‘We’ve had a fantastic day, Jed. Thanks,’ Cryssie said simply, looking up at him.
He didn’t reply for a moment, but watched as she strapped Milo into the back seat. ‘I really must have a meeting with you soon, one to one, Cryssie,’ he said. ‘Perhaps it would be best for us to go to the London flat, where we can discuss things uninterrupted?’ He looked away for a second. ‘Find an excuse to have Thursday afternoon off. I’m free that day,’ he added abruptly.
Cryssie got into the car and shut the door, looking up at him through the open window. ‘I’ll do my best,’ she said slowly. ‘It may be difficult, but I’ll try and manage it somehow…’ Then, with a brief nod of her head, she looked away, suddenly anxious at the coldness of his request, but knowing that of course she would do exactly as instructed!
Chapter 10
Cryssie couldn’t help feeling a warm glow of contentment. While she had to admit that she’d really enjoyed every minute of her time spent with the Hunters, it was Milo’s obvious delight which had pleased her the most. Together with the undeniable fact that she couldn’t help liking the wretched Mr Jeremy Hunter!
When they got home, she was surprised to find that Polly had gone out. A note on the kitchen table announced that the girl had taken herself off into town for a couple of hours. Cryssie was just tucking Milo up for the night when Polly returned.
‘Hi, Poll! Where have you been? The shops are long shut. I was getting worried!’ Cryssie teased.
‘Oh…just wandering around town for a bit,’ Polly remarked casually, going over to the bed to give her son a kiss. ‘Did you have a good time?’
Cryssie gave her a brief outline of their day, with Milo chipping in enthusiastically, and presently the two women went downstairs.
As soon as they were alone Polly suddenly burst into a flood of hysterical tears, slipping down onto the floor and covering her face with her hands. Full of alarm, Cryssie crouched down beside her to hold her tightly. ‘Whatever is the matter, Polly?’ she said desperately. ‘What…what on earth is it?’
Between gasps and sobs Polly poured her heart out to Cryssie, who could only sit there in a state of unbelievable shock as she listened. It was difficult to take everything in, to make sense of it, but eventually a cold rush of apprehension flooded her body. What sort of reaction was this going to get in certain quarters?
She let Polly go over and over everything for a solid hour, before she finally felt able to go and make some tea for them both, while promising her sister that somehow she would make things right. As she stood waiting for the kettle to boil Cryssie couldn’t believe that such a happy day could end so disastrously. She buried her face in her hands. Once again, it had all landed in her lap!
As Jed had instructed, Cryssie arranged to take Thursday afternoon off. Thankfully, Rose had readily accepted Cryssie’s excuse of a personal appointment with her bank, and soon she was once more sitting next to her employer on the way to London, feeling depressed and anxious.
The predicament that Polly had presented them with was proving to be an almost unbearable burden to her, and Cryssie knew that it would change everything. Obviously it would mean the end of her association with the Hunter dynasty. That was a foregone conclusion. She shuddered as she recalled Sunday evening and Polly’s histrionics. She hadn’t managed to get much sleep since. But she’d decided that today would be the ideal opportunity to draw everything to a conclusion. Whatever the very important business reasons Jed had for insisting they have this time together, nothing was more important than what she had to say to him.
They arrived at the flat by mid-afternoon. ‘Make us a cup of tea,’ Jed said casually, glancing at some mail that had been left on the table. ‘You know where everything is.’
Obediently Cryssie went into the kitchen and quickly found everything she needed, filling two mugs and taking them inside.
Jed was standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, and as Cryssie handed him his tea she was struck by the expression on his rugged features. There was obviously something very important that they had to go through, she thought.
He put his tea down without tasting it, and said flatly, ‘I want us to have a serious discussion.’ He was choosing his words carefully. ‘I want a more…shall we say—established agreement than we have at present,’ he began, and Cryssie frowned. She didn’t know what he was driving at—but anyway it didn’t matter now.
