“Ah, so that’s it,” she said with understanding. “You are using nostalgia to win her heart all over again. Quite a clever tactic, mon ami.”
“Then you think it’s a good plan?”
“If Destiny is as much the romantic as she once was, she’ll be unable to resist,” Violetta said confidently. “She was mad about you years ago.”
“I hope you’re right, but she’s also a hardheaded businesswoman now.”
“Once love enters the picture, few women will allow their head to overrule their heart,” Violetta said. “So, then, for true love I will come to London.”
“How soon can you be here?”
“So eager,” she said, laughing. “Will tomorrow be soon enough?”
“Tomorrow will be excellent. Shall I meet your plane?”
“Too much bother. I will have someone drive me. I’ve been anxious to try that amazing tunnel they’ve dug under the English Channel. Look for me in the afternoon. Shall I come directly to your office?”
“To my house,” he said. “You can settle in and have a bit of a nap before we put our plan into motion and surprise Destiny.”
“Ever the considerate host,” she said. “Why didn’t I claim you for myself all those years ago? What difference does age make, after all?”
“I will adore you at any age,” William told her. “You’re timeless, Violetta, and next to Destiny, the greatest friend any man could have.”
“You think of me so fondly only because I introduced you to the love of your life,” she said.
He chuckled. “True enough, but there was a time after she’d broken my heart, when I could have hated you for that, but I didn’t. Now, go and do your packing. I expect you to stay for a while once you’re here.”
“Au revoir, mon ami.”
“Au revoir.”
Slowly, William hung up the phone. He started to call out for Malcolm, then realized his assistant was off on a rendezvous of his own. Well, no matter. He could take it from here. In fact, for the first time, he was feeling astonishingly upbeat about the future—Richard Carlton, be damned.
21
Destiny wasn’t sure what sort of feedback she’d expected once Melanie, Beth and Kathleen got home, but she’d assumed Richard would be the first one to call. Instead, to her dismay, it was Ben, her youngest nephew and the one she’d thought would inevitably be on her side if push came to shove.
“Destiny, I’m worried about you,” Ben said the second she answered the phone.
“Why?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
“William,” she said, with a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.
“Richard says—”
“I don’t give two figs what Richard says,” she retorted furiously. “He’s got blinders on when it comes to this. What did your wife tell you? I assume Kathleen had quite a bit to say when she got back from her visit.”
“The same thing Melanie apparently told Richard, that the two of you are in love.”
She uttered a plaintive sigh. “Is that so impossible to believe?”
“Of course it’s not impossible to believe that a man would fall head over heels in love with you,” Ben said at once. “You’re an amazing woman. I’ve spent most of my life watching some of the most intelligent, powerful men in Virginia become totally infatuated with you.”
“Then I don’t understand the problem. It can’t be that you disapprove of William,” she said sarcastically. “You don’t even know him.”
“Now, Destiny,” he soothed.
“Don’t take that patronizing tone with me,” she retorted indignantly, cutting him off before he could offer some ridiculous platitude. “I thought I taught you never to judge someone without giving them a chance. Surely Kathleen had only good things to say about William. They took quite a shine to each other.”
“Yes, but she’s as much a romantic as you are.”
“In other words, we’re both fools.”
“I never said that,” he insisted, sounding shocked. “Come on, Destiny, be reasonable. Even though the man professes to love you, it didn’t stop him from acquiring that company Richard was after.”
“You don’t know a thing about that. You’re being just as unreasonable as you’re accusing me of being,” she snapped. “Never mind. I have to go. I’m meeting William in an hour and I have to get ready. I was thinking something wildly sexy would be appropriate.”
“Destiny!”
Ben’s protest sounded rather weak, as if she’d stunned him. Well, good. He deserved it. Obviously all of her nephews had gotten so used to thinking of her as their devoted aunt, they’d forgotten that she was also a woman in the prime of her life. Obviously she’d waited far too long to remind them of that. And, truth be told, she’d waited a bit too long to remember it herself.
“Got to go,” she said, then automatically added, “Love you.”
She hung up before he could say more. When the phone rang an instant later, she scowled at it, but picked it up, anyway, half prepared for it to be Ben, hoping to get the last word.
“Hi, Destiny,” Mack said cheerfully.
“Not you, too,” she muttered.
“Me, too, what?” he asked.
“If you called to tell me I’m an idiot or that William’s not to be trusted, you can hang up now.”
Mack’s silence suggested she’d pegged his intention exactly right.
“Love you, darling, but I really don’t want to hear it,” she said blithely, and slammed the phone down in his ear.
The next time it rang, she ignored it. She was not going to allow her nephews to spoil this evening for her. William had hinted that he had a surprise in store for her tonight. After the outrageous extravagance of the poppies yesterday, she couldn’t begin to imagine what he’d do next.
She grabbed her coat and headed out the door. She was meeting William at his place for a glass of wine before he revealed this surprise of his. Anticipation had her blood humming.
