Tender Persuasion

by Sara Wood

  'How gallant,' she said drily.

  'Don't knock it,' he snapped. 'You need me at this moment.'

  'Like hell I do!' she cried, unwilling to accept the truth of what he said. Having him take over was lovely. She'd been fighting on her own for so long now and was tired, physically and emotionally.

  'Then go find your own damn dog!' he snarled, losing patience and turning on his heel.

  Resignedly, Jade did just that, the sound of a kettle and crockery being clattered about receding as she made her way down the dark garden. She looked back and saw him silhouetted in the golden glow from the kitchen window; apparently watching her.

  Jade plunged on, disconcerted by the secure feeling he gave her by being there, in her cottage. Then her distracted mind was alerted to the sound of whimpering. Her pulses racing, she clambered over the low wall at the back and into the manor field which ran down to the river, scattering browsing rabbits as she ran. What she saw, when she reached the bank, made her heart turn over. Polly had just succeeded in drawing her leg from a poacher's trap.

  'Polly! Oh, you poor thing!' cried Jade, as the dog tried to limp towards her on three legs. She prevented Polly from moving any more, holding her tightly and stroking her. The leg looked dreadfully torn, and Jade averted her eyes from the sight, feeling a mixture of sickness and fury. She had to get a grip on herself and carry Polly back somehow.

  Helplessly she assessed the dog's weight: too much for her, but she'd have to manage.

  'Jade? Where are you?'

  Dane—he was strong enough! 'Over here! Hurry! Please hurry! Polly's hurt!'

  She heard him running and then saw him with an incredible sense of relief, his eyes blazing with anger when he saw the retriever's plight.

  Cursing softly, he placed a reassuring hand on Jade's shoulder and knelt to examine the bleeding leg. His mouth in a hard, tight line, he rose, uprooted the spring trap and flung it furiously into the deep waters of the river, where it slowly sank without trace into the deep mud at the bottom.

  'It probably looks worse than it is,' he said. 'But she may have damaged her tendons as well as the muscle. I'll carry her to my car. Is there a vet nearby?'

  'Lewes. I'll have to ring,' she said, bobbing along anxiously beside him and intermittently soothing Polly.

  'Do you often let her roam free?' he asked tightly.

  'No! That is—she's always had the freedom of Saxonbury Manor land.'

  'If children play there, you'd better get the police to find the poacher. There could be a nasty accident.'

  'Will she be all right?' she asked, upset.

  'She'll get over it, don't worry. In a couple of weeks you'll never know she hurt herself at all. Dogs are more resilient than people,' he added, half to himself.

  What an odd thing to say, thought Jade, acknowledging that he was probably right. Perhaps he was alluding to the fact that he thought she was still mourning the loss of her husband.

  Dane had to drive to the town. Jade held Polly all the way as he raced at speed along the narrow country lane, controlling the car with expert hands. The vet confirmed Dane's opinion that the injury looked worse than it was.

  'What will you do to her?' she asked, trembling and white, Dane's supportive arm around her shoulders.

  'We'll give her an anaesthetic and antibiotics, and repair the damaged muscles,' said the vet. 'As far as I can see, no major muscle is affected and the tendons are fine, though we'll have a proper look tomorrow under the anaesthetic.'

  'When do we collect her?' asked Dane.

  Jade felt oddly at home in the shelter of his friendly arm, and comforted in the way he had said 'we'. She was feeling so shaky that she needed his strength.

  'I'll ring you. She'll be almost normal in ten days or so, depending on what we find, of course,' said the vet reassuringly. 'Leave her with me and don't worry.'

  'Thank you,' said Jade, and stroked Polly's head for a moment.

  'I think you ought to get home,' said Dane. 'You look drained.'

  With a final gentle hug for Polly and a grateful handclasp for the vet, Jade allowed Dane to escort her to his car and settle her in the passenger seat. All the way home he kept up an inconsequential—and rather one-sided—conversation about driving in the country or on motorways, and she was glad that her mind was occupied.

  But when they arrived, and it was time for her to thank him and say goodbye, she felt a sudden panic at the idea of never seeing him again. Oh, Jade, you fool! she moaned to herself. Don't get tangled up with him!

