Kitabı oku: «Terms Of Engagement»
“What did you think you were playing at in there?”
“I was playing at being your fiancé?” he replied.
“You overacted the part,” Emma accused furiously.
“I thought I did rather well, considering the circumstances,” Frazer replied stoically.
“Oh? And what about all those references to us sharing a bed, and that rubbish about my getting up at five to do the milking?”
“Well, he needed putting in his place. I’m sure you could get up at 5:00 a.m. if you wanted to.” Frazer grinned. “And as for the references about us sharing a bed, I was just getting into character.” Frazer’s voice dropped to a low, intimate note. “And I wouldn’t be happy about you getting out of it too early, either.” He smiled as he noted the two high spots of color that burned on her cheeks now.
“A little bit of subtlety wouldn’t have gone amiss.” She tried not to be sidetracked.
“I don’t think you have much leeway to preach about subtlety. You were the woman that dropped me into the damn situation in the first place.”
Kathryn Ross was born in Zambia, where her parents happened to live at that time. Educated in Ireland and England, she now lives in a village near Blackpool, Lancashire. Kathryn is a professional beauty therapist, but writing is her first love. As a child she wrote adventure stories, and at thirteen was editor of her school magazine. Happily, ten writing years later, Designed with Love was accepted by Harlequin. A romantic Sagittarian, she loves traveling to exotic locations.
About the author:
Kathryn Ross is a much-loved Harlequin Presents® author with a lively, intense, sophisticated writing style. She especially enjoys creating strong heroes and spirited heroines, and Romantic Times has praised the way Kathryn “utilizes dynamic characterization…to give the reader a gratifying reading experience.” Her latest novel, Terms of Engagement, highlights this talent and we hope you’ll enjoy this story as much as Kathryn enjoyed writing it!
Terms of Engagement
Kathryn Ross
MILLS & BOON
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
EMMA’S eyes widened at the breathtaking absurdity of her friend’s suggestion. ‘Jonathan and I had a civilised divorce, Tori, but it would still have to be a freezing day in hell before I’d ask him for help.’
‘Well, it’s nearly winter, and I believe it snows a lot in Scotland; you might not have long to wait,’ Tori said brightly. ‘Personally, I’d sell that place and get back down to London and civilisation quickly.’
‘I don’t want to come back to London. Of course I miss you, and my other friends, but the peace and tranquillity here are just what I needed.’
As if to prove the point to herself, Emma transferred the phone to her other hand and pulled back the curtain on the window next to her chair.
The sun was starting to go down. Golden light reflected on the smooth waters of the loch and bathed the mountains in a mellow, misty glow, highlighting the September colours of red and gold in the patchwork of fields. Swallows were flying low over the loch, wheeling and skimming after invisible prey. Soon they would leave for the winter, but she would stay, she vowed silently.
‘So how is Jonathan?’ she breathed in a soft undertone, dropping the curtain back into place.
‘The same as ever, as far as I could tell. Mind you, I didn’t stay at the party for very long. Jonathan was the guest of honour, and as you can imagine it was hard to get to speak to him. Word had just got out that he was about to start casting for his next big movie. Apparently it’s a historical epic. People were all over him.’
Emma could just imagine. Jonathan liked to be the centre of attention. He was a very successful film producer and he usually attracted a sycophantic crowd wherever he went.
‘Anyway, we spoke briefly. He asked if I’d like a small part in his new movie and I told him I’d just landed the lead role in Tom Hubert’s new film. That took the wind out of his arrogant sails.’ Tori’s laugh was the tinkling, attractive sound of pure pleasure.
‘He’s got good intentions, Tori,’ Emma said, impulsively defending her ex-husband. ‘Jonathan isn’t all bad.’
‘You know your problem, Emma? You’re too nice. Jonathan walked out on you. In my eyes that makes him a rat of the first order,’ Tori replied.