By the time she’d reached William’s, she’d coaxed herself into a more optimistic frame of mind. She was in charge of her life now. If being with William was what she wanted, then her nephews would simply have to learn to live with it. Spending time worrying only about pleasing others never accomplished a blessed thing.
As soon as she alighted from the taxi, William opened his front door. Welcoming light spilled onto the street. She stood for a second at the foot of the steps admiring him.
Maybe tonight would be the night, she thought as her pulse skipped merrily. Through some sort of unspoken but tacit agreement, they’d avoided renewing their intimate relationship before now, but the heat had been simmering from the night of her party. Years ago there had been no question of waiting, but she was far more cautious now.
Tonight, however, she was eager to throw caution to the wind. Once they were lovers again, William would see that, married or not, she didn’t intend to let anything come between them. Marriage would only complicate things unnecessarily. Perhaps in time, when she’d smoothed over her family’s ruffled feathers…She let the thought trail off.
“Are you planning to come in or are you frozen in place by the sight of me?” he inquired with lazy amusement.
“You do take a woman’s breath away,” she said. “But you’re all too aware of that, I’m afraid.”
“It’s only your reaction that matters to me,” he insisted. “Now, come along before this cold air chills the entire house. It’s drafty enough as it is.”
When she reached the top of the steps, she placed her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes. “Have I told you that I love you?”
He smiled. “Not nearly often enough.”
“It’s true, you know.”
She kissed him then, intending to prove to him that she was ready for anything. When they separated slowly, William gazed at her with dismay.
“What?” she asked. “Have I got this all wrong?”
“Not wrong at all,�
� he insisted. “I want you more than I can say, but tonight’s not the night. I told you I had a surprise for you. I have a guest who’s waiting to see you again.”
Thoroughly flustered, Destiny stared at him. “I hope I wasn’t seen out here trying to seduce you.”
He laughed. “It wouldn’t matter a bit. I suspect she’d be all for it. She’s always approved of us and she’s definitely a huge proponent of seduction.”
Her brow lifted. “She?”
He took her hand. “Come along and see.”
Normally she was only moderately fond of surprises, but William was behaving so mysteriously, Destiny followed him eagerly. As they walked into the parlor, a thin, elegant woman rose from a chair. Even though she’d aged, there was no mistaking Violetta Grégorie with her dark, flashing eyes alive with intelligence and her vivid red lipstick outlining a full, generous mouth.
“Violetta,” Destiny cried, and ran to her old friend, falling into a welcoming embrace that was as strong as ever, despite the more than twenty years that had passed. Violetta had to be in her seventies now, but she looked much younger.
“Ah, ma petite, you are as stunning as ever,” Violetta proclaimed. “Let me look at you.”
She held Destiny away from her and studied her intently. “More sophisticated,” she declared eventually. “But there is still that mischievous sparkle in your eyes. Have you brought me new paintings?”
Destiny laughed at the question, which Violetta had repeated in one variation or another every time they’d spoken through the years. “As you perfectly well know, I haven’t painted anything worthwhile in years,” Destiny said. “Isn’t it enough that I sent my nephew to you? Ben’s work will make you rich.”
“But I have a special fondness in my heart for your paintings,” Violetta insisted. She gestured to the one over the mantel. “It is wonderful to see William’s collection. I almost regret selling them to him. I would like to have them in my own home. I have only the small portrait you did of me all those years ago.”
“It was one of the few portraits I ever painted,” Destiny recalled. “I was far better at landscapes.”
“None of that false modesty,” Violetta chided. “You did well with whatever subject you chose.”
Destiny turned to William. “Thank you so much for this,” she said, her arm still tucked through Violetta’s. “Seeing my dear friend again is the best surprise you could have given me.”
He grinned. “Then I shall have to work very hard to top myself next time. Now, then, I think there’s time for a glass of wine before our dinner reservations. Will a Bordeaux suit you both?”
“Perfection,” Violetta said. She looked into Destiny’s eyes. “Now, tell me everything, ma petite. You’ve been well?”
“Very well.”
“But lonely,” Violetta guessed. “I can see it in your eyes. You must allow William to do something about that.”
Destiny chuckled. “So that’s why he brought you here, to sell him to me.”
William frowned as he handed her the wine. “I wasn’t aware that you needed to be sold on me.”
“I’m aware of your many virtues, yes,” Destiny agreed. “But I believe you’re after more than my admiration.”
“No question about that,” he said. “I want everything this time, Destiny.”
“I think perhaps that discussion ought to be put off till another time,” she responded tartly.
“Why?” Violetta asked. “Not on my account, surely. Talk of love is never boring. Perhaps I can lend a fresh perspective to the discussion.”
“Now, there’s an idea,” William said. “Destiny and I could definitely use a referee, actually. The conversations tend to get somewhat heated these days. We take different views of the future.”
“Oh?” Violetta said. “How so?”
“William would like to go the traditional route,” Destiny explained. “He’s envisioning marriage and happily ever after, all that sort of thing.”
“About time, don’t you think?” William said.
