New Boss at Birchfields

NEW BOSS AT BIRCHFIELD’S

Henrietta Reid

Briony had loved J
eremy, but she didn
’
t
fit into his ambitious
future plans. His humiliating rejection left a scar she thought would never heal.

She hoped a new job and hard work would leave no time for regret. But Blane Lennox, her new boss, proved a hard taskmaster.

“
As long as you do your job properly, it doesn
’
t concern me whether you approve of me or not,
”
he told her. And she didn
’
t—at first.

CHAPTER ONE

Briony
pulled her coat collar closer against her cheeks. It was cold waiting for Jeremy. Perhaps it would be better to go a little way down the street and not shelter within the office doorway. It would look to the staff as they streamed out as if she was waiting anxiously and expectantly for his appearance.

For undoubtedly Jeremy was popular. Too popular perhaps for his own good, she realised, with a little wry twist to her mouth. And yet—oh well, she might as well admit it to herself, she was madly, crazily in love with him. Whenever any of those niggling little doubts intruded she forced them firmly into the background of her mind.

She took a few steps along the street, stamping her feet to keep the circulation going. Then as she swung around to face the fa
c
ade of Stanton, Hodges & Company, the accountancy firm that they both worked for, she saw him come out on to the stone steps accompanied by a couple of girls from the typing pool. They were hanging on to his arms and gazing up into his face, evidently enraptured by the attention he was impartially giving them. He was smiling with that special teasing look which Briony knew was one of his main attractions.

She touched the tiny circle of sapphires on the slender gold band of her engagement ring, as though to reassure herself. After all, why should it worry her that he was always the centre of interest as far as the other girls in the office were concerned, when Jeremy and herself were already making plans for their marriage! She shrugged off the nagging doubts which so often nowadays assailed her. Probably pre-wedding nerves, she
told herself.
She watched as Jeremy waved to the girls before they set off giggling at some parting quip he had made.

He approached her with his rapid impatient stride. It was quite easy to see by the very way he carried himself that Jeremy was a man who was going places, and that he saw nothing but success when he looked to the future.

As soon as he joined her he tucked her arm into his and together they walked off in the direction of the tube station. But his silence was i
n marked contrast to the good-hu
mour he had shown her colleagues before he parted from them. She gazed up at him, troubled and uncertain, then tried a few remarks, only to be answered by abstracted monosyllables.

Briony felt her heart sink. This was not the first time she had seen Jeremy in this strange uncommunicative mood. And lately she had become timid of pestering him for an explanation. She dreaded his
off-putting
frown and sharp rejoinder. It was his way of letting her know that she was treading on dangerous ground. And it puzzled and distressed her when she realised that he regarded her questions as an intrusion.

He hesitated as they came to the short flight of steps leading down to the tube station, and
she felt
a little sickening sense of disappointment
as
she saw that he had no intention of going farther with
her.

‘
But aren
’
t you coming back to tea,
Jeremy?
Mum
is
making something particularly special.
You know
how she loves experimenting with
recipes! And they do
usually turn out wonderfully, don
’
t
they?
’
she added
desperately. Jeremy was a
great favourite with
Mrs.
Walton, who usually excelled
herself when she thought he
would be dropping in for
tea
on
his way back from the
office with Briony.

‘
No,
I
’
m afraid I
’
ll have to
skip it tonight,
’
he replied a little
impatiently. He patted
his bulging briefcase.
‘
I
’
ll have to
tackle this
little
lot
as soon as I get home. It
seems to me I
’
m getting more and more responsibility these days!
’

But she could see from his self-satisfied expression that he wasn
’
t at all displeased at the extra work.

‘
You mean you
’
d rather be at home with your papers than be with me?
’
she demanded desperately.

‘
But don
’
t you see, Briony, this means there
’
s a future for me in the Company! Promotion would mean the whole difference to our plans, so for heaven
’
s sake stop standing there like a picture of woe and hurry home!
’

‘
But surely it won
’
t take you night?
’
she persisted.
‘
And we
’
ve so many arrangements to discuss about the wedding!
’

‘
Even if it doesn
’
t take me all night, what about it? We can
’
t be jawing all the time about the colour of the bridesmaids
’
dresses and stuff like that! There are other things to see to.
’

‘
But what other things have you to see to? I mean, apart from the extra work from the office. It seems to me you
’
ve been different recently—as if—well, as if you were losing interest in planning our future life together.
’

‘
Oh, don
’
t be such an ass, Briony!
’
he retorted irritably.
‘
Surely a man has a right to some life of his
own, even if
—’

‘
Even if he
’
s going to tie himself to someone else for life! Isn
’
t that what you mean?
’
she ended fiercely.
‘
It
’
s not as if I expect you to be with me every moment of the day. Anyway, how could it be? You and I are in completely different worlds in the office.
’

‘
And that
’
s a world I don
’
t intend to remain in much longer,
’
he put in.

‘
What on earth do you mean?
’
she asked, bewildered. He clapped his briefcase.
‘
This may be nothing but boring work to you, but to me it
’
s the future. It means we
’
ll be going places, you and I, right to the top.
’

‘
Oh, I know you
’
re ambitious,
’
she said contritely.

