Trouble on Her Doorstep

by Nina Harrington

His reward was a short nod. ‘I had a feeling that you would appreciate my business sense, which is why I plan to launch my new company at the tea festival. That way I get the perfect feedback direct from the experts in the trade. It’s an ideal opportunity.’

  Then she looked up at him with a sly glance.

  ‘Ah. So this is not just about the tea. Now I understand; you are taking a chance. That’s quite something. Brave.’

  ‘Daft more like,’ she replied and flashed him a light, quizzical glance though her eyelashes. ‘As a matter of interest... Were you...planning to make a move? Just curious.’

  ‘Might be. Miss Curious.’

  ‘Not Miss Anything. The name is Dee, but my friends call me Dee.’

  Then she bumped her head against his side. ‘Dee.’

  Sean slid his hand down his side and clasped hold of her fingers. ‘My friends call me Sean. Conventional, but I like it.’

  ‘Sean,’ she whispered and the sound was carried away in the breeze like the sound of the wind in the trees. ‘I like it too.’

  He grinned and took a tighter hold of her fingers. ‘Let me show you my hotel. Somehow, I think it might be a perfect match. Ready to find out?’

  * * *

  ‘Prakash! What on earth are you doing here?’

  A slim, elegantly dressed man with a Beresford hotel name-pin on his lapel and a lively open smile turned towards them in the foyer of the stunning hotel. But he did not have a chance to reply because Dee squealed and practically pounced on him, pressing her chest against his suit before pecking his cheek.

  Then she stood back and covered her mouth with her hand.

  ‘Oh no, you’re working here. Sorry, Prakash. Especially since your boss is right here with me. Do you know Sean?’

  Sean stepped forward and in an instant scanned the employee name-badge and mentally made the connections.

  ‘Prakash.’ He nodded. ‘Of course.’ They exchanged a hearty handshake. ‘Haven’t you just graduated from the management academy? I know my father was very impressed with the whole team.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Beresford. It was tough but I learnt a huge amount.’

  ‘But what are you doing here?’ Dee pressed, looking into her friend’s startled face as she grabbed his arm. ‘Last time I saw you was when we graduated from catering college and you were all set to run your parents’ chain of family restaurants.’

  Ah. So they’d been at catering college together. That would explain why Prakash Mohna was looking shell-shocked. He was probably terrified that Dee was going to start sharing some scandalous student prank that they had got up to.

  As though a hidden sensor in the back of Dee’s head had detected that Sean was thinking of her, when she turned his way her face twisted into an expression that screamed out: go on, say something snarky about students.

  ‘Actually, I am the new conference manager. Started yesterday,’ Prakash blustered.

  ‘Conference manager.’ Dee laughed and thumped him on the shoulder. ‘That’s brilliant news. Because I, Miss Dee Flynn of Flynn’s Phantasmagorian Tea Emporium, need a conference room. In a hurry. Sean here—’ she flicked her head over her shoulder in his direction ‘—found out that I had been double-booked at another Beresford hotel. And several hundred tea lovers are going to descend on London looking for a tea festival a week on Saturday. Do you think that you can help me out? Because otherwise we’ll be setting up the stall in this gorgeous foyer.’

  Her college friend flashed Sean a look of sheer panic before licking his lips and waving down a hallway. ‘Why don’t we check the booking system and find out?’

  ‘Is it computerized?’ Dee winced.

  ‘Well, yes, but we also have the printed booking sheet as back-up,’ Prakash replied, obviously confused, then he nodded. ‘Don’t tell me that you are still a complete technophobe? Dee!’

  She held up both hands in protest. ‘Not a bit. I have a laptop. Lottie has set it up for me and I run my world-class tea empire from the comforts of my own home. Progress has been made.’

  Then she turned and opened her mouth to say something with that glint in her eye which told Sean that she couldn’t resist giving him a sly dig, but Sean saw it coming and cut it off.

  ‘Human error caused the double booking at Richmond Square, so we are going to have to convince Dee that our systems can handle it.’

  Sean looked up at Prakash who had pressed a finger to his lips as though he was finding the fact that his boss and his pal from catering college were on first-name terms very amusing.

  ‘I checked the system this morning, Prakash, and we had a cancellation which might fit the bill. Why don’t I leave you to look after Dee and sort out the details while I take care of some other business? I’ll be just over here if you need me.’

  * * *

  Sean looked up from the reception desk as Dee’s laughter echoed out across the marble foyer. She was strolling out of the main conference room with her arm looped around Prakash’s elbow.

  Right now Prakash seemed to be doing a fine job of charming their latest client and keeping her entertained.

  Strange that every time he looked up Dee just happened to glance in his direction and then instantly turn away. With just enough of a blush on the back of her neck to tell him she was only too aware that they were sharing the same breathing space.

  Sean paused. For a moment there he thought... Yes, he was right. They were chatting away in what sounded like Hindi.

  Of course. She had grown up in India. Nevertheless, it was still impressive.

  Dee Flynn was certainly an unusual girl. In more ways than one.