Destiny frowned at him. “I think a less formal arrangement would suit the two of us much better.”
“A romantic liaison?” Violetta suggested, her eyes alight. “Yes, I can see how that would appeal to you, Destiny. It would keep the excitement alive.”
“And send Destiny’s nephews into an absolute frenzy,” William muttered.
She stared at him. “What on earth do you mean?”
“They don’t approve of me now,” William reminded her. “How do you think they’ll feel if they think I’m refusing to make an honest woman of you?”
“I never considered that,” she admitted candidly. She’d feared they would be far more distraught if she announced an intention to wed him.
“Well, you might consider it,” he said. “It could conceivably save me from winding up in a dark alley in dire straits.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said impatiently. “None of my nephews is inclined toward violence to solve problems.”
“They’ve never faced this particular situation before, have they?” William countered.
Violetta suddenly laughed. “You two are exactly as you were all those years ago. So much passion. So much heat, I fear getting singed just being near you. Perhaps we should go to dinner before it explodes into something that shouldn’t be witnessed by an outsider.”
“You’re hardly an outsider,” Destiny told her. “It’s because of you that we’re together at all.”
Violetta gave her a smug look. “You may thank me with a toast over dinner.”
“Or not,” Destiny retorted, giving William a withering look.
“Violetta, ignore her testiness. I will do the honors, if Destiny is too stubborn to admit the truth.”
“Me?” Destiny protested. “I’m not the stubborn one.”
William merely lifted a brow.
“Oh, all right, I am a tiny bit stubborn.”
“Thank you.” He gave her a hard kiss. “Actually it’s one of the things I love about you.”
“What an odd sort of compliment,” she murmured.
“You’re a rare sort of woman. The usual compliments are too pale and lifeless to suit you,” he said.
Destiny chuckled at his glib tongue. She realized that it had been years and years since she’d laughed so much, since she’d felt this carefree. That was the true gift William was giving her tonight. Seeing Violetta again was reminding her of an irrepressible part of her that had been buried under the weight of too much responsibility for too many years now.
It wasn’t that she wanted to go back again. Nor did she want to give up the excitement and challenges that lay ahead at Carlton Industries. But she did need to balance that, to find a fulfilling middle ground. And William, it seemed, was showing her the way.
Richard had spent a restless night and most of the day thinking about everything Melanie had told him. He’d even talked it over with his brothers the next morning. Nothing they had to say changed his opinion. The fact that she’d virtually hung up on both Ben and Mack said it all. He had to get Destiny away from that man’s influence before he turned her against all of them. She might be furious with him in the short term, but in the long run she would thank him. He would simply have to make her see what a narrow escape she’d had.
The best way to accomplish that, of course, would be to get her back home, where she’d be away from Harcourt’s influence. Then he, Mack and Ben could sit her down for a long heart-to-heart, the kind she used to have with them when she thought they were treading on dangerous turf. Of course, they’d been teenagers and Destiny was a mature woman, but the principle was the same. The straight talk would be based on love. Surely, she was reasonable enough to accept that.
To avoid another confrontation with his wife, he waited until he got to the office to place the overdue call that would set his scheme in motion. He caught up with Destiny at her desk.
“Yes?” she said, greeting him with far more caution than usua
l.
Richard frowned at her tone. “Is something wrong?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
Richard had the distinct impression that she’d been anticipating this call. “Were you expecting to hear from me this morning?”
“Actually I was expecting a call yesterday,” she said. “That’s when Mack and Ben chose to let me know that I was behaving like a silly old fool.”
Richard winced. He should have considered that her reaction to Ben and Mack would make her even less open to whatever he had to say. Destiny was obviously braced for a fight. He decided to attempt another tactic altogether, though past efforts at subterfuge hadn’t gone especially well.
“Actually I’m calling about something else entirely,” he said, feeling his way carefully. “Nothing to do with Harcourt or the company, for that matter.”
“Oh?”
“It’s the baby, actually,” he said, improvising. “She’s sick.”
“Oh? Your brothers didn’t say anything about that,” she said, sounding suspicious already.
“They don’t know,” he said. “This just came up overnight. I thought I should call you right away this morning. I’m really worried about her.”
“What’s wrong?” Destiny asked.
“She’s spiking a really high fever.”
“Children do that,” Destiny said calmly. “If you’re worried, call Beth. She can check it out.”
“Actually, I was hoping you would come home.”
The request was greeted with a long pause. “You want me to come home because your daughter has a fever?” she said slowly.
“It’s more than that. She has this awful hacking cough,” he added hurriedly, realizing that a fever wasn’t nearly alarming enough. “She woke us up with it in the middle of the night. It was so bad I had to talk Melanie out of taking her straight to the emergency room. Now I’m thinking maybe I was wrong.”
“Then call Beth,” Destiny repeated. “She is a pediatrician. I’m sure she can put your mind at ease. If the baby really is as sick as you say, she could be much worse by the time I get there. Besides, what can I do really? I’m not a doctor.”
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