Tasmanian Tangle (2 page)

At Kade's curt 'Come in' Tanya opened the door and feeling Melanie's baleful eyes on her back she entered the office.

Kade sat at his large cluttered desk immersed in paper work, and after glancing up briefly at Tanya who stood in front of the desk mentally rehearsing her defence of Mr Davidson, told her to wait a minute while he finished reading the article he had been studying before her arrival.

He did not ask her to sit down, Tanya noticed with a pang of sorrow, although she supposed there was nothing to stop her doing so if she wished. However, she stood where she was and waited until he had finished perusing the article in a magazine that was holding his attention. It was a trade magazine, Tanya noticed, and it did occur to her that he could have carried on reading it after she had left, but that was Kade, and was his way of underlining the fact that she was taking up his valuable time. It ought to have infuriated her, but it didn't simply because she loved him, so she stood there looking at his dark head bent over the article, and at his strong lean fingers that held the magazine page as he turned it slowly over to the continuation of the article on-the next page.

'I hear you've ordered Melanie to reinstate Mr Davidson,' he said suddenly, making Tanya jump as she thought he was still reading the article.

'I requested that she should revoke the decision to fire him,' she answered quietly, letting him know that she did no such thing, at least not like that.

'Might I ask why?' he requested in a silky voice, and Tanya swallowed painfully. He wasn't making it too easy for her to defend her action.

'Because it's unfair! ' she burst out before her courage deserted her. 'I know he's
old, but he can't be expected
to do two jobs, not at his age, and that's what he's had to do.'

Kade's brilliant blue eyes left the print and stared up at Tanya. 'Precisely! ' he commented witheringly.

Tanya was pretty certain what he was going to add to this cryptic remark, so she said it for him. 'I know the staff are supposed to double up when someone's sick,' she put in swiftly. 'But Mr Broom appears to have a delicate constitution. I don't think he's put in a full week's work since he's been here,' she added meaningly.

'Feeling the reins already, Miss Hume?' he queried sarcastically.

Tanya flushed under this rather unfair remark and miserably wished that she didn't love him quite so much. She wouldn't let anyone else talk to her like that, but he mesmerised her.

'Mr Davidson has been with the firm for thirty years,' she replied stiffly, unable to meet those piercing blue eyes still watching her closely. 'And I don't think he ought to be thrown out like that. In any case, it's my opinion that he does pull his weight—or at least he would if he wasn't bogged down with someone else's work.'

'Your opinion?' Kade's voice still held derision, and his eyes were narrowed as he surveyed her coolly, making Tanya feel like a worm on the end of a hook.

She looked away from him quickly. 'I know I've a lot to learn,' she said in a low voice, 'but I do feel strongly about this.' Her eyes had a pleading look in them as she turned to meet his again. 'Couldn't he be given another position? Or find someone else to help him until he's caught up with his work?' she asked softly.

Her heart fell as she saw the familiar hardening of his jaw at her plea, and she wondered what she would do

if he ever smiled at her, for he never had, yet she knew he could smile and could be quite kind to others, but not to her.

Kade stood up, abruptly signalling the end of the interview, if it could be called that, and Tanya then had to stare up at his six-foot height as he towered over her. 'I'm making no promises,' he growled, 'but I'll look into it.'

Tanya had to be content with that, but it didn't look very hopeful at all, and his last shot didn't give her much confidence in the outcome either. 'In future, Miss Hume, you'll leave these decisions to my secretary. When you are fully capable of taking over the business then you can make your own decisions, but until then leave the running of the works in the hands of my staff, understand?' he growled.

Tanya nodded miserably and walked to the door; her hand was on the handle when he added softly, 'I take it you don't get on with Ted Broom.'

That was all he said, but Tanya knew what he meant. Ted Broom was the office Romeo and it was considered an honour to be asked out on a date with him, for these invitations were few and far between, particularly as he had an eye for the main chance and had spent weeks cultivating Melanie's attention. Tanya could have told him that she had spent her first few weeks at the farm's offices warding off his unwanted attentions, but even so, she had received the definite impression that he thought that she was playing hard to get and was certain of eventual success.

No doubt that bit of information would have surprised Kade, Tanya thought bitterly as she left his office and walked past Melanie's desk with her head

held up high. Particularly as he obviously thought that Tanya was working off a grudge against him. She could even see the way Kade would look at things. Ted had overlooked her in some way and she was out to get even with him. Her mouth folded tightly on the thought. He'd rather see things that way than credit her with any kindness towards an old employee.

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears as she reached the outer door of the offices. What had she done to him to make him treat her like that? Why would he never give her a chance to even be friends with him?

Mistaking the reason for the look of distress in Tanya's lovely eyes, Melanie commented smugly, 'I told you not to bother, didn't I? You were lucky he consented to see you, particularly when he knew what it was about.'

Tanya did not bother to answer this triumphant jibe of Melanie's but swept out of the office. Oh, how she wished she d
id know all about the business !
She'd fire Melanie for a start, just as she'd fired old Mr Davidson, and come to that she'd fire the manager too!

By the time she had reached the invoice section she had worked off most of her temper. She couldn't imagine Orchard Farm without Kade, he was Orchard Farm. Since his arrival the firm had gone to the top of the export market and their inland sales had rocketed to astronomical heights, and he was the wizard who had worked the miracle.

For the hundredth time she wondered why her father had not left him a share in the firm since he knew better than anyone Kade's worth in the business. To Tanya it had been one of the unexplained mysteries that she never hoped to unravel, since she was never

likely to be in a position that justified her asking such a question, not when Kade was one side of a fence and she on the other. A fence deliberately erected by Kade, and one that she could never climb; it was too high and absolutely impregnable, like the man himself.

