Lady Surrender

‘Graphically,’ he drawled.

‘I’m sure,’ her mouth twisted. ‘So now you know I’m the “rich bitch” who is trying to ruin your bid for Shevton House.’

He grinned, looking about the room appreciatively ‘Mrs Hart apparently likes to surround herself with luxury,’ he derided.

‘Mrs Hart earned this luxury,’ she told him tightly, taking the bronze sculpture of a horse out of his hand and placing it back on her desk-top.

‘That isn’t what I heard,’ he mocked, stretching his long length out in one of the armchairs, watching her through narrowed lids. ‘You took over when your husband died. Which brings me to the point of why you lied about your name yesterday,’ he added sharply.

‘I didn’t lie.’ Her eyes flashed silver. ‘My name is Allenby.’

‘Was,’ Aaron Grantley corrected abruptly. ‘Before you married the son of your father’s business partner seven years ago. Maybe you did earn this company after all,’ he derided. ‘The marriage was certainly a convenient one.’ He raised mocking brows.

‘I don’t have to explain myself to you—–’

‘I doubt Rocharlle Hart ever explains herself to anyone. How did you ever get a name like Rocharlle, anyway?’ he taunted.

‘My parents.’

‘That’s obvious,’ he dismissed mockingly. ‘But it isn’t what I meant.’

‘Rowena and Charles,’ she explained impatiently. ‘When they were told I was to be an only child they named me after both of them.’

‘It would have been easier to call you Charlotte after your father,’ Aaron Grantley derided.

It would have been a lot less embarrassing too; her unusual first name had been a talking point all her life. ‘You didn’t come here to talk about my name—–’

‘In part I did,’ his voice hardened. ‘Why didn’t you tell me last night who you were?’

‘For the same reason you came here today and acted as if our engagement were a reality; which incidentally I want you to correct before you leave—I was angry,’ she bit out. ‘Matt innocently told you I was staying at his apartment, and then because you were told it was a woman and not a man as you had supposed you assumed I had to be his mistress.’

He shrugged broad shoulders, perfectly relaxed. ‘I’m still not sure that isn’t true.’

Charly gasped. ‘I thought you said you had spoken to Matt?’

‘I have,’ he nodded. ‘But like you, he doesn’t feel he has to explain himself. He’s mad as hell at both Molly and me for jumping to conclusions,’ he added ruefully.

‘He’s told Molly the truth?’

‘Not exactly,’ Aaron Grantley derided. ‘Apparently she’s a little emotional at the moment, and he seems to think we’ve complicated the situation by pretending to be engaged, believes that if he told her the truth now Molly would think he had something to hide.’

Charly sighed. ‘I’m inclined to agree with him.’

‘I’m willing to accept that,’ Aaron Grantley nodded. ‘Although Molly’s emotional state seems a little convenient to me.’

She gave him a disparaging look. ‘Are you always this suspicious?’

‘Only when I find a beautiful woman staying at my best friend’s apartment,’ he drawled.

‘I hope to be moving out at the end of the week,’ Charly snapped.

‘To go where?’

‘My own home, of course,’ she told him impatiently.

‘Ah yes, the one that’s been damaged by fire.’

‘Mr Grantley, I don’t care for your tone—–’

‘And I don’t care for this whole charade,’ he rasped, his eyes bright with anger. ‘Especially now that I know the woman I’m engaged to is also the woman who’s interfering in my property deal.’

‘There are some that would say you have that the wrong way around, Mr Grantley,’ she returned coldly.

‘Aaron,’ he instructed tensely. ‘Shevton was on the point of accepting my offer when you came along with a better one,’ he scowled.

‘And you counter-offered.’

‘And so did you,’ he ground out. ‘How high are you prepared to go?’

‘I don’t believe that is any of your business,’ she snapped indignantly.

‘What the hell does Hartall Industries want with a house like that and a thousand acres?’ His eyes were narrowed.

Hartall Industries didn’t want them at all; the offer to buy was a purely personal one. But obviously Aaron Grantley wasn’t aware of that, at least.

