Love and Liability (Dating Mr Darcy - Book 2) (21 page)

As she left the office and shut the door carefully behind her Holly’s earlier elation faded.

Why had Valery cut off her questions so abruptly? The moment she’d mentioned Sasha’s name, the editor-in-chief had practically thrown her out of the office.

Holly had a sudden, terrible thought. Was Valery possibly going to…
sack
Sasha? After all, she’d missed a lot of time lately, including a deadline and a couple of important meetings; and she’d been summoned to Valery’s office just the other day.

Holly gripped the doorknob and stared at Imogen, Valery’s personal assistant, her thoughts awhirl.

“Is something wrong, Ms James?” Imogen enquired.

“No. That is, yes,” Holly added in a rush, and approached her desk. She lowered her voice. “Is anyone being…sacked? You know, as part of the personnel reorganization?”

Imogen looked at her blankly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t know? But Valery only just said—”

“Ms Beauchamp is privy to all sorts of things I’m not,” Imogen informed her. “And even if I did know about an employee termination, I certainly wouldn’t share that information with you, Ms James, would I?”

“No,” Holly murmured, “of course you wouldn’t.”

Troubled, she went back to her desk. If Valery really meant to sack Sasha, what on earth would she do?

Perhaps, Holly thought uncertainly, she should tell Valery the truth — that Sasha Davis was supporting her sister and facing all sorts of unmanageable expenses. Perhaps if Valery knew what was going on, she’d feel differently, and keep Sasha on…

But as she remembered Sasha’s words, all thoughts of telling Valery fled.

“Don’t you dare to tell anyone about this, Holly, especially not Valery. Or I’ll hang you up by your toes and run you out of BritTEEN on a rail…a clothing rail.”

Holly’s legs trembled as she sank down into her chair. She couldn’t possibly tell Sasha’s secret to Valery…after all, she’d promised not to breathe a word to anyone. But she couldn’t
not
tell Valery, either. If she didn’t say something, Sasha would lose her job.

But I don’t want Sasha to hang me by my toes on a clothing rail, either…

“What is it, Holly?” Kate asked as she looked up from the files she was riffling through. “Crikey! You look as though you’re constipated.”

“Nothing,” Holly said, and picked up the telephone handset to return some calls. “It’s nothing.”

She dialled the phone with unsteady fingers, and visions of Sasha and clothing rails danced ominously in her head.

Chapter 30

For the rest of the afternoon, Holly’s stomach roiled as she wondered what to do. She couldn’t just stand by and let Sasha lose her job — a job she very much needed — without doing something. But unfortunately, the only thing she
could
do was to tell Valery the truth about Sasha’s mentally ill sister.

Yet she’d promised —
sworn
— to Sasha that she wouldn’t reveal her secret to anyone…most especially, not to Valery.

“Shit, shit,
shit
,” she whispered, torn with indecision. As she sat at her desk, hunched over an article Sasha had given her to edit, Holly knew she had to talk to someone. She needed advice, and fast. Who here at
BritTEEN
could she trust?

She glanced over at Kate, tapping away at her laptop and singing — off-key — to One Direction, and rolled her eyes. No way would she confide in The Mouth of Central London. If she did, Sasha’s secret would be the front-page story in every red top and tabloid within ten minutes.

What about Jamie? He was level-headed and usually gave good advice. No, Holly decided, he didn’t know Sasha; besides, he was far too busy with Gordon Scots these days. She frowned. Who else here at work could she trust enough to confide in—?

“Hi, Hols.” Will ambled up and handed her a cup of coffee. “One skinny mocha latte with an extra shot for a busy girl.”

She accepted it gratefully. “Thanks! Your timing’s perfect. I really needed this.”

He sipped his own plain black coffee and raised his brow. “Why? What’s up?”

“Aside from the usual — three articles to edit, nasty calls from PRs demanding their clothing back, and Sasha being even more bitchy than usual — I have a problem, and I need to talk to someone. Someone I can trust,” she added in a low voice. “Can you spare ten minutes? Would you mind listening, maybe doling out a bit of advice?”

“Sure. Let’s go,” Will said. “I could do with a leg-stretch.”

Twenty minutes later, after pouring out the story of Sasha’s bipolar sister as they walked down Shaftesbury Avenue, Holly eyed Will anxiously. “So now I’m afraid Sasha’s about to lose her job, which seems horribly unfair, and I don’t know what to do.”