Four days later Tanya heard that her efforts to save Mr Davidson's job had been successful. It was old John himself who told her and his blue periwinkle eyes had gleamed in appreciation as he recounted the conversation he had had with Kade earlier that morning. 'Said he'd do some sorting out,' he said with a smile. 'And I've an idea one of our staff is due for a shock,' he added appreciatively.

Tanya wondered if this was Melanie, for the staff came under her jurisdiction, but John was not thinking of Melanie. 'It'll take more than good looks and a suave manner to get him out of this one,' he commented thoughtfully.

So it was Ted Broom who was up for the jump, Tanya thought, and she wondered how Melanie would take that. Not very well if she knew Melanie, but this fact did not worry Tanya. If Melanie had done her job properly and had not been swayed by flattery from the indolent Ted, she would have seen that John Davidson was overloaded and age had nothing to do with it.

Later that day Tanya was asked to collect the mail from the secretary's office. The message had come from a harassed Mrs Rodgers who was head of the invoice section, and requested with an apologetic smile. It was the end of the month and statements had to be out by the following day, and all hands were concentrating on this task. The mail went out at four each day, and as it was the invoice section that contributed the greater

bulk of the post, all other post was directed there initially and then taken down to the post room for entry and despatch.

This request would not normally have caused Tanya any hesitation, she was only too willing to be of some use to whatever section's work she was observing, but under the present circumstances she would much rather have had the task allotted to someone else. Particularly as she had, in Melanie's eyes at least, scored a victory over her, and her appearance would be seen as a crowing action that would cause further infuriation.

She could hardly explain this to Mrs Rodgers, however, and she was forced to accept the small but extremely awkward errand, hoping that perhaps Melanie was tied up in some conference or other with another member of staff.

When Tanya opened the door of Melanie's office after giving a discreet tap, for it had occurred to her that Ted Broom might just be present and making an attempt to justify his imminent removal from the firm, she saw that her hopes had been fulfilled and that Melanie was not at her desk. The pile of mail lay in a wire tray on her desk, and Tanya hurried towards it, intent on collecting it with the greatest possible expediency and thus preventing a meeting with Melanie.

She was halfway across the room when Kade's office door opened and she heard him say harshly, 'I don't care if the fellow's got a weak chest. He could have a dozen kids and a widowed mother for all I care. I'll have no hangers-on in this firm, you should know that by now. Offer him an outside job if you're so keen on providing for his future, but if he does stay he'll have to pull his weight. You're slipping, Melanie, Davidson

should never have been fired. I've had to apologise to him for what was an error of judgment on your part, and I don't like that, so see that it doesn't happen again!' he added warningly.

Tanya's only thought was to get out of that office as soon as possible, the post collection was of secondary importance now. She could possibly come back for it later, but she couldn't let Melanie know that she had overheard her receiving what amounted to a rocket from her employer.

She had just got to the door when Melanie's biting, 'What do you want?' came over the room to her and forced her to turn round, desperately trying to look as if she had just arrived.

'I came to collect the post,' Tanya said timidly, 'but as you were busy I thought I'd better come back,' she tacked on, hoping that Melanie would think that she had only looked in the office and not entered.

It was the way her embarrassed eyes refused to meet Melanie's that had given her away, she thought afterwards, as Melanie's biting retort proved. 'So you heard, did you? Well, I hope you're satisfied!' she said savagely.

Tanya did not know what to say; she could hardly point out that what Kade had said was nothing but the truth. Melanie had made an error of judgment, and but for Tanya she would have got away with it. That was the trouble, she thought miserably, no one else would have dared to challenge her authority on the matter. She was saved from thinking up an answer to her hinted accusation that she had caused trouble by Kade stamping out of his office and passing them without a glance at either of them.

The slam of the outside office door unleashed another onslaught from the chagrined Melanie. 'He's never spoken to me like that before,' she said furiously, and at Tanya's half-surprised look at her vehemence went on, 'And don't think those kind of tactics will make Kade look at you either. Oh, I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one is looking!'

Tanya's deep blush confirmed Melanie's accusation that she was in love with Kade, and she gave a triumphant smile at her discomfort. 'And the fact that you now own the farm won't make a bit of difference either,' she added spitefully. 'He had too much trouble with your mother to risk tangling with you.'

Tanya's blush was now replaced by a whitish tinge as she absorbed the shock that Melanie had just given her. 'Just what do you mean by that?' she whispered, as if robbed of the power of speech.

Melanie gave an offhand shrug as if the matter was of no consequence to her, but Tanya saw that she was thoroughly enjoying herself. 'Ask anyone,' she answered laconically. 'You'll find it's the truth. She pestered the life out of him. He had to take a horsewhip to her in the end to make her get the message that he just wasn't interested.'

Tanya's shocked gaze met Melanie's malicious one. 'I don't believe you,' she said, still in that hushed voice.

'Please yourself,' commented Melanie happily, 'but you'll find I'm right. He wouldn't still be here if he hadn't promised your father to watch out for you, but as soon as you're ready he'll be leaving you to it.' She walked back to her desk and placed a piece of letter. head into her machine, then sat down ready to start typing. 'And I for one,' she went on viciously, 'will

welcome that day. He's got other business commitments besides fruit farming, you know, and it's about time he concentrated on them, so hurry up and learn the business, Miss Hume, and we'll all be happy.'

The word 'happy' seemed to reverberate round Tanya's head, as she left the offices and made her way through the works section, and out to her home that lay within five minutes' walk of the works.