style="font-size:15px;"> Nevertheless, as the birthday luncheon progressed, she schooled herself to respond lightly to Harry’s banter, pretending to be amused by it, making a show of enjoying his company. At least he was very persistent in claiming her attention, forcefully distracting her from Lucy’s and Michael’s stomach-curdling absorption in each other, and he did eat the lion’s share of the seafood platter without trying to push her into trying more than she could manage.
It was weird finding herself grateful to have Harry at her side, but just this once she actually did. Without him she would feel wretchedly alone, facing the worst scenario of lost hopes. How she was going to cope, hiding her feelings from both Lucy and Michael in the days to come, she didn’t know. She hoped they would go off somewhere together after this luncheon, give her some space, release her from the tension of keeping up a happy pretence that everything was fine.
A waiter cleared the table and offered them the sweets menu. Elizabeth decided on the selection of sorbets since they should just slide down her throat without any effort. As soon as the orders were given, Harry leaned an elbow on the table and pointed a finger at his brother, claiming his attention.
‘Mickey, I have the solution to my problem with the resort.’
‘You have to clear that guy out, Harry,’ came the quick advice. ‘Once you confront him you can’t leave him there. The potential for damage …’
‘I know, I know. But it’s best to confront him with his replacement. We walk in and turf him out. No argument. A done deal.’
‘Agreed, but you don’t have a ready replacement yet and the longer he stays …’
‘Elizabeth. She’s the perfect person for the management job—completely trustworthy, meticulous at checking everything, capable of handling everything you’ve thrown at her, Mickey.’
Confusion over this brother-to-brother business conversation instantly cleared. This was what Harry had intended to bring up after lunch—the perfect change for her. Except it wasn’t perfect. Working for him would drive her bats.
‘Elizabeth is my PA,’ Michael protested.
‘I’m in more need of her than you are right now. Lend her to me for a month. That will give me time to interview other people.’
‘A month …’ Michael frowned over the inconvenience to himself.
A month …
That was a tempting time frame—manageable if Harry wasn’t around her all the time. The resort wasn’t his only area of interest and responsibility. A month away from Michael and Lucy was a very attractive proposition.
‘On the other hand, once Elizabeth gets her teeth into the job, she might want to stay on,’ Harry said provocatively.
No way—not with him getting under her skin at any given moment!
Michael glowered at him. ‘You’re not stealing my PA.’
‘Her choice, Mickey.’ Harry turned to her. ‘What do you say, Elizabeth? Will you help me out for a month … stay on the island and get the resort running as it should be run? My about-to-be ex-manager has been cooking the books, skimming off a lot of stuff to line his own pockets. You’ll need to do a complete inventory and change the suppliers who’ve been doing private deals with him. It would be a whole new challenge for you, one that …’
‘Now hold on a moment,’ Michael growled. ‘It’s up to me to ask Elizabeth if she’ll do it, not you, Harry.’
‘Okay. Ask her.’
Yes was screaming through her mind. It offered an immediate escape from the situation with Michael and Lucy; no need to explain why she wanted to go away; a whole month of freedom from having to see or talk to either of them; a job that demanded her complete attention, keeping miserable thoughts at bay. These critical benefits made the irritation of having to deal with Harry relatively insignificant. Her heart was not engaged with him. Her head could sort out his effect on her, one way or another.
Michael heaved an exasperated sigh, realising he’d been pushed into a corner by his brother. ‘It’s true. You would be helping us out if you’d agree to step in and do what needs to be done at the resort,’ he conceded, giving Elizabeth an earnest look. ‘I have every confidence in your ability to handle the situation. Every confidence in your integrity, too. I hate losing you for a month …’
You’ve just lost me forever, Elizabeth thought.
‘… but I guess someone from the clerical staff can fill in for a while….’
‘Andrew. Andrew Cook,’ she suggested.
He frowned. ‘Too stodgy. No initiative.’
‘Absolutely reliable in doing whatever task he’s set,’ she argued, rather bitchily, liking the fact that Michael found him stodgy. He’d obviously found her stodgy, too, in the female stakes.
‘I take it that’s a yes to coming to the island with me,’ Harry slid in, grinning from ear to ear.
She shot him a quelling look. ‘I’m up for the challenge of fixing the management problems, nothing else, Harry.’
‘Brilliant!’
He purred the word, making her skin prickle. It instantly gave her the unsettling feeling she might have bitten off more than she could chew with Harry Finn. But he wouldn’t be at her side all the time on the island. Going was still better than staying at home.
‘That’s it, then,’ Michael said with a resigned air.
‘A whole month! I’ll miss you, Ellie,’ Lucy said wistfully.
‘The time will pass quickly enough,’ Elizabeth assured her—particularly with Michael dancing attendance.
The waiter arrived with the sweets they’d ordered.
‘We need to get moving on this,’ Harry muttered as he dug into his chocolate mud cake.
‘As soon as possible,’ Michael agreed.
‘Today,’ Harry decided, checking his Rolex watch. ‘It’s only three o’clock now. We could be over on the island by four-thirty. Have him helicoptered out by six. We leave here when we’ve finished our sweets, hop on the boat …’
‘It is Elizabeth’s birthday, Harry,’ Michael reminded him. ‘She might have other plans for today.’
‘No, I’m good to go,’ she said, recklessly seizing the chance to be relieved of staying in Michael’s and Lucy’s company any longer.
‘What about clothes and toiletries and stuff?’ Lucy put in. ‘You’re going for a month, Ellie.’
‘You can pack for her, Lucy,’ Harry said decisively. ‘Mickey can take you home, wait while you do it, take Elizabeth’s bags and arrange their shipping to the island.’
‘No problem,’ Michael said, smiling at Lucy like a wolf invited into her home to gobble her up.
Lucy
