Heiress on the Run (Harlequin Romance) (9 page)

‘Didn’t you ever want to just give up?’ Faith asked. ‘Just walk away from it all and start a new life?’

Had he? He couldn’t remember. It had never seemed an option. From the moment he’d inherited the title, he knew exactly what he needed to do and he just got on with it. Besides... ‘How could I? Sylvia was only ten, and we had nothing...I couldn’t leave.’

Faith’s smile was sad. ‘No. No, of course you couldn’t.’

Tipping the last drops of whisky down her throat, she placed her glass on the coffee table. Dominic stared at her lips and the way her tongue darted out to catch the last drop of liquid from them. He wanted to kiss her. And he knew, just knew, from the way she leant into him, close enough to touch, that she wouldn’t pull away. She wouldn’t say no, wouldn’t pull any of her self-defence moves on him. She’d let him kiss her, and then what? He’d take her to bed, just to let her leave him in a few days’ time? She wasn’t going to stay. And he was already in too deep. He couldn’t risk falling any further. Not after Kat.

‘You never did tell me the real reason you left Italy,’ he said. Maybe now she knew some of his secrets, his truths, she’d be willing to share some of her own. Let him in enough that he could stop worrying about her lies.

Faith pulled back, wrapping her arms around her knees. Suddenly, even though she still sat on the same sofa, she felt miles further away. How bad was her truth that she couldn’t let it near him?

‘That day we met, at the airport,’ she said, her voice slow.

‘I remember,’ he said drily. As if he would ever forget.

‘I’d just found out that the company I worked for had gone bankrupt. I got everyone in my tour group sorted out with flights and hotels but I...I was stranded. Until you offered me this job.’

‘Until you demanded it, you mean.’ She was telling the truth, he was sure. But he was equally certain that there was more, something she was still hiding.

‘Hey, I’m doing a good job, aren’t I?’

‘You’re doing an incredible job,’ he said, and she looked up, wide eyes surprised. ‘I just wish you’d stop lying to me and let me see the real you.’ He got to his feet, ignoring her alarmed stare. ‘You should get some sleep. Goodnight, Faith.’

CHAPTER NINE

‘H
OW
ABOUT
THIS
one?’ Sylvia asked, and Faith glanced up from the racks of overpriced, over-decorated dresses to shake her head at Dominic’s sister for the tenth time that morning. And they were only on the second shop. Faith sighed. Dominic hadn’t been kidding when he’d said this would be exhausting.

Sylvia hung the dress back on the rail with a clatter of metal on metal. ‘You know, this would be a lot easier if you could tell me what you’re looking for.’

Faith flicked past another few dresses. ‘I told you, I’m not sure. I’ll know it when I see it.’

‘Utterly unhelpful.’ Flinging herself into a cream leather armchair outside the fitting rooms, Sylvia pulled out a small pink suede notepad and a sparkly pen. ‘Come on. Let’s figure this out. First question: cocktail or ballgown?’

‘Cocktail, definitely. No one wears floor-length to the theatre any more, do they?’

Sylvia shrugged her slim shoulders and made a note on the pad. ‘Not anyone your age, anyway. Okay, black or colour?’

‘Colour,’ Faith replied. ‘I’m sick to death of black after a week in that one dress.’

‘Plain or decorated?’

‘Plain. It’ll go with more accessories that way.’ If she was getting to buy a dress on Dominic’s card, it might as well be something she could wear again and again.

She turned her attention back to the rack and was only half paying attention when Sylvia spoke again.

‘Okay, most important question, then—how do you want my brother to look when he sees you in it?’

‘Awed,’ she said without thinking, then smacked a hand over her mouth. ‘I didn’t say that,’ she muttered through her fingers.

Sylvia gave a gleeful grin. ‘Oh, you did. You most certainly did.’

‘Well, I shouldn’t have.’ Faith studied the dresses again with unwarranted attention, since they were all exactly what she didn’t want, but did at least distract from the way her cheeks were burning. ‘He’s my boss.’

‘Only for a few more days,’ Sylvia pointed out.

‘At which point I’ll be leaving. Hardly a winning argument.’

‘You could stay,’ Sylvia suggested. ‘Maybe Dominic could offer you a permanent job.’

‘At which point he’d be my boss again.’ Faith shook her head. ‘Besides, he already did. I think he’s much more interested in keeping me as an employee than anything else.’

‘Given the way he was staring at you yesterday, I’d take that as a compliment,’ Sylvia said, her tone dry. ‘You must be incredibly good at your job.’

‘I am.’ Faith pushed the dresses back along the rail. ‘Which is why we’re going to try the next shop in the hope of finding a perfectly work appropriate dress for tonight, so I can go out and do what I’m being paid for. Nothing more, nothing less.’

‘Are you sure?’ Sylvia asked, holding the shop door open for her. ‘Because I have to tell you, Dominic never looked at Kat that way.’

