'Really?' Liam returned drily. His insulting tone was unmistakable.
'You—'
'What is this?' Liam ignored her outburst to reach past her to the desk behind.
Juliet turned to see what had so suddenly caught his interest. Colour flooded her cheeks as he looked at her with coldly accusing eyes after picking up the Walters file. She had been going to give him the file, for goodness' sake, she just hadn't had the opportunity to do so yet; he had been attackingly offensive more or less from the moment he had entered the study!
'I found the file in William's desk—'
'And decided to have a look through it yourself before giving it to me,' he said harshly. 'Find anything interesting?' he challenged.
Nothing at all. It was a file like any other file in the Carlyle Properties archives. The only thing that made it any different from the others was that it had been kept in the bottom drawer of William's desk here.
Liam closed the file with a firm snap. 'I'll take this now,' he rasped coldly. 'And I'll see you at breakfast in the morning.'
Juliet was left standing alone in the shadows of the study, feeling as if she had just been tossed around by a whirlwind!
CHAPTER EIGHT
'Liam won't be in today,' Diana told her brightly as she looked into Juliet's office the next morning.
Juliet had spent most of the night lying awake; she had found it impossible to sleep after that conversation with Liam in the study. And, wanting to avoid him this morning, she had had coffee in her bedroom, missing breakfast altogether, only to discover from Janet, when she had gone down, that Liam had left the house very early that morning. And now it seemed that he was to be away all day. Her relief was mixed up with a certain amount of curiosity as to where he had gone.
'Business?' she asked casually, looking up from the work on her desk.
'With Liam, who knows?' Diana gave a dismissive shrug. 'I'll just carry on going through the papers you gave us yesterday,' was her parting comment as she closed Juliet's office door behind her.
Liam was right; Diana was very discreet! Had he found something in that file last night that she just hadn't seen when she had looked through it? What was he looking for? Knowing Liam, he would probably never tell her unless it was something he wanted her to know!
God, she wished he would come to some sort of decision concerning the business. The waiting was killing her! All she had wanted from him was a straightforward yes or no, but she knew that he wouldn't be rushed, and that his decision, when it came, would be made on a practical business level, would have nothing to do with love or loyalty towards his father. Basically because he didn't feel either of those things towards his family.
And he wasn't about to come to any decision when he wasn't even here!
John came into her office later in the morning, and Juliet could see that he wanted an explanation of what was actually going on, which wasn't surprising considering Liam had walked in and more or less taken over William's office—at the least!
There wasn't a lot she could really tell John; she had no idea herself what was happening. It could take Liam weeks to decide whether or not to keep the company going—which wasn't a lot of help to John, she accepted, but it was all she could offer him at the moment.
'Will Mr Liam be in for dinner tonight?' Janet asked her when she arrived home later that evening.
She had no idea what Liam's plans were for this evening; given that she hadn't seen him all day, how could she possibly know? He hadn't been into the office at all today, not even to speak to Diana. Not that the other woman had seemed concerned by his absence; she was probably used to it. Diana certainly seemed to accept working alone.
There had been no time for the two women even to take a hurried lunch together today; Juliet was back in the midst of her own work now, Diana still poring over accounts in William's office. Besides, Juliet felt a little uneasy in the other woman's company now as she was no longer so sure of Diana's relationship with Liam; he had certainly seemed defensive enough over the other woman when he'd come home last night!
'I have no idea,' Juliet replied dismissively. 'Liam doesn't keep me informed of his movements.'
'He never did.' Janet shook her head affectionately. 'He always was the more independent of the two boys.'
Boys? Juliet again found it difficult to imagine Liam as a boy.
Janet laughed at her expression. 'I can never think of him as anything else!' she smiled. 'He was a mischievous little devil.' Her face clouded slightly. 'Until Simon was born, that is.'
