“Then you must call me Will.” A dazzling smile spread across his handsome face.
The waiter scurried up to their table eager to take their order saving her from responding, but not stopping the clean blush that suffused her face.
Victoria looked at William closely taking advantage of his distraction, as he spoke quietly to the waiter. He probably had women throwing themselves all over him wherever he went. Yet, he had the ability to make her feel as if she were the only woman in the world.
As if sensing her thoughts, those smoldering, gray eyes fell on her just as he dismissed the waiter. Victoria swiftly looked away, mortified to have been caught staring.
She studied the giant black swan fountain that rose from the pond. It was breathtaking. Water trickled over its spread wings creating an illusion that the swan was rising from the water.
Below the fountain was a shimmering pond. Blooming water lilies and candles floated on the glassy surface.
When she couldn’t reasonably stare at the pond and fountain any longer, Victoria focused on the people around her. In the quiet elegance of the dining room, the patrons, finely dressed, carried on conversations punctuated with polite laughter. It was a scene that unfolded naturally, yet there was something distinctly orchestrated about the spectacle of beautiful people coming together and dining. It was a script that only they understood and followed.
“Tell me about yourself, Victoria,” he coaxed in a low voice, his eyes touching her.
Her body immediately responded to his husky demand. She had never thought much about men on an intimate level yet now she was wondering what it would be like to touch those sensual lips of his — and feel his bare skin against hers.
Where had those sinful thoughts come from?
“There isn’t much to tell,” Victoria answered evasively, her cheeks flushed from her wayward thoughts. This situation had taken on an intimate tone that Victoria never imagined it would take. He was deliberately keeping her off topic and was causing her to forget what she was doing here. Somehow, she had to stop this before it got completely out of control.
“I know you are trying to be nice to me, Mr. ... Will, but honestly, I think we need to talk about the business at hand.”
The smile left William’s face, his eyes seared into hers and he said, “Where is Charles Riley?”
CHAPTER 6
Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. She knew the question was coming, yet his unexpected demand hit her like a blast from a shotgun.
“He couldn’t come,” she answered quickly.
At least that part wasn’t a lie.
“So you came instead,” he supplied, watching her carefully. Victoria shifted uncomfortably. She was not a good liar.
“So I came instead,” she agreed, a weak smile trembling on her lips.
Victoria’s temples pounded. Good heavens, she had never lied about anything like this. Of course, actually she hadn’t exactly lied just yet. Her father was, in fact, not in any shape to go anywhere. She just conveniently left off the part about him being dead.
A sharp shard of sadness cut through her. A lump formed in her throat and she looked away blinking back the hot wetness that stung her eyes. If only Pap were here, because if he was, then she wouldn’t be here now and she wouldn’t be forced to do any of this.
“Tell me about the store.” His husky voice held a hint of pity. Victoria sat up straight in her chair. He thought her father was ill and he felt sorry for her. She didn’t want Worthington’s pity and most certainly she wasn’t going to beg for his help. Pride dried her eyes and thickened her spine. She was Charles Riley’s daughter after all.
“The accountant has been taking money, he keeps taking more and more, I think …. I mean…my father believes he is not properly recording things in the ledger.”
The bald accusation fell between them like a heavy stone in a shallow creek.
His eyebrows rose.
“The accountant has been handling those books for a number of years. Why would he suddenly start embezzling money?” William frowned.
“I don’t know why he would do this. Do you ever look at those books?” she asked.
The waiter arrived at their table carrying a red-shelled, clawed beast, the likes of which Victoria had never seen.
“What is that?” Victoria shuddered in revulsion gaping at the food.
William chuckled. “Why, my dear Victoria, these are the most delicious crustaceans you will ever eat.”
Victoria watched in fascinated horror as William took a small fork and pulled fluffy white meat from the shell and dipped into a melted butter mixture. “They are called lobster and they come from the ocean.”
“Taste,” he commanded, handing the fork over to her.
“No, no, I thank you, but ...” Victoria was unable to hide her aversion. “That looks so horrible!”
“Take it, Victoria,” he tempted. “If you never try anything new, you are going to miss out on a great many of life’s pleasures….come on…I dare you.”
Her heart thudded in response. Victoria seldom passed up a challenge. She had once eaten a fish eye on a dare.
However, she couldn’t reach across the table and take the fork without removing her gloves and then he would see her work worn hands!
“Maybe I don’t want to experience life’s pleasures.” She avoided his heated gaze.
William laughed, low and tantalizing, while moving his fork toward her filled with the white fluffy lobster meat.
There was no option but to take a bite. She pulled her gloves off and laid them on the table, hoping he wouldn’t notice her hands.
“Ah Victoria, someone as young and passionate as you should not forgo life’s pleasures.” His words invoked delicious and unwanted thoughts.
Victoria reached out and her trembling fingers touched his and around the delicate fork.
His eyes rested on her hand. Victoria inwardly cringed, barely tasting the rich meat of the lobster. To Victoria’s complete and utter humiliation, William continued to look at her hand.
