Her Best Worst Mistake (19 page)

Which explained the buzz in his blood this morning
and the fact that if he wasn’t striding down the plush carpeted
hall toward his office, he’d be very bloody tempted to start
whistling.

He’d almost reached his office when Edward and one of
the other senior partners stepped out of a meeting room. Martin
exchanged greetings with them all, very aware of the stilted
discomfort in Edward’s demeanor. Martin continued on to his office,
dumping his briefcase and coat and starting up his computer for the
day. His thoughts were still out in the hallway, however, going
over the tense, restrained little conversation he’d had with
Edward.

It was an awkward situation. Martin understood that.
But he’d like to think that his relationship with Edward was bigger
and more robust than what had happened with Elizabeth. He’d like to
think that he and Edward had their own connection, one that existed
outside of the fact that he’d once been going to marry the other
man’s granddaughter. But it had been several months, and instead of
settling down, things had only become more uncomfortable between
them.

Martin considered the paperwork on his desk, all of
it urgent enough that it needed to be dealt with this morning. He
headed for the door.

“
I’ll be back in twenty,” he said
when Tammy looked up from her desk in surprise.

He took the lift to the tenth floor, stepping into
the hushed, plush realm of the senior partners. Edward’s secretary,
Ida, was busy on a call in the outer office and she held up a
finger to indicate she wouldn’t be a moment. Martin could see
Edward at his desk and he gave Ida a reassuring smile before
bypassing her and heading straight in to see Edward.

He knocked on the open door. “Edward. Do you have a
minute...?”

Edward looked up from the journal he was reading,
surprise on his face.

“
Of course. Come in. Take a
seat.”

Martin did so, facing his mentor across a wide
stretch of mahogany.

“
I wanted to clear the air,” Martin
said boldly. “I want you to know that as far as I’m concerned, the
wedding being called off was a good thing and I have absolutely no
hard feelings toward Elizabeth.”

Edward blinked. Clearly he’d been expecting Martin to
bring up a work matter, instead of bull-dozing into territory
they’d both been side-stepping for weeks.

“
Well. You’ve surprised
me.”

“
I thought that might be the case.
That perhaps you were operating under a false belief where I was
concerned.“

“
I’ve certainly been feeling very
responsible for the part I played in the break up,” Edward said
stiffly. “I should never have asked you to choose between your
loyalty to me or to Elizabeth.”

Martin smiled thinly. When Edward had told him that
Elizabeth’s natural father was alive, he hadn’t hesitated to assure
the older man that he would—of course—keep his confidence. One of
many signs, had he bothered to look for them, that his marriage had
been doomed before it even started.

“
With all due respect, I should
never have chosen you over Elizabeth.”

“
No. I suppose not.” Edward’s gaze
was sharply assessing. “You’re really reconciled to
this?”

“
Absolutely. I think Elizabeth and I
both made head decisions, Edward, not heart decisions. I don’t know
if that makes sense to you or not. All I can say is that I will
always respect and admire Elizabeth. She has been a true and loving
friend to me and I wish her every happiness with Nathan. But I am
not heartbroken. Not by a long shot.”He thought of Violet and
couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his
mouth.

Edward sat back in his chair and straightened his
jacket, a fussy little tic he’d had as long as Martin had known
him.

“
Well. I have to say that I’m
relieved. And I know Vera will be, too, when I tell her. It’s been
an uncomfortable time, dealing with all the fall out. And neither
of us could forget the fact that we’d pushed the two of you
together.”

“
We both went willingly enough at
the time. But fortunately Elizabeth had the good sense to do what
had to be done.”

“
Can I at least offer to settle any
expenses you may have incurred? It’s something that’s been weighing
on my mind.”

“
You can offer,
certainly.”

Edward’s mouth curved into a small, appreciative
smile. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in me insisting?”

“
You can try. But I’ve been told I’m
a stubborn bastard.”

Edward rested his hands on his knees and considered
the toes of his shoes for a long moment. When he looked up, his
blue eyes were clear and direct. “For what it’s worth, I was
looking forward to having you as my son-in-law, Martin. Very much
so.”

Martin swallowed a sudden lump of emotion. This man
had been very good to him. Generous beyond words with his wisdom
and guidance and support. “It’s worth a great deal, Edward. More
than you can know.”

They both stood at the same time. Edward offered his
hand and Martin took it.

“
Vera and I would both like it if
you’d come to dinner sometime soon.”

“
I’d like that, too,”

Martin’s step was lighter as he headed for the lifts.
He wasn’t foolish enough to believe he and Edward would ever regain
the same level of intimacy, but he felt confident now that their
friendship would survive in one form or another.

He smiled to himself as the elevator doors opened.
Not so long ago, Elizabeth had told him that one day he would thank
her for calling off the wedding. At the time, he’d doubted that day
would ever come.

He’d been an idiot, in more ways than one. But
finally—finally—he was starting to see the wood for the trees.

Chapter Ten

Violet smoothed her hand down her skirt, then leaned
closer to the mirror to check the line of her lipstick was
straight. The hand she lifted to her mouth was trembling and she
clenched it into a fist.

Stupid.

It was just a dinner. A bunch of people sitting at
tables, chowing down on mediocre food. So what if it was at the
Savage Club? She didn’t give two hoots how old and revered and
exclusive the place was.

But Martin did, and she cared about him. A lot.

He’d worked hard for this, and tonight would be the
final nudge he needed to gain entrance to the club. He would say
all the right things to all the right people, as he always did—and
she would do her damnedest not to get in the way and to keep her
lip buttoned.

Hence her nerves. She’d spent most of her life being
outrageous. Coloring inside the lines was going to take some real
concentration.

The intercom buzzed and she raced to the front door
to let Martin in.

