Destiny Unleashed (21 page)

“What on earth?”

Chester’s shocked exclamation interrupted her reverie. She laughed at his stunned expression. “A bit excessive, isn’t it?” she asked him.

“William, I take it. Trying to make up for the Fortnum mess.”

“Yes. That, and he’s out to impress me.”

Chester gave her a curious look. “Is it working?”

“He’s never needed to impress me,” she said honestly. “I love him.”

“Oh, Destiny,” Chester protested, clearly distressed. “That’s impossible.”

“You and my nephew,” she said, unable to hide her dismay. “You’re two of a kind.” She regarded him fiercely. “And that is not a compliment.”

“But William Harcourt?” he said worriedly. “You have to see that it’s a dangerous mistake.”

“I see nothing of the kind.”

“Then how do you explain away his theft of Fortnum Travel?”

Destiny sighed. “It was hardly theft when it was the deal that David Fortnum wanted. He told me so himself when I spoke to him first thing this morning. He apologized to me, but said he had to do what he thought was best for his employees.”

“And that was hooking up with Harcourt?” Chester scoffed.

“David and William are old friends. David trusts Harcourt & Sons. He doesn’t trust us. That’s the bottom line.” She frowned at Chester. “Did you come in here for a reason?”

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. “Never mind. I’ll come back when I can have your full attention.”

She gave him an impatient look. “Don’t be insulting, Chester. Let’s go into my office. Miriam, I’ll send
a response to William as soon as I’m through with Mr. Sandhurst.”

Miriam’s eyes were twinkling. “Yes, ma’am.”

Inside her office, Destiny closed the door firmly. “Chester, let me make one thing perfectly clear. My personal life is none of your concern.”

“It is if Harcourt’s involved.”

“No,” she said emphatically. “That’s the same mistake Richard is making. If I refuse to tolerate it from him, then you can be sure I won’t tolerate it from you.”

He seemed about to argue, then stopped himself. “If you insist.”

“I do. Now, what brought you over here in the first place?”

“Edward Wildemon has turned in his resignation.”

“Excellent,” Destiny said with a sense of triumph. “That didn’t take long.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“I’m all but certain he was our leak, Chester. I let him know that I was on to him, though I never made an outright accusation. I thought it would take much longer for him to get the message that he was no longer considered trustworthy.”

“There’s just one problem with that, Destiny. He’s gone to work for the competition.”

Destiny’s jaw dropped. “Harcourt & Sons?”

“No, no,” Chester said quickly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that. He’s been hired by Gleason and Mills. I believe he’ll be in a position to do us a great deal of harm there. They’ve been wanting to make a serious move on us for some time now. They’re a far more dangerous threat than Harcourt.”

Destiny shrugged. “Can’t be helped. We’ll simply have to outmaneuver them. Come back at three with David Perkins and let’s go over every bit of information that Edward will be in a position to pass along. We should be able to see to it that they’ve wasted their money by hiring an insider.”

Chester regarded her with grudging respect. “You surprise me.”

“Because I’m not inclined to let that little weasel intimidate me?”

“No. Because I don’t have the slightest doubt that you’ll succeed in outmaneuvering anything they try. You’re growing into this job, Destiny. There’s no question about it. In fact, I’d say you’re relishing this challenge.”

She was taken aback by the compliment. “Thank you.”

“It’s not idle flattery, you know. I suspect you could have closed the deal on Fortnum Travel if you’d put your mind to it.”

She scowled. “Meaning?”

“That you wanted an end to the hostilities more than you wanted that company under our umbrella,” Chester suggested.

Destiny considered the suggestion and nodded. “You could be right.”

“I think you should let Richard know about all of this,” he told her. “Wildemon’s resignation and the loss of Fortnum Travel.”

She immediately bristled. “I thought you trusted me to get the job done. Isn’t that what you just finished saying?”

Chester grinned. “Slow down. I wasn’t turning
right around and insulting you five seconds after complimenting you. I just meant that Richard ought to be aware that we might have to watch our backs for a while. I’m sure when you pass along that news, you’ll be perfectly capable of reassuring him that everything is under control. By the end of the day, we’ll have our strategy in place.”

“Then that’s when I’ll notify Richard,” she told Chester. “Actually, I think I’m looking forward to telling him that William is no longer our number-one enemy.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth, though, than she looked at Chester with alarm. “You don’t suppose Gleason and Mills are doing this because they sense a weakness with me at the helm, do you?”