‘I suppose you plan to turn it in to yet another hotel?’ she scorned.

His mouth tightened. ‘You have to see that it would be ideal.’

‘It could have other uses,’ she dismissed.

‘Don’t tell me, as a health-farm for all your over-indulged friends,’ he derided. ‘Or perhaps as a clinic where they can go to “dry out”,’ he added contemptuously. ‘I hear that’s very fashionable nowadays.’

‘I don’t have any friends that need to “dry out”,’ Charly snapped at his condescension. ‘Just as it’s none of your business what I do with Shevton House once I’ve bought it.’

‘If you buy it,’ he corrected gratingly. ‘Which you won’t,’ he said confidently.

‘I wouldn’t put money on it,’ she warned him softly, her grey gaze calm and confident.

‘It’s perfect for what I want,’ he announced arrogantly. ‘The building itself, and its location in that little cove is ideal too. You aren’t thinking of going in to the hotel business yourself, are you?’ he mocked.

‘No,’ she dismissed with a derisive laugh. ‘I’ve stayed at several of your hotels in the past, Mr—Aaron, and I don’t think I could compete.’ His hotels offered the sort of first-class accommodation James had always insisted on when they travelled abroad. ‘I’m sure Shevton House would make a very good hotel, I just happen to have other plans for it.’

‘Shevton isn’t likely to sell to either of us now until he gets top dollar,’ Aaron grimaced.

She shrugged. ‘We both know it’s worth it.’

Green eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘You must want it very badly.’

‘Yes,’ she confirmed flatly.

He continued to look at her steadily for several seconds, then he shrugged. ‘May the best man—person, win.’

Her mouth twisted. ‘Oh, I will,’ she assured him.

Aaron looked amused. ‘That might be difficult, as I intend Shevton House to be mine.’

‘We’ll see,’ she said enigmatically.

‘You weren’t in for your delivery this morning, so I brought this with me.’ He drew out a jewellery box from his pocket, holding it out to her.

‘You must realise now that I don’t want—or need—the bracelet and necklace,’ she told him stiffly.

‘It did occur to me,’ he drawled. ‘So I took them back and got you this instead.’

Charly took the velvet box uncertainly, flicking open the lid. Inside was a gold charm bracelet, but it was the charms attached to it that made her smile, tiny animals all made in minute detail. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she smiled up at Aaron, frowning as she saw the last charm. ‘But what’s this?’ she held up the miniature engagement and wedding rings, the emerald in the former obviously genuine.

‘Obligatory, I’m afraid,’ he grimaced. ‘Window dressing for Molly tonight.’

Charly looked up at him slowly. ‘I thought we had agreed we would make my excuses?’

‘Hm,’ he sighed. ‘I’m afraid, as Matt pointed out to me, it would look a bit odd, to Molly, if we broke off our engagement so quickly. Which is why I also purchased this,’ he took a ring-box out of his other pocket.

‘Oh no,’ Charly put her hands behind her back, staring with horror at the finger-sized replica of the emerald ring on the charm bracelet, the emerald the size of a penny. ‘I’m not wearing that,’ she shook her head.

‘I know we told Molly we weren’t bothering with an engagement, but—–’

‘I am not wearing it.’ She repressed a shiver of revulsion as she imagined the gold shackle around her finger. ‘I’m allergic to rings,’ she told him breathlessly.

‘To the gold, you mean?’ he frowned.

‘No—to wearing them!’ This time she couldn’t hold back the shudder. ‘They’re a licence to imprison.’

His brows rose. ‘So the marriage wasn’t so convenient after all,’ he drawled.

She looked at him sharply. ‘I don’t wish to talk about my marriage.’

‘There seems to be quite a few things you refuse to talk about,’ Aaron taunted.

‘Have I tried to pry into your private life?’ Her eyes shone silver. ‘Have I asked even one question?’

‘You asked if I were married,’ he reminded.

She sighed. ‘In the circumstances I would have thought you would be as averse to the thought of my wearing your ring as I am,’ she derided.

