Captivated by Her Innocence

CHAPTER THREE

ANGEL SMOOTHED THE pages she had retrieved from the back seat. ‘So that was Miss Henderson?’ She tapped the typed name on the page before flashing a look at her brother. ‘I take it she didn’t get the job? Pity—anyone that gives as good as she gets with you might be just what we need.’

‘That is private, Angel,’ her brother snarled.

Angel read one of the attached references. ‘It says here she has a natural empathy with children and she’s—’

Cesare, making an effort to slow his breathing, interrupted irritably. ‘Yeah, I know, she’s perfect.’

A thoughtful expression crossed his sister’s face. ‘You know, I think she might be...’

‘Put that down, Angel.’ He clenched his teeth as his sister predictably tuned him out and turned another page.

‘I’m curious,’ she admitted, still skimming the page. ‘Who was better than her?’

‘Paper qualifications are all well and good.’

‘You mean she’s another one of Paul’s victims.’

‘What the hell do you mean by “another”?’

‘I mean if you’ve got a blind spot it comes to that man. Don’t look like that. I love Paul, he’s a total charmer but, let’s face it he’s—’

Without warning Cesare pulled the car to the side of the road, drawing a startled gasp from his sister.

‘Are you trying to tell me he made a pass at you?’

Reassured by his sister’s peal of laughter enough to start breathing again, he released a deep sigh and turned the engine back on.

They had travelled a silent mile before Angel voiced the question she already knew the answer to. ‘And if he had?’

‘I’d kill him,’ Cesare informed her, with a total lack of emotion.

His response told Angel nothing she didn’t already know. ‘So saving your life makes it all right for him to mess with the—’ she wafted the printed CV his way ‘—Miss Hendersons of the world, but not your sister?’

‘Shut up, Angel.’

Smiling, she licked her finger and chalked up an invisible point in the air, drawing an almost smile from her grim-faced brother before she began to read the CV, which described the sort of person who even the most paranoid parent would feel happy about leaving in charge of their child.

* * *

‘Hi...Anna?’

Anna, who was on the point of leaving, turned and saw the beautiful brunette who had been with Cesare Urquart standing in the doorway of the hotel room she had been forced to take for the night. This morning the brunette was wearing jeans tucked into a pair of knee-high boots and a short fur-collared leather jacket, her river-straight, silky, waist-length jet-black hair secured in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Even if Anna hadn’t been having a bad hair day, and she really was, the woman would have made her feel hopelessly inadequate.

‘I don’t think your boyfriend will like it if you’re seen talking to me.’

Angel scowled. ‘I don’t care much what Cesare likes.’

Her brother had not reacted well to her suggestion over breakfast that his attitude to this woman was coloured by their own mother, and even less well when she had said that just because someone saved your life it didn’t mean they were a saint. And when she’d mentioned her totally brilliant idea he had suggested she had lost her mind.

‘And he’s not my boyfriend, he’s my brother.’

Anna’s chin dropped from the defiant angle as her eyes widened. ‘Brother!’ Were the whole family this stunning?

Anna’s shocked exclamation drew a grin.

‘I’d like to say he got the looks and I got the brains but I’d be lying.’ Her expression sobered. ‘But brainy or not, Cesare can be pretty stupid sometimes and he’s pathologically loyal to his friends even the ones who haven’t...’ She broke off, giving the impression of someone biting their tongue. ‘And, of course, sorry doesn’t come easy to him.’

Anna gave an unamused snort. The idea of that hateful man wanting to apologise was a joke. None of this was his sister’s fault so she forced a faint smile, but was unable to bite back her bitter retort. ‘Especially as he’s always right.’

The willowy brunette winced. ‘Ouch! So you are heading back to...London?’

Anna glanced at her watch. The information she’d received advised that passengers should only travel if their journey was strictly necessary because there were still flood warnings, and though some trains were running today there were numerous delays. The likelihood was her journey would take a lot longer than normal. At best, according to her enquiries, the trains were running on average three hours behind schedule.

‘I haven’t much reason to hang around.’

