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Authors: Rebecca Stratton
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Charlotte tried hard to still the sickening urgency of her heartbeat. He was leaning back in his chair and the grey eyes had the dismayingly steely brightness that was so hard to face, especially when her mind lighted inevitably on her main reason for taking the post she held.
\
^ *You do yourself an injustice if you imagine you are so _ quickly forgotten,' he told her, and kept his eyes on her still, ^although it has taken me some time to recall the first occasion on which we met. Did you not realise that sooner or later I should remember where I had seen you before, mademoiselle^
Charlotte wanted to look away, but there was something hypnotic about his gaze and she sat there mesmerised by it and slowly shaking her head. It had not for a moment occurred to her that he would remember bumping into a strange girl in the lobby of the hotel in London, but when she thought about it it was inevitable, sooner or later, as he said.
*I didn't expect you to remember that,' she confessed, and was appalled to notice how unsteady her voice sounded.
*0r you hoped I would not remember?' Raoul pressed relendessly. 'Who was it you came to see on that occasion, mademoiselle? Or does the question embarrass you, perhaps?'
*It does embarrass me!' Charlotte agreed, remembering how hopefully she had gone to the hotel in search of the man she hoped would prove to be her father. She could, hardly tell him the truth, not at this point, and yet she could not immediately think of another reason; it was one of those moments when the mind goes completely blank and refuses to come up with a logical answer. In the circumstances she resorted to indignation as a defence. *I don't think I have to answer questions about something that happened before I came into your employ. Monsieur Raoul, and you have no right to ask me!'
Above the steely grey eyes his black brows glowered at her and Charlotte fought down a sense of panic as she got to her feet. *I think I have the right in the circumstances, mademoiselle. The men at that conference were not only fellow delegates, some of them were business rivals too, and
there are certain matters ' He waved an impatient hand,
but continued to make his case. *If you were in that hotel in your capacity as secretary to one of the delegates *
*I wasn't!'
*It is too much of a coincidence that you turn up once more at the same hotel only two days later to apply for the post of companion-secretary to my cousin's wife. Which is, I might venture to suggest, the kind of post that most young women of your age would not consider because of the duties involved. When such a coincidence happens. Miss Kennedy, I am suspicious—I am very suspicious!'
*Oh, but you're wrong!' Charlotte protested, and stared at him in dismay. She could not have anticipated such a situation when she resorted to subterfuge in an effort to trace her family background, and she was at a complete loss for the moment. *You're very wrong, Monsieur Raoul, I swear it!'
She started nervously when he got to his feet and came across the room on those long legs, soft-footed on the deep pile of the carpet. *Then why, mademoiselle^ he demanded, looking down at her. *I will not believe that someone as efl&cient and as pretty as you needs to pander to the whims of a sick woman for her living.'
*I like Madame Lizette!'
The defence of her employer was instinctive and impulsive, but it did not impress Raoul and he still looked down at her narrowed-eyed as she stood with one hand holding tighdy to die edge of the desk. *When you applied for the post,' he reminded her, *you did not know Madame Lizette, you did not even know you were to work for her; Grand'mere told me how disappointed you were to discover she was not to be your employer. So, I repeat, mademoiselle, I am interested in your reasons.'
Charlotte glanced past him at the door. All she could think of to do in the circumstances was to offer a half-truth
and hope he would let her go. *I—Fm hoping to
\
^ *You do yourself an injustice if you imagine you are so _ quickly forgotten,' he told her, and kept his eyes on her still, ^although it has taken me some time to recall the first occasion on which we met. Did you not realise that sooner or later I should remember where I had seen you before, mademoiselle^
Charlotte wanted to look away, but there was something hypnotic about his gaze and she sat there mesmerised by it and slowly shaking her head. It had not for a moment occurred to her that he would remember bumping into a strange girl in the lobby of the hotel in London, but when she thought about it it was inevitable, sooner or later, as he said.
*I didn't expect you to remember that,' she confessed, and was appalled to notice how unsteady her voice sounded.
*0r you hoped I would not remember?' Raoul pressed relendessly. 'Who was it you came to see on that occasion, mademoiselle? Or does the question embarrass you, perhaps?'
*It does embarrass me!' Charlotte agreed, remembering how hopefully she had gone to the hotel in search of the man she hoped would prove to be her father. She could, hardly tell him the truth, not at this point, and yet she could not immediately think of another reason; it was one of those moments when the mind goes completely blank and refuses to come up with a logical answer. In the circumstances she resorted to indignation as a defence. *I don't think I have to answer questions about something that happened before I came into your employ. Monsieur Raoul, and you have no right to ask me!'
Above the steely grey eyes his black brows glowered at her and Charlotte fought down a sense of panic as she got to her feet. *I think I have the right in the circumstances, mademoiselle. The men at that conference were not only fellow delegates, some of them were business rivals too, and
there are certain matters ' He waved an impatient hand,
but continued to make his case. *If you were in that hotel in your capacity as secretary to one of the delegates *
*I wasn't!'
*It is too much of a coincidence that you turn up once more at the same hotel only two days later to apply for the post of companion-secretary to my cousin's wife. Which is, I might venture to suggest, the kind of post that most young women of your age would not consider because of the duties involved. When such a coincidence happens. Miss Kennedy, I am suspicious—I am very suspicious!'
*Oh, but you're wrong!' Charlotte protested, and stared at him in dismay. She could not have anticipated such a situation when she resorted to subterfuge in an effort to trace her family background, and she was at a complete loss for the moment. *You're very wrong, Monsieur Raoul, I swear it!'
She started nervously when he got to his feet and came across the room on those long legs, soft-footed on the deep pile of the carpet. *Then why, mademoiselle^ he demanded, looking down at her. *I will not believe that someone as efl&cient and as pretty as you needs to pander to the whims of a sick woman for her living.'
*I like Madame Lizette!'
The defence of her employer was instinctive and impulsive, but it did not impress Raoul and he still looked down at her narrowed-eyed as she stood with one hand holding tighdy to die edge of the desk. *When you applied for the post,' he reminded her, *you did not know Madame Lizette, you did not even know you were to work for her; Grand'mere told me how disappointed you were to discover she was not to be your employer. So, I repeat, mademoiselle, I am interested in your reasons.'
Charlotte glanced past him at the door. All she could think of to do in the circumstances was to offer a half-truth
and hope he would let her go. *I—Fm hoping to
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