  He sat in the car, not moving, looking out at her cottage. 'This must be very different to your house,' she blurted out, curious to know something of his life-style. 'Very,' he smiled. 'I have a penthouse suite in the City.' Her heart sank, He was a City slicker, then. 'Still, ideal for entertaining, parties and so on,' she probed.

  'Ideal.' His tone gave nothing away, but, as Jade looked at his perfect profile, she saw how hard his expression was and knew from the set of his jaw that he would be as ruthless in love as he was in business. Then he swept her with lazy eyes, an invitation in his glance, and she stiffened. 'Aren't you going to ask me in?' he murmured. 'Certainly not!' she flushed. 'I could do with a coffee before I go.' She'd heard that excuse rather too often for it to sway her. Then she felt churlish. After all, he had put himself out for Polly—though he was probably like all Englishmen, and had a soft spot for dogs. 'A quick coffee, then. I'm awfully tired.' He lowered his eyes and slid out of his seat, coming around to open the door for her. Emotionally exhausted, she was hardly able to raise the energy to get out of the car. 'When did you last eat anything?' asked Dane shrewdly, as she listlessly opened her front door.

  'Um… I think it must have been breakfast. You took over my lunch hour,' she complained.

  'Sit down,' he said gently, thrusting her into an armchair. 'Everything's happened today, hasn't it?' he said softly, crouching down and taking her hand.

  'Stop being so nice!' she moaned, longing to lose herself against his friendly-looking chest.

  He smiled. 'Shall I yell at you?'

  'Yes,' she said sulkily. That way, she could hate him, although then she would have to feel ashamed of the way her body responded when he looked at her with his sultry eyes.

  'I'll make us some supper instead,' he said drily.

  Her nerves jangled every time he made a noise in the kitchen. She had to get a grip on herself! She didn't need anyone. She could cope. Once she'd eaten something she'd feel fine. But she didn't. He brought in scrambled eggs on toast and a dish of strawberries. Famished, she tucked into the meal with a quick expression of thanks, and didn't speak until she'd swallowed the last delicious strawberry.

  'I don't want to push you,' he said tentatively, 'but I ought to be going, and…'

  'Oh, yes. I've kept you. Do you want to ring home?' Her voice was suddenly hard as she remembered his situation. He'd shown a remarkable lack of consideration for his wife, who was probably patiently waiting with a dinner burning in the oven.

  'No. Jade, let me make things easy for you. I want to buy Saxonbury and can come to some agreement with you now and finalise the arrangement tomorrow. That would save you any more distress in showing people the house, and you wouldn't have to go through the strain of the auction. How about it?'

  She bit her lip and imagined what it would be like to having him living next door, bumping into her in the street, chairing the parish council, running the Garland Day Show with her. And his wife. She knew enough about her rocketing emotions and his evident interest in her to know that his presence would bring trouble. He was a charming lecher, ready to flirt and seduce any likely female who came his way—he'd proved that today. She seemed to be so starved of affection and the pleasure of being touched that she couldn't answer for her behaviour any more. No way would she come between a man and his wife, even if the wife was already being betrayed.

  'I will not sell to you,' she said huskily, denying herself what she wanted more than anything at the m
oment.

  'Jade.' He sat on the arm of her chair and placed his hands on either side of her. 'I realise you're shaken by the things that happened this afternoon. The way I walked around your ex-home, Polly, my attitude towards you personally. But you must think. I'm making a good offer.'

  'No.' She wouldn't meet his gaze. He was being too gentle, too careful of her feelings. She wanted him to be unpleasant.

  'Why are you so against me?' he asked. 'I acted badly, I know, but you are rather irresistible, and I am keeping my hands off you now,' he said with an engaging grin. 'Since then I've been rather well behaved and helpful, haven't I?'

  'Dane, this is a quiet backwater. You'd stick out like a sore thumb in your knife-edge trousers and carefully moulded jacket. This isn't a suitable place to amuse yourself on weekends with Yuppies and Sloanes or whizz-kid stockbrokers. I have no wish to live next door to someone who holds wild orgies, or to see nude bathing in the river, or to be woken in the early hours by cavalcades of sports cars roaring in the drive, or…'

  'Nor do I,' he said, amused. 'What references can you give?'

