Millie shook her head. The cottage had been a gift for when— “Things are different now.”
“They don’t need to be. Millie, we know it was a ghastly misunderstanding. It can be straightened out with a single phone call.”
Millie shookher head.
“Call him. He won’t refuse to speak to you.”
She shook her head again. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to turn into one of those dog puppets that sat on a car’s dashboard and shook its head at traffic.
“Millie, this is unnecessary suffering, for the two of you. He’d be here in a heartbeat if he knew the truth. Just tell him. Put him right. I know he isn’t the trusting kind of man, but he did trust you, he wants to trust you again, that’s where the rage comes from—”
“I know all that. I’m notstupid.”
“Oh I think you both are.” He huffed. “Very stupid. All you need to do is go to him. Speak to him.”
“Really? You want me to go to him?” She met Du Montfort’s blue gaze. “Beg him to give me the benefit of the doubt? Run after him to force him to hear my side?” Millie shook her head. “If I have to work this hard to make him see that I’m innocent, then I might as well have stayed with Henr—no.” She walked away to the bookshelf and pretended to look forsomething.
She’d learnt her lesson. Never again would she put herself through another relationship where she had to keep proving herself overand over.”
Du Montfort sighed heavily behind her. “We will keep trying, of course. I’ll take out a full-page advertisement inThe Timesif Ihave to.”
“No.” She turned around. “Please, if you care for me at all, don’t keep trying.”
“But why?” His blue eyes were full of concern.
“He told me once… A compliment that doesn’t come freely is worthless.” She rubbed a hand down her arm to smooth away the cold that came whenever she remembered his warm voice and laughing face.
But she’d lain in bed night after night thinking about this and she was sure about it. “The same holds true for love, for trust, for understanding. It has to come from him.” Millie pushed her hair out of her face. “He has towantto give me the benefit of the doubt.”
Of course, he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, long years of bitterness and mistrust with his father...all of it.
Of course, if he’d understood the truth, he’d have been calm and loving.
Being calm and loving when life was good, that was the easy part. Her grandmother used to say,All ships float in calm water; only a storm will test hull and keel. George had failed the testof ships.
A week later. London
One of his associates put his head round the door. “Do you havea minute?”
George lookedup. “Yes.”
“I know you’ve given a provisional okay for this case, but Swiss Energy just sent the brief.” The young man stepped into the office. “It’s an enormous case, George. Not only breach of contract but potential fraud. I don’t see how we can spare the manpower to handle it. And it would have to be handled from Geneva.”
George didn’t even have to think about this. “I’lltake it.”
The associate’s mouth fell open before he pulled his face back into professional blandness. “You’ve already taken two other cases between Brussels and Scotland. If you oversee this, too…” He paused. “Well, you know best, but you’ll have to work 100, maybe 120 hours a week.”
Perfect.“Just tell them to send the material to our Geneva office next week. I’llbe there.”
The other man left, and in that instant of silence before George remembered what he’s been doing, in that instant of emptiness, his mind went backto Millie.
Call her. Speak to her.
Why? So she can lie toyou again?
He just wanted to hear her voice.
Why?
