “You need to let the client know that once they sign the contract and agree on the overall concept and budget that they need to leave the details to you. A small decision about changing the flower arrangements could ruin an event and probably did.”

Anna wanted to go home and lick her wounds in private. “Point taken.”

Taking a last swallow of his ale, he put a few pounds on the counter. “I’d like to visit the venue you are recommending for my event.”

Anna slid off her stool. “As long as you keep in mind once we agree on the concept, you will need to leave the details to me.”

He laughed. “I’m not just a client. Am I?”

They walked out of the hotel and Alistair gave his ticket to the valet. She had let Katie take the hired car home an hour ago and was going to get a taxi.

Alistair drove through London and she checked her messages. She had a fundraising event tomorrow.

She said, “There won’t be lights on tonight. But I have a key.” She looked through her bag and found the small, white envelope with the key.

“They gave you have a key.”

He was gorgeous. Everything about him drew her interest. His voice, his mannerisms, the way he held his athletic body and the intensity of his gaze. “I presented the concept at their committee meeting and they are excited.”

He asked about her week and she gave him a rundown on all the complexities she had faced.

Alistair pulled into the secluded parking area. It was a darker night than when she had visited a week ago.

Anna used the antique key in the garden gate to unlock it and then slipped it into her bag.

Her eyes adjusted within a minute or two, but she stumbled on the rocky path. Alistair reached out and steadied her. “This terrain is going to be a problem.”

“There will be outside lighting and I’ve researched a few products that could be used to provide temporary walkways.”

She loved this garden. Her grandmother had taken her several times as a young girl. It had been in existence for two hundred years. There were small gathering spaces and wide-open lawns to host events. She was thinking of using an old stone foundation on the property.. Anna led Alistair to the left and down a moss-covered path.

The foundation was about three hundred feet from the gate and at one time a barn was erected on the site. The area within the foundation was level and could accommodate tables for two hundred people.