‘
But isn
’
t it a pity to throw away the present for something that may never happen at all?
’

‘
What do you mean?
’
he asked sharply.
‘
But of course it will happen! If I want it to, it will. And if I work hard enough and am allowed to keep my mind clear of all those stupid, niggling little details that you seem to find so important, like what size the wedding cake is to be and what relations are to be invited, and all the hundred and one things that are just holding me back. Anyway, it
’
s your business to take care of all those details, isn
’
t it? Why drag me into it?
’

‘
I suppose I have been a bit selfish,
’
Briony sighed.
‘
It
’
s just—well, I suppose I wanted to share things with you.
’

‘
Well, don
’
t,
’
he told her,
‘
for I haven
’
t the slightest interest in it. I just wish we could run off together somewhere and get married without all this fuss and bother, and get back to work immediately after the honeymoon.
’

Briony was silent for a moment. She felt a coldness come over her. Was Jeremy not rather overdoing his man of business act? Surely, if he loved her, he would be looking forward to his wedding day as much as she was!

‘
You
’
re regretting it, isn
’
t that it, Jeremy?
’
she said flatly.
‘
There
’
s someone else. Why don
’
t you admit it?
’

Suddenly she found herself wildly possessive and a raging jealousy seemed to tear at her heart-strings. It would be one of the girls in the office, she thought. But which one? Was it possible she was an object of pity or ridicule to the other girls? The thought burned like acid.

‘
Now you
’
re being ridiculous!
’
he replied contemptuously.
‘
You
’
re being a typical female—always assuming that a girl must be involved in a man
’
s life somehow or other! What
’
s wrong with you, Briony, is that you
’
re much too romantic. You seem to think life ought to be a perpetual love affair!
’

‘
No, I don
’
t!
’
she told him furiously.
‘
But I notice how different you are now. You used to be fun to be with, and I know you
’
re still the same to the other girls. But when it comes to me it
’
s a different matter. It
’
s as though—as though you were trying to put me off—as if you regret you ever got involved with me.
’

She felt as if she was going to burst into bitter tears, and was appalled by the thought. To let Jeremy see she cared so much would only increase his exasperation with her.

She took out her hanky and blew her nose furiously.
‘
I
’
d better go,
’
she said flatly.
‘
Perhaps I
’
ll see you tomorrow evening.
’
She tried to sound indifferent, but her eyes, watching him, brimmed with unshed tears.

He hesitated uneasily.
‘
Well, no, not tomorrow, Briony. In fact not for the next few days. I
’
m really going to be terribly busy. And take my word for that and don
’
t let your imagination run wild.
’

‘
I see.
’
The tears she had vainly tried to hold back misted her eyes.

‘
And don
’
t begin crying, for heaven
’
s sake! Look, if you insist on knowing what it
’
s all about, here goes. But remember I wanted to break this to you gently later on. But since you
’
re so darned set on having the truth
—
well, here it is, and you
’
ve only got yourself to blame if it comes as a shock. I
’
ve just been told that I
’
ve been posted to Aberdeen.
’

‘
What!
’
It was as though he had dealt her a stunning blow. As though in a dream she could feel the surge of the rush-hour crowd swarm past them, dividing as they passed them and then meeting again in a stream as they hurried off t
o
their homes in the suburbs.

‘
But that
’
s miles and miles away,
’
she said in a whisper.
‘
Why, it
’
s away in the north of Scotland.
’

‘
That
’
s true,
’
Jeremy agreed.
‘
But there are plenty of opportunities there. You know we
’
re opening a new office, and why shouldn
’
t I be one of the first to go now that the Company has such confidence in me? Aberdeen
’
s a great international centre now, full of wealthy oil-men. The kind of place a man could go as high as he wanted.
’

‘
But I simply don
’
t understand,
’
Briony told him with growing bewilderment.
‘
Do you mean you were simply asked if you would go, without their knowing what your plans were?
’

For a moment he looked slightly uncomfortable.
‘
Well, no, as a matter of fact, I put in to be posted.
’

‘
You put in for it without even telling me?
’
Anger overcame her bitter disappointment.
‘
Do you really mean you arranged to start a new life there before you knew whether I would like to live there or not?
’
Her voice rose shrilly.

‘
But why not?
’
he demanded.
‘
I
’
m ambitious. I want to be where the action is. Do you really want me to be stuck in the same old office with the same old gang around until we
’
re all ancient? Don
’
t you want me to mix around with lots of wealthy and influential people? I might even be invited to the States if I meet the right people and play my cards well!
’

‘
But what about me? Have you, even for one moment, considered my point of view?
’
Briony insisted.

‘
Yes, of course!
’
he replied impatiently.
‘
But I assumed this would be best—for both of us, I mean. AH it will mean is that you
’
ll have to be patient for a while—wait until I
’
ve found my feet there and become established. You don
’
t think I
’
m doing this just for myself, do you? I
’
m trying to make a new way of life for us both, and as soon as I
’
ve found a firm footing there I
’
ll send for you and you can join me. You must realise that having a wife to support wouldn
’
t be a good idea—at the beginning, anyway.
’