Beaumont Brides Collection (98 page)

‘You don’t think I could do it?’ Reckless, stupid. Anything but careful. Oh, Richard, she thought, is this dangerous enough for you?

‘I don’t know, but I suppose if you were any kind of an actress, Mel, you wouldn’t be cleaning for a living.’

‘There are a lot of good actresses out of work, you know. Would you like an audition? I do a truly amazing Portia. “The quality of mercy is not strained...”‘ she began.

Jack held up his hands in surrender. ‘Enough. I’m convinced. Although I really don’t think this is a job for Portia.’

‘No, neither do I. She wouldn’t approve at all.’ Melanie was horribly, ridiculously close to tears. She shouldn’t have allowed things to go so far, allowed him to get to her. ‘In fact, on consideration it’s not a job for me, either. I suggest you get out your little black book and start dialling,’ she threw at him. ‘I’m sure there are hundreds of women who would just jump at the chance of a few days in the sun with you.’

‘Are you? And just what evidence do you have for thinking that?’

That he was not only rich, but had the kind of looks that would turn any girl’s head. Not just poor Cinderella’s. She considered saying so, but decided she’d already said more than enough.

‘Yes?’ he prompted, then when she still remained silent, he continued. ‘I work for a living, Mel. I don’t have time to run a harem. My threat to call someone else was simply that, a threat. Unfortunately I underestimated Caro’s determination.’

‘Why don’t you give her a call? I’m sure she’s in a forgiving mood.’

‘I’m sure she is. However I am not.’ He gave her a sideways look. ‘I guess it’s you or nothing.’ His lack of enthusiasm was decidedly galling. She wasn’t begging him to take her with him, for heaven’s sake. In fact, it was time to put him straight.

‘Then I guess nothing is what you’ve got.’ She bent and picked up her workbox. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Wolfe, but I’ve got a hundred and one more interesting things to do this weekend than go to the West Indies with you. Wash my hair. Cut my nails. Defrost the fridge.’ His image swam just a little through her bright, Busy Bees smile. ‘Oh, and since you’ve now had more than two hours of my time you’ll have to shop for your own olives.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

JACK remained perfectly still until the front door banged behind Melanie. Banged hard.

She was angry.

Well, what had he expected? That she would fall into his arms and say “thank you”? She’d known he’d simply been trying to jolt Caroline into changing her mind and no girl with an ounce of spirit would have said yes.

She would have to put up some kind of resistance, no matter how attractive the offer.

Perhaps Melanie was right. Perhaps he should call Caro. She might have come to her senses. Unfortunately for her, he already had.

Besides, the idea of taking Melanie to The Ark, despite every particle of common sense telling him that he was crazy, seemed more and more attractive. He needed someone who looked the part, someone decorative who would lie on the beach all day, dance all evening, giving the casual observer the impression that he had left business behind him to indulge his passion for a beautiful woman undisturbed.

Undisturbed?

He smiled wryly at that. Melanie Devlin could disturb a sloth. She disturbed the hell out of him in a way that Caro could never hope to. But beautiful? No one who paid close attention to such matters, would be convinced.

And, actually, that was the whole point. It had never been his intention to be too convincing.

She would be perfect. If only he could convince her. He glanced at his watch. It was gone five. Would she go straight home, or on to another job? He’d have to speak to Mrs Graham, either way. And then he smiled. That was it. He wouldn’t have to do a thing. He’d leave Mrs Graham to convince her.

He crossed to the phone and picked it up, but his first call was to Mike Palmer.

‘Mike, there’s a slight change in plans. Caro won’t be coming with me tomorrow. I’m taking Melanie Devlin.’

‘Jack!’

‘Yes?’

The word was the gentlest of queries. The most dangerous kind, as Mike knew well enough. ‘Nothing. But the Courier is running with the story tomorrow morning.’

‘Well this will cause an extra frisson of excitement in their gossipy little hearts. Ensure their attention.’

‘All right, I’ll get on to them. Who is Melanie Devlin?’

