Leslie wasn't worried. Above all else, Ted valued his integrity. He continued his pacing as she slipped into deep thought. This was becoming much more involved than she had expected, and there were ramifications that she hadn't even considered until now.
"Ted, there's obviously no love lost between Ramco and Denver Oil, right?"
"Right."
"Will Luther be able to foul up Ramco when they start selling the leases?"
"Not unless they find out who's buying them and refuse to sell. That land will probably hit the market in about three weeks' time. Steve will use various land brokers to purchase it, just to be on the safe side. The important thing is that nothing leaks out before then."
"That makes sense." Leslie toyed with the gold ring on her little finger abstractedly. "Does Steve know I'm Luther Denver's stepdaughter?"
"No."
"Promise me that you won't tell him."
"Why?"
"How would you feel if you were about to sink millions of dollars into a program that had been researched by the stepdaughter of an unscrupulous rival?"
"Steve's not like that, Les."
"Perhaps, but I don't want him to know who I am until you find that basin."
"I don't think knowing or not knowing is that important, but if that's what you want, I won't tell him." Ted squinted his eyes, his mouth puckered with thought. "Leslie, I think Steve's going to change his mind about hiring you."
Leslie snorted. "I don't."
"Would you consider hiring on as a preliminary consultant?"
"You know I would consider it, but what makes you think Steve McRory would?"
"Two reasons."
"And they are?"
"First of all, he's eventually going to realize that you're the logical person for the preliminary work. He's going to realize that the fewer people who know about this, the better. Until Ramco has its hands on that property and has secured the drilling licenses, this operation has to be kept under tight wraps. He doesn't dare risk having any information leaked to industry. It would drive the prices out of sight on those holdings. Let's face it, Les, only you and I and Steve would need to know until we're ready to move into Redwillow."
Leslie hated to admit it, but she could understand the reason for Steve McRory's attitude. She couldn't help feeling resentful about his narrow-mindedness, however. One bad apple...Suddenly she chuckled to herself. Here she was, the stepdaughter of the man Steve McRory least trusted in the world, feeling resentful about his attitude. Oh, well.
She shook her head ruefully and turned her attention back to Ted. He was pacing again. "What's the second reason for Steve hiring me? Personally, I don't think he'd touch me with a ten-foot pole."
"Les, don't forget that you were dropped on him very unexpectedly."
"Oh, very."
Ted smiled at her dry tone, then his face became serious. "I'm not saying he'll completely relent and hire you on for the duration of the project, but I do think he'll see the logic of hiring you on as an initial consultant."
"And you are going to do all you can to encourage that rationale?"
"Yeah."
"What was the second reason?''
Ted looked at her, a curious blank look on his face that hid the gleam of speculation in his eyes. "Oh, Steve will begin to realize...he'll just start seeing you in a different light."
It sounded like a very feeble reason to Leslie, but she didn't give it much thought. She was too busy trying to stamp out the little flame of hope that fluttered in her breast. She did so want to be involved in a part, any part, of the project.
Ted picked up his cigarettes, lit one, and tucked the package back in his shirt pocket. Leslie's brow creased in consternation as she was plagued with another doubt. "Do you think Steve will find out about my personal connection with Luther?"
"I doubt it very much. Luther and Steve certainly don't travel in the same social circles. And let's face it, Luther hasn't exactly announced from the highest building that you're his daughter. Besides that, Luther has kept his personal life very private. I know there are only two or three of his closest associates who are even vaguely aware that your mother was Mac Kairns's only daughter."
Leslie knew that was true. Leslie's grandfather had made his fortune in timber and the pulp-and-paper industry, and had refused to be involved in any way with Denver Oil. In fact, he had refused to back Luther financially on several occasions. There had never been any love lost between Luther Denver and Mac Kairns.
