A Wicked Persuasion

He eyed her grimly. ‘So when I introduce myself he might cancel the whole idea!’

Harriet shook her head. ‘It’s all signed and sealed. My father can’t back out.’ Nor would he if it meant losing such easy money.

‘When Ms Brewster suggested River House as a location I thought I was hearing things.’ James’s smile sent shivers down her spine. ‘It was just too good to pass up.’

‘For payback?’

‘What else?’ He frowned. ‘Yet you don’t actually live in the house any more. What the devil are you doing alone at the Lodge?’

‘I wanted a place of my own.’

‘I can understand that, but if that was your goal why not live down in the town? Or couldn’t you bear to be too far away from Daddy?’ When she made no response to that he eyed her curiously. ‘I thought you’d be married by now.’

‘Ditto!’

He shook his head. ‘After the treatment you dished out, Miss Wilde, I gave up on relationships and concentrated on the really important things in life—success and money.’

‘With spectacular results. I congratulate you.’ She stood up. ‘If that’s all you wanted I’ll go home now, and let you get back to Claudia.’

He laughed. ‘She’s jealous as hell of you, Harriet.’

She eyed him blankly. ‘Really? Why?’

‘I told her that you and I had a fling together once upon a time.’

‘A fling?’ she said with distaste.

He raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘How else would you describe something so unimportant?’

She dropped her eyes. ‘I never thought of it that way.’

‘I’m surprised you ever thought of it at all!’ he said caustically.

‘Are you?’ She looked at her watch. ‘I really must go. Does ten on Saturday work for you?’

‘Perfectly.’ He opened the door for her.

Harriet caught a whiff of soap and expensive wool as she passed him; and something else that was so familiar and singularly James she felt dizzy.

‘Hey,’ he said quickly, ‘are you all right?’

She forced a smile. ‘Too much coffee, and too many late nights.’

‘You’re as white as a sheet,’ he said roughly. ‘Let me drive you home. I’ll get your car back to you tomorrow.’

‘No! Please, I’m fine. I just need to get to bed.’ And, please God, sleep when she got there.

James eyed her closely as they made for the conservatory. ‘You obviously work too hard,’ he said, the familiar husky tone in his voice more pronounced. ‘No change there; you always did, even as a teenager.’

Moira got up with a welcoming smile as they joined the others. ‘You weren’t long.’

‘Mission accomplished,’ said Harriet, and returned the smile warmly. ‘It’s been such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you again for the delicious dinner.’

Moira’s face fell. ‘Surely you’re not leaving already, dear? It’s early, and I’ve had no chance to talk to you!’

Marcus came to stand by his wife. ‘They obviously work you too hard at your firm, Harriet.’

From the look on Claudia’s face, this plainly meant she looked like a hag. Harriet smiled brightly. ‘It’s a busy time right now.’

‘It’s been lovely to meet you. Please come again,’ said Lily eagerly. ‘We don’t know anyone here.’

‘And never likely to out in the wilds like this,’ complained her sister, and pouted at Marcus. ‘All right for you newly-weds, but not much fun for us.’

He gave her a quelling look and put an arm round his wife. ‘Since you city girls only come here on flying visits it’s hardly a problem.’

Time to go, thought Harriet. I get enough angst with my own family. ‘I really must be off. Thank you again. Goodnight.’

‘I’ll see you out,’ said James.

Claudia scrambled to her feet. ‘I’ll come with you.’

James shook his head. ‘I need to finalise arrangements with Harriet.’

She sat down again abruptly, hiding her flush of mortification behind the fall of pale hair.

‘Do come and see us again soon,’ said Moira, as Harriet left.

‘But you obviously don’t want to come here again, do you?’ demanded James as he saw Harriet to her car.

‘No, I don’t,’ she said frankly. ‘I like your sister and her husband very much, Lily too. Claudia obviously resents me due to this “fling” you mentioned, but the main reason is you, James. You still bear me a grudge.’

His face hardened in the bright security lights. ‘Do you blame me?’

‘Not in the least.’ Harriet slid into the car, switched on the ignition and opened the window. ‘Saturday then.’

‘Saturday it is.’ He gave her an unsettling smile. ‘I’ll be there on the stroke of ten. I’m really looking forward to meeting your father.’

His parting words sent chills down Harriet’s spine as she drove home. Did he intend coming to River House on Saturday for a showdown with her father before cancelling the party? Harriet shivered at the prospect, though she knew exactly why James had asked her to the Old Rectory. He could easily have obtained the information he wanted during a phone call, but instead he had wanted, maybe needed, to demonstrate that he now had a family background like hers. And that he was the object of the sexy Claudia’s passion. He needn’t have bothered about the last. Harriet had no doubt that he’d been the object of several women’s passion over the years. In his twenties he’d been attractive enough, but now he was ten years older he took her breath away.

CHAPTER THREE

ONCE informed of the new venture, Margaret Rogers, well aware of the difficult financial situation and most other things about the Wilde family, began on a frenzy of unnecessary cleaning. The furniture in every room was polished to an even higher gleam, and her husband was called in to wash the windows inside and out. The copper pans above the island in the kitchen were scoured to blinding glory, and Aubrey Wilde volunteered to eat out until after Saturday to keep the kitchen pristine. When Harriet got home on the Friday evening Margaret was waiting to take her on a tour of inspection. River House was looking its best from every possible point of view in the evening sunshine, the hall and drawing room fragrant with the arrangements made by Margaret from blooms and greenery Will had cut in the garden.

‘How hard you’ve worked. It all looks wonderful,’ said Harriet gratefully.

In Julia’s bedroom they stood on the balcony outside the window and looked down on the gardens, which sloped down to the river which gave the house its name.

‘Don’t you miss living up here, Harriet?’ Margaret asked. ‘It still worries me to think of you alone down in that little place.’