Authors: Shirley Wine
"Wear something pretty." The silence lengthened until Paula filled it with rushed words, "Surely you own something that's not black or grey."
Kate glanced at her clothes and her sarcastic reply died. Maybe Paula had a point.
"I
won't disappoint you." With a sigh s
he hung up, mentally rearranging her schedule to fit in time to go shopping. The clock chimed.
Damn. Now I'm running late
.
As she entered Cheval Realty, the manager Dave Storey walked toward her, smiling. "Morning, Kate. Can I see you?"
"I'll be with you in
a few moments.
"
Big, bluff and congenial, Dave had taken her on as a raw recruit when she'd first moved to Clevedon. Under his patient guidance, her career as a real estate agent flourished.
"
When you're ready, I have clients with me.
"
His bushy eyebrows lifted, always a barometer of his mood.
Kate checked her messages, picked up her diary and went to Dave's office. He introduced his clients. "Mr. and Mrs. Brewer, Kate Audley, our housing saleswoman."
Mr. Brewer stood and extended his hand. Tall and lean, his shrewd grey eyes gleamed in a weather-beaten face. Kate pegged him as sixtyish and mentally reviewed listings she thought may suit.
"Pleased to meet you." He gripped Kate's smaller hand in his. "And it's George."
"Okay and I prefer Kate."
Something in his intent gaze made her wary. Kate glanced at his plump, pretty wife, her blonde hair liberally sprinkled with grey.
Those flowers have made me jittery.
"They want to view The Birches." Dave shrugged and spread his big hands, his expression eloquent.
Kate was startled. The Birches, once a gracious mansion, was derelict and needed serious renovation, and totally unsuitable for elderly clients.
"You have a family?"
"
We were never blessed with children.
"
Mrs. Brewer's smiled.
"
But I've always dreamed of living in a house like that."
My lucky day.
"I'm sure Ms. Audley won't mind showing it to you." George rested a hand
on his wife's shoulder and Kate knew he'd
picked up on her reservations.
"Of course not." She reassured them.
"I'll get the keys."
At the reception desk, she was signing out the keys when Coralie Spence gave her a sly smile. "Got dreamers for your birthday?"
Startled, and uneasy, Kate glanced at their receptionist. "How did you know it was my birthday?"
"A good guess." Coralie batted her baby blues.
"Yeah right."
Coralie
flushed and
hunched an
offended shoulder.
"Some guy wanted your address to send flowers.
"
"Your job is to take messages and get contact phone numbers. You don't give out home addresses of agents."
"I thought it'd be okay. It's not as if you have a queue of
interested
admirers."
The barb hit home.
"Ms. Spence, your position does
not
give you authority to hand out my personal details," Kate said in a biting murmur, too aware of the heat in her face and neck. "You're paid to answer the phones, take messages and mind your own business. Please remember that in future."
Signing out the keys, Kate regretted reacting to Coralie's sniping. Usually, she ignored the receptionist's catty remarks but today, they rankled.
*****
Music and laughter spilled into the night as Kate arrived at Paula's and was greeted with a hug. "Wow, you look stunning."
"
Your wish is my command.
"
Kate smiled, glancing at her outfit, a brightly coloured blouse in a swirly pattern and a trim turquoise linen skirt.
Paula's earlier comment had goaded her to go shopping.
"It's beautiful." Paula gave her a steady look. "Now all you need is another twenty pounds t
o flesh out those interesting bones?
"
Brett kissed Kate's cheek.
"
Happy birthday Katie, have you had a good day?
"
"I
nteresting that's for sure.
"
The day's events had left her unsettled.
"Have you found out who sent the flowers?"
"Nope. I just intend to enjoy
them."
"Are you listening sweetheart?" Brett's grey eyes twinkled as he elbowed his wife in the ribs.
"Okay, okay. I get the message." Paula's red curls bounced as she pulled a comically dismayed face. "Come
and meet everybody."
Greeted by a sea of faces, Kate turned to Paula. "A few people?"
"You know our Paula, the list grew." Brett shook his dark head, chuckling as he gave Kate a glass of wine. "You want something to eat?"
"Soon, okay." She gazed over Brett's shoulder and saw a stooped, grey haired man leaning against the far wall. "There's a guy over there I want to snag a word with."