‘I suppose you have plans for your summer break.’

The seemingly casual remark drew a sigh from Anna. Break? Her summer break might end up being longer than she would have liked. Still, she’d done stints of supply teaching before and she could again.

‘Is there something I can help you with, Miss Urquart?’

‘It’s Angel and, yes, there is. When is your train due? Do you have time for a coffee? The place on the corner is actually pretty good.’

Her last phone call to the help line had suggested she had time for a three-course banquet but she shook her head in a negative motion. Despite her refusal she was actually rather intrigued by this woman’s appearance.

‘Sorry.’

‘You’re probably wondering what I want?’

‘I’m curious,’ Anna admitted.

‘I have a daughter.’ She waved her ring hand at Anna. ‘And, no, I’m not married.’

Half the children in her class of thirty in the inner-city school where Anna had worked had come from single-parent backgrounds.

‘And I never have been. Jas...Jasmine is a great kid. I just wish I could spend more time with her. It’s hard juggling.’ The frown on her brow smoothed as she added, ‘I’m luckier than most because my work is more flexible. Normally I keep the holidays free and, of course, Cesare is great but obviously he can’t be here all the time. He’s a victim of his own success.’ She looked at Anna and, after receiving a blank look back, loosed an incredulous laugh. ‘You’ve no idea who he is, do you?’

‘I know what he is...’ Anna gave a shamed grimace and grunted. ‘Sorry, he’s your brother.’

Angel looked amused. ‘Oh, don’t hold back on my account. Cesare can look after himself.’

‘I know your family owns the estate and castle. I suppose that makes him pretty important.’ In his own eyes at least, she thought viciously. ‘Locally.’

‘Sure, the Urquarts have been here for ever, but the estate barely breaks even. It’ll be years before it does despite the money he’s poured in over the last five years. Dad, bless him, was pretty resistant to change and Mum, before she packed her bags, was terribly expensive. Her divorce settlement was pretty extreme. Anyway, I digress. You don’t want to know about the family,’

On the contrary, Anna was eating up every fascinating detail.

‘I take it you’re not a fan of Formula One racing?’ Angel continued.

‘Not my thing.’

Was Cesare some kind of racing-car driver? It figured.

Danger and glamour plus a ridiculous amount of adulation—yes, she could see that suiting him.

‘Well, actually he is what most people would call famous.’ Accustomed to seeing her brother the target of women who had been known to stalk him in packs, Angel was amused that this girl didn’t have a clue who he was.

‘He was champion driver two years running.’ Anna watched a shadow cross the other girl’s beautiful face before she adopted a brisk tone and explained, ‘Obviously that was before the crash, then he moved seamlessly into management and took over team Romero.’

A crash! News reports of crashes always made Anna leave the room or switch channel; now the word made her shudder.

‘Was he...?’ She stopped. Presumably he had been injured, but if he bore any scars Anna hadn’t seen any—not that she had seen that much of him. Without warning an image floated before her eyes—a pretty detailed image.

Wafting cold air on her face with her hand, she cleared her throat more successfully than she cleared her mind of a naked bronzed man. ‘Romero?’ Even she had heard of the famous Italian racing team. ‘So he doesn’t live here?’

‘The team is based in Italy but after Dad died Cesare made the decision to live here. Obviously he travels a lot.’ She grimaced. ‘We both do—pretty ironic considering how we both hated it when we were kids. Our mum got custody after the divorce,’ she explained. ‘And she has what you could call a low boredom threshold—she doesn’t stay in one place for long.’

She flashed Anna a wry smile. ‘So neither did we. When Jas was born I was determined that she had security, stability, a stable home life.’

The implication that she, and presumably her brother, had not enjoyed this sort of childhood was not lost on Anna who felt a stab of sympathy. Not for Cesare, obviously, but for this beautiful young woman. Anna might have been tragically orphaned, not what most people would call a perfect childhood, but after her parents’ death she had been raised in a warm and loving home and treated as much a daughter as Rosie by her aunt and uncle.