Juliet stiffened slightly at the mention of her dead fiancé; she had never discussed Simon with Janet. In fact, she hadn't really spoken of him since his death. Whether that was a good or bad thing she wasn't sure; she just knew that she found it too painful to talk about him.
But she was interested in this conversation in spite of herself. 'What effect did that have on Liam?' She frowned. As she did not have any siblings of her own, or any other family either, it was unknown territory for her.
Janet shrugged. 'Well, his mother died, for one thing, so that didn't help the situation. And Mr William doted on the baby, which didn't help either, so—'
'Liam and Simon didn't get on,' Juliet guessed.
'I wouldn't say that as children they didn't get on,' Janet said slowly. 'After all, Liam was five when Simon was born—already at school, with his own group of friends. It was only as they grew up that the resentment became more obvious.' She shook her head sadly. 'By the time they were both teenagers it was like open warfare!'
So Liam has been resentful of his younger brother. She had guessed from his attitude towards Simon that there had been no love lost between the two brothers, and Janet had just confirmed it.
'It was very difficult for Mr William.' Janet gave a heavy sigh. 'He loved both his sons—'
'That's debatable, Janet!' cut in a harshly angry voice, and both women turned to find that Liam had entered the house without either of them being aware of it.
Janet immediately looked flustered at being caught discussing him in that way, and Juliet had to admit that she wasn't too happy about it herself. She was sure that Liam's remarks last night about not discussing him, or his private affairs, with Diana also applied to Janet!
He strode forcefully into the entrance hall, closing the door behind him with firm finality. 'We'll have coffee in my father's study, Janet,' he told the housekeeper icily, his eyes glittering like twin blue lakes—fathomless lakes with a threat in their depths! 'The study, Juliet,' he told her coldly as he marched past, not even pausing to see if she intended following him.
He just knew that she would! Not that she wanted to, but she accepted that she probably did owe him an apology for being caught out talking about him with Janet. But it hadn't been intentional; it had just been a natural progression in the conversation.
Janet made a pained expression. 'Oh, dear,' she sighed, looking guiltily after Liam.
'Don't worry about it,' Juliet said softly, squeezing her arm reassuringly. 'We weren't doing anything wrong.' Although she doubted whether Liam saw it that way!
Janet shook her head regretfully. 'I know that look,' she said, grimacing. 'His father had one just—' She broke off awkwardly. 'Liam always was as stubborn as a mule,' she sighed. 'And he isn't going to like it that we were talking about him.'
'It will be fine,' Juliet assured her with more confidence than she actually felt; Liam was furious, and her delay in joining him wouldn't be improving his mood. 'You go and get the coffee and I'll speak to him.' She gave the older woman a comforting smile.
Janet didn't look any more convinced about Liam's mood than Juliet felt, but she went off to get the requested coffee anyway.
Juliet took a deep breath and followed Liam to the study. She almost faltered as she entered the room, finding him sitting behind the desk in William's chair, his face set in a cold, angry mask; obviously this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. Not that she had particularly expected
it to be, but facing Liam across the desk like this she felt like a naughty schoolgirl who had been called in by the headmaster to be chastised for some misdemeanour!
He sat forward to rest his elbows on the desktop, lacing the fingers of each hand together in front of his face, his eyes icily assessing as he looked at her. And looked at her. And looked at her.
The silence stretched on and on, until Juliet felt as if her nerve might snap. 'For goodness' sake, Liam,' she finally bit out tautly, that feeling of being a naughty little girl still with her. 'Janet was just—'
'I'm not interested in what Janet was doing,' he cut in harshly. 'I believe I made my feelings plain to you yesterday evening!'
She swallowed hard. 'Janet just wondered if you were going to be in for dinner,' she continued determinedly. 'And one thing led to another.' She shrugged dismissively.
His mouth twisted. 'I'm sure it did. Well, in future—' his face hardened '—I would prefer it if one thing didn't lead to another!'