Ted looked at his watch, then slipped on his jacket. "I told Maggie I'd pick her up at the hospital after she finished her volunteer work today. We're going to shop for some groceries, then she's going to drag me around to look at new furniture for the study. Would you like to come along?"
"No thanks, Ted. Shopping is not my thing."
"It isn't mine either, but I guess it won't kill me."
"I doubt it," answered Leslie unsympathetically.
Ted made a mock threatening gesture and Leslie grinned. "Tell Maggie I'll have dinner ready."
"Don't bother. We'll eat out. We'll likely be home about seven."
Leslie followed Ted to the door, where he looked down at her, his face woeful. "You will have the coffee on when we get back, won't you? I'll need something to soothe my soul."
Leslie laughed as she pushed him out the door. Poor Ted. He was really suffering—she could tell.
Leslie spent the remainder of the afternoon tidying the house and vacuuming for Maggie, then she finished her own unpacking.
Finally she made a delicious-looking cherry cheesecake for Ted. It was a special favorite of his, so she had made it to "soothe his soul" when he and Maggie returned from shopping.
She was putting the final touches on it when the front doorbell chimed. She popped the dessert into the fridge and glanced at the clock on the stove. Seven o'clock. She hadn't realized it was so late.
She glanced at herself in the hallway mirror as she went to answer the door. More of her hair had escaped its chignon and was framing her face in a riot of soft curls. She made a grimace of disgust, then switched on the hall light and opened the door.
Her first instinct was to slam the door and run; her second was to scream in frustration. One small consolation was that Steve McRory seemed to be as astonished to find her there as she was to find him. She felt like she was suspended in a vacuum as she stared up at him, her muscles stunned into immobility.
Steve was the first to regain his composure, and Leslie could tell by the glimmer in his eyes that her astonishment was giving him some satisfaction. "Good evening, Leslie. Is Ted home?"
She had to mentally shake herself to dispel the state of shock she was in. "No...no, he and Maggie went shopping, but they should be back anytime." She stepped aside and motioned to him. "Won't you come in?"
Steve entered and Leslie closed the door behind him. She resolutely quelled an impulse to sweep her hair into some semblance of tidiness. "Let me take your coat."
Steve handed her his leather jacket and leaned casually against the newel post of the staircase as he watched her hang it up in the hall closet. "I must admit, I didn't recognize you for a second."
Leslie cursed herself silently as she felt a telltale warmth stain her cheeks. She really wished she would quit blushing; it was so adolescent. She glanced up at him, aware that the top of her head didn't even reach his shoulder.
He was studying her, a strange look on his face. "You really aren't very big, are you?" As he spoke, he smiled down at her in such a way that Leslie's pulse did a flustered double beat.
She smiled back at him with a touch of wariness and a certain amount of shyness. "It's because I'm a dwarf, you see," she blurted out.
He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Really?"
"Well, I don't know if it's 'really' or not. I'm not quite five feet tall, and someone told me once that anyone under that is classified as a dwarf by the provincial government." She blushed again. "I never bothered to check it out."
>
He seemed nonplussed for a split second, then he tipped his head back and laughed, the reserved look on his face dissolving instantly.
Leslie smiled up at him, quietly returning the perusal he had subjected her to. She had never seen such long, thick eyelashes on a man before, but for some reason they only added to the masculinity of the chiseled features and the square jaw. Strange how something like that should be out of place, yet wasn't.
"And what do you see, Leslie Kairns?"
Leslie felt herself flush yet again as he caught her off guard. He knew she had been studying him. Thank heavens she had the ability for quick recovery. She dimpled up at him, her eyes dancing. "I see a man who looks like he missed his dinner and would give a king's ransom for a cup of coffee."
He tipped his head to one side, almost as though he was trying to see her from a different perspective. "How very astute. Right on both counts."
For some strange reason she had known she was. She pushed the closet door shut. "Do you mind sitting in the kitchen? I'll raid Maggie's fridge and see if I can find something before you get surly." As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. It really sounded petty.