Kate smiled and crossed the room to speak to Gavin Smith. The old man owned of a nice parcel of land she'd been trying to obtain the listing for. Deep in conversation, she looked past him.
Alexandros Korda. What was he doing here?
She
froze, her heart shuddered in her breast and then raced. Its beat drowned out every other sound. No way could she mistake that dark head, the arrogant tilt of the profile, those broad shoulders.
"Kate?" Gavin's gnarled hand gripped her arm. "You okay? You've gone as white as a sheet."
She dragged her attention back to Gavin and dredged up a smile. "Can I see you later in the week and we can discuss it without interruption?"
"You do that. Give me a ring first."
As the old man wandered across to the buffet table, Kate had
one thought uppermost in her mind.
Escape.
She turned towards the door.
"Looking for someone?" The deep voice, once so familiar, sent sensation crawling down her spine.
She turned and, confused, stared into eyes the clear, deep blue of summer, and so completely out of place in those chiselled features.
"You look as though you've seen a ghost." The stranger stepped closer, putting a steadying hand on her arm.
A ghost would be more welcome
.
Kate bit down hard on her lower lip.
"Who are you?"
"Luke Harder." He was clearly amused.
She managed a ragged breath.
"I thought you were someone else."
The moment the words escaped she wished she could claw them back. The glint in his eyes disturbed her.
"Should I be flattered?" He watched her with a half-smile.
F
lattered at breathing life into my worst nightmare? Hardly.
She took a sip of wine, and dizzy, she swayed.
Luke's grip on her arm tightened. "You're way too thin."
His acerbic candour took her aback. "How is that any of your business?
"
"When a woman sees me and faints, it's natural to be concerned?
" He took the wineglass from her fingers as he propelled her into a seat. "Y
ou need food, not wine."
He left, returning moments later with a plate of food. "Eat."
Kate couldn't swallow. Blood roared unpleasantly in her ears. S
he went to stand and the room revolved. Luke's arm slipped around her
waist, supporting her. "Sit down."
Shaken, she complied. He placed fingers over the erratic pulse in her wrist, looking at his watch and then crossed the room to speak with
Paula. They both returned looking
grim.
"I'm taking you home. Paula will make your excuses."
Kate stiffened and tried for a haughty glare. "You don't need to come."
"You can't drive and your friends can't desert their guests."
The caustic observation increased her distress. That he was right made her angry. She despised macho men. Luke escorted her outside. "Which is your car?"
She pointed it out, adding in a driven undertone. "Who do you think
you are?"
"At the moment the person in control," he held out an imperious hand, "keys?"
She fumbled in her bag, found the keys and promptly dropped them. Luke snagged them, unlocked the car and helped her into the passenger seat. T
he short drive back to her cottage was silent. He took her arm and helped her inside.
"Sit down, Kate. I'll make you a drink."
Too drained to object, she sank into a chair,
one question burning at her brain.
How come you so closely
resemble Alexandros Korda?
"Sip this." He stood over her, a steaming mug in his hand.
Kate stared from him to the drink, once again assaulted by an unwelcome memory…
"Coffee?"
"Yes please." She managed a smile.
He poured two coffees and handed her one. She sipped, grimacing at its bitterness. Her hand trembled as she added two spoons of sugar and cream She wanted to leave but was afraid to offend.
"You had courage coming here."
"Mr. Korda deserved the truth."
His shrug was noncommittal. "The truth is for the court to decide."
She wanted to leave and swallowed the last of the bitter brew. He had barely touched his. He caught her glance and picked up his mug and sipped.
She couldn't leave before he finished. Then he wavered before her eyes. She tried to rise—her legs buckled beneath her and her last conscious thought—that coffee was drugged….
Kate stared at Luke, horrified.
No! Surely not!
Luke made an exasperated sound. "For heaven's sake, woman, it's only hot chocolate."
Kate watched through narrowed eyes, was he as innocent as he appeared? Trust was something she no longer possessed. His resemblance to Alex made her doubly cautious.
"Stop being so bloody suspicious."
"I've learned to be, the hard way."
She took the mug, waved a hand through the steam and sniffed it before she sipped with extreme caution. It smelt okay and didn't taste unusually bitter.