Chapter Seven – Rose #2
I gathered all my strength and offered him the fakest, sweetest smile I was capable of. “I’d rather shove myself up that chimney over there and start a fire at my feet.”
“Don’t let me stop you.” His lips quirked.
Absolute bastard.
“Now that we’ve dispensed with the bullshit, can we get on with it? I don’t know about you, but I’m a busy woman.”
“Really,” Oliver said flatly. “What could possibly require your attention more than this matter?”
“My one-thirty client,” I replied. “Have you met Vera Radcliffe yet?”
“I have no idea who that is.”
“You will when you meet her, the ornery old bat.” I paused. “I mean, the sweet old dear.”
Oliver coughed into his hand, briefly turning his face away from me.
Was he laughing at me? This wanker.
“Just as you are, I’m also busy. So, now that we’ve ‘dispensed with the bullshit,’ as you so eloquently put it, tell me how you believe I’m breaching the contract so we can attempt to resolve this,” he said.
There was a knock on the door, and Bruce stepped in a moment later with a small tray. He put a cup of coffee on the side table next to me and set a cup of tea down in front of Oliver before disappearing as quickly and quietly as he’d entered.
I waited for a moment after the door closed before saying, “The only way to resolve this if you withdraw your closure notice and keep the allotments open.”
“No can do. The land is too valuable for you all to merely grow a few vegetables on,” Oliver replied, holding his hand out.
Merely grow a few vegetables? Clearly, he didn’t appreciate any food on his plate if he was so dismissive of the growing process.
God, I hated him a little more every time he opened his mouth.
I glanced at his outstretched hand before meeting his steely blue gaze. “What, do you want me to smack your hand with my folder for your ignorant comment? ’Cause that’s what I wanna do.”
“Pass over the documentation you have showing that I’m in breach of contract. I have no time for this weird brand of flirting we’re engaging in.”
“Flirting with you is so far down on my to-do list that I may get to it in the afterlife.” I picked the file up from my thighs and passed it over, giving his palm a solid thwack with it for good measure.
“I would have thought that flirting with me was already crossed off.”
“Excuse me, you flirted with me. I don’t flirt.”
Oliver stared at me. “I distinctly remember you flirting with me.”
“Look at me.” I motioned to my face and body. “Do I look like I need to flirt to get attention?”
“Ah, you’re right. Your stunningly co-operative personality is all you need to charm a man.”
“Well, you’d know that better than most.”
“Miss Matthews, has anyone told you how utterly exhausting you are?” Oliver slid his glasses back onto his face and opened the file.
“Yes, actually. My mother tells me daily. It’s like her morning greeting for me at this point.”
He looked over the top of the file at me. “Do you still live with your parents?”
As if Sherlock Holmes over there didn’t already know the answer to that since he’d had his assistant go on a shitty little sleuthing mission. Sucked for him, though—there wasn’t anything in this town that I didn’t know.
Or my mother didn’t know.
Same thing.
I sniffed. “In this economy? You’re damn right I live with my parents. Have you seen the price of rent?”
“Yes. I charge it.”
“Of course you do.” I smiled tightly.
“You seem displeased.”
“Get used to it. I don’t foresee ever being pleased to be in your company.”
“That’s quite all right. I pleased you enough the first time we met.” He flipped through the pages without his expression changing in the slightest.
This smarmy bastard.
Whatever had possessed me to sleep with him?
The alcohol, probably.
Note to future Rose: don’t drink in front of this man. It will lead to bad decisions.
“I’m disappointed, Rose. I thought you’d have a smart comeback for that one.” He put down the file and looked over at me. “Or are you too busy thinking about that night?”
“I was keeping my thoughts to myself, lest I insult your honour, my good sir.”
“That’s the nicest way anyone has ever told me that I’m terrible in bed.”
“Make of it what you will.”
“Then I’ll ignore it. We both know you’re lying.” He slid one sheet of paper to the side, turning his attention back to what I’d handed him. “But if you’ve forgotten how good it was, we can always have a do-over. My offer to bring a bed in here still stands.”