  'Me? Why, you—'

  'Outrageous, isn't it? Yet you blindly accuse me of the most extraordinary behaviour without any grounds at all.'

  'I know your sort…' she began.

  'No, you don't!' he said, exasperated. 'Don't pre-judge people. I'm surprised at you. I took you for a woman who has an open mind and is free of prejudice. It seems I was wrong.'

  He kept boxing her into corners, making her say things she didn't really mean, making her sound narrow. Jade didn't like that. But she was really scared that he'd bring his sophisticated morality to the house next door. That would drive her out. One year of flagrant immoral behaviour was enough, without having it repeated. She was furious with Dane for bringing it all back in her mind. But for him, that time would be almost forgotten.

  'Thank you for everything you've done for me,' she whispered. 'I'm very tired and I have to be up early in the morning. Will you go now?'

  'If you think you'll be all right, yes. Let me have your number and I'll ring you tomorrow when you're feeling more like talking business.'

  Jade was relieved that he had risen and was intending to go at last. She wouldn't lose her self-respect by having her body thrown into turmoil by his extraordinary sensuality any longer. He reached for his jacket and slipped it on, looking tense, and Jade's heart lurched foolishly. She'd have to put him off for good.

  'You're not very good at taking hints, are you?' she said coldly. 'Get it into your thick skull, Mr King: I have a particular kind of buyer in mind for Saxonbury. A family, with loads of children. I imagine you don't have any children?'

  'Not that I know of,' he bit out.

  'Oh, I'm sure there are a few scattered around, growing up to charm women just like their father,' she said scathingly. 'Forget all ideas of moving here. I'll withdraw the house if it looks as if you'd be its owner. I'd rather see the place rot then let you take possession!'

  'Rot?' he growled. 'Not if I can help it. Start getting used to the idea of me in that bed of yours.' His eyes blazed with an odd light and Jade felt a tingle spreading down her spine. 'I'll take possession. You can count on that!'

  CHAPTER THREE

  'You ready, Jade?'

  I'm ready, she thought. I've been ready for hours. 'Yes, Charlie, just coming!' she called out of her bedroom window, smiling down on the big blacksmith. Charlie was one big hunk of a man and had sent the village girls into raptures ever since he'd donned long trousers. He was thirty now, about Dane King's age, she mused, then her eyes darkened. Charlie was different. He wasn't married and he was honest.

  She paused in front of her mirror. The bright orange shirt and long, flowing skirt were her fourth change of clothes. She looked a bit like a lollipop! Her face was better for the grin, and she decided to enjoy the day and think of the money that would come at the end of it.

  Grabbing a brown suede shoulder-bag, tying a citrus-yellow ribbon on top of her head and teasing her hair into casual disarray around it, she rushed down to Charlie.

  'You're a knockout,' he said admiringly, as she flung the door open.

  Jade beamed and caught hold of his hesitantly offered hand. 'And you are doing wonders to my self-confidence,' she said gratefully.

  'You don't need that,' he said in his slow, lovely brogue. 'You know you're the most beautiful woman in Sussex.'

  'Charlie!' she laughed, flushing at the compliment. 'You're an angel. I feel a million dollars. I'm so glad you're going to keep an eye on me today. You will stop me if I start to cry, or get indignant, or…'

  'I'll stop you, Jade,' he grinned. 'Though I'm not telling you as how I'll do it.'

  Oh dear, she thought sadly. He was getting the wrong idea. Though, if Dane King did decide to turn up, Charlie would be about the most intimidating defence she could muster. Her eyes slanted at the enormous biceps straining the too-tight T-shirt and lifted to Charlie's massive, solid jaw. He'd look after her, and she'd make sure she gently let him know that she wasn't in the market for any kind of boyfriend.

  Dane had rung the next day, but only to ask about Polly, who was doing fine and would be allowed to leave the following afternoon. He was very polite and cool and never mentioned the house at all, so Jade was able to relax, knowing he'd either discussed it with his wife and she'd vetoed the idea, or he'd thought better of it.

