Chapter 15
Hart was going over the representation he intended to make to support his growing monopoly of the trade in gold bullion from Hong Kong when his personal clerk stepped in. “Sir?” Edwards was flushing a deep shade of crimson.
Hart could not gather why. He sat back casually in his chair. “Send Sir Lawrence in.”
Edwards, a young, fair man, turned an even brighter shade of red. “The ambassador is not here yet. There is a woman—a lady—to see you.”
As Edwards and his entire staff knew to admit Francesca with no formalities, he was mildly bemused. “Does she have a name?”
“Yes, sir.” Edwards fought to breathe. “Miss Jones.”
He was very surprised—and he was not an easy man to surprise.
Only Francesca had the ability to consistently do that.
But then, she was entirely unpredictable and it was one of the reasons he found her so intriguing.
He now paused. Daisy had never before come to his office.
Nor should she—it was out of the question to have his mistress or ex-mistress anywhere near his place of business.
It was not about morality or convention, although for another man it might be.
Hart had no time for any dalliance when he was immersed in his business affairs.
He hadn’t seen her in almost a month. He sent her the allowance he had promised her and paid her bills. He had not a clue as to the cause of her sudden appearance at Bridge Street. “Send her in,” he finally said.
Daisy walked into his office, every bit as gorgeous as he remembered, in the most ethereal way.
She seemed to float as she moved, as if she could defy gravity with her slim, sensual body.
He studied her clinically; his manner had always been objective toward every woman he met.
There was only one woman who had so swiftly and easily swept aside that particular barrier, and that was Francesca.
He could never look at her and feel even remotely detached about her presence, her appearance or her behavior and affairs.
Daisy was beautiful and if he were not on the verge of wedlock, he would still be enjoying her favors.
There would be no reason not to. But he was engaged, and so thoroughly distracted and preoccupied by his future bride that he could not find the remotest desire for the other woman.
Then again, in the past few years his desire had become clinical, too: a matter of function, a means to pass the time, a means of escape from the gray that was his life.
He stood and approached her, taking her hand and politely kissing it, his lips never making contact with her skin. “Good afternoon. I must admit, you have succeeded in surprising me by your call.”
Daisy had dressed very well for the occasion in an expensive pale blue gown that was modest, fashionable and elegant. Still, any man would know with a single glance that Daisy was not a lady. She smiled softly at him. “I do hope it is a welcome surprise. After all, we remain friends.”
He had but one friend, his fiancée, but he did not dispute her. “Frankly, I never mix business with pleasure. But I assume there is some urgency to your cause, otherwise I know you would not have ventured so far afield, much less to my place of business.”
“I’m afraid I have disturbed you,” Daisy said, downcast. “I apologize, Calder, but I did not think it appropriate to call on you at home.”
He folded his arms across his chest, sensing a new game in the making. But why would Daisy think to play with him when he continued to be so generous with her? She remained in the house he had bought for her, and would do so for another three months until their agreement was over.
“If you had sent me a note, I would have made an appointment and called on you.” He grew impatient. “I have a significant meeting, Daisy, so I suggest you tell me why you have called.”
“May we shut the door?” she asked, appearing somewhat hurt.
He wasn’t moved. “I see no reason to cause gossip,” he said. He hardly feared being alone with her—in fact, his lack of desire was amazing, considering he had once slept with every beautiful woman who was not of good character who dared cross his path—but he did not want Francesca hurt by gossip.
“First, I wanted to tell you how truly happy I am for you. You have been nothing but kind and generous with me and you deserve a wonderful woman like Francesca,” she said so earnestly another man would have believed her.
But he did not. She was standing in his place of business for a reason, and he wanted to get to it now. “Thank you.”
She went to him and took his hands in hers. “But I miss you, Calder, I really miss all the time we have shared,” she said so softly that anyone passing in the corridor beyond his open door wouldn’t hear.
He moved away from her. “If you have come to seduce me, I would rethink my position. I promised Francesca that I would be loyal to her, and I have no intention of breaking that vow.”