He came across to stand close to her, forcing her to look up at him. ‘I want you to link yourself more…personally…with me,’ he said slowly, and when she continued to look mystified, he went on, ‘I’m talking about marriage, Cryssie. And don’t look like that! Are you so blind that the thought has never crossed your mind? Most women would have thought of it by now!’
Cryssie was staggered—and she almost did! She put her tea down and steadied herself against the back of the sofa.
‘I’ll spell it out for you,’ he went on. ‘I’ve been thinking about it for some time, and I believe it would be the perfect solution for both of us—mutually convenient in every way. Don’t you get it? I want you when I want you, not just between the hours of nine and five. I need your good sense, your loyalty, your perceptiveness, your dedication. If we live together under the same roof it’ll make things run more smoothly, more efficiently. I’ll have everything I need—and you’ll have everything you’ll ever want or need for the rest of your life.’
Cryssie suddenly found the ability to speak, but when she did her voice was more of a croak! ‘You’re my boss, Jed,’ she said, trying to add firmness to her voice. ‘Business and…personal…relationships should be kept strictly apart!’
‘Precisely,’ he said smoothly. ‘I’ve always avoided engaging in any relationships with members of staff—’
‘But surely what you’ve just suggested—?’
‘You won’t just be a member of staff, will you, you little fool? You’ll be my wife! You’ll become one of the Hunters!’
Cryssie swallowed, reeling from this latest onslaught on her emotions. ‘I’m sorry, but for me, the only acceptable aspect of our relationship is the formal one.’ She shook her head. ‘Have I got to explain everything to you again? Polly and Milo are utterly dependent on me. They are my life. I can’t afford to think of anything or anyone else!’
‘Oh, no?’ He reached forward in one swift move and pulled her towards him, covering her mouth with his. ‘I think I’m beginning to know more about you than you know about yourself…’ he said softly.
Gathering her strength from somewhere, she pushed him away. ‘No, Jed. You don’t understand. I…’
‘Oh, I understand perfectly,’ he said huskily. ‘You rather enjoy your life of martyrdom, don’t you, Cryssie? There’s a certain safety in what you have, with no emotional interruptions or commitments, no man to share your existence with. Yes, your sister and her son need you—but you need them, don’t you? You enjoy their reliance on you. And what I’m offering you is the best of all possible worlds! You’ll do yourself a big favour—and them too. There’s plenty of room for them at Shepherd’s Keep—they’d have their own part of the house, the run of the gardens—it would be their home! Surely you can see all the advantages? See what a practical, sensible thing it would be—for all of us?’
He released her slightly, waiting for a response. Looking up at him helplessly, Cryssie thought, Well, that was my first proposal of marriage. But what a proposal!
Suddenly her mind cleared, and she said coldly, ‘What you’ve just accused me of—that I’m a martyr to the family cause—is true to some extent, I suppose, Jed. But I do have an even deeper reason for wanting nothing to change.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I was employed by someone once who was almost a carbon copy of you—in fact in some ways you could be blood brothers.’ She looked away, knowing that he was staring at her intently. ‘And do you know what? I believed that man—believed every promise that he made. But when something happened to make me see how close I was to ruining my life I
got out. Fast.’ She swallowed. ‘You accused me of being blind just now. I was certainly blind then! And it made me realise that my true happiness will only ever be found with my family. Where I am, where I’m rooted. Where I can trust. And so far nothing has happened to make me change my mind.’
He shrugged then, and his lip curled. ‘You’re misguided, Cryssie. Take my word for it. The years will fly by, and there’ll come a time when Milo won’t need you—he’ll be off living his own life. And you’ll have given up half of yours! You’ll be redundant! And what then? Will you look around for someone else to nurture?’
Cryssie was stung at his words, even though she knew he was right about Milo wanting his independence one day. ‘My sister will always need me—’ she began.
‘Don’t count on it!’ Jed replied quickly. ‘She’s a beautiful, glamorous woman. It’ll only take the right man to come along one day—someone who will understand her needs. Anyway…’ he picked up his mug of tea and drank ‘…you’ll obviously want time to think over what I’ve put to you, but be careful. This could be a turning point in your life that may never come again.’