“You have beautiful hands,” William commented with candor and tenderness in his husky voice. “You have the most delicate bone structure I have ever seen, yet, they look so utterly capable....what could be more beautiful than capable, working hands?”
Victoria was utterly stunned.
She searched his eyes for mocking but found only sincerity. Victoria returned the fork to the plate and folded her hands back into her lap.
“Thank you. But you are still distracting me from the purpose of my visit.”
“Perhaps it is my intent to distract you.”
“I am not sure why you should wish to distract me, but can we please get back to the matter at hand, and your previous question.” Her tone was crisp with the mental reminder that she must stop acting like a complete ninny.
He picked up another lobster tail and placed the meat on her plate. “So, tell me what exactly is happening to raise your suspicions about my accountant.”
Victoria ignored the piece of lobster and focused on her explanation.
“When Pap got sick, I started handling the affairs at the store. I guess the accountant thought a woman wouldn’t be able to count. He kept demanding more and more of the profits. I assume you have been getting them.” She said. William took another piece of the lobster, dipped it, and put it into his mouth, leaving Victoria in breathless lingering distraction over his sensual lips.
When he had swallowed the lobster and touched his mouth with the linen napkin he said, “So why didn’t you go to the local authorities?”
“Who is going to listen to a woman?” She tore her gaze from his lips and resumed breathing.
In her attempt at being casual she took her small fork and ate the cold piece of lobster on her plate. The fluffy white meat melted in her mouth.
“And that is why my Pap wrote to you. It is your store and he works for you.”
“I see,” he said, taking another bite of lobster, his g
aze catching and holding hers as if he could see down to her soul.
“And the store itself needs repair, lots of repairs, but there is never enough money to do so,” she said. “That is why he demanded that you do something.”
William smiled.
“I cannot recall the last time anyone had challenged me, if ever. Do you have any idea Ms. Riley of what you have decided to take on by challenging me?”
“I am not afraid of you Mr. Worthington,” she said even while a telling quiver weaved through her brave words.
“The store is losing money.” He picked up his wine glass and sipped while his glowing gaze held hers over the rim.
“Yes, yes I know it is, but if I could fix it up, I have so many ideas . . .,” she broke off.
“You do a lot of work at the store Victoria?” he asked. “Has your father been ill for a while?”
“Well, yes . . . yes I do a lot of work at the store, I always have, even before my father became ill,” she allowed.
“So then tell me your ideas, what is it you wish to do?”
“Well…no one is ever interested in my ideas...only Mandy...my sister...but not men….I mean… I don’t know many men besides my father of course…but it is just..”
“Well, I am interested, so come, tell me,” he coaxed. “I really do want to know.”
Victoria’s cheeks went warm with pulsing excitement. “I thought we might put seasonal things in the store . . . for instance, items for Christmas…and Easter…whatever. And I thought we could price things differently, like a lower price on one thing, you know...put a sign outside to get people to come in to see the sale item and maybe then they would buy other things at a higher price. I might have to have more inventory of that one thing and I might lose a bit of money on each one, but I would make more overall because I would sell more.”
“Victoria, I am utterly fascinated. You are not only very beautiful…you are extremely intelligent and have quite the business head.”
“You are terribly kind, but I have so much more to tell you,” Victoria flushed under his approving words.
It was so thrilling to talk to someone about her ideas…someone who would understand. Victoria tossed aside her wariness of this dangerous man and delved further into her ideas.
While she talked, William expanded her ideas and added a few of his own.
And more wine was poured.
She lifted the sparkling glass and stole a quick glance at William to find him regarding her carefully. The searing fire blew through her again.
Their food arrived, interrupting the intimate silence.
She had gotten carried away talking about her ideas for the store and had completely banished the important matters at hand from the conversation.
As each moment passed, it was more difficult to live with the lie about her Pap, especially with Worthington so close and his overwhelming presence so difficult to ignore.
But she couldn’t tell him the truth now. Not only was it way too late in the game, he had proven to be far too dangerous. Victoria mentally shuddered to think of what he would do if he knew he had been deceived.
The filet of beef was heavenly and Victoria was certain she had never tasted anything so delicious, except perhaps her mother’s Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners.
“Why haven’t you ever married?” William put his fork down and regarded her keenly.
Completely unprepared for the question, Victoria gulped down a bite of her meat.
“I . . I just never met anyone I wanted to marry,” she answered truthfully in the swiftness of the moment.
“Surely your family should have arranged a match for you before now. Even though your father is a merchant, you are beautiful, and often beautiful women can marry above their station.”
So stunned, a response failed Victoria right before outrage rushed through her. How dare he say such a thing! What an arrogant snob.
“People of my station don’t have arranged marriages most of the time. Besides, that is a very prudish and old fashioned way of thinking.” She daintily dabbed her mouth with the napkin in contrast to her populace words. “This is America.”
“I see,” he picked up his fork and resumed his meal with an annoying nonchalance.
“Why aren’t you married?” Victoria had the overwhelming desire to lash out at him.