“I’d rather sleep with George.”
“Who’s George?”
“You don’t need to know.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Do you realise we’re wasting time?”
Oliver’s lips pulled up to one side. “What do you mean? We’re getting to know each other.”
“That’s exactly what I was referring to.”
“Ouch. How can you be so cruel after our magical night together?”
Please. The only thing magical about that night was how quickly I disappeared.
Well… maybe.
I stared at him flatly. “Never mind legal action over your breach of contract; I’m about to sue you for sexual harassment.”
He chuckled and held up one of the sheets. “I need to have my lawyer look this over before I confirm or agree to anything with you, but it does appear that my closure notice is void. However, operate on the two-month notice for now, and—”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Absolutely not,” I repeated. “What I handed you is a copy of the most recent contract, signed eighteen months before the late duke passed away. I will operate based on the notice period in the contract I know to be correct, not the one you’d like me to abide by just because it makes your life easier.
And I will only acknowledge it once the correct notice has been issued. ”
Oliver pursed his lips. “But the contract I have doesn’t match what you have, and that contract—”
“Is wrong.” I got to my feet and met his gaze, annoyance fizzling in the pit of my belly at his audacity.
“I don’t know what kind of impression you have of me after your lackey was snooping around trying to dig up dirt on my life, but I’m telling you now that I’m not the pushover you seem to think I am, given how you’re trying to convince me to accept an illegal closure notice. ”
Oliver said nothing, but his jaw tightened, almost as if he was pissed that I was calling him out.
“I wasn’t joking when I told your errand boy that I’d take legal action if you didn’t meet me.
I came here as a courtesy to let you know about this to avoid unnecessary stress for both parties, but clearly, I shouldn’t bother offering you my goodwill in the future.
” I picked up my backpack and pulled one strap over my shoulder.
“You’re not a stupid man, Mr de Havilland, so don’t act like one.
” I reached over and tapped the folder. “I’ll leave that with you and await delivery of the correct closure notice. Good day, sir.”
I walked over to the door and was just about to open it when he said, “Are you often rude to people you work with, Miss Matthews? From what I’ve heard about you, I expected a little respect.”
I paused, clutching the door handle, and looked over my shoulder.
“In that case, I’m terribly sorry to disappoint you.
But I have to ask, what right do you have to my respect?
Should I give it to you freely because you’re the duke?
Or because we’ve slept together?” I raised my eyebrows.
“You might be used to people respecting you because of your position and bowing down to you, but you’re sorely mistaken if you think I give two shits about who you are.
I will never respect someone who uses his position of authority to investigate me behind my back in order to gain the upper hand over me. ”
He sighed and dropped his head forwards, removing his glasses once more. He rubbed his hand across his forehead before peering at me through his fingers. “It wasn’t to gain the upper hand.”
“But you have it, no? You know vastly more information about me and my life than I do about you and yours. Regardless, I don’t care for your reasoning.
I never intended on seeing you again after that night, and my feelings haven’t changed.
I have no desire to have any kind of relationship with you beyond what I absolutely must as the committee chairman,” I said, hauling my backpack strap back up on my shoulder.
“Even if I did, it would have died the moment you walked onto my allotment and told me you were destroying the place I love more than anything without a second thought.”
“I’m a businessman and lord of this estate, Miss Matthews.
There’s a place for sentimentality, and my bank account is not one of them.
” He dropped his hand and stared at me intently.
“From my perspective, the allotment site is a business asset, and it’s one that is steadily losing the Hanbury estate money.
The feelings of those who rent that space from me do not factor into my decisions. ”
“That’s fine. Your feelings don’t factor into my decisions, either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” I pulled open the door and glanced back at him one more time. “And if your little dossier on me is correct, you’d be wise to be very, very afraid.”
“Are you threatening me, Rose?”
“I most certainly am not, Oliver .” I smiled coldly. “But just remember this: you picked this fight. Don’t be too upset when I hit back.”