'Fine,' she snapped, tired of these mood swings. 'I'll endeavour not to let your name pass my lips again!'
He sat back, looking at her through narrowed eyes. 'Really?' he drawled.
Juliet suddenly didn't like the way he was looking at her; she felt uncomfortable under that appraising gaze. 'Really!' she returned—somewhat defensively, she felt.
Liam stood up slowly, moving stealthily around the desk and standing dangerously close to her. 'Never?' he challenged softly.
There was heated colour in her cheeks now, and she wanted to move. Instead, she stood her ground with great effort. Inwardly she just wanted to get away from him! What was it about this man that had this effect on her?
She met his gaze unflinchingly. 'Look, Li— Liam,' she completed firmly. 'It would obviously be better if you and I stayed away from each other as much as possible—'
'Why?' he cut in softly. 'Some of the times we've been…close I've enjoyed very much.' His gaze moved appraisingly across her face and body.
Her cheeks were burning now, and she had to force herself not to move away. 'You know very well what I'm talking about, Liam,' she rapped out. 'You're here on business; there's no need for us to put up a pretence of getting on!'
He shrugged unconcernedly. 'But on one level we do "get on", Juliet,' he drawled huskily. 'In fact, I'm amazed at just how well…'
She knew to which 'level' he referred; it would be impossible not to know! And she wasn't amazed by it at all—stunned would be a better way of putting it!
She might not have moved away, but there was definitely a barrier going up around her! 'You won't be here for much longer, Liam, so—'
'Are you telling me or asking me?' His voice was dangerously soft now.
Her eyes flashed her irritation with this verbal game he was playing. 'Carlyle Properties is a very small fish in your large pond, Liam,' she snapped impatiently. 'Once you've seen what you need to you'll be going off to deal with your other businesses. Until that time, as I've already said, perhaps it would be better if we avoided each other as much as possible.'
'Is that what you did with your last business partner?' he taunted challengingly. 'Strange; I thought you had rather a different arrangement with my father.'
She drew in a sharp breath at his deliberately insulting tone. 'I wasn't your father's business partner,' she reminded him tautly.
'Oh, no, of course you weren't.' He nodded agreement. 'Assistant, wasn't it? Well, I suppose at his age he needed all the assistance he could—I wouldn't, if I were you,' he advised in a menacingly soft voice as her hand arched up instinctively.
Her hand was arrested in mid-action, her breathing ragged in her agitation. 'You are the most insulting man I have ever met in my life,' she finally managed to say. 'That happens to be your father you're talking about!' She glared at him for the slur he was making on a man she had cared about very much. And who had cared about her in return.
'He was a man, wasn't he?' Liam dismissed harshly.
'He was my friend,' Juliet defended. 'My very good friend.' She could have kicked herself for allowing that emotional catch in her voice; Liam wouldn't understand things like platonic love between two people who weren't actually related to each other. And now wasn't the time to enlighten him, either, as she could hear Janet approaching the study with the coffee-tray.
'Could I have a dinner-tray in my room?' she requested stiltedly of the other woman as she entered after knocking briefly on the door. She studiously avoided looking at Liam; she was so angry and upset that she might say something completely unforgivable if she looked at him again.
'I have something I wish to discuss with you, Juliet,' Liam told her coldly before Janet could answer.
She still couldn't bring herself to look at him; she needed some time and space away from him. 'Can't it wait until morning?' she said abruptly.
'No. It can't,' he answered uncompromisingly. 'It's business,' he added curtly as she still looked mutinous.
Juliet drew in a ragged breath. Liam had the upper hand in this situation, and he knew it. When it came to the future of Carlyle Properties—something William had entrusted to her—then she had no choice…!
She nodded. 'I'll join you for coffee after dinner,' she conceded, at last looking up at him—and then wishing she hadn't! Liam had a way of looking at her that made her feel so—so… It was very uncomfortable, feeling that someone disliked you as much as Liam seemed to dislike her!
