“What do you want to do about returning these calls?” Liz waved the slips in the air.
“I’ll get around to it when I have a few minutes free.”
“Gilchrists get hostile when their calls aren’t returned in a timely fashion,” Liz warned.
“I’ll placate the coven when I get a chance.” Katy pushed open the door of her inner office and went inside.
Fraser Stanfield was propped against the edge of her desk. He was reading the morning paper, a cup of coffee beside him on the polished wooden surface. He looked up when the door opened.
He took one glance at Katy’s flushed cheeks and compressed mouth and smiled wryly. “I take it the big trip south to confront the errant grandson was not a roaring success.”
Fraser was a good-looking, likable man in his late thirties. He was also a natural clotheshorse. Everything he put on looked terrific on his athletic frame. His light brown hair had a casual windblown style that gave him the appearance of having just stepped in from a walk on the beach. His dark eyes were warm and friendly and sincere, and his teeth were white beneath his mustache. Put him in a leather bomber jacket and he could have modeled for an armed forces recruitment poster.
“No, it was not,” Katy said. She grabbed the coffeepot off the burner and poured herself a cup. Then she went around behind her desk and threw herself into the chair. “For the record, Luke Gilchrist is a cold-blooded, heartless, unfeeling, arrogant rat. The man is pond scum. A snake. Lower than a snake. He is a cruel, callous, stubborn, impossible bastard.”
“In other words, he didn’t fall all over himself when you got down on your knees and pleaded for him to return to the bosom of his family, get reinstated in Justine’s will, and take complete control of Gilchrist, Inc. forever, huh? Amazing. The man must be blind.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly put it to him like that.”
Fraser grinned. “That figures. I’ll bet you went down there and lectured him on his duties and responsibilities, didn’t you? Katy, when are you going to learn you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar?”
“I don’t think honey would work with a Gilchrist. They tend to go for blood, and I didn’t feel like offering up a ritual sacrifice.”
“That’s beside the point.” Fraser put down the newspaper and moved away from the desk. He shoved his hands into his pockets and went to stand at the window. “The point is, you need him.”
“We all need him.” Katy leaned back in her chair and gazed gloomily at the stack of folders on her desk. She was supposed to summarize the various reports and give them to Justine. But why should she bother? she wondered. Justine hardly even glanced at them anymore. “But he isn’t coming home, so we’re going to have to find an alternative.”
“There is no alternative,” Fraser said quietly. “Not unless you can get Justine to agree to start selling off the assets. Gilchrist Gourmet has got to go first. It’s starting to flounder.”
“I know. I’ll keep working on it.”
Fraser rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture of defeat. “Why not give up and pack it in?”
“I can’t. Not yet.”
“Eventually we’re both going to have to cut our losses with Gilchrist. You know that as well as I do. You want out anyway. You can’t keep your personal plans on hold forever.”
Katy glanced at his handsome profile and smiled. Fraser had been with Gilchrist, Inc. for the past five years, but she had not gotten to know him well until recently. After Justine had appointed him as her operations manager, Katy had been brought into increasingly frequent contact with Fraser. She was starting to think of him as a friend, and she knew Justine was relying on him to hold things together at headquarters.
But Fraser was intelligent and ambitious. He had his own future to think of, just as she did. He had responsibility at Gilchrist, Inc., but no real power, and he knew it. Unless things changed, he would have to move on.
“I know, Fraser. But I’m not ready to walk out on Justine just yet. She needs me.”
“And you feel you owe her.”
“I do owe her.”
“Katy, your sense of loyalty does you credit, but it’s not realistic.”
The intercom buzzed before Katy could respond.
“Katy, Her Highness wants to see you immediately,” Liz informed her.
“I was just with her.”
“I know. Something’s come up.” Liz paused for effect. “It seems Luke Gilchrist has arrived unexpectedly.”
“What?” Coffee slopped over the edge of Katy’s cup as she straightened abruptly in her chair. “Are you certain?”
“That’s what the housekeeper said a minute ago when she called. Of course, she made it sound like the arrival of one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but you know Mrs. Igorson.”
“I don’t believe it. He’s here.” Katy released the intercom button and leapt to her feet. “Fraser, we’re saved. The stubborn son of a gun came through after all. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Fraser eyed her. “You really think so?”
“Of course. You heard Liz. Luke Gilchrist is right here in the house. If he’s here, it can only be for one reason. He’s decided to come home and assume his responsibilities. I’ve got to get downstairs right away. I’ll give you a full report when I get back. I knew he’d do it. I just knew it.”
“What do you mean, you knew it? I thought this guy was pond scum.” Fraser made a face. “Lower than a snake. Callous and cruel.”
“Obviously he’s educable.” Katy was at the door. She whipped it open and hurried into the outer office. “Hold my calls, Liz. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Got it.” Liz gave her a strange look. “You really think everything is going to be all right now that the Bastard is here?”
“Everything’s going to be perfect,” Katy said over her shoulder as she sailed out the door. “And we’d better stop calling him the Bastard.”
