The Incorrigible Playboy. Emma Darcy
Elizabeth,’ Michael said warmly as she unloaded the tray, setting out the two coffees and muffin on his desk. ‘Table booked?’
‘Yes.’
‘What table?’ Harry asked, instantly putting her on edge again.
‘It’s Elizabeth’s birthday. I’m taking her out to lunch.’
‘A … ha!’
Her spine crawled at the wealth of significance she heard in Harry’s voice. If he was about to make fun of the situation … She picked up the emptied tray and swung around to shoot him a killing look.
He lifted his hand in a salute, pretending to plead for a truce between them but his eyes glittered with mocking amusement. ‘Happy birthday, dear Elizabeth.’
‘Thank you,’ she grated out, and swiftly left the two men together for their discussions, closing the door to give them absolute privacy and herself protection from that man.
It was difficult to concentrate on work. She tried, but the clock kept ticking on—eleven o’clock, eleven-thirty, twelve. Lucy hadn’t dropped in and Harry was still with Michael. Anything could have happened with Lucy. It frequently did. She might not make it into the office at all, which would be a relief, no chance of a meeting with Michael. Harry was the main problem. She wouldn’t put it past him to invite himself to her birthday lunch. If he did, would Michael put him off?
He had to.
No way could a romantic mood develop between them if Harry was present. He would spoil everything.
A knock on her door cut off her inner angst. Elizabeth looked up to see the door opening and Lucy’s head poking around it.
‘Okay to come in?’
Her stomach cramped with nervous tension at the late visit but it was impossible to say anything but ‘Yes.’
Lucy bounced in, exuding effervescence as she always did. Today she was dressed in a white broderie anglaise outfit: a little frilly skirt that barely reached midthigh, an off-the-shoulder peasant blouse, a wide tan belt slung around her hips, lots of wooden beads dangling from her neck, wooden bangles travelling up one forearm and tan sandals that were strapped up to mid-calf. Her long blond hair was piled up on top of her head with loose strands escaping everywhere. She looked like a trendy model who could put anything together and look good.
‘Ooh … I love the hair, Ellie,’ she cooed, hitching herself onto the edge of Elizabeth’s desk, just as Harry had, which instantly provoked the thought they would make a good pair.
‘It’s very sexy,’ Lucy raved on. ‘Gives you that just-out-of-bed tumbled look and the colour really, really suits you. It complements the clothes I picked out for you brilliantly. I have to say you look absolutely marvellous.’ Her lovely sherry-brown eyes twinkled with delight. ‘Now tell me you feel marvellous, too.’
Lucy’s smile was so infectious, she had to smile back. ‘I’m glad I made the change. How was your weekend?’
‘Oh, so-so.’ She waved her hand airily then pulled a woeful grimace. ‘But I’ve had the most terrible morning.’
Out of the corner of her eye Elizabeth caught the opening of the door to Michael’s office. Tension whipped along her nerves. Was it Harry coming out or both men?
Lucy rattled out her list of woes, her hands making a host of dramatic gestures. ‘A body was buried in the wrong plot and I had to deal with that. Then a call came in that someone was interfering with a grave. I had to go out to the cemetery and investigate, but that wasn’t too bad. It was only a bereaved husband digging a hole on top of the grave to put in potting soil so he could plant his wife’s favourite rose. Nice, really. The worst thing was a dog running amok in the memorial garden and knocking off some of the angels’ heads. I had to collect them, load them into the van, and now I have to find someone who can stick them back on again. You wouldn’t believe how heavy those angels’ heads are.’
‘Angels’ heads …’ It was Michael’s voice, sounding totally stunned.
It jerked Lucy’s attention to him. ‘Oh, wow!’ she said, looking Michael up and down, totally uninhibited about showing how impressed she was with him.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
‘Are you Ellie’s boss?’ The question popped out with barely a pause.
Elizabeth opened her eyes again to see Michael shaking his head as though bringing himself out of a daze, and Harry behind his shoulder, looking straight at her with a sharp intensity in his bedroom blue eyes she had never seen before. It gave her the weird feeling he was tunnelling into her mind. She quickly dropped her gaze.
‘Yes. Yes, I am,’ Michael finally answered. ‘And you are?’
‘Lucy Flippence. Ellie’s sister. I work in cemetery administration so I often have to deal with angels.’
‘I see,’ he said, looking at Lucy as though she was a heavenly apparition.
She hopped off her perch on the desk and crossed the floor to him with her hand extended. ‘Pleased to meet you. Okay if I call you Michael?’
‘Delighted,’ he said, taking her hand and holding on to it as he slowly turned to make the last introduction. ‘This is my brother, Harry.’
Elizabeth fiercely willed Lucy to find Harry more attractive. No such luck! Her hand was left in Michael’s snug grasp. She raised her other in blithe greeting. ‘Hi, Harry!’ It was tossed at him in a kind of bubbly dismissal, which meant in Lucy’s mind he didn’t really count.
‘Charmed,’ Harry purred at her.
It floated right over her head, no impact at all.
Elizabeth’s heart sank like a stone.
Lucy was intent on engaging Michael and he was obviously enthralled with her.
‘I don’t know if you know but it’s Ellie’s birthday today and I thought I’d treat her to a really nice lunch somewhere. You won’t mind if I take her off and she’s a bit late back, will you, Michael?’ she said appealingly.
There was a terrible inevitability about what happened next.
‘Actually, I’d decided to do the same myself. Lunch at The Mariners Bar.’
‘Oh, wow! The Mariners Bar! What a lovely boss you are to take Ellie there!’
‘Why don’t you join us? It will be a better celebration of her birthday if you do.’
‘I’ll come, as well. Make a party of it,’ Harry put in, instantly supporting the idea.
‘I only booked a table for two,’ Elizabeth couldn’t help saying, even though knowing it was a futile attempt to change what wouldn’t be changed now. Her secret dream was already down the drain.
‘No problem. I’m sure the maître d’ will make room for us,’ Michael said, oozing confidence as he smiled at Lucy. ‘We’d be delighted to have the pleasure of your company.’
‘Well, a foursome should be more fun, don’t you think, Ellie?’
The appealing glance over her shoulder forced Elizabeth to smile and say, ‘Certainly no awkward silences with you, Lucy.’
She laughed. ‘That’s settled, then. Thank you for asking me, Michael. And it’s good of you to join in the party, too, Harry.’
The death knell to a happy birthday, Elizabeth thought. Not only would she have to watch Michael being fascinated by her sister, she’d also have to put up with Harry getting under her skin all the time. She slid him a vexed look. His mouth quirked at her, seemingly with more irony than amusement, but that probably didn’t mean anything. No doubt he was anticipating having heaps of fun at her expense.
This lunch was going to be the lunch