‘My cleaner.’ And Jack held the receiver away from his ear as Mike proceeded to issue a string of warnings. ‘Have you quite finished?’ He didn’t wait for an answer. ‘Now this is what I want you to do.’

‘She’ll kill you,’ Mike said, when Jack had finished.

‘Caroline or Melanie?’

‘Both in all probability.’

Jack laughed and hung up. Mike shook his head, scarcely able to credit that a few days ago he’d been concerned that Jack was losing his ruthless streak.

*****

When Melanie finally staggered into the office just before seven, Mrs Graham, looking horribly pleased with herself, called her straight into her office.

‘Melanie, you’re late. You should have been here an hour ago.’

‘I was delayed up on the underground. I’ve been late all day.’ But she wouldn’t be bothering to put in for overtime. She’d learned a lot in a few short weeks.

‘It’s been most inconvenient. I’ve had to wait for you.’ Melanie stared at her. Did she expect an apology? ‘Mr Wolfe telephoned.’

‘Oh?’ Mel, who had had quite long enough to dwell on her idiotic behaviour, thought she knew what was coming. Well, she’d asked for it. Begged for it.

‘Apparently he needs you all next week to help his mother packing and cleaning before she moves house.’ She bestowed a somewhat grudging smile. ‘I have to admit that you’ve turned out rather better than I had expected, Melanie. This will be a nice little job for you.’

Mother? Moving house? What was the woman talking about? What had happened to being dismissed at a moment’s notice? Mrs Graham looked up from her schedule of work.

‘I’ve already rearranged your other jobs.’

‘Have you?’ Mel enquired, faintly. Well, that was all right then, wasn’t it?

‘Mr Wolfe sent this over by courier for you. It has all the details you’ll need.’ She handed over an envelope. ‘He wants you to telephone him after nine to arrange about transport. He’s going to send a car for you.’

She sounded impressed. She had a right to be. Mr Wolfe was an impressive man.

He was also arrogant, dictatorial and cavalier. And like the rest of his kind he couldn’t bear not to get his own way.

‘Actually, Mrs Graham, I’m not in a position to leave London right now. Perhaps Paddy could do it, I’m sure she’d welcome the extra work.’ And let Mr Wolfe talk his way out of that one.

‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I’m going to have to let Paddy go. She’s been causing trouble.’

‘Trouble?’ Mel had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. ‘What kind of trouble?’

‘Oh, demanding crèche facilities, that sort of thing.’

Janet Graham didn’t even look uncomfortable as she lied with sickening unctuousness. Paddy had demanded nothing. Janet Graham had obviously found out about the co-operative somehow and this was her way of keeping the rest of her staff in line. Better the job you have than some airy fairy nonsense. Well Fizz had warned her. Richard had warned her.

‘You’re not going to let me down, are you, Melanie? Mr Wolfe is an important client. A lot of jobs around here depend on being able to keep him happy.’

Lies and moral blackmail. She had to hand it to the woman, she didn’t mind getting her hands dirty in the cause of profit. And as always, she held all the cards.

Melanie wanted to tell Mrs Janet Graham exactly what to do with Jack Wolfe, her job and Busy Bees. But she couldn’t. She’d lost Paddy her job and as yet had nothing better to put in its place. She would have to do something about that. Or rather Jack Wolfe would.

If he’d gone to such lengths he must be really desperate. She’d just have to take a leaf out of her employer’s book and try her hand at a little blackmail.

‘I’ll have to make a phone call.’

‘If you must. Use the one in the main office.’

Jack Wolfe answered the telephone at the second ring. She didn’t waste time on preambles. ‘This is Cinderella. If you want me to come to the ball you’re going to have to grant me the statutory three wishes.’

‘Can I be Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother?’ She heard the laughter in his voice. He thought he’d won. Well maybe he had, but he would pay for his victory.

‘You’ll never be Prince Charming, Jack Wolfe, but this is your opportunity to wave your magic wand. Unless a lifetime of bliss with Miss Hickey suddenly seems desirable?’