‘It was a mutual decision. We both agreed it was best to go our separate ways,’ Emma insisted firmly, then quickly moved on. ‘So, what else did he say?’ She didn’t want to talk about her marriage break-up; even after two years it was still a raw subject.
‘Just that he was looking for some wild and moody location for his film. Somewhere—and I quote—“atmospheric. A moor, a loch and an old baronial hall haunted with atmosphere.”’
Emma’s eyes widened. ‘That’s exactly how I described this place to you when we spoke on the phone last time.’
‘I know. It was as if destiny had just intervened in your life.’
Emma smiled. Tori could be very dramatic, but then she was an actress.
‘So I couldn’t resist, Emma. I had to tell him all about your mysterious uncle who died and left you his estate in Scotland.’
‘You didn’t tell him he’d left me his debts and that the place was practically falling down around me, did you?’
‘No, of course not. I told him his description matched the one you had given me of your property. That you had been living up there for a month and that you were in love with the place. I gushed positively over everything in your life, darling, I really did. You’d have loved it.’
Emma wasn’t so sure about that. ‘What was his reaction?’ she asked cautiously.
‘He’d already heard a rumour that you’d left London…’ Tori hesitated. ‘Actually he said, “I give her a month before she’s running back to the city. She’s the type to get withdrawal symptoms when she leaves the five-mile radius of the beauty counters at Knightsbridge.”’
Emma’s hands balled into tight fists at her side. How dared he say something so condescending? It just went to prove he had never really known her at all. She’d show him, she vowed silently.
‘But he did also go on to say that he would be very interested to take a look at your estate. That it sounds a promising location for his purposes.’
‘He can go to hell. He’s not coming here.’
‘Don’t be hasty, Em. Do you know how much money they pay out for the right film location? It’s not peanuts, I can assure you.’
‘I know.’
‘You did tell me you would do anything to be able to stay up there? But that the level of debt outstanding against the property is too much, not to mention the work that needs doing to the place?’
‘Yes.’ Emma’s voice was flat.
‘So this could be your chance to put things right. He’s at the Hilton in London for two more nights, and he gave me his number. All you have to do is telephone him and tell him you’re interested and he’ll add your address to the list of properties his location manager will visit next week.’
Emma hesitated. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Good. I’ve got to go, Emma. Speak to you soon.’
The silence in the room seemed overwhelming after the conversation.
Before the phone call she had been happily unpacking a trunk full of her clothing and footwear. The cocktail dresses and smart business suits she had once needed for her job as PA to a high-flying television executive were spread incongruously about the small study. She needn’t have bothered bringing them, because there was no way she would be wearing them again.
She glanced around the study. The faded heavy chintz curtains and the mismatched assortment of chairs had all seen better days. Yet there was an elegance to the room. It had dark panelled walls and a large inglenook fireplace which spoke of the grandeur of bygone days. Only a few rooms in the house were habitable. The floor in the east wing was rotted through with woodworm. Some of the upstairs bedrooms let in the rain because the roof leaked.
Just thinking about these problems brought a rush of panic about whether or not she had done the right thing, rushing up here from London. She had given up a perfectly good job. All right, she hadn’t been earning fortunes, but at least she had been able to afford to run her flat. This estate was well out of her league.
Maybe ringing Jon was a good idea. Tori was right; they did pay big money for film locations—money she could use to transform this place.
If it was anyone else but her ex-husband she would be picking up the phone right now. But the thought of speaking to him, maybe seeing him again, made her blood pump through her veins like molten lava. It wasn’t that she held any romantic ideas that she might still have feelings for him. Her love for Jon had died the day he’d walked out. She was more afraid of the fact that seeing him again would probably stir up painful memories, and she couldn’t face that. She’d rather manage on her own.
Emma returned her attention to her clothes. Lifting up a black plastic bag, she started to throw some of the things in. Maybe she should ask Tori to sell them for her in London. It was all designer gear and would fetch a good price.
