“I can imagine.”
“Come on. Let’s get some lunch. I’m starved.”
“Wonder why?”
They laughed and kissed their way back to the house.
Lunch was as traditional as their surroundings. Roast beef and all the trimmings, superbly cooked. Matt opened one and then a second bottle of decent claret, and they all overindulged. Ashley had never seen him half so relaxed before, so in control and very obviously happy, and was glad she had agreed to meet his mother.
They were finishing coffee when the phone rang. Matt stiffened when he heard his mother’s responses.
“Eve,” he said with a grimace, stepping out into the hall to take the call.
When he returned to the table, Ashley knew the relaxed mood of earlier had been broken by the spectre of Eve.
“I think,” Ashley said later as they sat in the drawing room together, “that I’m going to apply for a new job.”
“What!” Matt half rose from his chair, his expression quizzical. “But I thought we’d—”
“Calm down and hear me out. You both think Charlie’s behind the disputed death claims, right?”
They nodded.
“I can’t believe it of the young lad I took in all those years ago,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “He was such an amenable child.”
“He grew up,” Matt said shortly.
“And if you don’t stop his little game soon, Matt,” Ashley pointed out, “it will weaken your position with the amalgamation?”
“Yes, but I don’t see how—”
“Well then, we need to find out how he’s doing it,” she said, with irrefutable logic.
“Obviously, and that’s precisely what I’m trying to do.”
“Yes, and he knows it. I hate to dent your manly pride by pointing this out, but he’s been one step ahead of you all the way.”
“Possibly but I still think I can—”
“No, you can’t.” Ashley pinioned him with a look. “And time’s running out.”
“I was thinking of confronting him. If he knows that I know—”
“Oh, Matt, he won’t tell you a thing. He’ll deny it all, you can’t prove it, and all you’ll manage is to cause further deterioration in your relationship.”
“She’s right, Matt,” Sophie said when he didn’t immediately respond.
“Okay, gang up on me, why don’t you.” He let out a long sigh. “What’s your plan then, Ash?”
“Well, I noticed the other day that Charlie’s advertising internally for someone on my grade to help at the Southampton end with the amalgamation.”
“Yes, he’s running things down there, now that I’m based in Reigate. But you’ve got your hands full up here. What reason would you give for applying?”
“I’m the prefect candidate. I’ve worked for the company forever and have experience of just about every department. There isn’t much about the workings of Interactive that I don’t understand or couldn’t soon brush up on.”
“Even so, they know how vital you are to me in Reigate.”
“I’ll tell Charlie and Peter that for personal reasons I need a change of location for a while. Charlie will think you and I have fallen out.”
“But, like Matt just said, you’re pivotal to the setting up of the new head office,” Sophie said, frowning.
“I was, but things are well on course now and my deputy could easily take over for a while.”
“I don’t like it,” Matt said obdurately.
“I’m not ecstatic about the idea myself, but if we’re going to get the better of Charlie in the short amount of time available, I don’t see any other way. Working under his auspices, I’d have virtually limitless access to all departments. What’s more, I’d be able to get people to talk to me in a way that you never could, Matt.”
“That’s true,” Sophie agreed.
Matt groaned. “I should have known you two would join forces against me.”
“Hardly that,” Ashley assured him breezily. “It’s your interests we’re trying to protect here, remember. Not that you seem the least little bit grateful.”
Matt tapped her thigh, not altogether playfully. “This isn’t a game, Ashley. Charlie’s dangerous.”
“Nonsense! You saw for yourself how he was with me on Friday night. If he thinks I’ve fallen out with you, then he won’t be able to resist rubbing it in by having me working out of the same office as him.”
“Oh, no!” Matt was no his feet now. “He won’t be content to leave it at that. When it comes to getting one over on me, he always has to have the last word. He’ll try and get you into bed, and if you say no—”
“If?”
“All right, when you turn him down, it will make him more determined than ever, and he doesn’t fight fair.”
“Matt, I won’t be there long enough for that. No more than a month is my guess. If I can’t find out anything in that time, it’ll be too late anyway. Besides, I’ll commute. I’ll go down on a Monday morning and come back here on a Friday afternoon. I’m sure Sandy will have Freckles for me.”
“Or I would,” Sophie said.
“Thanks, but it’s probably safer if I don’t have any discernible connections with you.”
“That’s true, I suppose.”
“Where would you stay?” Sophie asked.
“Does the company still have courtesy flats on the wharf?”
“Yes,” Matt said, with transparent reluctance.
“Well, that’s settled then. I’ll contact Charlie first thing tomorrow.”
Matt pulled Ashley against him, mindless of his mother’s presence. “I don’t like it. This isn’t your fight.”
She matched his worried gaze with one of single-minded determination. “It is if we want to have any sort of future together.”
Chapter Eight
Just two days later Ashley reported to Charlie’s office in Southampton. The speed with which her temporary transfer had been approved took them all by surprise.
“Ashley.” He stood to greet her as she was shown into his office. “Welcome to Southampton.”
“Thanks, Charlie.”
