The Ultimate Surrender

He paused. ‘What exactly do you have in mind? If you’re planning to sell your share then I have to advise you that, from memory, I think the original documents specified that Marcus should be offered first refusal of any prospective sale of your share. So if you were thinking of putting your share on the open market, or if you have already received an offer you were thinking of accepting…’

‘No. No, nothing like that,’ Polly hastened to assure him. ‘The offer I have received is purely an offer of work, and has nothing to do with my co-ownership of Fraser House.’

‘Well, in that case, you might find it would be worth your while to think of retaining your ownership in the hotel. You and Marcus could appoint another manager, which would leave you free to take up this new job offer.’

Another manager for the hotel…Polly caught her breath. Suzi was more than qualified for such a position, and indeed already worked in such a capacity for Phil Bernstein, but would Marcus want his new bride to work, especially if they were anxious to start a family? What was she doing to herself? Polly asked herself wretchedly as her mind remorselessly relayed to her taunting images of Marcus enjoying the prospect of becoming a father, his arm curved possessively around Suzi’s burgeoning body, pride and tenderness softening his eyes, his body turned protectively towards her.

‘No…’

‘What? I’m sorry?’ she could hear Tim Webb saying to her.

‘No, it’s nothing, Tim,’ Polly said apologetically. ‘I was just thinking of something. I’m sorry, what were you saying?’

‘I was just suggesting that I could perhaps draft a letter for you to send to Marcus, formally telling him that you wish to terminate your managership, along with another letter offering him first refusal on the sale of your share of the business, subject to a professional valuation, of course.’

‘Yes, that sounds a good idea,’ Polly confirmed hollowly.

As she replaced the telephone receiver she told herself that she was glad that the decision had been made and there was no going back. That was just the first hurdle over, though. She still had to tell Briony, and to inform Phil Bernstein that she had changed her mind and she now wanted to accept his offer.

She telephoned Phil first.

‘Good girl,’ he praised her. ‘I knew you’d see things my way…When can you start?’

Polly couldn’t help laughing despite her misery.

‘I still have to formally terminate my managership with Marcus,’ she warned him.

‘A piece of cake. Tell him I’ll pay him whatever forfeit he wants. Anything just so long as he releases you…In fact, give me his number; I’ll give him a call myself.’

‘I can’t. He’s in China at the moment on business,’ Polly told him. ‘But quite honestly, Phil, I’d rather do things legally and properly. My solicitor is drawing up a formal letter for me to send to him.’

‘Uh-huh; well, if you have any problems with him, any problems at all, just let me know. My legal guys are the best in the business…’

‘I’m sure they are,’ Polly conceded.

‘So if Marcus starts making things difficult, or giving you a hard time…’

‘I doubt very much that he’s likely to do anything like that,’ Polly sighed. ‘In fact, I should imagine he’ll be only too happy to terminate our contract.’

‘Well, Suzi said something about the two of you not getting on very well, but I thought…By the way, did you happen to see Suzi when you left the hotel this morning?’

‘Er, she was in the foyer,’ Polly told him.

‘Uh-huh. Well, she probably forgot she and I were supposed to be having a meeting.’

Polly was tempted to say that Suzi appeared to have a very relaxed attitude towards her professional responsibilities, but instead she bit her tongue. Briony had hinted that at some stage Suzi and Phil had been more than merely employer and employee, and perhaps it was for that reason that Suzi felt able to behave in a way that she herself would never have dreamed of behaving towards someone who was, after all, her boss.

‘How long is it before Marcus gets back from China?’ Phil asked her.

‘I’m not sure,’ Polly confessed, unwilling to admit that she hadn’t even known he was going. Not that Marcus had any responsibility to tell her what his movements were, but in the past, when Briony had been at home, he had always kept her informed of where he was, giving her a contact number just in case she needed to get hold of him.

Briony…

After she had laughingly refused Phil’s suggestion that she drive back to London so that they could have a celebratory meal together whilst he outlined all the plus points of her soon-to-be contract with him, Polly picked up the receiver again and dialled her daughter’s telephone number.