Charlie, there you are.’ Roscoe sounded coolly collected at the sight of his brother. The last few minutes might never have been.
‘Roscoe—’
‘Come and sit down.’
‘But Franton—’
‘The subject is closed.’ Roscoe’s voice was final and Pippa shivered.
She made a mental note not to get on his wrong side, but reckoned that was probably easier said than done.
Then she pushed all other thoughts aside to concentrate on the case, but now that was hard because something was causing Charlie to become uncommunicative, as though protecting a secret. When his secretary looked in, saying, ‘That call has come,’ he vanished at once.
‘How do you think it’s going?’ Roscoe asked her.
‘I think there are problems. He’s holding something back.’
‘You amaze me. Last night he didn’t seem to be holding anything back. You’re doing brilliantly, as I expected.’
‘That’s why you came along, to keep watch, is it? To make sure I didn’t lead Charlie along the wrong path?’
‘Are you angry with me?’
‘I suppose I might be. I can’t think why.’
She spoke ironically, but there was truth as well. Beneath the polite surface, this meeting seethed with undercurrents of mistrust. The visit to Roscoe’s home had left her feeling more kindly to him, but last night had reversed that. Now she remembered the awkwardness on which their relationship was based and she couldn’t wait to get away from him.
‘Maybe I’m not managing this very successfully,’ he said, ‘but it’s a new situation for me too.’
‘You mean you don’t hire women for romantic relationships every day? You amaze me. I thought you were an old hand.’
‘All right, attack me if you wish. You’re angry about last night, and perhaps you have reason, but I only wanted to. to study the situation.’
‘You wanted to find out if you were getting what you paid for. Or if Charlie was getting what you paid for.’
‘Stop it!’ Roscoe snapped, suddenly finding his nerves fraying. ‘Don’t talk like that.’
‘I’ll talk as I like. It’s been “like that” ever since you hired me. Well, I don’t sleep with the men I date. None of them. Sorry to disappoint you.’
‘How dare you say that?’ he raged.
Far from disappointing him, Pippa’s words gave him a surge of joy so intense it was almost frightening. Until now, he hadn’t known how much it mattered. But the discovery left him more confused, even more angry. He wanted to roar up to the heavens.
‘Don’t ever say anything like that,’ he commanded, breathing hard. ‘It wasn’t our bargain, and you have no right to imply that it was.’
‘Maybe not in words, but it’s what you were thinking.’
‘Don’t dare tell me what I’m thinking. You know nothing. Nothing!‘
‘Perhaps I know more than you realise.’
‘Pippa, I’m warning you—’
‘Then don’t. What right do you have to warn me? You’re so arrogant, you think you can give orders left, right and centre, but not to me.’
‘I’m arrogant? ‘ Roscoe snapped. ‘What about you? You assume all men are slavering for you and you despise them accordingly. I only hope one day you’ll meet a man who’s totally indifferent to your charms. It would teach you a lesson.’
‘But surely,’ she said with poisonous sweetness, ‘I’ve met him already—in you. Haven’t I?’
If she’d been easily scared she might have quailed at the look he threw her.
‘You are indifferent to my charms, aren’t you, Roscoe?’
‘Totally! ‘ he said in a voice of ice.
‘And, since I’m equally indifferent to yours, neither of us has a problem. Just the same, I think it’s time this arrangement came to an end. Another lawyer will suit you better.’
She rose and made for the door, but he was there before her.
‘Don’t be absurd. You can’t just go like this.’
‘So anyone who disagrees with you is absurd? No, I was absurd the day I let myself get embroiled in this. I should have had more sense of self-preservation. Now, please stand aside.’
‘No,’ he said stubbornly. ‘I’m not letting you leave here.’
‘Roscoe, stand aside. I won’t be treated like this.’
Pippa thought he would defy her again, but then his shoulders sagged.
‘All right, I’ll stand aside,’ he said. ‘But I’m going to say something first.’
‘Then get on with it.’
‘Don’t go. Hate me as much as you like, but don’t abandon Charlie, please.’
‘Roscoe—’
‘I’m begging you, do you understand that? Begging.’
His eyes left no doubt that he meant it. They were brilliant, feverish, amazing her so that she couldn’t speak.
‘Well?’ he asked. ‘Do you want me to go down on one knee?’
‘Oh, don’t be ridiculous,’ she said, backing away. ‘Suppose someone came in.’
‘Then they’d see me as never before, and they’d think it was a good laugh. Is that your price? You want me to make a fool of myself, and then you’ll do as I ask? Is that it?’
‘Suppose I said yes?’ she asked. ‘Would you pay the price?’
‘Yes,’ he said simply. ‘Shall I? Go on, you’ve been wanting to take me down a peg since we met. Now’s your chance.’
‘No!’ she exploded. ‘That’s the last thing I’d want. I’m not that kind of harpy.’
‘Then what is your answer? Will you stay?’
‘Yes! Now get back behind your desk and stop talking nonsense.’
He gave her a wry look, but moved away behind the desk.
Suddenly the door came flying open and Charlie stood there. ‘I won!’ he carolled.
‘You don’t mean that three-legged hack came home? ‘ Roscoe asked ironically, and only Pippa noticed