Her hand paused over a pair of silver stilettos. Jon had bought them for her to attend the première of one of his films. There was a long silver dress that went with them.
She rooted through the clothes on the chair and found the dress, to hold it up against her slender figure. Then, on some wild impulse, she found herself kicking off her sturdy boots, jeans and jumper and slipping into the slinky dress. She stepped into the stilettos and walked across to the mirror on the wall.
Her reflection was a ghostly shimmer in the fading evening light. The dress was exquisite. It clung to her womanly curves, highlighting the firm swell of her breasts, the narrow waist. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair was wild about the pallor of her small face. She lifted it up, twisting it and tucking it into the sophisticated style she had worn that evening long ago, with Jon on her arm.
They had been a happy couple that night. But then that had been before they had started trying for a family, before they had found out that she could never bear him a child. When that knowledge had entered their relationship Jon’s love for her had started to wither and die.
The light was fading fast, and she reached to switch on the lamp beside her. Golden light cheered the room for just a second, then went out. Frowning, she tried the overhead light. She flicked the switch several times but no light came on.
‘Damn!’ Her voice was unnaturally loud in the silence of the room. She would have to find some candles and go down and check out the fuse-box in the cellar. The thought made a shiver of unease rush through her.
Although she loved the solitude here during the day, at night the isolation was a bit intimidating. She certainly didn’t want to be without electric light.
Emma went across to the bureau by the window and rifled through the drawers until she found some matches. As she straightened a loud banging noise resounded through the house.
Emma dropped the box of matches on the floor in shock. It took her a moment to realise it was someone knocking forcefully against the front door.
Who on earth could that be? she wondered nervously. She was out in the middle of nowhere and she hadn’t heard a car engine.
Retrieving the matches from the floor, she then tried to peek cautiously out of the window towards the door.
It was impossible to see who was standing there because of the awkward angle, and with the onset of darkness a mist was rolling in over the loch. It hung in heavy, damp swathes over the front gardens. There was an eeriness about the scene. She decided that she wouldn’t answer the door. Again someone struck the knocker against the door. Whoever it was, they were very impatient.
She moved quietly out to the hallway, wondering if she could see whoever it was from the window there.
The letterbox rattled as someone lifted it. It made Emma’s heart pound with apprehension.
‘Mrs Sinclair?’ a deep voice with a rolling Scottish accent asked. ‘Mrs Sinclair, I’m Frazer McClarran, your next-door neighbour.’
The name was familiar. Her late uncle’s solicitor had mentioned a Frazer McClarran. She racked her brain to remember what he had told her. It had been something to do with the fact that her uncle Ethan had had a long-running feud going with the man. She had no idea what it was about, but the memory was not reassuring.
‘What do you want?’ she called out cautiously, unwilling to open up the door to a total stranger.
‘A member of your livestock has escaped, causing considerable damage on my property.’ The voice held barely concealed impatience.
‘How do you know it belongs to me?’
‘Because there is a big red E branded on the creature’s butt,’ the voice grated. ‘And if talk around the village is correct, that means it now belongs to you.’
Emma hesitated.
‘Mrs Sinclair, are you going to open the door? Or should I just unload the animal onto your front porch? I can’t hang around here all night; I’ve got things to be doing.’
‘Hold on a moment.’ There was an old oil lamp on the hall table. It took her a few moments to light it with the matches, and the glow did little to illuminate the vast hallway, but it was better than nothing. She put the chain on the front door and swung it open a crack.
‘Can you come a bit closer, please, so that I can see you?’ she asked crisply.
‘What are you doing? Checking I’m not an alien?’ The voice held a hint of amusement now. It was an attractive voice—husky, sexy.
‘How do I know that you are who you say you are?’ she asked.
‘Well, I haven’t got a password, but I do have your damn goat in the back of my Land Rover.’ He hesitated, then his voice softened. ‘Look. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’ll tie the animal up out here and you can deal with it yourself when I’m gone.’