She stepped back, her thin shoulders squaring, her chin jerking high.
Was that anger he saw in her eyes? She had no reason to be angry with him.
She was a whore, very beautiful and somehow elegant, but a whore nonetheless.
He knew her background was genteel, although he had never asked her story, but she had chosen to sell her body and could expect nothing except for gifts, cash and favors in return.
It was a moment before she spoke. “I saw Francesca the other day.”
He stilled. He sensed an attack on Francesca and that would be a very dangerous mistake. “Really?”
Daisy smiled a little. “In the Lord and Taylor store. That is a stunning ring you gave her. You must be smitten.”
“Is there a point?”
Daisy shrugged a little, but she said, “She seemed so radiant, so in love with you, Calder.”
In spite of his resolve to remain in control of himself, his heart leaped. If Francesca did love him, after all, he realized suddenly how thrilled he would be.
Daisy looked at him almost slyly. “Rose and I have been so concerned for her, because she is so naive. We really thought she would never be able to manage you, but clearly we were wrong.”
“That’s right,” he said. “As I have no intention of being the kind of man that Francesca must manage.”
She smiled and laughed. “You need not worry. She appeared radiant, but that must have been due to another cause. Francesca made it clear that she is not really in love. She is only marrying you because she cannot marry Bragg. But you already know that, don’t you?”
He tensed. He knew damn well he should not continue this conversation. “Is that what she said?” And there was dread, but also anger.
“Very directly, I might add.” Daisy came up to him and laid her small hands on his shoulders, pressing her slim, trembling body against his.
“How ironic this is! We both know you are the last man in the world to be faithful to any woman, yet you have promised fidelity to Francesca. But she is in love with someone else.” She shook her head, her expression at once dismayed—as if she cared—and disbelieving.
He set her away, refusing to be shaken. “Do you really think to seduce me back to your bed with these antics? Francesca and I are basing our marriage on friendship and respect, not love.”
“Yes, that is exactly what she said. And I won’t pretend I don’t miss you in my bed, Calder. How could I not?” She stared, no longer smiling. “You are the first man to awaken me. You are the first man to genuinely give me pleasure.” Her voice had dropped, turning husky.
It was hard to pay attention to Daisy now.
All he could think about was whether or not Francesca had really said that she was marrying him for friendship and respect—and only because she could not have his damn half brother.
Even though he knew he was being conned by his ex-mistress, he could not stop thinking about it.
He knew damn well that this was what Daisy wanted—to interfere in his relationship with Francesca, although he could not consider why in that moment.
Could Francesca have really shared such a confidence with his ex-mistress?
Such an ingenuous utterance sounded exactly like his impulsive fiancée.
“I’m afraid those days are over.” He was abrupt.
“I gave my word to Francesca and I intend to keep it.” He heard himself speak as if he were an outsider viewing the scene.
Did she still really love Rick? After all the times she had been in Hart’s arms?
Was it at all possible? And he closed his eyes, trying to thwart the anger, but his heart pumped with it.
Damn it. He had to admit that he had started to think that finally she was falling in love with him.
He wanted her to love him, not Rick Bragg.
And he was so stunned by his comprehension that briefly he could not even breathe.
Daisy said, her tone harsh, “Darling, do you really think to reform for a woman who doesn’t even love you?”
And she cut into his brooding the way a whip cuts into naked flesh.
He met her gaze but it was too late. He had realized what he wanted, what he needed, and it was going to be his Achilles heel.
And before he could comment, she said, half smiling in a twisted way, “I know who you are. No one knows who you are better than I do. Because we are exactly the same.”
“That is hardly true,” he said, shaken to the core of his being. He didn’t need to be loved—he didn’t want love, not from anyone!
“No?” Now she smiled widely. “We both know you are going to become bored with your virgin bride. It’s only a matter of time. Come, Calder. You’re the man who has spent a dozen nights in my bed—with Rose there as well. We both know you hate the mundane, the ordinary.”