‘Are you blackmailing me, Melanie?’ He sounded amused.

‘Is the pot calling the kettle black?’

He laughed out loud. ‘What do you want? Money, fame, a new wardrobe?’

‘Those things I can manage by myself. Right now Mrs Graham is just about to sack an employee named Paddy Rorison. I want you to stop her.’

Well, that wiped the smile of his face, she thought as the sudden silence came in shock waves down the phone.

‘And how do you propose that I do that?’

‘It shouldn’t be difficult for a man with your track record of getting his own way. You must know that she’d do anything to keep you happy. Even employ me.’

‘Who is Paddy Rorison? Your boyfriend?’

Melanie gritted her teeth. ‘Paddy is a charming lady with a husband who has just been made redundant and four children who right now are relying on her to keep a roof over their heads. She works like a demon, but Mrs Graham has decided she’s a trouble-maker.’ She was, she discovered, practically incoherent with rage.

‘Is she?’

‘A trouble-maker? No. She’s just the scapegoat.’

‘I sense a guilty conscience at work here. Correct me if I’m wrong?’

‘No,’ she admitted. ‘You’re not wrong. At least, not entirely.’

‘Mmmm. I think you’d better let me have her address, just in case Mrs Graham isn’t quite as smitten with me as you seem to think.’

Melanie told him. ‘But it would give me enormous pleasure to think that Mrs Graham was having her arm twisted.’

‘Is that right? Well, I’ll do my best to appease your conscience, Miss Devlin. Second wish.’

‘I’ve persuaded some of the women who work at Busy Bees that they should form a co-operative and work for themselves.’

‘That’s the trouble making, I take it?’ The laughter was back in his voice.

‘Personally, I’d call it initiative, but I have to confess Mrs Graham warned me on my first day that she wouldn’t stand for that either. The thing is, there’s a property that’s absolutely perfect for them but the local authority are not at all keen to let them have it.’

‘Maybe they’ve got it earmarked for something else. Or maybe they just think you’re off your head.’

‘Maybe you’re right. Or maybe I simply need someone to inspire a little confidence.’

‘You mean you want someone to apply a bit of pressure.’

‘Is that how it’s done?’ she breathed, with apparent admiration.

‘It won’t be easy.’

‘If it was easy, I wouldn’t be asking but Paddy’s plight has lent a certain urgency to the situation.’

‘I’ll need to see some kind of business plan, Mel.’

‘That’s no problem. Our business plan is a work of art.’

‘So long as it’s not a work of fiction.’

‘Give me your number and I’ll fax it to you this evening. You’ll be astounded by its clarity of vision, its determination of purpose, its sheer brilliance.’ Fizz had helped her and her accountant had gone through it with her, line by line. ‘I wrote it myself,’ she said, crossing her fingers.

‘Then how can it possibly fail?’

‘You’ll help?’

‘If it lives up to its sales pitch I’ll be delighted to. Third wish.’

That was just a little bit more difficult. A little bit more personal. It might not even be necessary. ‘I think I’d like to keep that in reserve.’

‘If I’m being blackmailed I think I have a right to know the full extent of my commitment.’

‘Surely that’s the whole point of blackmail. It’s open-ended.’

‘Not in this case.’

‘I’m not blackmailing you, Mr Wolfe. Nothing awful will happen to you if you say no. But you played dirty, so if you want my help you’re going to have to pay for it.’

‘How much?’ he insisted.

‘I just want to be sure you’ll remember that I’m your cleaner. Nothing else.’

His soft laughter was unexpected. And under the circumstances not very flattering. ‘Save your wish for a rainy day, Miss Devlin. I make it a point of principle never to play house with people who work for me. Now, have we got a deal?’

‘Yes.’ She hadn’t hesitated. There had been no need to hesitate. After all, she had his word, didn’t she?

Disappointment that it had been given without a second thought seemed ridiculous under the circumstances. Foolish, almost. Even just plain idiotic. Yet it was the second time she had backed away from danger and she was perhaps more disappointed with herself than with him.