what you like,” Peter said smugly as he sat down and put his feet out in front of him, crossing his ankles.
Raymond glowered. “I don’t want you seeing Lydia.”
“That again is for Lydia to say.” He looked around Raymond. “Lydia?”
She came forward and put her hand on Raymond’s arm. “Please, Raymond, don’t make a scene.”
He knocked her hand away. “You seem to forget how much you need me, Lydia. Now tell this gentleman....” He slurred the word. “...to get the devil out of this house.” He threw Peter a furious look. “I am surprised Lydia hasn’t told you that she and I are to be married.”
“Raymond!” She looked helplessly at Peter and saw his shock. “That isn’t true.” To Raymond she said, “You are being overly presumptuous, Raymond. I will remind you that you are still my daughter’s husband and I would never agree to marrying you even if you were free.”
“You sang a different tune just last evening at the party before this loser showed up.”
Peter jumped to his feet, clenching his hands into fists.
“Raymond!” Lydia cried. “I never accepted your proposal and you know it.”
He whirled on her, ignoring Peter’s outrage. “You’ll accept me. I said I’d get myself free of April and you will marry me.”
It was all so ridiculous, Lydia suddenly realized. Here stood two men who claimed they wanted to marry her and neither of them was in a position to do so. She suddenly began to wonder if they really meant what they said or if they were simply toying with her, knowing they need never live up to their proposals. She would be making a fool of herself by believing either one of them.
“Raymond, kindly leave.” To Peter she said, “Would you fetch my wrap and evening bag from the sitting room, please. They are on the divan.”
Peter hesitated, then did as she asked, leaving them alone for a moment.
When he was out of ear shot she glowered at Raymond. “How dare you come here and make a scene! I highly object to your proprietary manner. I am not planning on marrying you or anyone else. Peter MacNair asked me to dinner. I accepted purely because I am interested in finding out all I can about his new line.” The lie came easily.
She saw the doubt in his face. “Just keep in mind, Lydia, that you are nothing without me. If I act proprietarily toward you I heartily believe that I have that right. Empress Cosmetics would be bankrupt in six months if I decided to pull out. Just keep that in mind, Lydia, my dear.” He chucked her under the chin. She expected him to try and kiss her and drew back. “Have a pleasant evening,” he said with a vicious smile. “Say good night to our competition for me.” He turned and left, his angry footsteps echoing across the marble foyer. When the front door slammed shut she let out her breath. She sensed Peter behind her and turned to him.
“I’m afraid you will have serious trouble with that Frenchman,” he said. He laid her wrap and bag on a chair and freshened his drink.
“I’ve been handling Raymond for years. He’s just another spoiled little boy who must have everything his way.”
“And you give it to him.”
“Yes,” she said bluntly. “I have more than enough for myself and for my family. Raymond is welcome to the rest.”
“Men who are given a free hand get very greedy as time passes. Be careful, Lydia, and don’t give him too much or he will wind up wanting it all.”
She knew there was truth in what he said, but she saw no way out of her situation. Raymond wasn’t really a bad sort—wild and impetuous like so many men, but of all the men she’d known Raymond was the only one who’d made her forget Peter for a time. It was wrong for her to have gone to bed with Raymond; at the time, however, she’d had no other choice. He had demanded it and to her surprise she hadn’t found it unexciting. He was an expert at pleasing a woman; he was a Frenchman.
She chuckled softly. “He already wants it all, Peter. Marrying me gives him everything.”
He stared at her, his mouth slightly open. “You aren’t considering marrying him, are you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then you’d better do something about him before he takes you over completely. He’s already acting as if he were the boss and you the employee.”
Lydia toyed with a stray lock that had come unpinned. She went toward the mirror, keeping her eyes fixed on Peter in the glass. “I know only one way I can be rid of Raymond’s influence.”
“What’s that?”
She pinned the curl and turned around. “If you and I consolidated our companies.” She saw him frown. Quickly she said, “I’m convinced, Peter, that the two of us could make Empress Cosmetics a success without Raymond’s talented nose.”
“Empress Cosmetics?” Peter sneered. “Why not MacNair Cosmetics?”
“Because my company has the better reputation, if you want a perfectly blunt answer.”
“Me become secondary to you?”
“We’d be equal partners with neither of us holding more than a fifty-percent stock interest. I’ve been thinking of that new venture you are planning with the Lady Lorna....”
“Lady Lydia,” he was quick to correct.
“I think that is a big mistake. And another mistake you are making is that you’re insisting on having the product sold by men. Women would be far more successful.”
“Women?” He put back his head and laughed.
“Don’t scoff at the idea, Peter. I’ve thought it through and I believe between us we could really build our cosmetic companies into one of the largest empires in the country.” She touched his arm. “Come in with me, Peter. Let’s work together.”
He thought for a moment, then put down his glass. “No, I want to make a success of my venture by doing it my way.”
“You’re being stubborn.”
“I’m being sensible. Besides, my enterprise isn’t being financed with my money. I have a backer who must be taken into consideration.”
“Who?”
“I don’t want to say.”
“Who’s backing you, Peter?” she insisted, looking at him with suspicion.
“That is none of your business, if you’ll excuse my being rude.”
He was looking uncomfortable, which strengthened Lydia’s suspicions. “It’s Lorna’s money, isn’t it?”
Peter glared at her. “I said my money affairs are of no concern of yours.”
“It is Lorna’s money. I can read it in your face.”
“All right,