“Going to be a tough habit to break. I’m a sucker for tradition,” Liz called after her.
Katy raced along the south wing corridor and dashed down the stairs. She was panting for breath by the time she knocked on the door of Justine’s private suite.
Mrs. Igorson responded to the knock. A woman of indeterminate years and dour countenance, the housekeeper was built along stout and sturdy lines. She had worked for Justine for nearly two decades.
Katy privately thought Mrs. Igorson was perfectly suited to work in the Gilchrist household. There was something appropriately forbidding about her. It was all Katy could do to resist addressing the poor woman as “Igor.”
“About time you got here,” Mrs. Igorson muttered. “The Bastard is with her now. I don’t like this. I don’t like it one bit. I know Mrs. Gilchrist wanted him here, but I have a feeling he’s going to be nothing but trouble.”
“You’ve got it backward, Mrs. Igorson. We’ve already got trouble. The Bastard—I mean Mr. Gilchrist —is going to fix it. By the way, as he is going to be the boss around here, we should probably stop referring to him as the Bastard.”
“I’m not so sure about that. If you want my opinion, he looks like a real mean son of a bitch.”
“Gilchrists often come across that way. You should know that.” Katy stepped into the hall with a reassuring smile. “He’s probably just a little tense. This must be a very emotional occasion for him, after all.”
“I wouldn’t put money on it. Those two didn’t exactly throw themselves into each other’s arms when he walked through the door.”
“Well, what did you expect? This is a traumatic moment for them both.”
Katy went briskly down the tiled hall. She was feeling triumphant—euphoric, in fact. The crisis had been resolved. She would soon be a free woman. She could bow gracefully out of the picture, secure in the knowledge that Gilchrist, Inc. was in g
ood hands.
Katy could hardly wait to tell her brother the good news. Free at last.
Wearing a wide smile, Katy swung around the corner into Justine’s glass-walled living room. She was prepared to be gracious to the Bastard. After all, he had seen the light and come home to do his duty to the family. She had won, and she could afford to be magnanimous in victory.
The tension in the beautiful, formal living room hit her like a wall of solid ice. Katy nearly stumbled in shock. She hesitated in the entrance and took in the scene in a single glance.
Justine was still seated in her wingback chair. She appeared as regally composed as ever, but her eyes betrayed a deep unease. There was a stiffness about her that immediately put Katy on full alert.
Katy turned to Luke. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck stirred.
He was standing in front of the bank of windows, a dark figure in his black sweater, black jeans, and low black boots. His gaze was on the fog-shrouded landscape. She knew he was aware of her presence, but he did not turn around.
He stood in what appeared to be a relaxed stance, but Katy sensed the casualness was superficial. He looked coiled and ready to strike.
“Katy, my dear.” Justine was clearly relieved to see her. “I’m so glad you’re here. My grandson has made a momentous decision.”
In spite of the ominous atmosphere in the room, Katy decided to accentuate the positive. After all, Luke was here; that was the main thing.
She turned up the voltage on her smile and laid on all the graciousness she could muster. “I’m delighted to see you made the right decision, Mr. Gilchrist. I know you won’t regret it.”
Luke turned slowly to face her. His emerald eyes glittered unnervingly. “My decision has not been finalized. I’ve just explained to Justine that I will take on the job of salvaging Gilchrist, Inc. only under certain conditions.”
Katy’s stomach clenched, but she managed to keep her smile pinned firmly in place. “What conditions?”
Justine shifted slightly in her chair. “Luke says he does not wish to be reinstated in my will. Nor does he want control of Gilchrist on a permanent basis. He says, however, he will attempt to pull us out of our immediate problems for a fee.”
“A fee?” Katy was stunned. She glared at Luke. “Money? You mean you’re going to treat your family just as you would any other client?”
“Not quite,” Luke said softly. “My fee in this case will be considerably higher than it would be for an average client.”
“How much higher?” Katy demanded.
“If I succeed, I want the Pacific Rim restaurant.”
Katy blinked, confused. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Luke shrugged. “You heard me.”
Realization dawned. Katy’s mouth fell open. “You want the Pacific Rim as your fee?”
“Yes.”
Katy threw Justine a horrified glance. She was certain she was missing something in the equation. But Justine just smiled wearily.
“I’m afraid he means it,” Justine said quietly.
“But that’s outrageous.” Katy’s gaze swung back to Luke. “That’s the most successful restaurant in the entire group. The jewel in the crown. The flagship of the line. It made more money last year than Gilchrist’s Grill and Gilchrist’s of Bellevue combined.”
“I’m aware of that.” Luke’s smile was ice cold.
“Well, you can’t have it,” Katy said stoutly.
Justine held up a hand “That’s enough, Katy. I have already agreed to Luke’s price.”
“Justine, you can’t just turn that restaurant over to him. It’s not right.”
“I had intended to turn over the entire group to him,” Justine reminded her, “together with Gilchrist Gourmet.”