“If they are, they’ll soon learn that they were very much mistaken to consider you weak in any way,” Chester reassured her. “And I’ve told Edward to clear out his desk. Security should be escorting him off the premises about now.”

Destiny nodded. “Excellent. We make a good team, don’t we, Chester?”

“Yes, I believe we do.”

After he’d gone, Destiny let out a sigh of satisfaction. She was slowly but surely beginning to prove her competence to those around her. She was even beginning to believe in herself. That left Richard. She knew that dealing with her nephew would be a lot easier if she gave up William, but it wasn’t a sacrifice she was prepared to make. She simply had to trust that the man she’d raised would eventually see that love was more important than business.

Unfortunately, Richard wasn’t the only one with
doubts these days. She wasn’t sure William believed that she hadn’t already made her decision about the two of them, one that wasn’t in his favor.

She pulled out a piece of her personal notepaper and jotted a note to William, thanking him for the grand gesture with the poppies, then buzzed for Miriam. “See that Mr. Harcourt gets this right away, will you?”

“Would you mind if I called Mr. Dandridge and asked him to come for it?” Miriam asked, then blushed furiously.

“You and Malcolm?” Destiny asked incredulously. “I didn’t know you’d done much more than speak once or twice on the phone.”

“We’ve only met once, just today in fact, but he’s quite handsome, don’t you think? Lives up to that lovely accent I enjoy so much.”

“I hadn’t given it any thought, but yes, he is quite distinguished-looking. And he’s very kind, as well.”

“I knew it!” Miriam said. “He has kind eyes.”

Destiny shook her head. Would wonders never cease? Spring truly must be right around the corner, because love was definitely in the air.

“You and Miriam,” William repeated, staring at his assistant. “The two of you are going on a date? We are talking about Destiny’s personal assistant, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Malcolm said stiffly, looking decidedly uncomfortable at having his personal life dissected. “Is that a problem, sir?”

“No, no problem. I’m just surprised.”

“As am I, sir. She’s asked me to escort her to tea.”

“Then by all means go,” William said. “I don’t suppose she had any message for me from Destiny, did she?”

Malcolm grew even more flustered. “Of course she did. That’s why I saw her in the first place, to get this note for you.” He pulled the envelope from his pocket and handed it to William. “Sorry, sir. I almost forgot.”

“Yes, well, things tend to get a bit murky once women get involved in our lives, don’t they?”

“You have no idea, sir,” Malcolm said. “I don’t believe anyone has ever asked me out on a date before. It’s a bit disconcerting.”

“Obviously Miriam has learned a few things from her boss,” William replied with amusement. “Neither of them plays by the rules. Go along and enjoy your tea.”

A rare smile tugged at Malcolm’s lips. “I believe I will, sir.”

Malcolm and Miriam. Who would have guessed it? William thought, bemused. Finally he dismissed the two of them from his mind to focus on Destiny. He tore open the note.

“The poppies are as pretty as a picture,” she’d written. “It’s something I never need reminding about, because the image is never far from my mind. Thank you for making it come to life again, though. With all my love, Destiny.”

He leaned back, satisfied. Step one had gone rather well. Now to move on to step two. He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number in Paris.

“Violetta,
ma che`rie,
how are you?” he asked the woman responsible for introducing him to Destiny all
those years ago. He’d kept in close contact with Violetta Grégorie over the years, seeing her as a link to Destiny. They had maintained a casual correspondence, and in fact, Violetta was hosting a first European showing for Destiny’s nephew, Ben Carlton, in her gallery sometime in the summer.

“Old and decrepit, as you perfectly well know,” she responded in her low voice, made huskier by too many years of cigarettes. “When are you coming to see me again? It’s been far too long.”

“Actually, I was hoping to lure you to London,” he told her. “I’ll send you a ticket, if you say you’ll come.”

“Why would I want to come to dreary London when it’s almost springtime in Paris?”

“To see Destiny Carlton again,” he suggested casually.

“Destiny is there, with you? I knew I was right about the two of you,” she said triumphantly. “What has taken so long for you to wake up?”

William laughed. “She’s in London, but not with me. Not yet, anyway. I thought perhaps a visit with you would remind her of old times.”