Something froze inside her, and Faith was awfully afraid it might be her heart. Like it had been shocked into stillness by the idea that Dominic wanted her more than she’d ever dared to imagine.

He’d almost kissed her the night before; she’d seen it in his face. She still wasn’t sure what had stopped him, although she could list a dozen perfectly reasonable options off the top of her head. Probably it was Jerry, she’d decided. Dominic would never try anything so soon after she’d had to fend off the attentions of another man. It wouldn’t be Proper.

And Dominic was all about Proper.

Which was exactly why she couldn’t let herself have him. She had given up any chance of a place in Dominic’s world when she ran away, and that was a decision she had to stick by.

Besides, if they started something, anything real, the truth would come out. It always did. And she couldn’t bear the thought of the disgust and disappointment on Dominic’s face when he found out.

She ignored the small part of her brain that said she only had a few more days. Maybe she could have that, at least. Surely she could keep her secret that long...

It all came down to one simple fact. If Dominic knew who she really was, what she’d done, he wouldn’t want her. And on the infinitesimally small off chance he did, if she wanted a real chance with Dominic, she’d never get to be Faith Fowler again.

Lose-lose.

Kind of like the shopping expedition so far.

She sighed as Sylvia dragged her into the next boutique, another tiny, expensive shop filled with incredible dresses Faith’s mother would have loved.

‘Do you really think we’re going to find anything in here?’ she asked.

‘We won’t know until we look,’ Sylvia replied, already scouring through the individual dress hangers on the walls to find the perfect outfit.

Faith was pretty sure that not one of the dresses Sylvia was looking at would fit over her not exactly model-shaped frame. The women these dresses were intended for didn’t have curves. She couldn’t even swear they had hips, looking at the narrow cuts.

Still, Sylvia seemed happy browsing through the fabrics, so Faith let her attention wander, imagining what the evening ahead might be like if she did let herself be talked into some glamorous, fabulous dress that showcased all her best assets.

Would Dominic notice? Would he look her over in that way of his and take in her figure, rather than her inappropriate clothes? Would he sit beside her in the theatre, transfixed by the plunging neckline of her dress?

Probably not.

The bell over the shop door chimed and Faith looked up absently, then froze. Lady Ginny Gale. Her mother’s best friend.

Her head felt fuzzy, as if every thought she’d ever had was buzzing in there, all at the same time. She couldn’t let Ginny see her, recognise her. This was just what she’d been afraid would happen at the theatre that night.

Getting to her feet as casually as she could—jerky movements would only draw attention to her—Faith turned her body away from the door, where Ginny was talking to the assistant. Then, grabbing the first dress she came to, she murmured to Sylvia, ‘I’m just going to try this on.’

Sylvia’s eyebrows rose in surprise, probably because the dress was everything Faith had said she didn’t want—full length, black and decorated with crystals in a fan pattern on the skirt—but Faith ignored her, moving serenely towards the safety of the fitting room.

Of course, once safely behind the heavy locked door, she collapsed onto the velvet padded seat and buried her head in her hands.

This was why she couldn’t stay in London. This was why she couldn’t consider trying to seduce Dominic that night. As if she needed the reminder. She wanted out of his world, not back in. She’d been crazy to even take the job, once she’d figured out who he was.

Still, she’d see it through now, of course. Which meant finding something utterly un-Faith-like to wear that night. She needed to be so unrecognisable even her own mother would walk past her in the lobby if she showed up. And she wasn’t going to find that in any of the shops Sylvia was dragging her to.

‘Faith? Are you okay?’ Sylvia’s voice rang through the fitting room, and Faith winced. Why hadn’t she lied about her first name, too? Would have made things much easier. Except she’d always been Faith, and she hadn’t wanted to lose that too, when she was letting go of everything else.

She’d probably forget to answer to another name, anyway.

‘Fine,’ she called back, her voice low. ‘I don’t think this is the one for me.’

‘Well, I think we could have predicted that before you came in here,’ Sylvia said drily. ‘Lady Gale has left, by the way. She was just placing an order for a new jacket.’

Was she that obvious? ‘Who?’ Faith tried innocently but, as she unlocked the door to the changing room, Sylvia was standing on the other side, arms folded and eyebrows raised.

‘Want to explain to me what just happened?’ she asked.

Faith shook her head. ‘Not really. It’s old news now, anyway.’ Which didn’t mean anyone had forgotten about it. Certainly not the Internet.

‘Former employer?’ Sylvia guessed.

‘Something like that.’

‘I won’t tell Dominic, you know. Not if you don’t want me to.’

‘There’s nothing to tell,’ Faith lied. Then, leaving the hideous black dress hanging on the rail, she headed back out into the shop and straight for the door. ‘Come on; I think I’ve got a better idea of what I’m looking for now.’

