Sharon Kendrick Collection. Sharon Kendrick

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Название Sharon Kendrick Collection
Автор произведения Sharon Kendrick
Жанр Контркультура
Серия Mills & Boon e-Book Collections
Издательство Контркультура
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781474032308



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he decided suddenly. Of that he was certain.

      ‘It’s just that of all the men I know—or indeed that I’ve ever met—Dominic is the last person to have need of services such as the ones that you provide.’

      Romy willed herself not to blush. Not again! It was just her guilty conscience which was making Geraint’s innocent remark take on a provocative double meaning. ‘Oh? And why’s that?’

      ‘Just that I could name at least twenty women who would adore to assume your role—and he wouldn’t have to pay them either!’

      ‘Oh, I’ve planned lots of parties for men who are just as eligible as Dominic Dashwood,’ said Romy stiffly. ‘More so, in fact, since most of them didn’t have his high-handed way of going about things!’

      Geraint smiled. ‘OK, point taken. Then let me put it another way. Why hire you for something like this? I mean, it’s hardly big-time entertaining, is it? Cormack and Triss and Lola and I are simply friends and neighbours who see Dominic on a fairly frequent basis anyway, while Archie Bailey thinks that our host is the greatest thing since sliced bread.’

      Romy shook her head. ‘Well, he might think that—but he still needs to be persuaded to sell Dominic some land. That’s what this party is all about.’

      Geraint shrugged. ‘If Archie refuses to sell there are a million other, equally profitable sites that Dominic could choose from. So it seems pretty clear to me that your presence here isn’t strictly necessary. Which leads me to one conclusion...’ His eyes sparkled with mischief, and Romy was intrigued despite herself.

      ‘Oh?’

      ‘That this party is all a huge ruse to lure you here!’ He lowered his voice. ‘You are obviously the elusive woman whom Dominic has been searching for all his life. And you have obviously played so hard to get—a wise strategy, given Dominic’s experience,’ he added, with a conspiratorial wink, ‘that he has had to invent a reason for bringing you to his house!’

      Romy felt as though her stomach had turned to ice. Her? Playing hard to get? With Dominic? It would almost be funny if she stopped to think about it. But she didn’t dare stop to think about it.

      Because she was only just beginning to realise that her naive notion of seeing Dominic as much as possible in order to concentrate on all his faults was a flawed and stupid idea.

      Because, let’s face it, Romy, she told herself gloomily, whatever you discover about him won’t matter a bit. The attraction which had overwhelmed her at the age of nineteen was still stubbornly refusing to die.

      Could she perhaps plead a sudden and debilitating virus, and make her escape before she got in any deeper than she already was?

      ‘Romy,’ said a soft, sweet and instantly familiar voice behind her. Romy whirled round, prepared to offer him her most unfriendly face, and then saw that he was accompanied by a couple who were obviously Mr and Mrs Bailey.

      Archie Bailey was a fit-looking sixty-year-old, conventionally attired in a very new-looking black suit, while his wife was resplendent in a floor-length concoction of raspberry-coloured taffeta. Still, she must feel positively underdressed when she looks at Triss, thought Romy with some amusement.

      ‘Where’s Lola?’ asked Geraint.

      ‘She has insisted on tying back an untidy wisteria,’ Dominic grinned, and Romy thought how carefree he could look when he smiled like that. What a pity he didn’t do it more often!

      ‘Then I’d better go and find her before she starts pruning your roses too!’ Geraint laughed, and set off across the garden.

      Dominic turned to Romy. ‘I’d like to introduce Archie and Dolly Bailey,’ he murmured. ‘This is Romy Salisbury.’

      Dolly Bailey gave Romy a champagne-fuelled smile, and held out a plump hand which was covered in rings.

      ‘Hello, my love,’ she said, beaming, in the broadest northern accent that Romy had ever heard. ‘Pleased to meet you! I’m dying to hear all about that foreign royal family—and especially about a certain member of it, who I understand was absolutely smitten by you!’ Romy shook her blonde head ruefully, wishing that people wouldn’t believe everything they read in the papers! ‘There was nothing between us. It was pure invention by newspapers who would like to see him married!’

      ‘And increase their sales, of course,’ added Dominic cynically.

      ‘You’ve been reading too many tabloids again, Dolly!’ complained Archie.

      ‘And I shall carry on reading as many as I like!’ his wife retorted spiritedly.

      ‘I do hope that your daughter-in-law is feeling better,’ ventured Romy.

      ‘Oh, she’s nothing but a fusspot!’ said Dolly cheerfully. ‘First sign of a sniffle and everyone’s on full flu alert! And John gives in to her, too! I must say that when I was carrying our three I was out chopping logs for the fire—wasn’t I, pet?’

      ‘Aye, you were that,’ agreed Archie, with a somewhat grudging note of admiration in his voice.

      Romy’s eyes met Dominic’s in a rare moment of perfect understanding. The Baileys were exactly as she had pictured them from his description!

      She was just wondering fleetingly how he might describe her when she saw Ellen appear on the terrace and glance over in her direction.

      Romy put her half-empty champagne glass down on one of the tables. ‘Please excuse me,’ she murmured, aware of Dominic’s eyes on her as she turned towards the house. ‘I must go and see to the table.’

      Dinner was an odd affair—on the surface everything seemed to go swimmingly, but Romy felt so churned up with nerves that she could barely eat a thing.

      She had deliberately put herself as far away from Dominic as possible, but that wasn’t far at all, considering there were now only eight of them eating, and it didn’t seem to stop her thinking about him for the entire first course. It took every effort of will she possessed not to let her gaze linger on him, and to wonder how he managed to turn eating into a sensual art-form.

      Lola, Geraint’s wife, was absolutely enchanting, with her wild mahogany curls and her blazing blue eyes. She had recently given up her job as an air stewardess to concentrate on landscape gardening, and she berated Dominic loudly throughout the meal for neglecting his wisteria.

      Dominic merely laughed and said, ‘Come back when you’ve finished your landscaping course, Mrs Howell-Williams, and I’ll give you a job!’

      ‘You’re on!’ said Lola, and winked at Romy, who was frankly finding it a little wearing to have to witness all his effortless charm being directed at everyone except her!

      She drank half a glass of wine and concentrated on chatting to Archie, who began telling her all about his passion for fishing. ‘And that’s what I plan to do once I’m retired. If Dolly lets me,’ he added wistfully.

      ‘I’m sure she will,’ said Romy reassuringly.

      Everyone had just helped themselves to salmon and potatoes and salad, when Ellen appeared at the door to announce that there was a telephone call for Archie.

      Something in her voice made them all grow silent. Archie stood up and left the table immediately, and with one frowning look at Ellen Dominic followed him.

      ‘Probably some crisis at the factory.’ Dolly shrugged as she heaped another spoonful of boiled potatoes onto her plate. ‘I shall be glad to see the back of the damned place!’

      Romy carried on as if nothing had happened, making sure that everyone had enough to eat and drink. Though tonight her job did not seem like work at all. Lola, Geraint, Triss and Cormack really were the most delightful people, who seemed to know each other really well and like each other a lot.

      They all led fulfilled and independent lives, and yet St Fiacre’s seemed such a happy and thriving community. What she