“Yes, but that was when you thought he would join the company on a permanent basis and assume his full responsibilities to the family.” Katy waved a hand toward Luke in disgust. “He’s obviously only going to act as a paid consultant. Gilchrist, Inc. will be nothing more than a client as far as he’s concerned. He just said so, for heaven’s sake.”
“I will take what I can get,” Justine said bluntly.
Katy crossed the room in three quick strides and crouched beside Justine’s chair. She took the old woman’s elegant, long-fingered hand in hers and squeezed fiercely. The three-carat solitaire diamond in Justine’s ring bit into Katy’s palm. “I won’t let you grovel and plead with him, Justine. I will not let you humble yourself like this. He has no right to set such outrageous terms.”
Luke smiled dangerously. “Better save the noble outrage, Katy. You’ve only heard my first condition. There’s another.”
Katy scowled furiously at him. “What’s your second condition?”
“I want you as my personal assistant. You’ll work for me instead of Justine.”
Katy recoiled in shock. “Out of the question.”
Luke shrugged. “I’m going to need someone who can provide continuity and act as a liaison with both management and the family. You’re perfect for the job.”
“How do you know?” Katy retorted.
“Justine assures me you know almost as much about the inner workings of Gilchrist, Inc. as she does. She also says you have an intuitive understanding of most of the people who work at the management level. On top of that, you’re practically a member of the family. I’m going to need that kind of inside knowledge.”
Katy staggered to her feet, dazed. In her mind’s eye she saw all her private plans going up in smoke once more. She had been so close, she thought. Almost free. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. “Justine, are you just going to hand me over to him like this?”
Justine’s brows rose. “It’s not an unreasonable request, my dear. But the choice is yours. I won’t insist.”
“Think about it,” Luke advised, his gaze amused “Take your time. I have some details to discuss with Justine. I’ll stop by your office in an hour or so and get your decision then.”
Katy eyed him warily. She knew Justine was agreeing to Luke’s conditions because she hoped that once on board at Gilchrist, Inc. he could be persuaded to stay. It was a possibility, Katy conceded. A remote one, but still a possibility. After all, he was here at last, which was a major step forward.
Katy thought quickly. Persuading Luke to stay and take on the job of saving Gilchrist, Inc. was her best hope of early escape.
“There’s no need to wait for my decision,” she said coolly. “I’ll stay on with the company.”
It was Luke’s turn to smile slowly in triumph. “Excellent.”
“For a limited period of time,” Katy added calmly.
Luke quirked a brow. “How limited?”
Katy took a stab in the dark. “Three months.”
Luke considered that. “I don’t know if I’ll have Gilchrist under control in three months. The job may take longer. No, I’m afraid I can’t accept any limitations on your commitment. I need to know I can count on you for as long as it’s necessary to do so.”
“All right, four months,” Katy said quickly.
“Nine.”
“Six.”
“Done,” Luke said a little too easily.
Katy gritted her teeth. She was sure he would have settled for less if she had bargained more cautiously. “You certainly live up to your reputation, Mr. Gilchrist.”
“Call me Luke. After all, we’re going to be working closely together. Tell me, Katy, do you always make major career decisions without taking time to think them through?”
Katy felt her face growing warm. “That was hardly a major decision. It was blackmail. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
Without waiting for a reply Katy swung around on her heel and walked swiftly out of the room.
Mrs. Igorson was waiting in the hall. The housekeeper gav
e her a knowing look. “Lives up to his nickname, don’t he?”
“Yes, he does,” Katy muttered.
Bastard.
Then her natural optimism set in and Katy brightened. Six months was not all that bad, she consoled herself. It was not great, but she could survive it. She could spend the time researching locations and recipes for the small take-out business she intended to open.
At least now she had a definite release date.
Katy could hardly wait to mark her calendar so that she could start counting down the days to freedom.
CHAPTER FOUR
A charged silence filled the living room after the door closed behind Katy. Luke was aware of a curious sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t easy winning battles with guardian angels. Virtue always had an unfair advantage.
He almost smiled as he listened intently to the sound of Katy’s footsteps retreating into the distance. He had her now. She was all his for the next six months. It was a heady thought, even though he was not at all certain just what he would do with her.
“You upset her,” Justine said after a moment.
“Did I?”
“Yes. She’s normally very calm. Quite unflappable. She’s also extraordinarily cheerful most of the time.” Justine frowned thoughtfully as she picked up her cup of tea. “I’ve often wondered how she does it. It doesn’t seem quite natural somehow. Nevertheless, she’s rather a delight to have around, actually.”
“Is that why you’ve kept her? Because she amuses you?”
Justine did not take offense. “On the contrary, I believe it is she who finds us Gilchrists amusing. When she’s not exasperated with us, that is. She needed a job. I gave her one. It’s been a mutually beneficial arrangement. I don’t know what I would have done without her, especially these past two years.”
“I know she’s Richard Quinnell’s granddaughter.” Luke moved back to the window.
“Yes. She’s Richard’s granddaughter. The resemblance is unmistakable. She got that brilliant red hair and those deep blue eyes from him. Her mother looked just like her at that age.”
Family Man Page 5