Cryssie felt like bursting into tears. How could he think that she’d ever accept such a proposal? That she would agree to a marriage of convenience? And it was his own convenience that was uppermost in his mind! The word ‘love’ had been conspicuous by its absence! He clearly saw her as a good business deal, that was all! And although she never really expected to marry, if it ever did happen it would be for love! And to someone who needed her as a loving partner, not a live-in PA!
The last few minutes had almost bowled her over, but she found the strength to pick up her tea and take a sip, even though her hands were shaking. Now it was her turn!
‘There’s something else we need to discuss,’ she said quietly. ‘Something very serious.’
She looked up at him. ‘Have you been in to the store—to Latimer’s—this week?’
He frowned. ‘No, I haven’t. I’ve been caught up elsewhere. I’ve been ringing in, of course, but my managers are more than capable of holding the fort. Why do you ask?’
Cryssie’s mouth dried. ‘You’ve not heard anything about any…stealing?’ she said hoarsely.
‘Stealing?’ he repeated curiously. ‘Why on earth should you ask that? There’ve been a couple of incidents of petty pilfering, I believe. That’s all. Nothing important.’
Cryssie took a long, deep breath. ‘I’m afraid it is very important, Jed,’ she said. ‘Because it concerns Polly.’ She looked away for a second, biting her lip, knowing that the words she was going to utter would hurt her like a knife wound. ‘Polly stole a scarf—an expensive scarf—on Sunday…’ Now the words came quickly. ‘She was admiring a rack of them that they’ve got by the main entrance door, and in an act of total and utter stupidity she slipped one of them into her bag.’ Cryssie took another desperate sip from her mug. ‘Of course, the security guard saw her, stopped her, and warned her that she might face prosecution. She’s threatened to kill herself if she ever has to go to court.’ She looked up at Jed, her eyes filling with tears. ‘And the thing is, she wanted the wretched thing for me, not for herself. It was to be a present for me.’
There was a moment’s complete silence as Jed took this in, then, ‘Your poor, poor sister,’ he said quietly. ‘How utterly traumatic for her.’
Cryssie was amazed at the kindness of his remark. ‘How can you say that?’ she asked shakily. ‘She stole…actually stole something. And was caught!’
‘Because Polly is in need of help—of support,’ he replied grimly. ‘She obviously lost all confidence after Milo’s father took off, and she must feel so unwanted, so ineffectual—especially with a sister like you as an example of what she could be worth. Doing something completely out of character is typical behaviour for someone who needs consolation and reassurance.’
He shook his head, and Cryssie could almost—but not quite—have thrown her arms around him. She would never have credited Jeremy Hunter with this level of understanding!
She took a hanky from her pocket and blew her nose. Confessing Polly’s crime had been a terrible thing to do, especially to someone like Jeremy Hunter, and she realised that she’d almost begun to sob. ‘So…’ She sniffed. ‘Now that you know our…dark side, you’ll be wanting to reconsider your proposition. We’re in disgrace and I feel freaked out about it, to be truthful—even though I find it hard to blame my sister.’
Now he caught hold of her again, his voice raw. ‘You idiot, Cryssie,’ he said. ‘Do you really think that my opinion of you is altered in any way by what you’ve just told me? For heaven’s sake, give me some credit, woman!’ He folded his arms around her, and despite her tortured emotions she found herself wallowing in the feel of him, of his arms wrapped around her. ‘On the contrary, this makes my—ambitions—even more worthy of consideration, don’t you agree?’ he murmured. ‘Just think. We can arrange the best possible treatment for Polly—which she is desperately in need of. And as for Milo.’ He released her and turned away for a second. ‘Nothing will be too good for Milo. He’ll go to a top school, have whatever is needed to help him grow into a fully-rounded adult. And not totally influenced by over-protective women all the time.’