The gentle concern in the Celtic voice brought her senses rushing back. So, OK, her uncle had had a disagreement with his neighbour, but that didn’t mean the guy was dangerous.
She closed the door, unhooked the chain and swung it open again.
Frazer McClarran’s appearance was quite a revelation. He was about her age, thirty-two, and very good-looking if you went for the dark swarthy, rugged type. Which she didn’t, she told herself firmly. She wasn’t interested in getting involved with any man again.
He wore a crew-neck sweater. Its thick cream cable looked good against his dark skin. The black jeans hugged lithe hips and long legs.
The flickering light from her lamp played over his features, highlighting the glitter of black eyes, the powerful line of his shoulders, the square, firm jawline. His hair had a slight curl to it, an unruly thickness that was very attractive.
They stared at each other. For an instant she had the impression that he was as surprised by her as she was by him. Then she remembered why. The long dress she wore was hardly what you’d describe as casual attire. She must look as if she had just stepped out from a summer ball, not an old hall that was half falling down.
His gaze moved over her in one comprehensive sweep of an appraisal, making her feel very self-conscious. Her long strawberry-blonde hair was in need of a taming brush to bring it under control, the dress showed every curve of her slender figure, and on her feet she wore the frivolous pair of silver high heels.
His gaze returned to the lamp she held in her hand. ‘Have I interrupted a seance, or do you always walk about dressed like that with the lights off?’ he asked with some amusement.
‘A seance!’ Talk about being cut down to size. She had thought she looked attractive in the dress, like Claudia Schiffer, not an eccentric clairvoyant. ‘I’ve got a problem with the electricity,’ she answered stiffly. She couldn’t think of an excuse for her clothes, she didn’t know why she had put the dress on. It had been a moment’s whim, she supposed. A nostalgic backward glance at the way her life used to be. Anyway, it was none of his business.
‘Have you paid the bill?’
‘The bill?’
‘The electricity bill,’ he said patiently.
‘Of course I have.’ She glared at him.
He grinned. ‘So what do you want to do about your other problem?’
‘What other problem?’ she asked, captivated by the darkness of his eyes. Were they really so olive-black, or was it just a trick of the light?
‘The problem of your goat.’ He waved a hand behind him. ‘I have the creature in the back of my Land Rover. It’s probably eaten its way through the seats by now.’
‘Oh, yes.’ She pulled herself together. ‘Step inside for a moment. I’ll just put a jumper on, then I’ll come and give you a hand.’
His gaze flicked again to her shoes. His lips curved in wry amusement. ‘Sure,’ he drawled sceptically.
She bit down on a terse reply. It was obvious that her neighbour thought she would be about as much help as a butterfly on a building site.
He looked around as he stepped inside. ‘It’s years since I stepped over Ethan’s threshold,’ he remarked dryly. ‘I bet he’s turning in his grave.’
‘Why?’ She paused with her hand on the door to the study.
He shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive gesture. ‘Are you going to be long? I’ve got work to get back to.’
‘No, I’ll be a minute.’ She opened the door into the study and put the lamp down on the sideboard. ‘It’s late to be going back to work, isn’t it?’ she asked, reaching for her sweater and pulling it over the silver dress.
‘Working on a farm isn’t like working in an office, you know,’ he drawled. ‘You can’t tell your animals that you’re clocking off at five-thirty.’ There was that amusement in his tone again.
He watched as she pulled her hair out from beneath the sweater, then kicked off the high heels and stuck her feet into her boots. She probably made a curious spectacle—a long silver skirt with a woollen sweater and hiking boots—but she didn’t care. ‘Ready when you are,’ she said brightly as she finished lacing her boots and threw her hair out of her eyes.
His gaze wandered around the room, taking in the cocktail dresses and smart suits that lay sprawled over the furniture. ‘What were you doing? Having a fashion show?’
