Authors: Margaret Tanner
“You’re fighting a losing battle to win public support. That survey in September found 61% of the population agreed to the war. Don’t encourage Trevor to burn his call-up papers. Andy said they’ve already locked up some conscientious objectors.”
“It’s immoral, conscripting men to fight in a war thousands of miles away from home. What are you staring at?” Kerry glared at the man standing next to her.
Caroline breathed
a sight
of relief when she came to her stop. Kerry and Trevor were heading for trouble, and she didn’t want to be dragged into it, for Andy’s sake. She got off the bus and hurried into the Harrington building.
Once she was in her office she checked to see if Bryce had arrived. He hadn’t, so she inserted some headed paper and started typing out invoices.
He arrived at nine-thirty.
“Good morning.” He greeted her in his usual perfunctory manner and headed towards his office.
“Hello, Mr. Harrington.” She felt as deflated as a balloon with a hat pin sticking out of it. She forced herself to keep on typing by sheer will power. Thank goodness there was nothing too complicated. Once she had finished the invoices, she took them in for his signature. He didn’t raise his head, just kept on writing.
“Put them in the inbox, thanks. I’ll sign them later,” he said absently with the wave of one hand.
He would most likely say something later on, when he wasn’t so busy, she decided. He used the phone several times and her switchboard lit up each time he did. Lunchtime came, and still he didn’t say anything to her, so she went out to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee to go with her sandwiches.
After lunch, Bryce buzzed her and she picked up her book and hurried into his office. Maybe he would say something now. He didn’t, just started dictating several long letters. You fool. She finally realized he wouldn’t say anything. What had been the most emotional episode in her whole life was probably a normal occurrence for him when he took out a pretty, willing girl. In all honesty, she couldn’t deny being willing. Thinking about exactly how willing made her feel ill.
The fact that he didn’t get annoyed at her stopping his lovemaking from going any further proved he thought the matter trivial. Probably hadn’t given it a second thought. Sunk in a deep pit of self-pity and misery, she nearly toppled off her chair when he spoke.
“I’ll be out for the rest of the day. I need to go into the Town Planner’s office, so I won’t bother coming back.” He played with his car keys. “Anything you can’t handle, refer to Davies. I told him not to trouble himself about coming up here as you can reach him on the phone. If nothing comes up, you might as well leave early, too.” He turned on his heel and strode off.
An hour or so later the phone rang. “Good afternoon, Mr. Harrington’s office.”
“I’d like to speak to Bryce Harrington.” The low feminine voice had a sexy, husky quality to it.
“I’m sorry. Mr. Harrington isn’t in at the moment. He won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“Oh! Amanda Cleveland here, Bryce rang me earlier to ask me out tonight. I wanted to check what time he would be picking me up. Do you know where he went?”
A dagger thrust of pain plunged deep into Caroline’s heart. “He intended going to the Town Planner’s office.” How did she manage to speak without screaming?
“All right, I’ll try him at home.” The phone clicked in her ear.
What a fool. An evening which meant so much to her had meant so little to him that he asked another girl out on a date the very next night. The fact that it was Amanda Cleveland, the girl he’d flirted with at the business dinner, made it a hundred times worse.
Eventually the day passed and she could go home. She was desperate for a good cry but couldn’t afford the luxury. She did some washing to fill in time until Kerry arrived. They ate dinner watching the portable television set in the lounge room.
“Did Harrington say anything to you?” Kerry asked the dreaded question.
“No. He didn’t say a word.” Before she could stop herself, she told Kerry about Amanda.
“You can’t compete with a chick like that. Daddy is loaded, he’s been knighted and, according to the society pages, she’s quite attractive. She’d be an irresistible challenge to a man like Harrington.” Kerry put a forkful of food in her mouth and swallowed it in an angry gulp. “I tried to warn you how cruel and arrogant he is. The irony of it all is that you’d be a perfect wife for him. But of course, men can be so stupid, ignoring the obvious.”
“Why should Bryce get married?” Caroline went on bitterly. “He gets everything he wants from women without a wedding ring.” Cursing herself for being such a blind fool, she blinked away the tears burning at the back of her eyes.
“Why don’t you leave, get a job somewhere else? You’re only heading for heartbreak staying on there,” Kerry said.
“I know I’m an idiot, but I can’t help how I feel. Bryce Harrington is like an incurable disease. I’ve tried to fight my feelings for him, but I can’t.” She didn’t want to talk about it any more, so she changed the subject. “Did you tell Trevor what Andy said?”
“Yeah, for all the good it did.” Giving a resigned shrug, Kerry trotted out to the kitchen to make them each a cup of hot chocolate. As soon as Caroline finished her drink she retired to bed. She was absolutely exhausted.
***
When she arrived at work the next day, Bryce was already in his office. Switching her typewriter on, she started typing a letter she had repeated several times yesterday because of Amanda’s call.
“Oh, you’re in.” Bryce’s voice startled her. “About time, too.”
No g
ood morning, how are you
?
Nothing.
“I’m not late. I don’t start until nine and it’s just after eight-thirty.”
“Don’t quibble, girl, I’ve got some urgent work I want to dictate.”
She picked up her notebook and, feeling sad and dispirited, trailed after him. The phone rang. He grabbed it. “What! Don’t gabble, man. Strike! For God’s sake, get them back on the job. Offer them anything you like. I want that estate finished by Christmas.” He banged the receiver down. “Now, where were we? Oh yes.” He took a couple of deep breaths and started dictating.
Caroline didn’t know whether she was slow and clumsy or whether he spoke too fast because he was angry, but she kept having to ask him to repeat some of the words.
“What’s wrong with you? I’ve had a gutful of incompetent staff. This is a business I’m trying to run, not a place where you can loaf at my expense.”
