Page 30 of Awakened in Her Enemy's Palazzo

‘Oh—you must be—let me...’

‘I’m fine,’ Grace insisted, but was not actually believed by any of the four members of the house staff who had materialised and were now listening to her protests.

Story of my life.

By the time she had been usheredtenderly into the palazzo, as though she was made of glass, through the double doors that led to the kitchen and its associated utility rooms, Theo had vanished.

She envied and resented his vanishing act.

Theo had taken the call out of idle curiosity, he told himself. The man had been urbane, witty and warm—presumably to make him, the recipient of his honeyed tone, lower his defences before he got to the actual subject of his call.

‘A lovely girl, little Grace... And I have to own to a personal interest here. She’s actually my favourite goddaughter, but stubborn...you have to know how to handle her—’

Theo, without knowing why, cut across this flow of confidences. ‘No.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I said, no. Has Grace appointed you as her spokesperson? Do you speak on her behalf?’

‘Not exactly. But her family... The thing is, dear chap, we both want the same thing here. And if we were to combine...’

Taking exception to the conspiratorial tone, Theo stiffened. ‘So that’s a no. I have to say, Sir Charles, I find your attitude a tad...unprofessional.’

There was an audible indignant inhalation on the other end of the phone, but also, when he responded, Theo noted a defensive undertone to his response that hadn’t been there previously.

‘We—Her family—I am looking out for Grace’s interests.’

‘You have the advantage,’ said Theo. ‘I do not know Grace. But what I have seen of her so far does not suggest to me that she needs anyone to look after her interests. She is a remarkably capable woman.’

If accident-prone and bloody infuriating,he tacked on silently.

‘Well, yes, of course. But—’

‘Sorry, but I have another call. Feel free to contact my assistant at any time.’

His phone rang almost immediately.

It was his assistant, which made him smile.

‘I know you’re going to be angry and yell...’

‘I never yell.’

‘You yell quietly,’ she retorted.

‘Loren...?’

‘All right. Look, I’m sorry... I know you asked me to clear your schedule, and I did. Except I forgot something. And I know it’s just a courtesy, but you cancelled your game the last few times, and—’

‘Leonard!Damn!’

Leonard Morris, who had refused a knighthood, was a legend. Theo had conned his way into his office when he was a kid, with big ideas and not much of a clue, and the other man had had his security team throw him out.

Theo had gone back the next day, when Leonard had not given him a job, or advice, but he hadn’t thrown him out either. Instead he had offered to play him at chess. Leonard had won and Theo had learnt.

He thought that he had learnt more from their chess games and post-game analysis than he would have at the best university.

Their games had since become a bi-monthly event. Once it had been Leonard who had made time for him. Since Leonard’s retirement it had been Theo who made time for Leonard.

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