Kate Hardy - Seduced By The Boss

‘Of course,’ she said, but she had to swallow her disappointment. Which was ridiculous in any case. She didn’t want a relationship and she didn’t want to mess up her job. Hugh was off limits and this was simply a bit of play-acting for his family’s benefit. They’d agreed. And the fact that he was holding her hand simply meant that the bluebells had just got rid of his Monday morning-itis, which was actually more like every morning-itis.

Back at the house, the others all disappeared to sort out various things, and Hugh’s father called him to come and help with something. Feeling a bit like a spare part, Bella went in search of Libby in the kitchen. ‘I promised to help you with the vegetables.’

‘You really don’t have to,’ Libby said. ‘You’re a guest.’

‘Even so,’ Bella said. ‘Is that beef I smell roasting?’

‘Yes.’

‘I could make the Yorkshire puddings, if you like.’ She laughed. ‘I admit I’m a terrible cook, but I’m actually quite good at cupcakes, pancakes and Yorkshire puddings. I guess it’s because they’re light and fluffy, like me.’

Libby gave her look as if to say that she knew there was much more to Bella than that, or Hugh wouldn’t be dating her. ‘You’re playing a part, this weekend, aren’t you?’

Uh-oh. She hadn’t expected Libby to call her on it. ‘A part?’ Bella asked, trying not to panic. ‘What makes you say that?’

‘Because the real you keeps shining through. The way you brought me my favourite chocolates, the way you looked after Lavinia yesterday afternoon, the way you drew those pictures for everyone, the way you haven’t minded a muddy dog draped all over you, the way you sat and cuddled Sophia this morning during breakfast and sang nursery songs to her.’ Libby ticked them off on her fingers. ‘If you were the dreadful airhead that you and Hugh clearly want us all to think you are, I’m not so sure you would’ve done any of that.’

There was no way she could keep up the pretence any more. ‘Busted, I guess. But please don’t tell Hugh you know.’

‘I won’t,’ Libby said softly. ‘But what I don’t understand is why you both feel that you have to play a part.’

‘I did tell him Plan B would be better,’ Bella said with a rueful smile.

Libby’s frown deepened. ‘What’s Plan B?’

Bella held up both hands in a surrender gesture. ‘Just ignore me. I’m rambling.’

‘No, I think this is something I need to know,’ Libby said.

Bella bit her lip. ‘Please, please don’t shoot the messenger, because you’ve all been so kind and I don’t want to be rude and ungrateful. Even though I’ve already been rude and obnoxious.’

‘Now you’re really worrying me,’ Libby said. ‘What’s plan B?’

‘To tell you the truth about his job and make you see how he feels. Hugh isn’t a stockbroker at heart,’ Bella said, ‘he’s a music producer. He loves his job and he’s really, really good at it. I really don’t mean to be rude or to offend you, but he seems to believe that you all want him to toe the line—to sell Insurgo Records to the highest bidder and join the family firm instead. If he does that, you’re going to break his heart and his spirit. He’d hate it so much and he’d spend all his time wishing he was somewhere else. And then he might grow to resent you all instead of loving you like he does now.’

Libby was silent for so long that Bella thought she’d gone too far.

‘Mrs Moncrieff? Libby?’ she asked anxiously.

Libby’s eyes were glistening with tears. ‘Those were very wise words,’ she said softly. ‘And they came from the heart.’

Hugh was halfway down the corridor to the kitchen when he heard his mother ask, ‘So are you his real girlfriend pretending to be his fake girlfriend?’

What?

Oh, no. He knew his mother was perceptive. He needed to go in and head her off. Or had Bella already caved in and told her the truth?

To his horror, he heard Bella say, ‘That all sounds so complicated. But I was telling you the truth when I said I’m the designer at Insurgo.’

Oh, hell. She had caved in. She’d blown their cover completely. And he was shocked by how hurt and disappointed he was. He’d been telling himself that Bella wasn’t like Jessie—and yet she’d let him down, too. She’d promised to play a part and she’d gone back on her word. Betrayed his trust. Ratted him out to his mother, so his subterfuge was well and truly uncovered. So much for thinking that she was different. Obviously his judgement was still way off.

‘That,’ Libby said, ‘figures.’

‘What does?’ Bella asked.

Hugh went cold. Please don’t let his mother start talking about Jessie. He only realised he was holding his breath when Libby said, ‘If he hasn’t told you, I won’t break his confidence.’

‘That’s not very fair, given that I’ve just done that,’ Bella said.

She’d even admitted what she’d done. And it made him feel sick. How far had she gone?

He strode into the kitchen. ‘Breaking my confidence?’ he asked.

Bella went white. ‘Hugh. I didn’t know you were there.’

‘Obviously.’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘Well, thanks a bunch. I guess that’ll teach me to trust you. So do you blab Insurgo’s business all over social media, too, the same way you’ve just blabbed my personal business to my mother?’

‘Hugh, that’s not fair,’ Libby said. ‘She was trying to help.’

‘She was gossiping about me.’ And that hurt.

‘I wasn’t gossiping at all,’ Bella said. ‘Right now, I want to tip this Yorkshire pudding batter all over your stupid head. But I’m not going to waste food and put your mum in an awkward position. Instead I’m going to walk outside in the garden, in this stupid outfit I found to fit your even more stupid idea. And you,’ she said, walking over to him and stabbing her finger into his chest, ‘are going to sit down with your mum and talk. Really talk.’

He was too taken aback to say anything. Not that he could’ve got a word in edgeways, because Bella was on a roll.

‘You’re going to tell her how you feel about your business and how it’s not just your job, it’s your passion, and for you it’s like breathing. And you’re going to tell her that you’re great at business and you don’t take unnecessary risks—that you save being a total idiot for the other bits of your life. You three,’ she added to the dogs, ‘you’re coming with me and we’re going to find some tennis balls, and I’m going to pretend they’re Hugh’s head and kick them as hard as I can.’

‘Bella—’ he began, knowing that he needed to apologise.

‘No. Talk to your mum,’ she said. ‘Right now, I don’t want to talk to you. I’m going out with the dogs.’

‘Take whatever you need from the boot room, love,’ Libby said. ‘And I’ll shout at him for you.’

Bella shook her head. ‘I’d much rather you listened to him,’ she said softly. ‘Even though right at this moment I don’t like him very much, I respect him when it comes to business—and I think you both need to listen to each other.’ And she walked quietly out of the kitchen, followed by the dogs.

Hugh found himself talking—really talking—to his mother about the most important thing in his life. And she listened. Understood. Just as he could now see that the worrying and fussing were driven by love rather than a need to make him toe a family line that didn’t actually exist.

Without Bella’s intervention, this would never have happened, and he knew it.

When he’d finished, Libby said, ‘You owe that girl—’