He caught her chin with his finger, a spark of dry humor in his eyes. "Ah, Miss Kairns, I think perhaps that was a pointed reference to my behavior at lunch today."
Her eyes fell away from his as his touch ignited a warmth within her. "No...not really—"
He forced her chin up, willing her to look at him. "I don't particularly enjoy being taken unawares." His face revealed a hint of anger.
Leslie's gaze was honest and direct. "I don't blame you. Neither do I." She certainly didn't like being caught unawares—and here she was, feeling like someone had just tossed her out of a window.
He dropped his hand and grinned down at her knowingly. "No, I know you don't." He watched her for a moment, then smiled engagingly. "Now please tell me you were serious about making me a coffee."
Leslie silently blessed all the hours she had willingly spent in the kitchen under Bertha's expert tutelage. She quickly and efficiently prepared a bacon-and-mushroom omelet and a salad while the coffee brewed.
They chatted casually about the state of the petroleum industry and the general exploration that was taking place. Both of them deliberately avoided mentioning Redwillow—that was off limits.
Steve had just finished eating when Maggie and Ted came in, their arms loaded with bags of groceries. Leslie jumped up to relieve Maggie of part of her load.
Ted set the bags he was carrying on the counter, then turned to face Steve. "Sorry we're late, but once you turn Maggie loose with a handful of money, she refuses to leave the store until it's all gone."
Leslie nearly let the parcels slip through her arms. Ted had known that Steve was coming and he had deliberately not told her! Damn him! She shot him a look of irritation. His only acknowledgement was a broad grin and a hint of a wink.
Leslie glared at him, then turned to help put the foodstuff away.
"Leave it, Leslie," Maggie said. "We can do that later. All I want is a cup of coffee and a chair. My feet are killing me.''
Leslie patted her on the shoulder. "You sit, Maggie. It'll only take me a minute." She had everything cleared away in no time, silently grateful that she had something to do to occupy her hands. Steve McRory's presence made her feel like a gangly schoolgirl.
Finally she retrieved the cheesecake from the fridge and cut it into servings. As she lifted the pieces onto plates she scooped up a blob of cake with one finger to sample it, flushing guiltily when she realized Steve was watching her old childhood trick with amusement. Damn those eyes!
She served everyone at the table, but set Ted's portion in front of him with more force than necessary. "Not that you deserve this, Ted McAllister." She ignored his wide-eyed look of innocence. "Let's say this is for all your sins, never mind the soothing of your soul."
Ted laughed as his wife looked at him questioningly. "I tried to pull a shady today, Mag, and I got caught in my own trap. I didn't tell Steve that 'Les Kairns' wasn't a man. Needless to say, it caused a wee bit of a rumpus when Leslie walked in."
You didn't tell me he was coming here tonight, either, fumed Leslie silently.
"You didn't tell me Leslie was living with you and Maggie, Ted." Leslie's glance flew to Steve. He was watching her, a wry grin on his face. He was reading her thoughts perfectly.
Ted continued to look innocent. "Didn't I?"
Leslie reached out and twisted one of Ted's ears firmly, her voice trembling with suppressed laughter as she tried to glare sternly at him. "No more of your scheming, Ted McAllister, or I'll feed the rest of your cheesecake to the dog."
Ted seemed only slightly penitent. "Well, now Les..."
Maggie shook her head knowingly, then continued to refill the coffee cups. "Don't trust him, Leslie. You can bet when he has that look on his face that he's determined to get his own way."
"Don't worry, Maggie. Ted can't very well play his game when no one will play it with him," Leslie said.
"My life is going to be hell with the two of you ganging up on me!"
"Poor thing." There wasn't an ounce of compassion in Maggie's voice.
Leslie finished her dessert and coffee, then picked up her dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher. Maggie followed her. "Thank you for doing all the housework today, Les. It's such a treat to come home and have everything done."
"You're very welcome, Maggie."
