Anna felt her self-confidence melt away like mist before sunshine as she stared—gawked—at the mansion Paul stopped in front of. It flickered through her mind that this couldn’t be the right place, but it was hard to ignore the fact that music and many voices were drifting to her, that it was lit up like there were no restrictions on power consumption, and there were already a number of water taxis lined up at the dock.
“This is the place?” she asked Paul uneasily.
“This is it. The head of the organization—Miles Cavendish—decided to throw a welcome party for all of the new recruits.”
Anna blinked at him, feeling an uncomfortable jolt at the word ‘recruits’.
“Recruits?”
Paul smiled with obvious effort, leaping out to tie up the line of his sleek boat.
“New members. Ready?”
Not really! All she wanted to do was rush back to her tiny little home and bar the doors. This was socializing on steroids! She’d thought she was just going to be with a small group. She tried to remember if Paul had said anything to indicate he was talking about a massive social function, but she couldn’t remember that he’d actually said anything at all.
She’d just assumed, since he was her assistant, that he was as anti-social as she was and had expected a small, awkward group of academics. “I don’t know about this,”
she said uneasily, staring down in dismay at the cocktail dress she’d put on. She’d felt downright sexy—well almost attractive—when she’d looked herself over in the mirror.
It still fit, even though the dress was at least five years old. She’d only worn it once, though, and it looked as new as the day she’d bought it.
Paul’s smile was slightly strained. “Come on! We’re here now. You aren’t going to back out on me?”
Put that way, it made her feel more uncomfortable. She didn’t protest when he reached for her hand and helped her out of the boat. She was still trying to decide a tactful way to back out or possibly an alternative ‘date’. “I don’t know anybody ….”
“You know me,” he said cheerfully, tucking her cold hand into the crook of his arm and guiding her toward the entrance.
Not really, she thought unhappily. True, he’d been her assistant almost a month, but she certainly hadn’t known he rubbed elbows with people like this! She hadn’t known he could afford a transport like the one he’d arrived in. She was beginning to think nothing she’d assumed about him was correct.
Her patron had sent him, though, she reminded herself. That was why she hadn’t actually checked him out, although, truthfully, she hadn’t checked out her last assistant either and she’d hired Kelly herself.
That had turned out badly, but who would’ve thought somebody would fake credentials just to get a job?
They were greeted at the door by a servant who was wearing a formal suit that looked more expensive than her house! Before she could turn tail and run, Paul had dragged her inside. She glanced back at the closing door a little forlornly as he marched her across the huge, crowded main salon of the mansion, trying to ignore the uncomfortable sense that everyone in the room was staring at her.
“Mr. Cavendish—I’d like to introduce you to my boss, Doctor Anna Blake.”
The introduction caught her attention and Anna turned to meet a coldly assessing gaze. To say that Miles Cavendish wasn’t what she’d expected would’ve been an understatement. If she’d had time to consider it at all—which she hadn’t—she would’ve concluded that no one could attain such wealth without also attaining a great age. The man studying her with the coldest blue eyes she’d ever seen didn’t look to be much more than middle aged, if that.
She discovered it was hard to actually pinpoint his age. He was fair, his hair lighter even than her own ash blond, but it was definitely blond and not gray. His face, surprisingly handsome, looked mature but certainly not old.
His smile transformed his face from cold to intimate. “Doctor Blake. I’ve heard a great deal about you. What a pleasure to meet you at last!”
Anna felt her face reddening. “Nothing bad, I hope,” she muttered.
He threw back his head and laughed as if she’d said something extremely witty, drawing far more attention than she liked—which was none!
“Nothing bad at all, I assure you!” He glanced at Paul. “Do you mind if I steal her away for a bit?”
Paul bowed. “I’ll just help myself to the refreshments.”
Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, Cavendish began to stroll through the room with her, pausing to introduce her to people as they progressed. It did nothing to calm Anna’s nerves. For someone accustomed to spending most of their time complaining to plants, the crowd seemed suffocating. She smiled and nodded until her face hurt, wishing she could escape. Eventually, they reached the refreshment table, however, and that diverted her.
Her stomach was tied into so many knots she wasn’t certain she could eat without choking, but the heavily laden table of food was beguiling. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen so much bounty. It was almost obscene considering half the world was on starvation!
Make that
was
obscene, not almost!
Cavendish released his grip on her hand and picked up a plate. “What tempts you?”
“Everything,” Anna said without thinking.
He laughed again and Anna felt her face redden. “A little of everything then?”
“Oh god no! I couldn’t possibly …. Some of that, though, and maybe a little of that.”
“You’ve a good appetite,” he commented after a few moments.
Anna shot a look at him and then the plate he was holding and blushed. “Uh … I missed lunch.”
Chuckling, he picked up a glass of wine and escorted her out onto the balcony, where she discovered to her relief, there were only a few guests sitting at the tables set up there. Excusing himself, he turned to the buffet to fix his own plate.
Anna stared at the mound of food in front of her, torn between embarrassment, hunger, and nausea. As wonderful as everything looked and smelled, there was something vaguely disgusting about the sheer abundance of it.
And she was still tempted to dig in and see how much she could manage to put away. It took an effort to sit politely and simply drool over the food while she waited for her host.
He settled across from her. “So … tell me … how goes the research?”
Anna felt her appetite take a nosedive. “It’s coming along very promisingly,” she lied and then frowned. “Paul mentioned my research?”