“
Come in.”

The nerves in her belly took full flight as she heard
him mount the stairs. She glanced down at her dress, questioning
for the fiftieth time if it was conservative enough. She didn’t
exactly have the best track record in that direction.

After numerous shopping expeditions she’d chosen a
deep red silk dress with a pencil slim skirt that ended just below
the knee. It hugged her hips discreetly before curving upward into
a fitted bodice. A deep, stylized ruffle formed a halter neck. The
neckline was modest at the front, but her back was bared utterly, a
subtly sexy display that she’d decided was refined and elegant in
the store. Now, however, she wasn’t quite so sure.

If he hates it, I’ll know, and I’ll
go change. There must be something in my wardrobe that will pass
muster.

“
You’re going to need your coat.
It’s threatening rain,” Martin said as he entered.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her, his gaze
sliding from the top of her head to the tips of her shoes,
lingering at all the best places in between.

“
Hello,” he said, his tone silky
soft and suggestive.

“
Hi.”

“
You look stunning. Absolutely
stunning.”

“
Let me show you this first.” She
turned, offering him her back. She bit her lip, waiting for his
response. “Is it too much?”

She felt the warmth of his body as he came up behind
her. His arms slid around her, gliding over the silk. He dropped a
kiss onto her shoulder, another beneath her ear.

“
You’re going to cause a stampede.
And maybe a couple of heart attacks. And definitely a divorce or
two.”

She smiled, touched and turned on at the same time by
his reassurance.

“
Okay. Then I’m ready.”

She chattered all the way to Whitehall, fiddling
nervously with the buttons on her overcoat. At one point Martin
reached across and lay his hand over hers.

“
Relax. It’s supposed to be
fun.”

“
Is it? I thought it was supposed to
be networking and schmoozing and whatever else it is men do in
their cigar-smoke-filled, male-only enclaves.”

“
Like I said, fun.”

She smiled at his joke and relaxed a little, but it
was impossible to let go of her nerves all together. She wanted
this to be a success for him. She wanted to prove to him that she
could be just as refined, just as much of an asset as Elizabeth
ever was.

She stilled as she registered her own thought. This
wasn’t a competition—Elizabeth had excused herself from the field
long ago. But even if it was, Violet would never stand a chance.
Discretion and grace had never figured highly amongst her
strengths.

Her nerves gave her hell right up until the moment
when they walked through the door. Then she looked out at the sea
of grey haired heads and realized that the only person who mattered
in any of this was Martin, and she already had his approval. Her
anxiety blew away like so much dust. She slipped her hand into his
and smiled.

“
Okay. Let’s go make some
trouble.”

He smiled at her, his grey eyes warm. “Ladies
first.”

The next hour flew by with surprising ease. She was
one of only a handful of women present under forty, just as Martin
was one of the few men. Surprisingly, she recognized some faces
from her childhood, men who’d visited her father’s estate in Sussex
for hunting or some other manly pursuit. Somehow she wound up
talking to two of them while Martin chatted with the club president
and his wife across the room.

She listened with one ear to the conversation while
she watched Martin. He looked tall and effortlessly handsome in his
dark grey single-breasted suit. He was gesturing with one hand as
he talked, the movement both elegant and athletic. The President’s
wife said something and he laughed, tilting his head back. A rush
of pure lust washed through her as she stared at his strong
throat.

Was it always going to be like this between them?

Across the room, Martin glanced her way. Even from
this distance she could see the flare of desire in his eyes. She
gave him a slow smile, wondering what he’d say if she suggested
they sneak off somewhere.

Not that she’d tempt him that way tonight, of course.
But it was a nice fantasy to indulge for a few seconds.

A chime sounded to signal that it was time for them
to go through to the dining room and take their seats. Martin
headed toward her, presumably to escort her to their table. A
flurry of activity at the entrance drew her gaze as a few late
comers arrived.

She fumbled her wine glass as she found herself
looking directly into her stepmother’s pale blue eyes. For a split
second time seemed to stand still as they stared at one another.
Then Diana turned her shoulder very deliberately. Violet’s gaze
searched the people surrounding her until she found her father’s
familiar profile.

His red hair was fully gray now, she saw, his belly
gone to fat. He’d always loved his food and wine a little too much.
As she watched, he lifted a hand to his tie and twitched it to the
left, then to the right. It was a familiar gesture and it brought
back a rush of memories.

“
Violet.”

She blinked. Martin was at her side. She couldn’t
remember him arriving, and she had the impression that it wasn’t
the first time he’d said her name.

“
Are you all right?” he asked, his
tone low, his hand on the small of her back.

“
My father just arrived.”

Martin’s gaze shot to the huddle by the door.

“
Tall man. Red tie,” he
guessed.

“
Yes.”

“
Is your stepmother with
him?”

She nodded. “She’s the one in blue.”

His eyes narrowed as he studied Diana. “Someone likes
her chocolate,” he said coolly.

It was such a catty remark she couldn’t help but
smile.

“
She does. And her cakes,
too.”

He returned his gaze to her. “Do you want to go?”

“
Before we’ve even eaten? Are you
kidding?”

An early departure would be the kiss of death for his
nomination.

“
If you want to go, we’ll go,” he
said, his gaze steady.

She could see he meant it. Gratitude warmed her. It
was incredibly sweet of him to offer, especially when she knew how
much this meant to him.

“
Thank you. But I’ve done enough
running and hiding in my lifetime.” She took a deep breath. “Shall
we go find our table?”

As luck would have it, they were seated with the club
President, just two tables away from her father and stepmother. She
did her best to pretend they weren’t there, listening attentively
to the President as he explained some of the history of the club to
her. He was explaining how the club came to be named when she felt
someone watching her.