‘But I know it’s only temporary.’

‘It’s also unnecessary. Thank you, but no thank you,’ she said firmly. ‘And are you absolutely sure you can’t get me out of dinner this evening?’ she frowned. ‘I’d really rather not go.’

‘Matt seemed to think it was necessary.’ He pocketed the ring-box.

She chewed on her inner lip. ‘Very well then—if I have no choice.’

‘My ego has taken a severe beating since I met you,’ Aaron drawled dryly.

‘I don’t think it’s going to do it much harm,’ Charly derided.

‘You aren’t exactly lacking in self-confidence yourself, you know,’ he pointed out softly.

Perhaps if he had met her a year ago he would have thought differently. Six years of marriage to a man as strong-willed as James had stripped her of most of the poise and confidence that had been imbued in to her at the finishing-school she had attended in Switzerland. When a man was as assured and arrogant as James had been something had to give in a marriage, and for the sake of peace it had always been Charly. It would never happen to her again, she was her own woman now, and intended to remain that way.

‘I’m Rocharlle Allenby-Hart, remember?’ she drawled. ‘With the gold spoon in my mouth.’

He looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Maybe that gold becomes a little heavy to carry at times,’ he murmured.

She wasn’t sure if he meant literally or figuratively—whichever one he was right! ‘I can live with it,’ she mocked.

‘Who couldn’t?’ he derided. ‘And if Matt isn’t the man in your life then who is?’

She avoided his probing eyes. ‘There isn’t one. My husband has only been dead a year,’ she defended—and then mentally chastised herself for doing so; she had given up justifying her actions after James died. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me,’ she added briskly, ‘I have work to do …’

‘Buying country houses being part of it,’ he mocked.

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged challengingly.

‘We’ll see,’ Aaron murmured.

She could see the return of challenge in his own eyes, and knew that he was enjoying himself. James had enjoyed challenges too, an easy conquest held no interest for him. But she hadn’t known that until it was too late, until she found him in her cousin’s arms, Jocelyn treating him in the same casual way James regarded Charly. And how James had loved it. And how he had loved Jocelyn too. But when she had asked him for a divorce he hadn’t wanted Jocelyn enough to give up the one thing he did want from his marriage to Charly. And then when he had decided he wanted a divorce he had once again used the one threat against her guaranteed to make her agree to anything he wanted.

‘Where have you gone to?’

She focused her attention on Aaron Grantley with effort, having forgotten his presence as she thought of that last conversation with James that had ended in tragedy. ‘Nowhere, Mr Grantley.’ She moved to sit behind her desk. ‘For a moment you reminded me of someone,’ she added as he seemed to expect more.

His eyes narrowed. ‘They seemed unhappy thoughts.’

‘They were,’ she acknowledged bluntly.

‘I realise we got off to a bad start last night—–’

‘We didn’t get off to a start at all,’ she corrected abruptly. ‘You threw out a lot of groundless accusations, bullied me into acting like your girlfriend—–’

‘No one bullied you into anything,’ Aaron cut in. ‘I don’t think anyone ever could—What did you say?’ he frowned as she muttered something under her breath.

She straightened her shoulders. ‘I said they could try,’ she spoke loud enough for him to hear this time.

He shrugged dismissively. ‘You wanted to put Molly’s mind at rest,’ he stated firmly.

‘Matt adores her,’ she said flatly.

‘He wouldn’t be the first man in love with his wife to be attracted to another woman,’ Aaron spoke hardly.

‘What time are we expected for dinner this evening?’ she ignored the question in his tone.

‘Eight o’clock.’

She nodded. ‘I’ll drive myself down,’ she told him briskly. ‘I expect to be working late.’

‘I’ll call for you.’

‘I’d prefer to drive myself,’ she said determinedly.

‘Independent, huh?’ he derided.

‘Absolutely.’ Cold grey eyes met his amused gaze.

‘James Hart must have been a bastard,’ he said with narrowed eyes.

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