He seemed to hesitate. “Let’s just say I know a little about it—genetic enhancement of plants, correct?”
Anna struggled. It wasn’t a deep dark secret by any stretch of the imagination, but she didn’t particularly want to elaborate. “Something like that.”
He grimaced. “All things considered, it seems like the way to go.”
Inwardly, Anna shrugged. “Yes, all things considered. They’ve made great leaps in food production in a lot of areas, but not nearly enough to feed everyone.”
He frowned. “And yet, I got the impression that you didn’t approve of tampering with genetics?”
Anna blinked at him, trying to assimilate the comment.
“On people.”
“Oh! No, definitely not. I don’t see that as the answer at all! That’s playing god!
And, when all is said and done, if you alter the human race, we aren’t human anymore and we’ve already lost the battle for survival.”
“My sentiments exactly,” he murmured approvingly. “In fact, I can safely say that everyone here shares your view.”
“Really?” Anna asked disbelievingly. “Oh! That’s right. Paul said something about the organization you started—Humans for Humanity. That’s the goal of the organization? To preserve pure human genetics?”
“Ummm,” he said. “We’ve been lobbying against tampering with human genetics for years—not with a great deal of success.”
She could relate to that! “Well, I don’t see changing humans as the answer to the problems we’re facing! I mean, just because we can adapt humans to conditions they might not otherwise be able to tolerate doesn’t mean we should! What we need is enough food to feed everyone, not to turn people into … well, for lack of a less offensive term, freaks. People have enough trouble fitting in, socially, without setting them apart from everyone else physically.”
“Here! Here!” he agreed, smiling at her. “Research like yours is the answer we need.”
Anna felt the momentary lift her spirits had taken take a downturn. “Hopefully, it will eventually.”
“Tell me a little about yourself,” he invited.
“There’s not really much to tell, unfortunately,” Anna said wryly. She discovered that he was very good at drawing her out, however, leading her from one thing to another with intuitive questions and comments until she’d told him things about herself that she’d never told anyone else.
“I couldn’t help but notice you haven’t mentioned your father …?”
“Oh! He died when I was a baby. I don’t remember him. Mom never talked about him.”
“So … it was just the two of you … growing up?”
Anna shrugged. “I always hoped Mom would find someone else, but she never did. I guess it was because we moved so much. She really didn’t have much chance of forming any sort of relationship. She did date a couple of men that I was hopeful would become my father, but … we moved on.”
“Umm,” he murmured noncommittally. “Your mother liked to move?”
“I guess.” Anna thought it over. “She was always searching for a better life for the two of us, a better job, a better place to live.”
“Where does she live now?”
Anna felt the smile freeze on her lips. “She doesn’t. She was killed by a hit and run driver when I was in college.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Anna felt discomfort waft through her. He sounded sincere enough and yet she had the sense that he was secretly … pleased?
She studied him uneasily, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why she’d gotten that impression.
“Are you finished?”
Anna stared at him blankly until she realized he was talking about her food.
Embarrassed when she saw she’d barely eaten enough to tell the food had been touched, she glanced at him uncomfortably. “It was really good. I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I hate to see it go to waste, though. Maybe I could take it home?”
“I’ll tell the server. Why don’t we take a walk?”
Anna glanced around a little uncomfortably, wondering where Paul had gotten off to. “I should probably find Paul. I completely abandoned him and he brought me.”
“He’ll survive,” Cavendish said coolly, rising from his seat and helping her from hers. “Don’t look so guilty! He brought you because I told him I wanted to meet you.”
Anna looked at him in surprise. “He did?”
So much for thinking Paul had an interest in her!
“He did,” Cavendish responded, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm once more and guiding her along the balcony, which she discovered had emptied while the two of them had dined.
“Why?” she asked a little blankly.
He looked amused. “Why did he? Or why was I interested?”
She thought it over. “Both, I guess.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he countered. “You’re a lovely, fascinating young woman and a brilliant scientist.”
Anna felt a little thrill at the comment … and a good bit of doubt. “I am?”
He chuckled. “If you didn’t know that, it gives me grave doubts about the young men out there.”
“I haven’t found many hiding among my plants,” Anna said wryly.
He threw back his head and laughed heartily at that. “You have a quirky sense of humor. I like that. Don’t tell me you’ve no interest at all in the male of the species?”
Not a great deal, actually. “My research is important,” she said a little stiffly. “I consider myself extremely fortunate that I found a patron before I’d even graduated— who has given me the opportunity to pursue my research. I certainly don’t want to disappoint him. I really haven’t had the time to spare for … other pursuits.”
“Somehow, I don’t think your patron expected you to devote your entire life to research,” he said dryly. “You want children, at least?”
“Heavens! I certainly can’t consider
that!
I’d never get anything done if I had a child to take care of! Besides, people are starving and the world is … well, it’s a disaster! It’s unthinkable to consider bringing children into a world like this!”
“And yet life goes on.”
Anna glanced around and discovered he’d led her into what appeared to be a home office or maybe a library. The important thing was that they were completely alone.
She eyed the couch a little uneasily, considering the topic under discussion as he’d directed her to it and wondered a little wildly if that was his idea of seduction. “Uh … I guess so.”
He settled on the couch and patted the seat beside him invitingly.
Anna glanced toward the door he’d shut.
“Sit down, Anna. We need to talk.”
She frowned at the tone of his voice. “About what?”