‘I always feel guilty when I go away for work but...’ Angel shook her head. ‘I wish now I’d not taken this job. It’s too big a commitment.’ Anna, who had seen that look of guilt on the face of many working mothers trying to juggle childcare, struggled to maintain her detachment. Giving full rein to her empathy had led in the past to Anna being taken advantage of—it wasn’t going to happen again. She’d toughened up. Watching the person you loved most in the whole world having her stomach pumped did that to a person.

‘I hadn’t worked for three months while Jas was ill and in my business people have short memories. You’re only as good as your last assignment. I thought it might be tough to... Well, anyway, when I got offered this Face of Floriel gig I just grabbed it, but then—’ she sighed ‘—not thinking of consequences is the story of my life.’

Anna felt a flash of something close to envy. Had she ever done anything without thinking of consequences? Her caution was probably why everyone had considered it wildly out of character when she had gone for a job outside the city she’d lived in for most of her life.

‘Look, I wish I could help.’ She liked Angel Urquart and she would have liked to help her out.

Do not go there, Anna. Don’t even think it.

‘You can.’

Anna shook her head. ‘You must see that’s impossible. Obviously I’m very sorry your daughter has been ill—’

‘She missed all of last term.’

‘I’m sure she’ll catch up quickly. They do at that age.’ Anna stopped as things suddenly clicked into place in her head.

‘Oh, wow, you’re that model...Angel.’ Minus dramatic make-up, this was the woman with the impossibly perfect body, the woman from the ad campaign advertising lingerie. The images were plastered on the side of every bus in London a year or so ago.

‘Right now I’m the mum Angel and I just know that this will work. And you wouldn’t have to worry about Cesare,’ she cut in quickly. ‘It’s a very big castle. Jas and I have an apartment in the west wing so we’re totally independent. Of course, he’d be there if you needed him.’

Needing Cesare Urquart? ‘I won’t.’

‘Then you’ll do it?’

Anna’s eyes widened in dismay. ‘No, I just meant...Does he...?’ She swallowed, unable to bring herself to say the name of the man. ‘Does your brother know you’re here?’

‘I mentioned it.’

Anna’s lips twisted in a dubious smile. She was not fooled for a second by the casual tone. ‘And he’s willing to run the risk of me contaminating your daughter?’ Anna couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice.

Angel laid her hand on Anna’s shoulder. She was smiling but her narrowed green eyes shone with determination. ‘Cesare is my brother and I owe him a lot, but I’m Jas’s mother and where her welfare is concerned I make the decisions.’

‘But if you work, don’t you already have childcare?’

‘Sure, Jas has a nanny, only poor Jenny came off her bike, broke her leg and won’t be out of her plaster for another six weeks. She’d hobble back to work if I let her, but it’s out of the question.’ She gave a sigh. ‘Look, forget it. This isn’t your problem. I shouldn’t have come, and believe me you’re not the only one who is intimidated by my big brother.’ She fastened the button on her jacket and swept a strand of gleaming dark hair from her face.

‘I’m not intimidated by your brother.’

‘Of course you’re not,’ Angel soothed.

Anna’s jaw tightened. ‘I’ll do it.’

Angel’s smile flashed. She was already fishing a mobile phone from her pocket. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Totally.’

Angel made a call on her mobile.

‘Hi, Hamish. Yes. Bring Jas up.’ She looked at the bag on Anna’s bed. ‘Good, you’re packed,’ she approved. ‘You travel light, but no problem—we can stop on the way and pick up some more things. What size are you—six, eight?’

Anna blinked. ‘Your daughter is here? You expect me to come now?’

Angel looked surprised by the question. ‘Anna, I’m catching my flight at midnight and—’

‘You must have been very sure I’d say yes.’

The woman gave an airy shrug. ‘I’m by nature an optimistic person.’

Anna gave the sleek, stylish brunette a long searching look. Before she could challenge Angel, the door burst open and a small dark-haired figure burst in. Jas Urquart had a shy version of her mother’s smile and a front tooth missing. She was the embodiment of heartbreakingly adorable.

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