“I’ve apologized.”
“I don’t want your apology. Just do what I pay you for.”
“I can’t work if you keep yelling at me, it makes me nervous.”
He lost his temper at this point and shouted at her. His tongue was a circular saw cutting her into tiny pieces.
When she couldn’t stand his ranting a moment longer, she turned to flee in the middle of his tirade. He leapt from his desk. His arm snaked out and he clamped his hand on her shoulder.
He spun her around. “Don’t walk out on me when I’m speaking.”
“What the hell is going on?” Geoff Davies marched into the office.
At the sound of the older man’s voice, Bryce dropped his hand and stepped back a pace.
“Are you all right, my dear?” the older man asked, his eyes full of concern.
“Yes, thanks. Excuse me.” She turned and fled. Out in the tearoom she sat on a chair and sobbed.
The pressure of Bryce’s fingers on her shoulder had been slight, but she felt as if her heart had been clawed into slivers. The phone rang but she didn’t care. It could ring for all eternity. After several rings it stopped.
How long she remained huddled in the chair with her head in her hands she didn’t know. Someone touched her shoulder. She raised her head and stared into Bryce’s face. A muscle convulsed in his jaw, and his tan receded.
“I’m sorry, Caroline. I lost my temper. Don’t cry any more. I’ll order a cab to take you home.”
Her lips trembled, she couldn’t speak. Shock and hurt had rendered her mute.
“My God, I didn’t mean to upset you. The last twelve hours have been absolute hell, and I took it out on you. Please, don’t cry.”
He put his arms around her to draw her to her feet and she buried her face in his chest. His hands ran gently, soothingly over her hair.
“You’ve got pretty hair, soft, silky,” he murmured. “I like the smell of it, too. Don’t cry any more.” He took her chin in one hand, raised her damp face and started brushing the tears away with his fingertips.
“Oh, Bryce, why are you so mean to me?” she whispered tremulously.
“I don’t know. I’ve always been hot-tempered. I guess as you’re the closest person to me, you cop it.” He held her firmly. “You’re a sweet girl,” he whispered. The words washed over her like a gentle breeze and she wanted to stay in his arms forever, but couldn’t. When she pushed at his chest, he let her go.
“You’ve got a staunch supporter in Geoff. He just about blew my head off after you left.” He gave a rueful smile. “Are you okay now?”
“Yes. I don’t need to go home. I’ll go to the washroom and tidy myself up.”
“Are you sure?” He sounded so concerned, tears sprung to her eyes.
“Yes.” Her lips quivered into a sad little smile as she turned away.
After she left the room, Bryce lit a cigarette and drew on it savagely. What the hell was wrong with him, attacking the girl like that? It wasn’t her fault that his mother’s nagging insistence on him taking a wife and producing the appropriate offspring got him down. God only knew how far he would have gone if Geoff hadn’t intervened. He cursed under his breath. If she wasn’t so placid he wouldn’t let fly or bully her so often, he was honest enough to admit.
He stalked back to his office, puffing moodily on the cigarette. Throwing himself into his chair he brooded. It had been an unmitigated disaster inviting Amanda Cleveland to his parents’ home last night. The only thing he could say in favor of his mother was that she didn’t start badgering him until Amanda left the room with his father to view the Harrington art collection.
His mother appeared quite taken with Amanda. He could almost hear her now.
“Think of it, darling. Her father has a knighthood, such a perfect wife for you.”
He was attracted to her, but only in the most carnal way. He couldn’t see himself married to anyone just yet, let alone her. She was a selfish, willful creature who suited his purposes - help him get rid of Shereen.
Why did women have to get possessive after a few dates? He never led any of them to believe he was interested in a long-term relationship or marriage. He clenched his fist on the desk. If it weren’t for the fact that he enjoyed the battle to remain at the top of the business world, he would throw everything in and become a recluse somewhere. He gave a wry grin. Living alone wouldn’t be a problem, but celibacy might be.
He heard the typewriter start up. Thank God, Caroline had returned. He couldn’t help wondering about her. She didn’t have much money to spare, her clothes and apartment proved that, yet she always wore an air of quiet dignity. She spoke well, as did the young officer she’d been with the other night. He had private school written all over him.
The military academy only took the best candidates, even with the war in Vietnam. He either had to be brainy or have family connections, probably both. How did Caroline meet him? More importantly, what were her feelings towards him?
He didn’t know why, but he hated to think of her becoming involved with the young man. It must be because he didn’t want to lose a capable secretary. That was why it concerned him so much. He didn’t dare dwell on any alternative.
It was Caroline’s birthday tomorrow. He would make amends for losing his temper by giving her a birthday present. Women always reacted well to an expensive bribe. Maybe he could take her out to dinner, as well. After all he’d done to hurt her, it was the least he could do.
He had been debating about asking Amanda to dine with him, but decided against it. She would keep until another time. It was far more important to make amends to Caroline. He would have to control his volatile temper, too. Feeling happier now for having solved his dilemma, he started on some statistical work he’d been deferring for weeks.
Caroline worked steadily, now recovered from her weeping episode. The sensible part of her mind castigated her for not resigning on the spot. The romantic side of her nature was prepared to suffer any indignity to be near Bryce. What a weak, pathetic person she had become. She was fast fulfilling her mother’s prophesy about never amounting to anything, never being able to attract a man.
When she’d finished the typing, she took it into Bryce. He glanced up as she entered.
“Put them there, thanks.” He bent his head and scrutinized a long line of figures, so she started out of the room.
“Caroline.”
“Yes.” She swung around
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Don’t go yet, I want to ask you something. Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“Dinner? With you?”
“You’ve no other engagements?”