The older woman sighed wearily. "I think I'll go pamper myself with a long soak in the tub."
"You go ahead. I'll clean up here." Leslie tidied up the clutter on the counter, studiously avoiding looking at Steve. Then she slipped quietly out of the kitchen and down the stairs to the family room. She switched on the light by the piano and sat down. Playing the piano helped her to unwind, to clear away the jumble of thoughts in her mind.
She forced herself to concentrate on Chopin for a long time, but then, as usual, she began to drift from one piece to another. Her mood became pensive as she drifted into "Nadia's theme." The music was poetic, flowing with a haunting beauty. She was aware only of the touching refrain until a shadow moved across the piano. She looked up to find Steve leaning against a corner of the piano, quietly watching her.
"That was very beautiful." His voice was evocative and low.
"Thank you." She wondered why he was here. Steve McRory wouldn't come downstairs just to listen to her play. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.
"I wondered if you would mind coming upstairs and clarifying a few details concerning the deep-basin theory."
Leslie's eyes widened with surprise at his request. "But I thought—"
He didn't give her the opportunity to continue. Instead he sat down beside her on the piano bench and took one of her hands in his. Leslie suddenly felt as though she had indulged in too much wine, for a warm heady feeling enveloped her.
"I think perhaps I owe you an explanation, Leslie." He looked at her, his manner forthright and slightly apologetic. "There's a very specific reason why I have the attitude I do about women in the field. But that doesn't mean I think women are incapable, or unknowledgeable about the technology involved in exploration. One very bad experience makes one wary about certain situations, that's all."
Leslie, by nature, was a direct and honest person. Because of her sensitivity, she learned very early in life to put herself in someone else's position. She could understand Steve's concern. She didn't agree with him, but she could understand how he felt.
"Steve, Ted told me a little about what happened between Denver Oil and Ramco a few years back. I can understand your concern. I meant what I said— what's most important to me is proving the deep-basin theory. Don't let Ted push you into something you'll be uncomfortable with."
"Your research has been very thorough, Leslie. I know the discovery of that potential basin came more from hard work than from luck." He leaned forward slightly and began to trace idle patterns on the ba
ck of her hand. His shadowed profile was unreadable, but Leslie could tell by the hunch of his shoulders that he was deep in thought. After a long silence he sighed, then looked at her. "How much did Ted tell you about the incident between Ramco and Denver?"
"Very little. He told me Denver bought off the woman engineer who was working on a very confidential project for Ramco, and that Ramco suffered heavy financial losses because of it."
Steve frowned slightly. "There was more to it than just the money. My uncle is actually the president of Ramco Exploration. About ten years ago, he hired Nora to develop the technology for a very innovative kind of exploration program in South America. Over a period of time, John and Nora developed a very close working relationship, which blossomed into something very special for both of them.
"Luther Denver managed to dig up some old dirty linen about Nora and blackmailed her with it. With the information she was able to provide, Denver got the competitive edge and secured the landholdings we had identified for exploration. When the dust finally settled and Nora realized what damage her sellout had done to John personally and to Ramco corporately, she drove her car off a cliff. She left a letter for John explaining everything. If it hadn't been for that, we would never have known for certain what had happened.''
Leslie could sense Steve's distress. She gripped his hand firmly and he returned the pressure. Inwardly, she felt sickened by what he had told her. She had always known that her stepfather was callous and grasping, but she had never realized how far he would go to attain his goals.
She closed her eyes briefly, then looked at Steve. "That's tragic!"
He released her hand and stood up. Ramming his hands into his pockets, he began pacing the floor. "Yeah, it was. It destroyed Nora, and it damn near destroyed Uncle John."
So Luther had actually sacrificed a person's life to satisfy his ruthless greed. Leslie felt chilled by the icy reality. She doubted if Luther had been affected by the tragedy at all. Not Luther.
"Why are you telling me this, Steve?" she asked finally.
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