So hehadbeen discussing her, or, more accurately, trying to discredit her. ‘Why would I not be?’ She set her briefcase on the floor and held out her hand for the files. ‘In fact, I’ve dropped in to collect an updated copy of the physical files, as there still seem to be some details missing from your online case notes.’
She thought she noticed a flash of amusement in Gerard’s eyes as Rohan reluctantly handed over the files.
‘I’m confident you’ll find my case notes concur with these,’ he said.
‘Gosh, I hope not,’ she said. ‘We’ll be in all kinds of trouble.’
‘Rohan was telling me that Wilkins isn’t completely happy with the way his case has been handled.’
As usual, it was hard to read anything into Gerard’s tone, but Jemma’s stomach plummeted. She’d been right about Rohan. He was using Wilkins’s dissatisfaction to undermine her. She narrowed her eyes. Was he actively encouraging the client’s ire … to the extent that perhaps he even knew about the threats?
‘I’ve informed him that he is, of course, at liberty to take on another criminal lawyer,’ Rohan said glibly.
‘Oh, I just bet you have—’
‘But if he chooses to do so, he will also need to appoint another lawyer to handle his divorce.’ Rohan slid out a chair for her.
She sat. ‘But if he doesn’t have an issue with the way you’re managing that, why?’
Rohan resumed his seat, crossing one ankle over his knee and flicking an imaginary speck from his trouser cuff. ‘We’re a team, Jem. That’s the beauty of being a multifaceted firm. If Wilkins appoints GB&A to act on his behalf, we manage all aspects of his cases. If he ditches one of us, he loses both.’
She gasped. Despite Rohan’s unexpected solidarity, it was near impossible for a legal representative to break a retainer. ‘But how—’
Rohan ignored her interruption. ‘And, of course, he loses the advantage of the substantial—and expensive—research we’ve done.’ He nodded at the stack of files.
Losing GB&A representation of both cases would give Gerard an aneurysm—and make her the laughing stock of the cliquey South Australian legal fraternity. The remembered humiliation from her childhood tingled in Jemma’s fingers, threatening to consume her.
Gerard leaned back in his chair and assessed her over steepled fingers. ‘Once Rohan made our position clear and was able to reassure the client that, if he continues to take the advice provided by GB&A, we’re confident he is in an advantageous position with regards to both the criminal charges and a favourable divorce settlement, Mr Wilkins wisely decided to remain with us.’
Her usually agile brain was struggling to cope with the evolving circumstances, and she didn’t trust herself to make a coherent argument against Rohan’s assessment. Besides, Rohan seemed to somehow be holding all the aces, playing both her and the client.
‘Excellent,’ she said, willing her tone to be businesslike. ‘Gerard, I was looking into those pro bono hours. I’vesourced an opportunity to do some estate work based in the country, so, other than the meetings already in my diary, I’ll continue to work remotely for a period, and see what other opportunities there are for GB&A to pick up in the region.’
It was a split-second, unplanned decision, but suddenly she needed to get out of the office. Out of Adelaide, to where she felt she could draw breath.
It shocked her that Settlers Bridge was the place that seemed to offer refuge.
16
Hamish
Hamish hadn’t expected it to be Jemma who answered his knock on the door of the riverfront cottage. Disconcerted, he glanced behind him across the expansive green lawn toward the Wattle Seed Inn, as though checking he was in the right place.
Jemma didn’t speak, merely raised an eyebrow, apparently oblivious to the fact that she was wearing nothing but a t-shirt that he was fairly certain only skimmed the top of her thighs. But he wasn’t stupid enough to let his gaze travel that low.
‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you were back in Settlers,’ he eventually managed. Loose, Jemma’s dark hair was longer than he’d realised. She looked different, less uptight, her cheeks flushed as though she’d been working out. Though anyone would look relaxed in nothing but a tee, he thought, still fighting the urge to look down. And perhaps it was the lack of makeup that made her seem more natural, less a daunting force of nature.
‘You’re sorry you didn’t realise?’ Her voice held a hint of banter, and his shoulders eased. ‘You know, if you want to find out my residential status, you only have to ask.’
His eyes narrowed. She was rephrasing their interaction from the restaurant, weeks earlier? More importantly, sherememberedtheir conversation? ‘Consider this mewantingto know, then.’ He couldn’t resist loading the words with innuendo, but only because flirting was his go-to. Not at all because he’d spent some time thinking about her, and this was the first occasion she’d seemed anything like approachable. In fact, considering the music emanating from the cottage, her tousled hair and flushed cheeks, he suspected she’d been dancing.
It wasn’t helpful that his imagination insisted on supplying an immediate mental image.
‘I’m staying here for a while,’ Jemma said, her voice suddenly lower. But then she perked up, shooting him a teasing glance. ‘But I’m guessing it’s not me you came to see?’
‘I was trying to catch Sam, but I’ll count this an unexpected bonus.’ After making excuses not to do a damn thing about Tara—basically by telling himself he’d be interfering—he’d decided to lay the issue at Sam’s door. She was close to Tara’s brother, Wheaty, too, and had employed Tara in her cafe.
‘Nicely timed. Come on in. Sam just called to give me a heads-up that she and Pierce are leavingPelicanetnow—and they never arrive empty-handed.’ Jemma had turned as she spoke, leading him into the cottage. A pile of folders and a laptop lay on a seat in the window nook overlooking the river and she went over to tap her phone and turn down the music.