“Ah, so that’s it,” she said with understanding. “You are using nostalgia to win her heart all over again. Quite a clever tactic,
mon ami.
”

“Then you think it’s a good plan?”

“If Destiny is as much the romantic as she once was, she’ll be unable to resist,” Violetta said confidently. “She was mad about you years ago.”

“I hope you’re right, but she’s also a hardheaded businesswoman now.”

“Once love enters the picture, few women will al
low their head to overrule their heart,” Violetta said. “So, then, for true love I will come to London.”

“How soon can you be here?”

“So eager,” she said, laughing. “Will tomorrow be soon enough?”

“Tomorrow will be excellent. Shall I meet your plane?”

“Too much bother. I will have someone drive me. I’ve been anxious to try that amazing tunnel they’ve dug under the English Channel. Look for me in the afternoon. Shall I come directly to your office?”

“To my house,” he said. “You can settle in and have a bit of a nap before we put our plan into motion and surprise Destiny.”

“Ever the considerate host,” she said. “Why didn’t I claim you for myself all those years ago? What difference does age make, after all?”

“I will adore you at any age,” William told her. “You’re timeless, Violetta, and next to Destiny, the greatest friend any man could have.”

“You think of me so fondly only because I introduced you to the love of your life,” she said.

He chuckled. “True enough, but there was a time after she’d broken my heart, when I could have hated you for that, but I didn’t. Now, go and do your packing. I expect you to stay for a while once you’re here.”

“Au revoir, mon ami.”

“Au revoir.”

Slowly, William hung up the phone. He started to call out for Malcolm, then realized his assistant was
off on a rendezvous of his own. Well, no matter. He could take it from here. In fact, for the first time, he was feeling astonishingly upbeat about the future—Richard Carlton, be damned.

D
estiny wasn’t sure what sort of feedback she’d expected once Melanie, Beth and Kathleen got home, but she’d assumed Richard would be the first one to call. Instead, to her dismay, it was Ben, her youngest nephew and the one she’d thought would inevitably be on her side if push came to shove.

“Destiny, I’m worried about you,” Ben said the second she answered the phone.

“Why?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

“William,” she said, with a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“Richard says—”

“I don’t give two figs what Richard says,” she retorted furiously. “He’s got blinders on when it comes to this. What did your wife tell you? I assume Kathleen had quite a bit to say when she got back from her visit.”

“The same thing Melanie apparently told Richard, that the two of you are in love.”

She uttered a plaintive sigh. “Is that so impossible to believe?”

“Of course it’s not impossible to believe that a man would fall head over heels in love with you,” Ben said at once. “You’re an amazing woman. I’ve spent
most of my life watching some of the most intelligent, powerful men in Virginia become totally infatuated with you.”

“Then I don’t understand the problem. It can’t be that you disapprove of William,” she said sarcastically. “You don’t even know him.”

“Now, Destiny,” he soothed.

“Don’t take that patronizing tone with me,” she retorted indignantly, cutting him off before he could offer some ridiculous platitude. “I thought I taught you never to judge someone without giving them a chance. Surely Kathleen had only good things to say about William. They took quite a shine to each other.”

“Yes, but she’s as much a romantic as you are.”

“In other words, we’re both fools.”

“I never said that,” he insisted, sounding shocked. “Come on, Destiny, be reasonable. Even though the man professes to love you, it didn’t stop him from acquiring that company Richard was after.”

“You don’t know a thing about that. You’re being just as unreasonable as you’re accusing me of being,” she snapped. “Never mind. I have to go. I’m meeting William in an hour and I have to get ready. I was thinking something wildly sexy would be appropriate.”

“Destiny!”

Ben’s protest sounded rather weak, as if she’d stunned him. Well, good. He deserved it. Obviously all of her nephews had gotten so used to thinking of her as their devoted aunt, they’d forgotten that she was also a woman in the prime of her life. Obviously she’d waited far too long to remind them of that. And, truth
be told, she’d waited a bit too long to remember it herself.

“Got to go,” she said, then automatically added, “Love you.”

She hung up before he could say more. When the phone rang an instant later, she scowled at it, but picked it up, anyway, half prepared for it to be Ben, hoping to get the last word.

“Hi, Destiny,” Mack said cheerfully.

“Not you, too,” she muttered.

“Me, too, what?” he asked.

“If you called to tell me I’m an idiot or that William’s not to be trusted, you can hang up now.”

