Page 14 of The Time for Love
Smoothly, he continued, “I meant that I’ve accepted that whatever deal I strike with you will need to have different parameters to those I originally envisaged and intended to suggest. Obviously, my initial proposal was formulated before I met you. Having done so, I can see that significant rejigging of the structure of my offer will be required.”
Specifically, it was now transparently obvious that any successful offer would need to include her and her talents as part of the deal.
She frowned, but it was a vague affair that suggested he’d surprised her, puzzled her, and she was still working out how to react.
He tapped his hat straight. “Wait until you hear my reworked proposal before making up your mind.”
With that, he turned and went down the steps. On the pavement, he glanced back and saluted her, then strode off toward the center of town and his hotel.
His lips remained curved. He’d achieved much more than he’d expected to that day.
Still standing in the doorway, Sophy watched their visitor stride away, cane swinging and black overcoat billowing about his long legs. After a moment, she snorted softly and shut the door.
She turned to face the hall, but remained where she was, staring blindly toward the stairs as she replayed their recent exchange.
There’d been something underlying his words—some intent, some sense of purpose—that had captured her attention and lured…
The strength of her reaction to whatever that something was was unnerving.
And disturbing, because she definitely wanted to know more.
After several minutes of trying to fathom what his reworked proposal might include, she grimaced in defeat. “No doubt I’ll eventually learn what he intends to suggest.” Clearly, he wasn’t going to vanish back to London anytime soon.
She looked around, then shook herself and headed for the stairs. She had better things to do than waste her time trying to work out what a gentleman was thinking.
CHAPTER3
The following morning, Sophy was seated behind the desk in her office, reviewing the orders fulfilled over the previous week, when she heard a deep male voice in the outer office, then her door opened, and unhindered and unannounced, Martin Cynster walked in.
Sophy narrowed her eyes at him, then, exasperated, looked past him at Harvey. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
Harvey’s eyes rounded in shock. “But…” He cut a glance at Martin’s dark head. “He saved you on Saturday.”
Martin’s flashing smile dragged her gaze to his face. His laughing eyes met hers. “It’s no use—I’m the hero of the hour. Well, of Saturday, but apparently, the aura lingers.”
She fought to keep her lips straight.I willnotsmile!
Harvey, eyes still wide, promptly shut the door.
After two seconds of internal struggle, Sophy managed a creditable grumble. “Regardless, I’m not going to waste any of my time discussing a putative sale.”
“Entirely understandable.” With negligent ease, he sat in her visitor’s chair and, when she looked his way, met her eyes. “That’s not what I’m here to discuss.”
Martin saw her debate whether to encourage him or not, but eventually, she arched a brow. “Oh?”
He smiled in a manner he hoped was reassuring. “After the incidents on Saturday, given my interest in acquiring the works, it’s clear my first priority should be to determine who wants to damage the business and why.”
She frowned, patently considering the logic of that statement. Before she could question it, he asked, “Those previous accidents. How many were there?”
She focused on him. “Just the three we told you about.” She grimaced. “Before the two on Saturday, so that brings the count to five.”
“When were they? Do you remember?”
The look she cast him informed him that of course she did. “The first was on Saturday, just over two weeks ago. That was the time when the cable on the hoist lifting one of the cauldrons of molten pig iron snapped.”
He nodded. “And the second incident?”
“That was the following Saturday, when the gasket on the Cowper generator leaked.”