* * *

Dominic was a busy man. He’d had important meetings all day, emails and calls to deal with, not to mention some valuable forward planning with Marie and Henry that afternoon. They’d made some real headway on the expansion plans, and Dominic could almost see his dreams coming to life.

Which was why it was particularly embarrassing to admit, even to himself, that he’d spent most of the day wondering what sort of a dress Sylvia would persuade Faith to buy for the theatre that evening.

He hadn’t had a chance to see Faith all day, despite his attempt to catch her at breakfast. He had, however, seen Jerry, which had been entertaining enough in itself. The man had turned white, then slightly green, then run in the opposite direction down the corridor away from him. Okay, maybe it was more of a power walk than a run, but when Dominic told the story to Faith he expected to make it more of a sprint.

When he finally saw Faith, of course.

Maybe he’d pushed her too far last night, letting on that he knew she was lying to him. Faith was like a small frightened animal at times, behind her confident exterior. Whatever she was hiding, it scared her, which in turn worried Dominic even more.

Two and a half days. That was all the time he had left to uncover Faith’s secret. To find out if it was something he could live with. Something they could deal with together.

And if it wasn’t...then he had two and a half days before he never saw Faith again.

The thought made him shudder.

By the time he made it back to the hotel that evening, he had a scant half hour to shower and change, but he still managed to make it to the lobby before anyone else, ready for their evening of theatre.

Faith was next down, as he’d expected. He’d come to value the brief, quiet ten minutes before they left for the evening’s entertainment. Ten minutes when it was just them and they had a chance to catch up on the day, and the plans for the next one. It was work, of course, but somehow it felt more like play when Faith was there.

The lift pinged, and Dominic turned to see if Faith was on board, sucking in a breath as the doors opened. Would it be backless? he wondered. And surely not black. Whatever it was, she’d look fantastic. And he’d get to spend the whole evening looking at her. Almost as good as if it were really just them going out together for the evening.

But then Faith stepped out of the lift, into the lobby, and Dominic’s breath slowly released in disappointment.

‘Sylvia let you buy that?’ he asked as she strode across the lobby in plain flat navy shoes. What happened to the glorious red heels of last night? Oh yeah. Broken, even before she stamped on Jerry.

‘What’s wrong with it?’ Faith asked, looking down at herself.

Dominic searched for the right words. In lots of ways, it was perfect. Navy dress, cream cardigan and handbag. Nothing too revealing or showy, but smart enough for the occasion. Maybe Sylvia
had
chosen it. He had a hard time believing Faith would because, despite everything that was right with it...

‘It’s just...boring.’

Faith beamed. ‘Thank you. That’s just what I was going for.’

Dominic shook his head. He was beginning to believe that he didn’t stand a chance of ever understanding what went on in Faith’s brain. Especially if he only had two days left to learn.

The others arrived shortly after, and they piled into pre-ordered taxis to take them to the theatre. There’d be food at the after-show party later, so he’d told Faith not to bother with booking a dinner.

The press were out in force for the occasion, and he lost sight of Faith in the melee as they were shepherded through the crowds into the theatre. Inside, the place was crowded with half familiar faces, and Dominic quickly lost track of who he actually knew and who he just recognised from TV.

‘I’ve arranged drinks with the barman over in the balcony bar,’ Faith said, suddenly at his side. She was shorter without her heels, and had to stand on tiptoe and shout into his ear to be heard over the crowd. Someone brushed past her and knocked her balance and, without even thinking about it, Dominic wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright.

‘Lord Beresford?’ Dominic looked up to see the official photographer for the evening brandishing a camera at him. ‘A photo, if you please?’

He hated this. Hated that his attending a play was the cause for photographs and reports. Hated that anyone cared.

Still, it was part of the deal. He knew this. And, even if he hadn’t, his father had made it perfectly clear when he was growing up. Whatever else was going on, you played the part.

One of the many things his father forgot after his mother left. Including his children.

He gave the photographer a swift nod and let his arm fall from Faith’s waist.

‘With your friend?’ the photographer asked hopefully.

Of course. ‘Do you mind?’ he asked, turning to where Faith had been standing, only to find that she’d gone. He caught a brief glimpse of navy disappearing into the sea of people, but didn’t bother calling after her. ‘Apparently not,’ he told the photographer, who looked disappointed, but snapped away at a couple of shots anyway.

He eventually found Faith, along with Sylvia and his clients, in the upper balcony bar. ‘What happened to you?’ he asked, taking a glass of champagne from her hand.

‘Just doing my job,’ she said, smiling innocently. ‘Your guests were thirsty.’

She was lying again. He almost wished he couldn’t tell. The number of casual lies she told him in a day was honestly disturbing.

‘So, what’s this show about, anyway?’ he asked, to distract himself from the fact that not only was the woman he’d fallen for leaving him in two days, but she’d been lying to him the whole time he’d known her and it was getting increasingly likely that he’d never get to know the truth.