Principles And Pleasures. Margaret Allison

as Meredith, she was still an astute and energetic individual. He would try to win Carly over by explaining the situation and having her act as an intermediary with her sister. He would also make it clear to Carly that she did not have to marry Mark for Cartwright to win the rights. If only Meredith would agree, they could share the company.

      Once again he thought about how Meredith had offered him money to leave Carly alone. What would make her think he had come back to woo a woman with whom he had not spoken in years? Besides, he had never been romantically interested in Carly. She was and always would be, in his eyes at least, a less impressive version of her older sister. He would never be able to look at Carly without remembering the night Meredith had finally quenched his thirst.

      He stood and began to pace. He would not go back to the party. But he would return tomorrow. Meredith could not intimidate or manipulate him. She may not realize it yet, but she had met her match in Josh Adams.

      Two

      The dining room table was at least thirty feet long, big enough to seat forty people. Meredith sat at the head of the table, across from her mother. Carly sat in the middle, exactly halfway in between.

      Meredith did not like this table, nor did she care for the room. It was too ostentatious and showy. But her mother had grown up dining in this room. And although there were no longer servants to tend to the fire in the fireplace or to bring out steaming plates of food, her mother still insisted that they all drink their morning coffee beneath a one hundred and fifty pound chandelier.

      Meredith glanced at her mother who had just finished telling the story of how the decorated Christmas tree in the living room had crashed to the ground, causing havoc and tearing the Ritter sisters’ gowns.

      “It’s those men who installed it,” Viera said. “I told them they weren’t putting the trees in the stands correctly, but they didn’t listen.” She sighed deeply and dramatically as she focused her attention on the newspaper spread out in front of her. “It’s so hard to find a man you can trust.”

      “Speaking of men you can trust,” Carly interrupted, turning toward Meredith. “You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

      “What do you mean?” Meredith asked, sipping her coffee.

      “What happened with Josh? Did you talk to him?”

      “Yes.”

      “And?” Viera asked as she pushed her bifocals lower on her nose so that she could see Meredith.

      “And nothing.” She shrugged and took another sip.

      Carly and Viera glanced at each other. “You were certainly gone a long time,” Viera said. “I didn’t see you all night.”

      “Well, I wasn’t with Josh,” Meredith said, setting down her cup. “I came back and went to bed.”

      “Why is he back in Aspen?” Carly asked.

      “I don’t know. But I think it has something to do with you.” Meredith felt a slight ping of jealousy. Ignore it, she told herself. And it will go away.

      “With me?”

      Meredith nodded. “He said he wanted to see you. In fact, he said he would see you today.”

      “Really?” Carly smiled and sighed dreamily. “He looked so handsome, didn’t he?”

      “I didn’t notice,” Meredith said quickly.

      “There’s just something about him. A charisma. It’s like a sexual fire or something.”

      “Sexual fire?” Meredith asked.

      “A spark. The way his eyes twinkle.”

      Meredith paused, remembering the eyes that had stared so deeply at her. She agreed with her sister. Josh’s eyes were the kind that seemed to bore right through you.

      “And the way he smells. It’s so woodsy and manly-like.”

      Meredith remembered how she had awoken from her night with Josh, how she had felt surrounded by his musky scent. She was surprised that her sister would mention something so personal about Josh. Carly was speaking like his lover, not like his friend.

      “And he’s so confident and self-assured—”

      “Have you heard from Mark?” Meredith interrupted.

      “I guess,” Carly said.

      “What do you mean, you guess?” Viera asked. “Either you have or you haven’t.”

      “What difference does it make? All I can think about is Josh.”

      Meredith leaned forward, certain that she had misunderstood. This was her horrible imagination playing tricks on her.

      Her mother glared at Carly. “I’ve got four hundred people coming to your wedding in two weeks. I suggest you stop thinking about Josh and start focusing on your future husband.”

      “I can’t stop thinking about him.” Carly glanced away. “I have to see Josh.”

      “What would Mark say if he heard you talking like this?” Viera exclaimed.

      Carly shrugged. “I think he would think the same thing I’m thinking. If I’m so tempted by another man, then maybe we shouldn’t get married.”

      “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!” her mother practically screeched.

      “Mother—” Meredith began, trying to calm Viera.

      “If,” her mother interrupted, looking at Carly, “you care nothing for me, think about your sister. What’s going to happen to the deal with the Durans if you break their son’s heart? Your sister could lose her job.”

      On the assumption that Meredith would be purchasing Durasnow, her company’s stock had been rising. And so had the board’s confidence in her. If this deal fell through, the company might still survive, but Meredith’s tenure as CEO would be over.

      “You’re right, Mother.” Carly sighed deeply. “What’s wrong with me?”

      Meredith couldn’t speak. What was wrong with her?

      Josh’s obvious charm aside, Meredith couldn’t understand why Carly would want to jeopardize what she had with Mark. They seemed so happy together. Meredith had often wished she would be so lucky as to find someone who cared about her as much as Mark cared about Carly.

      Carly put her head in her hands. “It’s the curse,” she cried. “I finally meet a good guy, a guy that I love and who loves me. It’s all going to be ruined. Just because of Josh.”

      Perhaps her sister was right, Meredith thought. Perhaps it was just the Cartwright women’s knack for romantic self-destruction that was leading her astray.

      Carly focused her wet, blue eyes on Meredith and said, “You’re the only one who can help me.”

      “Me?” Meredith asked, surprised. “What can I do?”

      “Keep him away from me.” Carly threw her head in her hands, her long, curly blond hair falling forward.

      Meredith thought back to the previous evening when she had offered Josh money to leave Carly alone. The defiant fire in his eyes had been unmistakable. Meredith shook her head. “I can’t keep him away. If you don’t want to see him, you have to tell him yourself.”

      “I can’t. I’m afraid if I see him…if I’m alone with him…well…”

      “You’ll pick up where you left off?” It was Viera who spoke.

      Meredith held her breath, waiting for her sister’s answer. She had always assumed that nothing romantic had ever transpired between Carly and Josh. But then again, would Carly have told her if it had?

      “Left off?” Her sister appeared startled by the question. “We’ve