“You’ve got a dilemma,” Will agreed. He frowned. “You could talk to her. Tell her what’s going on.”

“I thought of that. But it’s impossible to catch her long enough to talk about anything right now, much less something like this.” Holly sighed. “The October issue closes tomorrow, so she’s crazy busy. And she’s in meetings all afternoon. Maybe you could talk to her tonight?” she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. “We didn’t make plans. Besides, she didn’t tell me her story, she told you. I really don’t know her that well yet. She’s very private.” He thought of the phone calls Sasha sometimes got, and how they upset her. “My advice? If you can’t talk to Sasha first, tell Valery what’s going on,” Will said. “You have to tell her, Holly. If Sasha loses her job now, she’s well and truly sunk.”

And so, late that afternoon, Holly screwed up her courage and made her way to Valery’s office. Imogen was just getting ready to leave for the day when she arrived.

“Is Valery available?” Holly asked, part of her hoping the answer would be ‘no.’

Imogen nodded. “She is. You can go straight in.”

“Thanks.”

Holly knocked, waited for the editor-in-chief’s peremptory “Come in,” and pushed the door open. “Ms Beauchamp? May I speak with you, please? It’s very important.”

At Valery’s curt nod, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She took a deep breath. “I know I’m not supposed to know about this, and I’m probably overstepping, but there’s something you ought to know before — that is,
if
— you sack Sasha Davis.”

That evening, when everyone had left, Valery picked up her phone and called Sasha — who, she knew, was working late on her department’s budget figures — into her office. “Close the door and sit down,” she directed as the girl appeared in the doorway.

As Sasha shut the door and took a seat Valery studied her. Her face was pale and drawn. Already slender, she’d lost even more weight, and her clothes — as stylish as ever — hung loosely on her slight frame.

“I‘ll get to the point,” Valery said briskly. “We both know that your work performance has suffered of late.”

Sasha was silent.

“You’ve been late for meetings, missed a very important deadline, you screwed up the budget projections for your department — and it simply can’t continue. What I don’t understand, Sasha, is why.” Valery leaned back and regarded her assistant with an upraised brow. “What happened to the driven, hardworking girl I hired?”

She waited, hoping Sasha would confide in her, but she didn’t.

Instead, she shrugged, a resigned expression etched on her face. “Are you giving me the sack?” she said flatly.

“This is your second warning. So by rights, yes, I should sack you.” Valery leaned forward. “But given your personal situation, I’m willing to give you one more chance.”

Sasha stared at her, uncomprehending.

“I wish you’d come to me,” Valery went on, “when this all first began. I’m not a monster, contrary to what you might think. I’m willing to work around your schedule. But you have to trust me enough to be honest.”

“How much do you know? How did you find out?”
As if I didn’t know
, Sasha thought, as shame, disbelief, and fury simmered in an ugly mix inside her.
Holly James
.

“I received the information in confidence, and in confidence it will remain.” Her voice gentled. “I know your sister is bipolar, and she’s been in and out of care. And I know you haven’t any family to help, and so you’re paying for her care out of your own pocket.”

Sasha nodded stiffly, unable to speak past the thick bile of emotion in her throat. Fear and exhaustion, certainly; and a quiet, murderous rage at Holly, as well. It seemed she’d do anything, including revealing a strictly confidential matter, in order to blag Sasha’s job.

“I’m willing to accommodate your schedule,” Valery continued. “If you need to take time off — not too much, mind — I’ll arrange it.” She met Sasha’s eyes. “But you have to promise me that you’ll focus on your tasks and give
BritTEEN
a hundred and ten per cent when you’re here.”

“Yes,” Sasha murmured, “of course I will. I… I need this job. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost it.” She blinked away the sudden rise of tears. She’d be damned if she’d cry in front of Valery. “Thank you.”

Although she felt enormous relief as she stood and exited her boss’s office, Sasha’s overriding emotion as she strode down the hall to her office was pure, unadulterated fury — fury that Holly had betrayed her secret.

If she’d had any doubt that Holly wanted her job, she was convinced of it now. When she’d found out about Amanda, she’d run straight to Valery with the information, no doubt hoping that the editor-in-chief would give Sasha the sack, and promote Holly into the bargain.