She took the seat that he ushered her to—not at his desk but on a leather sofa in front of a low, glass-topped coffee table.
“Well, here we are,” he said, smiling like he knew something she didn’t.
“Yes, here we are.” Ashley tried not to show how insecure she felt. “And I’m raring to go. Where do I start?”
“All in good time. I have to say that your request for a transfer took me by surprise.” He held up a hand. “Don’t get me wrong. It was a pleasant surprise, but I’m curious to know what brought it about.”
I’ll just be you are! “Well, it’s like I said to when you and Peter interviewed me—”
“Yeah, I heard what you said, but I thought you were wedded to the Reigate office. You certainly didn’t make any mention of wanting a move the other night, so it’s all a bit sudden.”
“Can’t a girl act on impulse?”
“Come to think of it, you didn’t say very much to me at all after dinner and disappeared without even saying good night.” His tone was lightly accusatory, as though women didn’t make a habit of ducking out on him. Ashley remained impassive as he furrowed his brow and regarded her with a quizzical expression. “What happened?”
“Sorry about that. I suddenly realized I’d had a little too much to drink and remembered I had an important dressage competition the next day. If I’d returned to the bar, it would have taken forever to get away again.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I didn’t think anyone would notice that I’d slipped away.”
“I noticed.”
“Clearly, and I apologize again if I was rude. But to answer your other question, I hadn’t decided that I wanted to move when we spoke the other night. But the things you told me about the amalgamation interested me. Stevenson’s is based down here, so this is where most of the horse trading happens.” She made a gesture with her r
ight hand. “Stands to reason, really. If I want to be in amongst it all, this is the place to be.”
Charlie nodded, looking less than convinced. “I see,” he said.
“When I saw your ad for a temporary assistant, I figured I had all the necessary qualifications. After all, it’s what I’ve been doing in Reigate for the past eighteen months.” She expelled a long breath. “Anyway, I could do with putting some space between me and Reigate for a while.”
“For personal reasons? Isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes, there’s obviously nothing wrong with your memory.”
He raised a brow, clearly expecting her to elucidate.
“And that’s precisely what they are,” she said emphatically. “Personal.”
“Okay.” He conceded defeat with a grin that came close to being smug. “Some bastard’s broken your heart, I dare say. But fear not, my lovely, consolation is always at hand, you need but say the word.”
“I’m off men for good.”
“Oh, I do hope not.” He shook his head, offering her a raffish grin that was probably meant to be sexy. Instead, it repelled her. “That would be such a waste.”
“Tell me more about the job,” she said, steering him back to safer waters. His smile slipped, and she felt the first stirrings of alarm. Matt had been right. Charlie wasn’t the type who’d easily take no for an answer. He clearly thought that no woman could possibly be immune to his charm and that the rules of sexual harassment didn’t apply to him. “Where do you want me to start?”
Charlie spent the next half-hour outlining the areas of common interest between the two firms.
“There’s bound to be a lot of duplication of staff, and that’s where we’ll be looking to make cost savings. I need you to organize time and motion studies here and liaise with Philip Roker at Stevenson’s. He’s doing the same thing there.”
“He’s the guy you introduced me to the other night?” she asked, pretending not to remember.
“That’s the one.”
“Isn’t he rather senior to be carrying out such a comparatively mundane task? I’d have thought that I’d be liaising with Stella. I already was on the Reigate end.”
Charlie shrugged. “Phil likes to be hands on.”
“Okay then, I’ll contact him.” Ashley paused, her suspicions on high alert. “What about systems?”
“What about them?”
“Well, if the deal goes ahead, which will we use here in Southampton, ours or Stevenson’s?”
“Probably some of both. The computer geeks are looking into that and will tell us, when they get round to it, if they’re suitable for amalgamation. We’ll probably have to run both at first, side by side, and let the programmers get their teeth into a new system.”
“But if I’m to recommend economies, I’ll need to know which departments here are to continue with our system so I—”
“Steer clear of systems,” Charlie said firmly. His languid attitude gave way to one of firm authority, causing Ashley’s antenna to twitch. She sat up a little straighter, wondering if she’d stumbled onto an area of significance already.
“I don’t know much about systems, but I don’t see how I can do a proper appraisal of staff requirements if I don’t know which programmes—”
“There’s plenty for you to be getting on with. As soon as the systems guys let me have their recommendations, I’ll share them with you.”
“Yes, okay.” She backed off before she aroused his suspicions. “It’s just that I didn’t have this problem in Reigate because it’s already been decided to stick with our system there.”
“Yeah, so I gather.” He stretched his arms above his head and offered her another killer grin. “Have you settled into the flat okay?”
“I only had time to dump my bags there this morning, but it seems fine.”
“Well, if there’s anything you need—”
“Oh, I doubt if there will be. I’ll only be there four nights a week anyway. I’ll be going back home for the weekends.”
“But I thought you wanted to steer clear of Reigate?”
“I do, but I still have a horse and a dog to think about.”
“I see.” He paused, subjecting her to close scrutiny. “I hope you don’t have intransigent plans for the nights when you are down here.”
