Nothing like having to do for oneself to make one grow up, and grow.
Ava silently wished she had the courage to buck her big brother’s controlling hand and do the same. But it was too late for her. Far too late...
‘At least you don’t have to stay, if your father annoys you, dear. Why are you here, by the way? Melanie told me at breakfast that you’d come home during the night.’
Ava was shocked by the haunted, almost horrified look that zoomed into her niece’s dark blue eyes. But the fear vanished almost before Ava could be sure that was what she’d seen, replaced by one of Jade’s nonchalant c’est la vie expressions. Ava had always admired the girl’s courage and spirit, but it worried her that she buried far too many problems behind that good-time-girl persona. Clearly, something had happened last night to send Jade running for home like a frightened child. But she knew Jade too well to hope she’d confide in her stuffy old aunt.
‘Oh, just thought I’d drop in and see how the old family was doing,’ Jade said, waving an airy hand. ‘I didn’t know Pops was home, of course. Or that Nathan had escaped to Avoca with his daughter and his girlfriend.’
Ava frowned. ‘Girlfriend? Oh, you mean Gemma. She’s not Nathan’s girlfriend, Jade, she’s—’
‘Kirsty’s minder,’ Jade broke in drily. ‘Yes, I gather that’s the occupation she goes under. But you and I both know, Auntie, that she’ll be providing some extra services before long.’
‘I think that is Nathan and Gemma’s business, don’t you?’ Ava rebuked gently. ‘After all, Nathan’s divorced and Gemma’s single.’
‘Single! She’s barely out of nappies.’
‘She’s nearly twenty, Jade, only two years your junior. You didn’t seem to think Nathan was too old for you a while back.’
‘Auntie!’ Jade mocked. ‘Have you been spying on me?’
‘One hardly needs to spy on you, Jade, dear. You flaunt your feelings for all to see. You flaunt your other attributes as well,’ she added, casting an acerbic eye over the girl’s eyecatching and obviously braless figure.
For once, her niece seemed bothered by criticism over her appearance. Normally, she responded by being even more outrageous.
Jade sat up, glancing down at her body with a frown on her face. ‘Melanie was saying much of the same a minute ago,’ she muttered unhappily. ‘But honestly, Auntie, I don’t like stuffy clothes. And I don’t like stuffy people, especially stuffy men!’
Ava laughed. ‘What man’s been putting your nose out of joint?’
‘Some nerd Pops is holed up with in his study. Do you know him? He goes by the name of Mr Kyle Armstrong.’
‘Ah...the whizkid from Tasmania.’
‘And?’
Ava walked back over to sit down at her easel. She picked up her paintbrush and started dabbing before she satisfied Jade’s curiosity. ‘Can’t tell you much. He’s a marketing expert your father is thinking of hiring to jazz up Whitmore Opals.’
‘Jazz up? That man couldn’t jazz up anything. If Pops wants someone to jazz up Whitmore Opals why doesn’t he hire someone with a bit of flair, someone modern and really young? Someone like me! I’m specialising in marketing at uni this year. I’ll have my degree in November. God, I don’t believe this. I’m so mad I could spit.’ She jumped to her feet and started pacing the room.
‘One is hardly likely to hire an undergraduate for head of marketing, Jade,’ her aunt advised logically.
But Jade didn’t feel logical. Fury and resentment were firing her blood. Not only did she have Nathan coveting control of the entire Whitmore fortune—the family had fingers in many pies besides opals—now she had her father overlooking his own daughter to hire some pompous upstart into the very job she’d been going to invent herself after she’d gained her marketing degree. Up till this point, Whitmore Opals didn’t even have a marketing section, let alone a head of it. Byron had been only too happy to be head of everything: managing, selling, marketing, buying, advertising.
Jade’s temper was reaching boiling point when she suddenly realised this could be turned to her advantage. Why, if she played her cards right, she might be able to get the super-cool and undoubtedly ambitious Mr Armstrong on her side. By reminding him on the sly that she was the boss’s daughter and a marketing undergraduate, she might be able to con him into letting her work part-time in the office, so gaining some valuable training. Maybe once she showed her father she could be as clever and competent as any man, he would relinquish that stupid old-fashioned idea that a woman had no place in business.
Of course, to achieve such an end, she would have to present a slightly more conservative image, as Melanie had suggested. Any thought of wearing that ridiculously provocative corselette would have to be abandoned. She might even have to wear a normal bra.
‘Auntie,’ she said slowly, ‘you wouldn’t mind if I looked through your wardrobe, would you? I might borrow something for dinner tonight. Mr Armstrong is dining with us.’
‘I think you’ll find it a bit depleted, dear. I gave everything that didn’t fit me to Gemma.’
Jade couldn’t believe it. What kind of girl was this Gemma person that everyone was so taken with her? No doubt her own father thought she was just the ants’ pants, not like his own cheap, vulgar tramp of a daughter. God, she hoped Nathan hurried up and corrupted that girl. And she hoped everyone found out about it, including her father.
Grumbling under her breath, she decided there was nothing else to do but go downstairs and throw herself on Melanie’s mercy. The woman had to have something in her wardrobe besides those hideous black dresses she always wore.
Before she left, she wandered over to look at her aunt’s painting.
‘Hey,’ she said, surprise in her voice. ‘That’s rather good. You must be improving, Auntie.’
‘Either that, or your taste is,’ Ava countered with uncharacteristic wit. She and her niece exchanged startled glances.
‘Goodness, Auntie,’ Jade laughed. ‘That was quick.’
‘Yes, it was, wasn’t it?’
Jade gave her a considering look. ‘You seem happier, do you know that?’
‘You could be right. The whole house has been happier since Gemma came to live here.’
‘God, not that girl again! I’ll have to meet this paragon of perfection soon or I’ll explode with envy and irritation!’
Now Ava laughed. ‘She’ll have you eating out of her hand in no time, just as she has everyone else.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on that if I were you, Auntie.’ And, thinking darkly jealous thoughts, Jade marched from the room.
* * *
Gemma propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at the naked man sleeping beside her. He was so beautiful.
Her eyes caressed his perfect profile, his gorgeous