Mack’s silence suggested she’d pegged his intention exactly right.

“Love you, darling, but I really don’t want to hear it,” she said blithely, and slammed the phone down in his ear.

The next time it rang, she ignored it. She was not going to allow her nephews to spoil this evening for her. William had hinted that he had a surprise in store for her tonight. After the outrageous extravagance of the poppies yesterday, she couldn’t begin to imagine what he’d do next.

She grabbed her coat and headed out the door. She was meeting William at his place for a glass of wine before he revealed this surprise of his. Anticipation had her blood humming.

By the time she’d reached William’s, she’d coaxed herself into a more optimistic frame of mind. She was in charge of her life now. If being with William was what she wanted, then her nephews would simply have to learn to live with it. Spending time worrying
only about pleasing others never accomplished a blessed thing.

As soon as she alighted from the taxi, William opened his front door. Welcoming light spilled onto the street. She stood for a second at the foot of the steps admiring him.

Maybe tonight would be the night, she thought as her pulse skipped merrily. Through some sort of unspoken but tacit agreement, they’d avoided renewing their intimate relationship before now, but the heat had been simmering from the night of her party. Years ago there had been no question of waiting, but she was far more cautious now.

Tonight, however, she was eager to throw caution to the wind. Once they were lovers again, William would see that, married or not, she didn’t intend to let anything come between them. Marriage would only complicate things unnecessarily. Perhaps in time, when she’d smoothed over her family’s ruffled feathers…She let the thought trail off.

“Are you planning to come in or are you frozen in place by the sight of me?” he inquired with lazy amusement.

“You do take a woman’s breath away,” she said. “But you’re all too aware of that, I’m afraid.”

“It’s only your reaction that matters to me,” he insisted. “Now, come along before this cold air chills the entire house. It’s drafty enough as it is.”

When she reached the top of the steps, she placed her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes. “Have I told you that I love you?”

He smiled. “Not nearly often enough.”

“It’s true, you know.”

She kissed him then, intending to prove to him that she was ready for anything. When they separated slowly, William gazed at her with dismay.

“What?” she asked. “Have I got this all wrong?”

“Not wrong at all,” he insisted. “I want you more than I can say, but tonight’s not the night. I told you I had a surprise for you. I have a guest who’s waiting to see you again.”

Thoroughly flustered, Destiny stared at him. “I hope I wasn’t seen out here trying to seduce you.”

He laughed. “It wouldn’t matter a bit. I suspect she’d be all for it. She’s always approved of us and she’s definitely a huge proponent of seduction.”

Her brow lifted. “She?”

He took her hand. “Come along and see.”

Normally she was only moderately fond of surprises, but William was behaving so mysteriously, Destiny followed him eagerly. As they walked into the parlor, a thin, elegant woman rose from a chair. Even though she’d aged, there was no mistaking Violetta Grégorie with her dark, flashing eyes alive with intelligence and her vivid red lipstick outlining a full, generous mouth.

“Violetta,” Destiny cried, and ran to her old friend, falling into a welcoming embrace that was as strong as ever, despite the more than twenty years that had passed. Violetta had to be in her seventies now, but she looked much younger.

“Ah,
ma petite,
you are as stunning as ever,” Violetta proclaimed. “Let me look at you.”

She held Destiny away from her and studied her intently. “More sophisticated,” she declared eventu
ally. “But there is still that mischievous sparkle in your eyes. Have you brought me new paintings?”

Destiny laughed at the question, which Violetta had repeated in one variation or another every time they’d spoken through the years. “As you perfectly well know, I haven’t painted anything worthwhile in years,” Destiny said. “Isn’t it enough that I sent my nephew to you? Ben’s work will make you rich.”

“But I have a special fondness in my heart for your paintings,” Violetta insisted. She gestured to the one over the mantel. “It is wonderful to see William’s collection. I almost regret selling them to him. I would like to have them in my own home. I have only the small portrait you did of me all those years ago.”

“It was one of the few portraits I ever painted,” Destiny recalled. “I was far better at landscapes.”

“None of that false modesty,” Violetta chided. “You did well with whatever subject you chose.”

Destiny turned to William. “Thank you so much for this,” she said, her arm still tucked through Violetta’s. “Seeing my dear friend again is the best surprise you could have given me.”