  Many people had visited the house prior to the auction, though she'd taken Dane's advice and asked the estate agent to handle all that. Jade was determined not to get involved, and her only contribution had been to direct two very nice-looking couples to Saxonbury. Her mornings were taken up with the school, her afternoons with looking after the fantails at the manor, her own livestock and garden. Most evenings she managed to settle down to working on her book, and was pleased with the research she had done so far, using many of the old volumes kept in the manor library which had been handed down by successive owners.

  There would be another owner by the end of the afternoon. Her small hand, dwarfed by Charlie's large paw, grew limp at the thought, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze when they saw the cars lining the driveway. Then, as they made their way up the stone steps to the dilapidated door, she heard a sound that she recognised: Dane's car. Charlie corrected her slight stumble by placing his arm around her small waist. As they entered, she half turned, unable to prevent herself looking to see whether Dane had noticed the gesture.

  It seemed he had. He was standing by the car, glaring. Jade felt triumphant that she had shown him she was now strong and carefree, and couldn't be manipulated by him as on that fateful day when they met. But inside, she knew that the sudden flip of her stomach and the warm glow that followed had nothing to do with the way Charlie looked at her, nor was her body responding to his gently stroking fingers. If Dane had been touching her like that, her nerves would be singing. Even the thought was making her tingle. Jade's eyes blazed with anger at herself. Dane King was a no-good, worthless seducer, far too accomplished in the arts of lovemaking to be satisfied with her for long. She wasn't in the market for that kind of man.

  'Are you all right, Jade?' asked Charlie anxiously, bending a tender head towards her.

  Grimly she pulled herself together. 'It's a bit odd, coming to watch people bid for your home. I feel rather lightheaded.'

  'Wish I had the money to buy it,' he said wistfully. 'I'd give it to you like a shot.'

  'You are a darling,' she said warmly. For a moment she thought she heard a low murmur behind her, but her attention was diverted by the auctioneer.

  'Good turnout, Mrs Kendall,' he said, his gleaming eyes assessing the crowd. 'We should making a killing today.'

  She bit back her dislike of the man. After all, she needed to make money as much as he needed his commission: it was no good getting on her high horse and scorning his attitude. Somehow she had to pay her mounting debts.

  'I hope you'll get the best price you can,' she said, managing a smil
e.

  'For you,' said the man admiringly, 'I'll pull out all the stops.'

  Jade was suddenly pulled tightly against Charlie's brawny chest. She looked up to see that he was glaring at the auctioneer, and suppressed a rueful smile.

  'Perhaps we'd better make our way down to the front,' she suggested hastily. 'You won't forget to check with me before you take the final bid, will you?'

  'No, I won't,' assured the man, ostentatiously clearing a path through the throng for her.

  The auction was being held in the spacious drawing-room, but even that hadn't proved large enough for the crowd which had gathered. The doors at the far end had been opened right back so that the temporary benches could be arranged right down the long gallery. A massive, battered table provided a stage for the auctioneer, who now clambered up to a desk, perched on top, and for a few moments surveyed the room with a critical, practised eye, searching out likely buyers and separating them from the mere onlookers.

  Most of the villagers were there, determined not to miss the entertainment, but they were genuinely sympathetic towards Jade and she felt she was among friends. It was a bit like a royal progress, she thought, making her way towards the front, where a seat had been reserved for her. Charlie made the most of the crush, by holding her in a protective way; he was taking his duties seriously!

  The back of her neck was prickling, her imagination seeing Dane watching her like a hawk. She became very nervous, wondering if she'd have the nerve to stop the auction if he made the last bid. It would cause such a commotion! Then she smiled to herself. With Charlie beside her, no one would question her decision! And that would be one big surprise for the confident Mr King.

  As usual with any meeting, there were few people on the front bench, and her 'reserved' sticker had been unnecessary. She allowed Charlie to keep his arm around her, but shot him a gently disapproving glance when his hand began to wander over her hip.

  'Not the time or the place,' she smiled, not wanting to hurt him.