‘I was unpacking.’
He bent and picked up a shoe from beside him. It had delicate lacy straps and a high platform sole. ‘You’re planning on going for long walks over the moors, I take it?’ he grated sarcastically.
She tried very hard not to blush. ‘Something like that.’ She grabbed the shoe away from him and refused to allow herself to explain that she had been in the process of getting rid of this stuff. ‘Shall we go?’
‘After you.’ He waved towards the door and watched as she struggled to take forceful strides in the tight skirt.
It was cold outside. A full moon sailed majestically from behind silver-edged clouds, reflecting on the still waters of the loch.
‘Where are you parked?’ she asked. ‘I didn’t hear the car engine.’ She was struggling to keep up with his long stride.
‘I couldn’t drive up to the house because your gate was locked across the approach road.’
‘Sorry.’ Why was she apologising? she wondered. After all, she hadn’t known he was coming. She wished to heaven he’d slow down. He must be well aware that she was practically running to keep up with him.
His Land Rover came into view as they rounded a corner, an old, rickety vehicle that looked as if it had been left over from World War II. It wasn’t until they reached the gate that Emma realised she would have to climb over it.
Frazer hitched himself up over the five-bar gate with ease and swung his legs over to jump down the other side.
If she had been wearing her jeans it would have been no problem.
‘Need a hand?’ Frazer asked, one dark eyebrow raised as he turned to watch her.
‘No, thanks. Just grab hold of the lamp.’ She passed it over to him. He promptly took it, blew the flame out and put it down on the grass. ‘We don’t need it,’ he said as she looked at him in some annoyance.
True enough, the night was bright. The moon had a powerful glow. It shone over the darkness of his hair, highlighting him like a charcoal drawing. Dark eyes, high cheekbones, his lips set in that almost arrogant firm slant, as if she was some insect who amused him.
She did the only thing she could do: hitched her dress up, giving a brazen glimpse of long shapely legs as she swung over to join him. She felt pleased that she had managed the manoeuvre with as much dignity as possible, then spoilt it by catching her foot awkwardly on the cattle-grid and stumbling.
Frazer reached out a hand, catching her around the waist and steadying her.
For a brief instant she was held very close to him, her body touching the long length of his. She could smell the aroma of soap from his jumper. It was fresh and clean and somehow warmly comforting.
Flustered, she pulled herself hastily away. ‘Sorry.’
‘That’s OK.’ He sounded matter-of-fact. Obviously her closeness hadn’t had the same effect on him.
‘Don’t know how the goat got out.’ She forced herself to talk in an effort to cover her awkwardness. ‘There are cattle-grids on all the gates.’
‘There are umpteen gaps in your hedges, your stone walls need maintenance and your fences are all a disgrace,’ Frazer commented wryly. ‘An elephant could get out.’
‘Please feel free not to hold back on your criticism,’ Emma muttered with sarcasm, her moment of awkwardness forgotten.
‘I suppose it’s your business if you want to let your livestock roam the country,’ he replied tersely. ‘But it does become mine when they wander onto my land and wreak havoc.’
‘I’m sorry.’ She had to admit he had a point. ‘Did the goat do a lot of damage, then?’
He flicked a look at her as he went across to open the back of the Land Rover. ‘If you call eating four pairs of underpants and some bedlinen a lot of damage.’
‘Four pairs of…’ She wanted to laugh suddenly.
He glanced at her again. She was very glad that the moon chose that moment to go behind a cloud. She shouldn’t laugh. It was destruction of someone else’s property. But she couldn’t help being amused.
‘Your wife must have been annoyed.’ She kept a serious note in her voice with difficulty.
‘I don’t have a wife, just a housekeeper, and she was not best pleased.’
Emma went to stand next to him.
The goat stared at them both, its eyes reflecting brightly as the moon once more glided out from behind the clouds.