She vowed to get even with Miss James. And as she returned to her office and quietly shut the door, she knew exactly how to do it.

Chapter 31

“I didn’t expect this,” Will told Sasha as he sat down to a dinner of grilled fish and spinach salad she’d prepared for them that evening.

“Well, I don’t like to be predictable.” Sasha smiled as she poured them each a glass of champagne.

“Believe me, you’re never that.” He waited until she sat down across from him, then raised his glass. “So — what’s the occasion?”

“The non-loss of my job,” she replied, and clinked her glass against his. “I nearly got the sack today, but Valery has decided to give me another chance.”

“She thinks highly of you.” When Sasha snorted, he leaned forward, his expression serious. “She told me only last week that you’re the best features editor
BritTEEN’s
ever had. I’m sure she’d never let you go. You’re far too valuable and far too experienced.”

“It’s my fault,” Sasha admitted, and handed him a plated spinach and strawberry salad. “I’ve missed a lot of time lately, screwed up a couple of work projects. I missed a deadline last week. I’ve had…personal issues to deal with.”

“Anything I can help with?” he asked, keeping his voice casual as he speared a strawberry. “I’m a good listener, amongst my many other talents.”

“Thanks. But it’s something I have to deal with on my own.” She jabbed a fork into her salad. “I’m furious with Holly James, though. She opened her gob and told Valery something…something I shared with her in strictest confidence.”

Will looked up. “Was it anything to do with whatever it is that you won’t talk about?”

“My personal problems have nothing to do with work.”

“They do, if they affect your job,” Will pointed out. “Besides, I’m sure Holly only did what she thought was right. She’s not a trouble-making sort.”

Sasha pressed her lips together but didn’t reply. Her mobile rang, and, after glancing down at the screen, she excused herself to answer it.

Will sipped his champagne and listened to the low murmur of Sasha’s voice in the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned and resumed her seat. “Sorry. More bubbly?”

“I wouldn’t say no.”

“You know, Will,” she remarked as they tucked into their dinners, “Kate really likes you. I couldn’t help but notice, that night at the pub.”

He paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Kate’s a great girl. She’s a lot of fun.”

“So does that mean you’re interested in her?”

“It means she’s a great girl, and a lot of fun.”

Sasha frowned. “You’ve never mentioned any ex-girlfriends. Why is that?”

“It’s never come up in conversation.” He shrugged. “I’ve had a few relationships, but they didn’t last, probably because I work a lot of long, strange hours. Most girls don’t like that.”

She smiled ruefully. “I understand
that
perfectly.”

“That’s because you work for a magazine, so you get it. You know what it’s like to stay up half the night putting an issue to bed.”

“God, it’s insanity, isn’t it?” Sasha agreed. “Coffee and chocolate bars fuelled me through the last all-nighter.”

A short time later they found themselves on the sofa, Will’s arm resting companionably around her shoulders as they watched the telly, when Sasha’s mobile shrilled once again. She groaned and leaned forward to answer it.

“Let it ring,” Will murmured, and drew her back.

“I can’t. I have to answer it.” She reached out to grab her mobile. “Hello? Yes, sweetie, how are you? You went to Asda today? That’s great. What did you buy?”

She listened to the voice on the other end for a few minutes more, and her smile gradually faded. “No, I’m sure you’re wrong,” she said soothingly. “Mrs Ames would never do that, I know she wouldn’t—”

The voice on the other end of the line grew louder and more agitated. Will couldn’t make out the words, but there was no mistaking how much it upset Sasha.

She rang off a moment later and laid her mobile aside, her hand shaking. “I have to go, Will. I’m sorry.” She turned away and stood up to search for her coat and handbag. “You can let yourself out.”

“I have to go, anyway.” Will stood as well and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you mind if I ask who that was?”

Sasha was silent.

“I know it’s none of my business,” he began, choosing his words cautiously, “but I wonder — who’s on the other end of those phone calls you get? Whoever it is, they upset you.”

Sasha regarded him with a level gaze. “You’re right, Will. It’s none of your business.”

He reached out and took her hand in his. “Fair enough. But whatever it is seems to be more than you can handle on your own. If you change your mind — if you decide you need help, or just want someone to talk to — I’m here.”