Although dislike possibly wasn't the right word. As he had admitted, on one level they did get on, and Liam obviously resented that fact. He couldn't dislike her because he wouldn't really allow himself to get to know her, but he did resent the effect they had on each other. As she did.
'Very well,' he accepted icily, obviously not too happy with the compromise, but willing to let it go by because of Janet's presence. 'Ten o'clock, in the study,' he added hardly.
'Very well,' she acknowledged distantly.
'And make sure she does have a tray in her room, Janet.' He turned to the housekeeper. 'Juliet has a habit of forgetting that her body needs food!' he added drily.
Juliet gave him a narrow-eyed look before turning on her heel and abruptly leaving the room.
'He had to have the last word,' she muttered to herself disgruntledly as she went up the stairs. She hoped his dinner gave him indigestion! It was the least he deserved, because she surely wasn't going to enjoy her own food, no matter what Liam might have instructed to the contrary!
Ten o'clock came around all too quickly as far as Juliet was concerned. She did eat some of the delicious dinner which Janet brought up for her, just the smell of the beef Wellington making her feel hungry—mainly, she suddenly realised, because she had forgotten to eat lunch. It certainly had nothing to do with what Liam had said to her!
Why did he bring out such childish rebellion in her? she wondered heavily. She had lived her life quite sedately for the last seven years, and in a few short days Liam had reduced her to an emotional see-saw, one minute so angry with him, the next unable to resist being in his arms. She would be glad when he had gone out of her life again!
But would she…?
Yes, Liam evoked emotions she hadn't felt for some time, emotions she wasn't altogether comfortable with, but at least she had been alive, totally alive, since first meeting him.
She couldn't be falling in love with him…? Not with Liam of all people!
She felt angry in his presence, irritated, apprehensive occasionally, but those other emotions—of anticipation of seeing him again, the pleasure she had known in his arms, the fact that she felt so alive in his company—what did they mean? They couldn't mean she was falling in love with him— was already in love with him…
God, it was gone ten o'clock now; if she didn't go downstairs soon he would—
'A question of the mountain coming to Mohammed?' Liam drawled as he entered her bedroom unannounced.
After the recent thoughts she had been having about him, being alone with him in her b
edroom was the last thing Juliet wanted!
She stood up abruptly from where she had been seated at the table in front of her bedroom window. 'I was just about to come downstairs and join you,' she told him stiltedly as she crossed the room to stand pointedly beside the open doorway.
Liam shrugged, making no effort to move. 'I'm here now,' he dismissed easily. 'We may as well stay here.'
No, definitely not! 'Business is better discussed in the right surroundings,' she insisted determinedly.
His mouth twisted mockingly. 'So I seem to remember you telling me once before,' he said, reminding her of the evening at the hotel in Majorca. 'I rarely deal in offices, Juliet,' he continued drily. 'More business is settled over a good meal, or in a bedroom,' he added pointedly, 'than has ever been achieved in a boardroom!'
His meaning, concerning the bedroom, wasn't lost on Juliet, and she didn't like the implied insult one little bit! 'I would prefer to go down to the study,' she told him distantly, grey eyes unblinking as she met the challenge in his gaze.
'Whatever,' he finally shrugged. 'It's really totally irrelevant to me.'
She would imagine most things were that he didn't think directly affected him. And, as she knew from experience, Liam would say what he had to say no matter what the surroundings.
'The study it is, then,' she said determinedly, unconcerned with what he might think of her stubbornness.
'After you.' He stepped back in an exaggerated movement to allow her to pass him.
Juliet kept her head held high as she went to walk past, and looked up in startled surprise as he stepped in front of her, her eyes widening in trepidation as she saw the look on his face.
'What is it about you?' he muttered, almost to himself. 'I have every reason to dislike you, and yet…' He shook his head in self-disgust. 'What do you use, Juliet? Spells and magic potions?' he added harshly.
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