  He had made a mistake when he’d walked into the cake shop last night and taken her for a baker or shop assistant.

  This girl was a self-employed tea entrepreneur who was organizing what sounded like a very impressive festival on her own.

  That took some doing.

  She couldn’t be a lot older than his half-sister Annika, who had grown into a lovely and talented photo-journalist. But when it came to organisation? Not one of her strengths, and Annika was happy to admit that, even to him.

  Even their father had been impressed with how the shy little blonde girl had blossomed into a lovely teenager and confident, beautiful woman with straight As, and a first-class honours degree from a famous university under her belt.

  It was an education designed to open doors. And it had.

  He loved Annika and was the first to admit that she had achieved her success by working as hard as he had to make it happen. Yet he did wonder sometimes how things would have turned out for them all if their father had not been there to pay for the private education, with a solid back-up plan and financial edge to give them the support they needed.

  Things might have been different for all of them if his father had not insisted that all of his children should grow up together: same school, same house most weekends and holidays.

  Three children with three different mothers living in the same house had not always been easy—especially for his stepmother—and they had fought and bickered and had vicious pillow fights just like any other children. But Tom Beresford had forged them into a family and he had done it through love and making sure that each one of them knew that he would always be there for them. The one constant in each of the children’s lives.

  For that, he was prepared to forgive his dad’s womanising ways. Rob never stopped teasing him that his little brother was letting the side down by staying faithful to every one of the lovely women who had agreed to put up with a light and fun relationship with him while it lasted.

  Sean Beresford did not do long-term commitment. He had seen first-hand the fallout from that kind of life when you were working twenty-four-seven, and he was determined to learn from his father’s mistakes.

  But to succe
ed on your own? With parents who worked overseas? That took a different skill set.

  Dee was definitely a one-off.

  Suddenly aware that he had been totally focused on Prakash and Dee, Sean bent his head over the conference-centre booking system and one thing was only too obvious: Prakash was not going to be very busy for the next few weeks. Far from it. Compared to the previous year, bookings over the winter had fallen by over forty per cent and were only picking up now for spring weddings and business meetings. Summer was busy most weeks but the autumn was a disaster.

  Something was badly wrong here. The recession had hit some London businesses more than others, and large conferences were a luxury many companies could no longer afford. Events booked a year in advance were regularly being cancelled.

  Sean stretched up and ran his fingers along the back of his neck, anxious not to make a fool of himself. But the girl in the flowery cotton dress and leggings distracted him by strolling across through to the other room, totally confident and completely at ease, with Prakash and his assistant making notes as they walked.

  Their half-whispered words tickled the back of his neck and Sean yearned to drop everything and join in the conversation instead of focusing on the work.

  Well, at least they would have one happy customer.

  The conference centre at this luxury hotel was in a different league from the facilities at Beresford Richmond Square, which was designed for large seminar groups. Most of the time companies booked the whole hotel for the event and organized special catering and personalized planning.

  That did not happen too often in a hotel this size... Maybe that was something he could look at?

  Sean quickly checked the hotel brochure. Conference delegates could have a ten per cent discount if they stayed here. At Richmond Square it was fifty per cent. And he already knew that this hotel was never fully booked. Ever.

  Perhaps he should be thanking Dee for giving him an idea.

  He looked up as the door to one of the ground-floor meeting rooms opened and a stream of hotel guests walked past him towards the sumptuous buffet he had already spotted being laid out.

  Slipping in right behind them, Dee smiled back at him over one shoulder and waltzed into the dining room with Prakash leaving Sean to stare after her. And the way her dress lifted in the air conditioning as her hips swayed as she walked.

  Suddenly light-headed, Sean blinked. Food. Now, that was an idea.

  Sean stood in silence as the chatting, smiling strangers filled the space his newest client had left in her wake, and watched as Dee looked over her shoulder with a wry smile, shrugged her shoulders, then turned to laugh at something Prakash said, before they were swallowed up by the businessmen who were clearly desperate for brunch after a hard morning.

  The last thing he saw was the slight tilt of her head and a flash of floral cotton as she sashayed elegantly away from him. Every movement of every muscle in her body was magnified, as though a searchlight was picking her out in the crowd for him alone.

  This was a girl whom he had only met in person for the first time yesterday.

  Strange that he was even now reliving the moment when her body had been pressed against his arm.

  Strange how he was still standing in the same spot five minutes later, watching the space where she had last stood. Waiting. Just in case he could catch a glimpse of her again.

  The prettiest woman in the room.

  And a very, very tantalising distraction.

  Sean breathed out slowly through his nose and turned away.

  Before Sasha, the old Sean would have already flown in his lady and made dinner reservations, or drinks that would stretch out into the evening with a long, slow languorous seduction as a nightcap.

  But now? Now long-term relationships were for men who stayed longer in one place than a few days or weeks at most. Men who were willing to commit fully to one woman and mean it.

  His gaze flicked up to the place where Dee had just been and lingered there longer than it should have.

  They were different people in so many ways, yet there was something about Dee that made him want to know her better. A lot better.