He grinned. “Then I shall have to work very hard to top myself next time. Now, then, I think there’s time for a glass of wine before our dinner reservations. Will a Bordeaux suit you both?”

“Perfection,” Violetta said. She looked into Destiny’s eyes. “Now, tell me everything,
ma petite.
You’ve been well?”

“Very well.”

“But lonely,” Violetta guessed. “I can see it in your eyes. You must allow William to do something about that.”

Destiny chuckled. “So that’s why he brought you here, to sell him to me.”

William frowned as he handed her the wine. “I wasn’t aware that you needed to be sold on me.”

“I’m aware of your many virtues, yes,” Destiny agreed. “But I believe you’re after more than my admiration.”

“No question about that,” he said. “I want everything this time, Destiny.”

“I think perhaps that discussion ought to be put off till another time,” she responded tartly.

“Why?” Violetta asked. “Not on my account, surely. Talk of love is never boring. Perhaps I can lend a fresh perspective to the discussion.”

“Now, there’s an idea,” William said. “Destiny and I could definitely use a referee, actually. The conversations tend to get somewhat heated these days. We take different views of the future.”

“Oh?” Violetta said. “How so?”

“William would like to go the traditional route,” Destiny explained. “He’s envisioning marriage and happily ever after, all that sort of thing.”

“About time, don’t you think?” William said.

Destiny frowned at him. “I think a less formal arrangement would suit the two of us much better.”

“A romantic liaison?” Violetta suggested, her eyes alight. “Yes, I can see how that would appeal to you, Destiny. It would keep the excitement alive.”

“And send Destiny’s nephews into an absolute frenzy,” William muttered.

She stared at him. “What on earth do you mean?”

“They don’t approve of me now,” William re
minded her. “How do you think they’ll feel if they think I’m refusing to make an honest woman of you?”

“I never considered that,” she admitted candidly. She’d feared they would be far more distraught if she announced an intention to wed him.

“Well, you might consider it,” he said. “It could conceivably save me from winding up in a dark alley in dire straits.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said impatiently. “None of my nephews is inclined toward violence to solve problems.”

“They’ve never faced this particular situation before, have they?” William countered.

Violetta suddenly laughed. “You two are exactly as you were all those years ago. So much passion. So much heat, I fear getting singed just being near you. Perhaps we should go to dinner before it explodes into something that shouldn’t be witnessed by an outsider.”

“You’re hardly an outsider,” Destiny told her. “It’s because of you that we’re together at all.”

Violetta gave her a smug look. “You may thank me with a toast over dinner.”

“Or not,” Destiny retorted, giving William a withering look.

“Violetta, ignore her testiness. I will do the honors, if Destiny is too stubborn to admit the truth.”

“Me?” Destiny protested. “I’m not the stubborn one.”

William merely lifted a brow.

“Oh, all right, I am a tiny bit stubborn.”

“Thank you.” He gave her a hard kiss. “Actually it’s one of the things I love about you.”

“What an odd sort of compliment,” she murmured.

“You’re a rare sort of woman. The usual compliments are too pale and lifeless to suit you,” he said.

Destiny chuckled at his glib tongue. She realized that it had been years and years since she’d laughed so much, since she’d felt this carefree. That was the true gift William was giving her tonight. Seeing Violetta again was reminding her of an irrepressible part of her that had been buried under the weight of too much responsibility for too many years now.

It wasn’t that she wanted to go back again. Nor did she want to give up the excitement and challenges that lay ahead at Carlton Industries. But she did need to balance that, to find a fulfilling middle ground. And William, it seemed, was showing her the way.

Richard had spent a restless night and most of the day thinking about everything Melanie had told him. He’d even talked it over with his brothers the next morning. Nothing they had to say changed his opinion. The fact that she’d virtually hung up on both Ben and Mack said it all. He had to get Destiny away from that man’s influence before he turned her against all of them. She might be furious with him in the short term, but in the long run she would thank him. He would simply have to make her see what a narrow escape she’d had.

The best way to accomplish that, of course, would be to get her back home, where she’d be away from Harcourt’s influence. Then he, Mack and Ben could sit her down for a long heart-to-heart, the kind she used to have with them when she thought they were treading on dangerous turf. Of course, they’d been
teenagers and Destiny was a mature woman, but the principle was the same. The straight talk would be based on love. Surely, she was reasonable enough to accept that.