She wasn't used to seeing him quite so formally dressed as he was today. His dark three-piece suit and snowy white shirt were austere in their impeccable tailoring; a grey silk tie was knotted severely at his throat. His only adornment was a plain gold watch strapped to his left wrist above one long sensitive hand.
Wolfram James Thornton. She had expected to hear more of the name over the last seven years, but the only thing she had heard it used in connection with was Thornton Industries. The business section of the newspapers often carried articles about the rapidly explanding company; it seemed the family business had prospered under his guidance. Strange, she had never thought of Wolf as a businessman. But then seven years ago he hadn't been...
'So --- Cyn, wasn't it?' he drawled hardly, challengingly, 'you're going to wave your magic wand and make this wedding perfect for Rebecca?'
Her cheeks felt warm at the insult behind his taunt. 'I hope so, yes.' she confirmed tautly.
He strode further into the room. 'A flowing white gown, a cake with little cupids decorating it, a horse and carriage to drive the bride and groom from the church to the wedding reception?"
Cyn paled as he used his words like sharp barbs to wound her; he hadn't forgotten a thing! She drew in a shaky breath. 'The latter might be a little difficult to organize in the middle of London,' she dismissed sharply.
'I'm sure it could be arranged --- if that's what the bride would really like,' Wolf returned harshly.
She swallowed hard, deliberately turning away to look at Janie. 'I seem to have forgotten to bring my notebook in with me --- do you think you could go out to the van and get it for me?' she requested warmly --- the notebook in question feeling as if it were burning a hole through her handbag into her hip as she told the lie!
'Of course,' Janie agreed readily, shooting Wolf a longing look as she sidled past him and then out of the door.
'Just how long have you been a 'friend' of Gerald's?'
She drew in a sharp breath at the deliberate provocation of the remark. 'I ---'
'It can't have been very long,' Wolf added scathingly. 'He only dropped his last mistress a matter of weeks ago.'
'I'm not his mistress!' Cyn hissed the denial. 'We were met for the first time on Saturday!'
'No, possibly you can't be classed as a mistress yet; give it another few weeks or so! But don't give your self any false hopes where he's concerned; you heard Gerald's view on marriage,' he added harshly.
She gave a weary sigh. 'I don't have any "false hopes", or indeed hopes of any other kind, where Gerald Harcourt is concerned; I barely know the man.' She shook her her head dismissively.
'It's obvious he has more in mind than just a business arrangement between the two of you,' Wolf rasped coldly, his eyses narrowed speculatively.
Taking into account that initial dinner invitation she had received from Gerald, he was no doubt right. But even if he was, it was none of his business if she and Gerald Harcourt should choose to go out together.
'It will never happen, Cyn,' Wolf told her softly, his sharp gaze easily able to read her resentful thoughts. 'Believe me.'
Her head went back challengingly --- rather like a kitten putting itself up against a wolf! Wolf was tall and masculine, well over six feet in height, whereas she barely five feet in her bare feet. not much more than that in the flat shoes she wore she wore with black tailored trousers and matching jacket, the purple blouse she wore beneath the jacket making her eyes look almost the same color. She looked tiny and slender, nothing like the twenty-seven she actually was --- and this man was trying to intimidate her. Well, he wasn't going to succeed!
'My relationship --- or otherwise --- with Gerald is none of your concern,' She told him waspishly, her eyes flashing.
'I would make it so, Cyn,' he assured her her softly, warmingly.
'You have no right, Wolf,' she choked. 'NO right at all!'
'I have every right, damn you!' he began fiercely, his eyes glittering deeply gold as he took a threatening step towards her. 'You -- '
'I couldn't find it, Cyn,' a slightly breathless Janies came back into the room at that moment, her face slightly flushed from her exertions. 'I looked in the back of the van as well as the front and I --- '
'I found the notebook, Janie,' Cyn told her guiltily, knowing she had wasted Janie's time, as well as her own, trying to talk to Wolf alone in these circumstances; the differences between Wolf and herself were too deeply embedded to be dealt with in a few minutes of private conversation between them. 'I realized it was in my bag after all almost as soon as you'd left the room, but by that time it was too late to stop you. I'm sorry about that,' she smiled apologetically at the other girl.
Cyn turned gratefully towards the door as it opened to readmit Gerald, closely followed by the errant Rebecca. Cyn's relief turned to dismay as she realized it was the girl from the garden...
All signs of recent tears had been completely erased by the subtle use of make-up. Rebecca Harcourt was even more beautiful close to like this, her skin flawless, her features smooth and even. And if there was a lingering anxiety in the deep blue of her eyes, Cyn felt sure she was the only one aware of it.
'I'm so sorry I kept you waiting.' Rebecca's voice was huskily low --- from those recent tears, or naturally so, Cyn couldn't be sure. 'I didn't realize you were here,' she added awkwardly.
But, to Cyn's puzzlement, the remarks weren't being made to her. Rebecca was looking up at Wolf as she crossed the room to his side.
'Hello, darling.' Rebecca reached up to kiss him lightly on the lips. 'I'm so glad you could get away from the office so we could both talk to Miss Smith about the arrangements for the wedding.'
Now, she turned towards Cyn, smiling a welcome.
Cyn just stared. She couldn't have made a response even if she had wanted to. Wolf was Rebecca's bridegroom...?
'You know, I suddenly realized after I'd gone off in search of Rebecca,' Gerald spoke ruefully, 'that I never did get around to introducing Wolf to you, Cyn.' He squeezed her arm apologetically for his oversight. 'This is Wolf Thornton, my daughter's fiance.'
Wolf was the bridegroom!
(End of Chapter One)