His eyes lit up with surprise and he laughed and placed his fork neatly back onto the bone china plate. “As a matter of fact, I am going to be married in the very near future.”
“Oh.” Disappointment swept over her like a swish from a straw broom. She wished she knew if his marriage was arranged but her boldness did have limitations.
“Yes, my marriage was arranged,” he answered, accurately reading her mind. Victoria’s fork slipped through her fingers and clattered onto her plate.
He looked at her fork with pointed amusement but did not comment.
“I picked her out based on bloodlines, family wealth and tolerant face and figure. Then, my family approved of her...does that satisfy your curiosity?”
“Sounds very romantic,” she said, unable to suppress her sarcasm. “Rather like purchasing a horse.”
Victoria felt a surprising disappointment and hurt somewhere under her ribs. It shouldn’t bother her that he was already engaged, but for some inexplicable reason, it did.
“Romantic?” One of his dark eyebrows rose and his eyes bore into hers like twin diamonds. “I have no need to be romantic about marriage.”
“What if you met someone you loved but she didn’t meet the criteria?” Victoria felt the regret of her words and the desire to crawl under the table in the heat that rushed to her face.
William’s eyes roved over her scorching her to the bone.
“Love isn’t in my dictionary, but lust is. If I met a woman I wanted, I would have her, but I wouldn’t marry her.” Suggestive and husky, his words melted over Victoria, their meaning all too clear.
“That is a horrible thing to say.” Tearing her gaze from him, Victoria looked away, focusing on a potted plant near the doorway. She couldn’t look at him when she said, “It is a very cold point of view.”
“Look at me Victoria.” Answering his low command, Victoria looked into his eyes to find them glittering dangerously.
“I am a cold man. What would you have me say Victoria? Would you want me to tell you I would sweep a woman off her feet and marry her, forgetting all of my responsibilities?”
“Why would marrying someone you love cause you to forgo your responsibilities?”
“To marry a woman below my station in life would cause a great many problems. I carry heavy responsibilities, and my wife has to be able to share that life. My wife must have the best breeding, she must know how to survive and thrive in society. I couldn’t have her publically embarrassing me, or my family.”
The earth fell away from Victoria. The humiliation was sharp and quick; her dated dress, her hands and most mortifying of all, that she had come to him asking for money to repair the store.
“Oh, I see. Well then, I am surprised you are willing to even sit at the table with someone like me.” Victoria picked up her napkin and touched the corners of her mouth, glaring at him. “Because I can assure you Mr. Worthington, I am not up to your station.”
“I am sorry, Victoria, I didn’t mean to insult you,” he said quietly, his eyes and voice filled with sincerity. Gone was the mockery and arrogance he had displayed only moments before. “I had no idea we were talking about you.”
“You didn’t insult me,” she responded quickly. “We were not talking about me....I wouldn’t marry anyone like you either....”
“Indeed.” Again, William’s eyebrow rose, “However, I am quite certain Ms. Riley that I would have many delicious purposes with regard to you that do not include anything as dull as marriage.”
“What exactly do you mean?” she gasped.
“I mean nothing, look Victoria, since you obviously didn’t snare anyone for yourself,
I think your father should have found someone for you long ago.” His arrogant words were delivered in a silky voice.
“How very single minded you are. I told you, I don’t particularly want to get married. This may come as a surprise to you, Mr. Worthington, but maybe I don’t want to spend my life being a man’s slave . . . . cleaning up after him, cooking for him, doing everything he says, having his babies and perhaps dying in the process. No, thank you. I want freedom to do what I wish, when I wish and without the interference of a man.” The words tumbled from Victoria’s lips.
“Are you afraid of having children Victoria?” William asked. “And you do not like the life of a wife?”
“I am afraid of nothing,” she responded, her eyes flashing. He had an uncanny way of piercing through her most vulnerable points. “I am sure it is okay for some, it just isn’t the life I want for myself.”
Picking up his wine, William took a long slow drink, his eyes meeting hers over the rim of his glass like hard beautiful twin diamonds.
Tearing her eyes from him, Victoria picked up her own glass and took a generous swallow. Every time those silver eyes touched her, she felt as if she was being pulled by some unseen force, trapped and burning.
“What life do you want for yourself then, Victoria?” His voice added intimacy to a seemingly impersonal question. Despite his courteous and gentlemanly comportment he was a dangerous man who was leading her somewhere simmered underneath.
“I want to be able come and go as I please and to be in charge of my own welfare and life. If I want to stay up all night reading, or if I simply get interested in a new idea I want to pursue, I will. And I don’t want the demands of being a wife.”
William laughed rich, low and vibrant, sending a delicious warm wave through her. “You are a unique young lady Victoria with progressive ideas. But I am curious to know how you intend to support yourself and this independent lifestyle you crave all the way into your old age?”
“Why, working in my father’s store, of course,” came Victoria’s indignant reply.
“What happens when your father is . . . gone?” William’s amusement vanished.
The Letter Page 4