  He would love to have the luxury of being able to take personal time in London, but that was impossible if he wanted to get his job done before leaving for Paris. Even if that temptation came in the shape of a tea-mad beauty who was different from any other girl that he had met for a long time.

  A cluster of older men in suits burst into the reception area, blasting away his idle thoughts in a powerful rush of financial chatter and cold air.

  Sean gave a low cough and straightened his back as he nodded to the guests.

  Nothing had changed. The work had to come first.

  He owed it to his father and the family who were relying on him to get things back on track. There was no way that he could let them down. Not now. Not ever.

  Not after all that his father had done for him. For all of them.

  Sean looked up at the screensaver on the computer: The Beresford Riverside. A Beresford Family Hotel.

  There it was. The Beresford family. His rock when things had collapsed around him when his mother had been taken ill. His rock when his father had remarried but kept the children together, making sure that they all felt loved and cherished.

  His family was all he had. And he was not going to let them down.

  Dee was a lovely girl and a new client. He had been friendly and gone beyond the call of duty. The last thing either of them needed was a long-distance relationship which was bound to end in heartbreak and tears—at both ends of the telephone. From now on he had to keep his guard.

  His family had to come first.

  It was time to get back to work.

  SIX

  Tea, glorious tea. A celebration of teas from around the world.

  You can’t have a cup of tea without something to go with it: from tiny fairy cakes and English

  cucumber-and-salmon sandwiches to seafood accompanied by warm green tea in Japan. Tea and food are perfect partners.

  From Flynn’s Phantasmagoria of Tea

  Wednesday

  Dee gave Prakash a quick finger-wave and then stood on tiptoe and peered over the top of the frosted glass barrier which separated guests from hotel staff.

  Sean was sitting in exactly the same position as she had left him well over an hour ago. A plate with the remains of a sandwich sat next to his keyboard, an empty coffee cup on the other.

  ‘You missed a great meal,’ she said, but Sean’s focus did not waver from the computer monitor. ‘In fact, I am officially impressed. So much so, that I have just come to a momentous decision.’

  He flashed her a quick glance, eyebrows high. And those blue eyes seemed backlit with cobalt and silver. Jewel-bright.

  ‘Okay, Mr B. You win,’ Dee whispered in a high musical voice. ‘You have pulled out the big guns and wowed me with the most fantastic hotel that I have ever stepped into in my entire life. And the conference suite is light, airy and opens out onto the gorgeous grounds. I am powerless to resist.’

  Dee lifted her head and pushed out her chest so that she could make the formal pronouncement with the maximum splendour. ‘I accept your offer. The Beresford Riverside is going to be the new home of the annual London Tea Festival. Congratulations.’

  Then she chuckled and gave a little shoulder dance. ‘It is actually happening. I can’t wait. Cannot wait. Just can’t. Because this festival is going to be so mega, and everyone is going to have the best time.’ Then she clasped her fingers around the top of the barrier and dropped her chin onto the back of her hands so that Sean’s desk was practically illuminated by the power of her beaming grin.

  Sean replied by sitting back in his swivel chair and peering at her with one side of his mouth twisted up into a smirk
. ‘Let me guess—Prakash introduced you to the famous Beresford dessert buffet in the atrium restaurant.’

  ‘He did.’ Dee grinned then blinked. ‘And it is spectacular. But how did you know that?’

  He shook his head then pointed the flat of his hand towards her and pulled the trigger with his thumb before sliding forwards again. ‘The last time I saw someone so high on sugar and artificial colours was at my sister Annika’s fourth birthday party. And I know that you don’t drink coffee, so it can’t be a caffeine rush. How many of the desserts did you sample?’

  Dee pushed out her lower lip. ‘It seemed rude not to have a morsel of all of them. And they are so good. Lottie would be in heaven here. In fact, I might insist that she comes back with me and tries them all for research purposes.’

  ‘Better give me some warning in advance so I can tell the dessert chef to work some overtime,’ Sean muttered.

  Then he stood up and stretched out his hand over the top of the glass. ‘Welcome to the Beresford Riverside, Miss Flynn. We are delighted to have your custom.’

  Dee took Sean’s hand and gave it a single, firm shake. ‘Mega.’ She smiled and clutched onto the edge of the conference brochure tight with both hands. ‘Righty. Now the room is sorted, we can get started on the rest of the organization.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that,’ Sean replied and walked around to her side of the barrier. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket, pulled out a business card and held it out towards her. ‘Prakash will make sure that you have a great event. I wish you the very best of luck, Dee. If there is anything else you need, please get in touch.’

  Dee glanced at the business card, then up into Sean’s face, then back at the card.

  And just like that, the joyous emotional rush of finding this fabulous venue and knowing that her fears had been unfounded was swept away in one spectacular avalanche that left her bereft and mourning the loss.

  This was it.

  She was being dismissed. Passed off. Discarded.

  So that was how it worked? She’d been given the personal attention and star treatment by one of the Beresford family for just as long as it took to get her booking sorted out. Then she was back in line with all of the other hotel guests. Business as usual. Fuss and bother all sorted out.