Bought By A Billionaire

‘I know it must come as a shock to you,’ she said, fighting to maintain an element of composure, ‘though it isn’t as out of the blue as it must seem. He actually asked me two years ago. I turned him down that time, but I’ve always regretted it.’

‘Two years ago?’ Stuart Baxter looked even more bewildered. ‘But you only met him the once!’

‘Twice,’ Leonie corrected, aware of how crazy it all sounded. ‘He proposed the day after we met.’ She forced a smile. ‘I felt much the same way you’re feeling now. That it wasn’t possible for anyone to make a decision like that so quickly. Especially a man like Vidal. I didn’t have the courage to go with what I felt for him then. What I still feel for him.’

Her father gazed at her in silence for a lengthy moment, confusion giving way to perturbation. ‘You’re saying you’re in love with him?’

Leonie held his gaze, willing herself to reveal no uncertainty. ‘Yes.’

There was another pause, another change of expression, this time to one of suspicion. ‘Are you doing this for me?’

Her laugh sounded hollow even to her own ears. ‘Dad, much as I love you, I couldn’t contemplate tying myself to a man I had no feelings for. What you did brought us together again, that’s all. I want to marry him. More than anything!’

‘He’s no good for you, pet!’ It was a cry from the heart. ‘You know what kind of man he is!’

‘I know what kind of man he’s made out to be,’ she returned. ‘As a bachelor, he’s been entitled to play the field. That’s not to say he’ll continue doing it after marriage.’

‘Leopards don’t change their spots. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s based on fact. I can’t believe you’re really serious about this!’

‘I am,’ she assured him. ‘Very serious. I want you to be happy for me, Dad. Happy for us both.’

‘I’m trying,’ he said. ‘I’m really trying. I just find it—’ He broke off, shaking his head. ‘When were you thinking of?’

Leonie drew another deep breath. ‘Within three weeks. And quietly. Vidal doesn’t want any publicity.’

‘Three weeks!’

Get it all over in one go, she thought, steeling herself. ‘We’ll be living in Portugal, of course. Vidal’s main home is in Sintra, near Lisbon. We’re not planning on a honeymoon.’ She certainly wasn’t. ‘We’ll be going straight there afterwards.’

‘You planned all this last night?’ Stuart both looked and sounded at a total loss.’

‘That’s right.’ Leonie let herself relax a little. The worst was over. She attempted a smile, a lighter tone of voice. ‘Vidal doesn’t hang about.’

‘Not in any sphere, apparently. What time will he be here?’

‘I’m not sure,’ she hedged. ‘Definitely this morning.’

‘What about your job?’

‘I’ll be leaving, naturally.’

‘Just like that?’

Her shrug was meant to convey a wry acknowledgement. ‘Needs must, I’m afraid.’

‘Because Vidal says so?’ Stuart viewed her in perplexity. ‘Are you going to let him rule your whole life?’

‘It would be a bit far to commute from Lisbon,’ Leonie pointed out, trying to make a joke of it. ‘Anyway, I’m hardly going to need a job. I’m marrying a multimillionaire.’

‘That isn’t you talking,’ he protested.

‘It’s me talking nonsense,’ she responded, rueing the comment. ‘I’d marry Vidal if he didn’t have a penny to his name! I’ll be really sorry to leave you on your own,’ she added truthfully, ‘but it had to happen some time. Anyway, Portugal isn’t all that far away. We’ll be able to visit both ways.’

‘Of course.’ The agreement was subdued, his attitude one of unwilling resignation.

Leonie stretched a hand across the table to cover one of his, doing her best not to give way to the temptation to blurt out the truth. ‘I know it’s a shock, Dad, but I do know what I’m doing.’

‘I hope so,’ he said. ‘I really do hope so.’ He pushed back his chair and got to his feet. ‘I’ll be in the study.’

She let him go without protest. He needed time on his own to come to terms with it all. She needed it herself, if it came to that. By the time Vidal arrived she had to be in a frame of mind to go along with anything and everything he said.

The following couple of hours went by slowly. With ten o’clock come and gone, she began to wonder if he’d changed his mind about the whole thing. The sound of a car drawing into the drive a little before eleven dispelled that notion. A Mercedes again, she noted from the drawing room window. The latest model no doubt.

She went to open the door before he could ring the bell, unable to deny the customary tug on her stomach muscles as she viewed the decisive features.

‘Dad’s waiting for you in the study,’ she said without preamble. ‘I told him what to expect.’

‘Leaving little to discuss,’ Vidal responded dryly. ‘Five minutes should be enough to say what I have to say.’

‘You’re going to read him the Riot Act again, I suppose?’ she said, closing the door again.

Vidal gave a short laugh. ‘I intend him to understand that our marriage buys him no further immunity, yes.’

‘I’m sure he already knows that.’ Leonie was hard put to it to keep a civil tone. ‘He’s facing a difficult time all round. I’d be grateful if you didn’t lean on him too hard.’

Vidal made no reply. Wearing a dark grey suit today, he looked every inch the hard-headed businessman. She bit back any further appeal, tapping lightly on the study door before opening it.

‘Vidal’s here, Dad.’

She left them to it, going to the kitchen to make coffee. There was no sound from the study when she went back along the hall with the tray. Five minutes, Vidal had said, but it was already fifteen. What they could be talking about she couldn’t imagine.

Another five minutes went by before the two men put in an appearance. Stuart looked subdued, Vidal impassive.

‘I’ve made the arrangements for Monday three weeks from now,’ said the latter. ‘I’ll be travelling to Munich this afternoon in order to be through with business matters by then.’

Giving her three whole weeks to rearrange her life, thought Leonie sardonically. She kept both expression and voice under strict control. ‘I’d have thought the register office would have been pretty heavily booked this time of year.’

Vidal smiled, seemingly at ease. ‘I was offered a cancellation. Did you inform your employers?’

‘Not yet,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t do it over the phone. I’ll go in this afternoon.’

Stuart started to say something, breaking off with a helpless little gesture as if in recognition of the futility. ‘It’s going to be very short notice for your family,’ he observed. ‘Will any of them be attending the wedding?’

‘It’s doubtful,’ Vidal replied smoothly. ‘They do little travelling. We’ll visit them at the first opportunity, of course. The ceremony will be at ten o’clock. I have reservations on a flight from Heathrow at four.’

‘So soon!’

The shrug was brief. ‘I see no reason to linger. Naturally you’ll be welcome to visit any time you wish.’