rather think that’s a contradiction in terms, but I know what you mean.’ Mike grinned sympathetically. ‘Bit of a slave-driver, isn’t he, from what I’ve heard?’
‘I don’t know really, I’ve only been here a day or so.’ A little alarm bell, deep in the recess of her mind, tolled warningly. There had been something in his face, she couldn’t quite define what, that had made the words more than what they seemed at face value and, ridiculously, she felt a surge of defensive loyalty to Wolf without knowing why.
‘Well, this is a nice surprise.’ He wandered round the side of her desk as he spoke, glancing idly at the papers lying on the top of it as he smiled down at her. ‘Wait till I tell Anna.’
‘How is she? I haven’t seen her for a couple of weeks,’ Lydia said uncomfortably, feeling she should cover the detailed report on an important contract that she had just completed and printed, but knowing that it would look as though she suspected him of being nosy.
‘Fine, fine. You know Anna, nothing gets her down.’ He gestured towards the door of Wolf’s office, still with his eyes on her desk. ‘I presume the great man is elsewhere?’
‘Yes.’ To her relief he moved round the front of the desk again and bent down with his elbows resting on the wood as he spoke quietly.
‘Well, that being the case, could I make a suggestion, Lydia? Wolf is a little…difficult about his personal secretary fraternising with the mere workers.’ There it was again, that faint caustic note. ‘The reputable Mrs Havers was a positive iceberg. Have you met her?’ Lydia shook her head silently. ‘Well, you haven’t missed anything,’ he continued with a faint grin. ‘Anyway, it might be better for you if Wolf doesn’t know we’re old friends. He wouldn’t like it, and as you’ll only be around for a short time it seems silly to make waves, don’t you think?’
‘Well, I——’
‘It might make things a bit uncomfortable for me too,’ Mike continued quietly. ‘You never know how Wolf is going to jump on things like this.’
‘Well, of course I don’t want to do anything that might reflect on you, Mike,’ Lydia said quickly. ‘It’s just that it seems…unnecessary.’
‘It isn’t, believe me.’ He smiled quietly. ‘Well, do we have a deal, then?’
‘Well, I can’t see it matters one way or the other; so I suppose it’s all right,’ she said hesitantly.
‘Good girl.’ His smile widened. ‘And how about you and that delightful little daughter of yours coming to Sunday lunch soon? I haven’t seen her in months. I’ll get Anna to ring you, shall I?’
‘That would be nice, thank you.’ She forced a smile.
‘And don’t forget, not a word about our little secret.’ He leant across and kissed her lightly as he had done several times in the past, a social gesture, nothing more.
‘Good afternoon.’
If the ceiling had suddenly fallen in on her Lydia couldn’t have reacted more violently. She shot out of her chair, hand to mouth, as she stared at Wolf’s dark countenance in the doorway. It was clear he had heard, and seen, more than enough. ‘I—I didn’t know you were back,’ she stammered, aware she had gone a brilliant red.
‘Obviously.’ He eyed Mike coldly. ‘I presume you are in these offices for a reason, Mike?’
Mike had recovered far more quickly than she had, thrusting his hands casually in his pockets as he faced Wolf with an easy grin. ‘Just wanted a word with you about the figures for Kingston,’ he said calmly, ‘if it’s convenient?’
‘Perhaps later.’ Wolf’s narrowed gaze brushed Lydia’s hot face before he gestured to the finished work on her desk. ‘Bring that in, would you? I’ll glance through it before I do anything else. I want some of those letters to go off tonight.’ His voice was infinitely cold, and she shivered as she glanced at Mike before gathering the files together. ‘I’ll ring you if I have time today, Mike.’ It was a dismissal, and Mike went without another word, not even glancing in Lydia’s direction as he left.
She followed Wolf into his office and placed the work on his desk. ‘You’ve been busy.’ He was looking at the pile of correspondence as he spoke, but she felt the words were the proverbial two-edged sword and remained silent. ‘Sit down, Lydia.’
She sank into the chair facing his desk as he seated himself without taking his eyes off her troubled face. ‘I didn’t know you knew my financial director,’ he said slowly, his voice expressionless but as cold as ice. ‘You didn’t mention it.’
She stared at him helplessly. What on earth was the matter with the man? Why did it matter to him who she knew anyway? ‘I…’ There was something so chilling in his face that it was freezing her thoughts. ‘I didn’t know I had to,’ she said weakly, his aggressiveness making her feel twice as guilty as she did already.
‘How long have you known him?’
This was ridiculous, she thought frantically. Pull yourself together, Lydia, explain you are a friend of Anna’s, talk to the man. But she couldn’t. Those ice-blue eyes were totally unnerving and, when she thought back to how the little tableau in the office must have seemed, embarrassment sent its red fingers all over her face. ‘I don’t know…’ She tried desperately to think of how long Anna and Mike had been married. ‘I think——’
‘No matter.’ He straightened suddenly in his chair as though he had just come to a decision, and she stared at him, alarmed.
‘Do you often wear your hair loose for the office?’ he asked coldly as his gaze moved to the soft, silky locks lying in a shining veil across her shoulders.
‘My hair?’ She raised an unconscious hand to her head as she stared back at him. What had her hair to do with this?
‘I prefer it tied back in the sort of style you wore yesterday,’ he said coolly. ‘As my secretary you have a certain reputation to maintain, and a neat, unassuming appearance gives the sort of impression I like in my staff. There are always men who are inclined to stand and waste time by the desk of a pretty woman, given the slightest encouragement’
She really couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stared at him open-mouthed as she wondered if what she had heard was what he had really said. ‘Exactly what are you saying?’ she asked, after a moment of stunned silence.
‘I’m saying that I would prefer a more discreet hairstyle,’ he said calmly as he picked up the phone that had begun to ring on his desk and gestured for her to leave. ‘If you don’t mind.’
There was nothing she could do but leave him to take the call, but as she returned to her own office her wits returned along with a flood of hot colour in her face. The cheek of it. The absolute cheek of it! Once that call ended she would tell him that she did mind, she minded very much, the arrogant, overbearing——
‘Could I leave this with you for Mr Strade, please?’ She came out of her silent fury to see one of the office juniors timidly holding out a large sealed envelope. ‘It’s from Mr Collins in Personnel.’
‘Of course.’ Lydia smiled at the nervous girl, who couldn’t have been a day over sixteen, as she took a deep, silent