The tone of his voice was throbbing, urgent, and, despite being stung by some of his remarks, Cryssie felt herself beginning to let her mind think the unthinkable. Could she really go against all her preconceived notions and go along with his request? But what sort of a union would it be? she asked herself. He’d spelt out all the pros and cons in a way that only someone like Jed Hunter could—but, as always, it did make some sense! Could she honestly afford to turn him down? Yet what woman looked for a sensible marriage? Not that there wouldn’t be moments of passion—he’d demonstrated that side of his nature before—but…love? He didn’t know the meaning of the word. And what was the chilling phrase he’d used when describing his ex-marriage? That his ‘terms and conditions’ didn’t tally? What on earth could that have meant?
Jed glanced at her, realising the thoughts which must be teeming through her mind. After all, what he’d just put to her had come as a complete shock—she had never had any designs on him, or his wealth, which was something he’d had to battle with from other females for most of his life. Thinking briefly of his ex-wife, he curled his lip dismissively. Ella and the woman standing so close to him were like chalk and cheese!
The afternoon started to slip by, and presently it seemed to Cryssie that this was just another meeting that he’d called. They sat apart, not touching now, and Jed broached one or two other topics relating to work—which calmed Cryssie down and made her feel less uneasy. But she knew that he would expect her to make a decision, and that he didn’t like being kept waiting!
But he wasn’t going to get her answer that quickly! He’d presented her with the biggest crisis she’d ever had to face, and she needed time to think it out. And who could she ask for advice? she thought miserably. Certainly not Polly. For the first time in a long while Cryssie felt lonely and insecure. The future which had seemed so straightforward now appeared fraught with impossible upheaval and drama. Jed Hunter’s input had seen to that!
As if reading her thoughts, he said, ‘I’m going to be out of the office tomorrow, and part of next week, so that’ll give you some time to yourself—to make up your mind.’ He smiled darkly at her troubled features. ‘Just take a step back, Cryssie, and relax. Look at the whole picture. You’ll begin to see that I’m right about this. About us.’
Of course Mr Always Right was never wrong, she thought, staring up at him, at the strong mouth and determined jaw. But if she did agree—and it was a big if—what would everyone think? And did that matter any more?
Suddenly he said cheerfully, ‘I’m going to take you out for dinner tonight—we’ll eat early so as not to be late getting back. Are you hungry?’
‘No,’ Cryssie replied promptly, completely robbed of any appetite.
‘Well, that’s
too bad,’ he said. ‘Because after any important discussions I’m always starving!’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Go and tidy up, and I’ll book a table somewhere rather special that I know.’ When she didn’t move, he pulled her roughly to her feet. ‘Come on—I promise you that you won’t be able to resist what’s on offer. And it’ll be a small celebration to mark the next important step which I hope you’ll be taking!’
Chapter 11
The following Wednesday evening, sitting in the room which he used as his office at Shepherd’s Keep, Jed stared at his computer with blank eyes. The several meetings he’d attended over the previous few days had been productive enough, but throughout his time away from the area his main and overriding thought had been his proposal of marriage to Cryssie—and her refusal! That was not going to be the last word on the matter—even though he knew he had some way to go to make her see the validity of his plans. But…he’d succeed. Oh, yes, he’d succeed.
He got up and moved across to stare out of the window. The gardens looked equally lovely at night-time, he thought briefly, etched out as they were by beams from the spot lights. He knew Cryssie would love seeing it like this…her child-like reaction would be spontaneous. Here would be the perfect setting to make her change her mind, he mused.
His jaw clenched at his own situation—a situation he’d never imagined he’d find himself in. Trying to convince a female that he was good marriage material! Women had always found him attractive—he’d known that since his teens—and he’d enjoyed every minute of the attention he’d got. He was also aware that wealth—for which he had to thank his parents—was a powerful aphrodisiac. But the big downside was that those two advantages brought their own problems, and meeting so many members of the opposite sex had made him realise that it would never be easy to choose one woman whom he could trust—and tolerate—and who would be useful to him. And who didn’t have her eye on the main chance. He admitted that he’d thought Ella would fit all his criteria when they’d first got together, but no one could have guessed how that would turn out!
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