“Not really. Why?”
“There are a number of issues still to be thrashed out with the Stevenson’s lot, and I find it easier to do that over dinner. People are less territorial when they’ve had a few jars to loosen them up. You’d be required to attend some of those dinners.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
He hitched a brow. “Problem?”
She shrugged. “No, I guess not.”
“Right, well, I think that’s enough for you to be getting on with. Come on, I’ll show you your office. It’s right here, next door to mine, so if you get lonely or need any help, any help at all,” he added with a loaded glance, “then you only have to yell.”
Ashley got right down to it, trying not to think about Matt and the problems he was grappling with. The best favour she could do him was to find out how Charlie was sabotaging the claims system. She immersed herself in this latest challenge, getting to know the people she’d be working the most closely with. She wisely made a friend of Charlie’s glamorous but territorial young secretary, offering to buy her lunch later in the week so she could pick her brains. She renewed her acquaintanceship with people she’d known for years and got them on side by asking their advice about the best place to start her daunting task. She wasn’t going to be popular because everyone knew there would be redundancies if the merger went ahead. In such straightened times, no one wanted to lose their jobs.
Ashley already realized that it would be impossible, in the short time available, to look everywhere for signs of Charlie’s machinations. He was too clever to leave a trail, so she attempted to put herself in his shoes. If someone wanted to covertly sabotage several different areas of the operation simultaneously, what aspect of the business did all those operations have in common? And how could one person—even one as senior in the company as Charlie—access it without arousing suspicion? Thus far she didn’t have a clue.
By six that first evening, Ashley was exhausted and decided to call it a night. The prospect of returning to the impersonal company flat didn’t exactly fill her with joy, and she longed for the comfort of her own apartment. Chiding herself for already feeling homesick, she perked up when she recalled that once she was safely inside the flat she’d at least be able to call Matt. They’d already agreed that he couldn’t risk making contact and that any conversations between them would have to be initiated by her, using their mobiles only. They couldn’t chance leaving traces of their conversations on the company’s phone records. Ashley thought this was taking things a little too far and giggled as she walked to the flat, feeling rather like an extra in a low budget espionage film.
As soon as she opened the door, Ashley sensed she wasn’t alone. Just for a moment her heart leapt. It couldn’t be anyone other than Matt because no one else except Charlie knew where she was living. He must be missing her already and had broken his own self-imposed rules by coming to see her on her very first night.
When not Matt, but his wife, appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, a cold shiver passed down Ashley’s spine.
“Eve,” she managed to say. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Hello, Ashley. Matt told me you’d be coming down today.”
“Did he?”
“Oh yes, we have no secrets from each other.” You could have fooled me, lady. “I know how lonely it can be in a strange place, so I thought I’d come and help you settle in.”
“How did you know I was in this flat? And how did you get in?”
Eve smiled and carried on talking as though she hadn’t heard the questions. “I’ve done a little shopping for you,” she said, opening the door to the fridge and displaying the neatly p
acked shelves. “I suspected you wouldn’t have had time to get to the shops yourself. I hope I’ve chosen the right things. Somehow I feel we share the same tastes.”
Ashley’s feelings of unease increased. They both knew Eve wasn’t referring to food. “Thank you,” she said, “that was kind of you. What do I owe you?”
“Oh, nothing, I’ll charge it to the company. And I’ve unpacked your things.”
“You what!”
“Hanging things up immediately saves getting them creased and then having to iron them. I hate ironing myself, but Matt is so fussy about his shirts. He gets into the most terrible funk if they aren’t just the way he likes them. Still,” she added with a self-conscious little laugh that made Ashley want to throttle her, “that’s what wives are for.”
“You shouldn’t have put yourself to so much trouble,” Ashley said, containing her temper with difficulty. How dare this woman pry through her personal belongings! Thank God she’d left her favourite picture of Matt at home in Reigate and always carried her address book and other personal stuff in her handbag. “Not in your condition.”
“Nonsense! Pregnancy fills me with energy. Well, that’s what Matt always says, and he should know. Now come on, why don’t you take a shower and change into something casual whilst I prepare dinner for us both. You must be exhausted. You certainly look it.”
“Thanks.”
“I didn’t mean that as an insult.” Like hell you didn’t. “First days in a new job are always tiring.”
“I will take that shower, but I couldn’t ask you to cook for me. You must have a hundred more pressing things to see to.”
“Not at all!” Her smile was full of steely resolve. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ashley. You and I are going to be such good friends, I just know it. Oh, and do you prefer red wine or white? I’ve got both, but somehow I think red is more your style.”
Ashley was speechless. No way did she want this woman in her flat, much less cooking dinner for her and offering her a chummy glass of wine, but she couldn’t think how to get rid of her. When Matt had described his wife as a woman of singular determination, he obviously hadn’t exaggerated. She was doing everything she possibly could to discomfort Ashley, all under the auspices of friendliness. She only answered those questions that suited her and had already made it clear that she had access to Ashley’s private space and personal possession. Ashley could scarcely complain without seeming churlish.
Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 10