‘Come on, you pest.’ Frazer’s voice was gentle as he reached for the rope he had tied around its neck.
The goat gave a baleful bleat. It sounded loud in the night air. ‘Come on, now. I haven’t all night.’ Frazer leaned in so that he didn’t have to drag the animal with unnecessary force. It bleated again, and backed away from him, its hooves making a scraping sound on the floor.
‘Seeing as you’re here, grab the end of the rope, will you?’ Frazer muttered to Emma as he climbed into the back of the vehicle.
She noticed that his voice held a kinder, more patient note when he was talking to the animal than when he spoke to her.
He moved to pick the animal up, but missed as it made a dash for the door.
‘Catch her—’
Too late, the animal shot past Emma. She caught hold of the end of the rope as it whipped by and then found herself running behind the animal over the uneven turf, unable to stop it.
‘Let go, for heaven’s sake, or you’ll kill yourself.’
Instead she yanked at the rope, determined to get the animal to stop, turned over on her ankle, lost her balance and fell. She looked up in time to see the goat making a brave leap across a small mountain stream and disappearing through a hole in the hedge.
‘Are you OK?’ Frazer strolled over and offered her his hand.
Ignoring it, she got to her feet. ‘I’m fine.’ She brushed her hand over her clothes. Apart from the fact that there was a huge grass stain on the front of her silver dress, she was relatively unscathed.
‘Let that be a lesson—don’t attempt farming in your ballgown,’ Frazer murmured with a tinge of humour.
‘Very funny.’
Frazer grinned. ‘Well, I guess there’s nothing more you can do about old nanny goat until the morning. I suggest you get one of your farm labourers to find her first thing. Don’t leave her to wander.’
‘Of course I won’t,’ Emma murmured. ‘I’ll get Brian onto it in the morning.’ She picked some old twigs and pieces of bracken from the wool of her sweater.
‘Brian Robinson? Is he still working here?’ Frazer sounded incredulous.
‘Yes. Why do you ask?’
Frazer shook his head and walked to close the back doors of his Land Rover. ‘I suppose you are going to put this place up for sale?’ he asked, ignoring her question.
‘No. I’m planning on staying, making a success of it.’
‘On your own?’ He sounded shocked.
‘Why not?’
Then he laughed.
Emma glared at him. Was he going to make bigoted remarks like Jon? ‘What’s so funny?’ she asked tersely.
‘No offence, but you don’t look like the type to be stuck out here.’ His voice was dry. ‘Do you know anything about farming?’
‘I’m learning.’
‘Who’s teaching you?’
‘I’ve got books from the library—’
‘You’re not serious?’ He laughed again.
‘I’ve got the farm-hands, people who are experienced and trustworthy.’ She was starting to lose her temper. He was dangerously close to sounding like her ex-husband.
‘People like Brian?’ His tone was sarcastic. ‘Let me give you some advice. Don’t trust him around your livestock unless he’s well supervised.’
‘I don’t need any advice, thank you,’ she said stiffly.
‘Suit yourself.’ He shrugged. ‘When you get fed up playing farm, get in contact with me. I’d be interested in buying the place. I could use the extra land.’
‘It’s not for sale.’
‘I’ll offer you a good price.’
‘It’s not for sale,’ Emma repeated firmly.
‘Whatever you say.’ He shrugged again, and glanced at his watch. ‘Do you want me to walk with you back to the house? See if I can sort out your electrical problem before I go?’
Emma was sorely tempted to say yes, but that would be admitting she needed a man’s help, and she wasn’t about to do that. ‘No, I’ll manage. But thank you.’
He nodded. ‘You know, you remind me a lot of your uncle Ethan,’ he remarked.
With that he swung himself into the driver’s seat of his Land Rover and started the engine.
‘See you around,’ he said, without glancing at her again.
Emma watched as he drove away. What had he meant by that crack about being like her uncle? she wondered. Men were the most irritating of creatures, she thought with exasperation.
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