Point Of No Return

‘She isn’t coming back at all,’ Mrs Reece told her with a sigh. ‘Apparently her Donald has decided he doesn’t want her to work any more.’

Roddy had done a good job of frightening the other girl away. Donald Jones was a possessive boy, and the slightest sign of interest in Patsy from another man would be enough for him to stop her coming here any more.

‘Well, I could come in for a few days full-time,’ Megan offered. ‘Just until you get someone else.’

‘Could you?’ Mrs Reece accepted gratefully. She was a middle-aged woman of perhaps fifty, her hair already snow-white, her figure neat and trim, her energy boundless.

‘Just for a while,’ Megan nodded. ‘I—–’

The door leading to the main part of the house was suddenly thrown open, and the new owner stood looking at them. Megan jumped almost guiltily to her feet, although Mrs Reece and Freda seemed unconcerned.

Velvety brown eyes passed insolently over Megan’s denim-clad figure, over the way the green sweater hugged her breasts and the flatness of her stomach. Megan felt as if he were mentally undressing her—and liking what he saw! She looked sharply at the other two women in the room, but they seemed unaware of her boss’s appraisal.

‘Roddy told me I would find you in here,’ Jerome Towers spoke to her.

So he was back already! ‘I called in to see Mrs Reece,’ she answered resentfully.

‘He told me that too,’ he drawled. ‘I just wanted you to pass on a message to your brother. Tell him I’ll call in this evening. I have some things I want to discuss with him.’

Megan bristled angrily at his autocratic tone. ‘If it’s anything to do with the farm you can discuss it with me.’

His gaze ran over her coldly, contemptuously. ‘Women have their uses,’ he told her insultingly. ‘And being in business isn’t one of them. Tell Brian I’ll be there about eight-thirty.’ He left as abruptly as he had entered.

CHAPTER THREE (#u0c3e261d-3912-5256-b4a8-adef5ca46acd)

SHE relayed the message to her brother, watching the worried frown that marred his brow.

‘I wonder what he wants,’ Brian said thoughtfully.

‘I have no idea,’ Megan told him crossly. ‘He wouldn’t tell me.’

‘Did you ask him?’

‘Yes.’

Brian grinned at her anger. ‘By the way, Jeff said he hadn’t had time this morning to come out and look at our tractor, but that Mr Towers told him to let us borrow one of theirs. How did Mr Towers know about it?’

Megan explained her mistake, although she omitted the fact that Jerome Towers had invited her out to dinner, and also that he had changed his mind when he realised she was his own hired help. ‘It was a natural mistake to make,’ she added moodily.