Susan Stephens - Susan Stephens Selection - The French Count's Mistress / The Spaniard's Revenge / Virgin for Sale / Bedded by the Desert King

‘Light through the trees by the river at sunset, perchance?’ Kate suggested dryly.

‘Don’t you go playing little Miss Innocent with me,’ Megan advised, giving Kate a shrewd look. ‘You can’t tell me that the Countess and I didn’t find the perfect excuse to give you and Guy some time together?’

Perhaps it would have been better if they hadn’t, Kate thought, feeling vulnerable again. ‘I should have joined you when I said I would,’ she murmured half to herself.

‘You’ll feel differently when Guy comes back,’ Megan said with great confidence as she headed for the door.

Another stab of anxiety pierced Kate’s heart. ‘I hope you’re right,’ she said softly.

‘Why don’t you ring him? Put your mind at ease?’

Sweet, pragmatic Megan… Of course she should ring him. If they had thought to exchange numbers it might have helped! But why should they when Guy had given not the slightest indication that anything would change at Villeneuve while he was away? He was either totally unscrupulous or completely unaware of what was going on, Kate realised unhappily. Either way she was on her own.

‘I can handle this perfectly well without Guy’s help,’ she insisted, assuming an air of confidence she didn’t feel. Megan’s facial expression was hardly encouraging. ‘What?’ Kate demanded. ‘Do you think this woman is not all she seems?’

‘I don’t know who, or what, she is,’ Megan said disparagingly. ‘But I do know I don’t like her. Just be careful, Kate.’

‘Don’t worry, Megan. I didn’t invite you to join me in this enterprise only to lose everything without putting up a fight. And I have no intention of taking any risks either,’ Kate promised. ‘There’s too much at stake here—for all of us.’

‘What then?’

‘Initially…’ Kate pondered for a moment. ‘I’ll kill her with kindness—throw myself on her mercy—whatever it takes, but I have to play for time until I can work out who she is, how far her authority can take her and how to hold her off until I’ve spoken to Guy.’

Mademoiselle D’Arbo had a body to die for, the face of an angel and, Megan was right, all the hunting instincts of a shark, Kate decided within the first few seconds. She had also turned up for their meeting in business uniform consisting of a tailored suit and an immaculately cut white shirt. But there was one interesting accessory, Kate thought, viewing the enormous sapphire and diamond ring she wore on the fourth finger of her left hand. Ignoring the stab of concern that it could have anything to do with Guy, Kate squared her shoulders and confronted the coldest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen in her life.

‘I’m surprised Monsieur le Comte didn’t think to mention his intention to push forward the enforcement of the covenants before he left on business,’ she said mildly, waiting to gauge the response of her adversary.

‘Perhaps he only decided to take action after seeing you—and before speaking to me,’ Mariamme D’Arbo replied smugly.

Smooth…very smooth, Kate decided as she watched the other woman settle herself back in the chair. ‘I think there’s been a mistake,’ Kate continued calmly. ‘But I’m sure we can work something out. There has to be a reasonable compromise that will satisfy both parties.’

‘I think the Villeneuve estate has been more than reasonable with you, Miss Foster,’ Mariamme D’Arbo said coldly. ‘Le Comte de Villeneuve expects this matter to be settled before he returns.’ Picking up an envelope from the desk, she passed it to Kate.

‘What’s this?’

‘Why don’t you open it and see?’

Keeping her gaze fixed on Mariamme D’Arbo’s face, Kate ripped open the envelope and extracted several thin slips of paper. Bills for repairs, she read, her eyes widening as she looked through the list. The total amount was colossal, and when she looked at the payment details she saw that Guy seemed to be using an offshore bank—

‘And, once that is settled, the Villeneuve estate demands your immediate surrender of the property—’

‘You’re evicting me?’

‘That is correct. And with immediate effect.’

‘On whose authority?’ Kate demanded icily.

‘Mine—my partner’s…’

Kate didn’t hear any more as she sprang to her feet. It had never occurred to her that Guy might have a partner. And she was pretty sure that this woman was the same person she had spoken to on the phone—the young woman she had imagined was his secretary. Kate’s stomach lurched as she wondered if she had made a classic mistake—a mistake that was generally the preserve of the male of the species—a mistake she should have been the very last person on earth to be guilty of making. She glanced again at the payment terms on the invoice.

‘I’ll need to check the details on this invoice against my records. I assume I have the usual twenty-eight days’ credit—’

‘Payment is due immediately,’ Mariamme D’Arbo informed her bluntly. ‘Some of this work was completed weeks ago, and one thing I have noticed since I came here is how lax the accounts department has become—’

‘Really?’ Kate said coolly. ‘Have you been working here long?’ Since Guy had taken over the word was his accounts department was one of the best.

‘Long enough,’ Mariamme D’Arbo said as she stood up. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m very busy—’

‘You should know that no amount of money could persuade me to leave La Petite Maison, Ms D’Arbo,’ Kate cut in firmly. ‘I am totally committed to completing the restoration of the cottage. You must understand—’

‘No,’ the other woman spat before Kate had chance to finish, ‘I’m afraid I don’t understand.’

‘Nevertheless, it is a fact,’ Kate said pleasantly. ‘So I shan’t be making any plans to leave the cottage, or pay this bill, until I have spoken to the Count.’

Mariamme D’Arbo had clearly been expecting an easy ride. Dealing with Kate was not what she had been expecting at all. ‘Well, the electricity won’t be turned back on,’ she announced. ‘And if you don’t pay, we’ll sue. As for arranging a meeting with the Count—’ She shrugged dismissively, as if a meeting with Guy would serve no purpose whatever.

‘I’ve managed without electricity before,’ Kate said, managing to sound calm even though her heart was dancing a fandango at the thought of how her next guests might react. From what Megan had told her, she was pretty sure primitive conditions didn’t figure in their holiday plans. ‘And, as for suing me—’ She shrugged.

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