With a shock of sensation that brought hot colour burning al
l through her body, she stopped herself. It must be the worry, she thought distractedly, that must be what was causing all these odd thoughts to come to mind.
‘Drink?’
It took her several seconds to focus on what he was saying.
‘Oh, yes…er…coffee, please…’
‘Stay here, I’ll go and get it.’
She couldn’t help lifting her eyebrows and asking mockingly, ‘You’ll go and get it? Rather a comedown, isn’t it, for the great Kyle Bennett? I should have thought you’d have a string of willing handmaidens to perform such mundane tasks as that.’
‘I have a woman from the village who comes in to clean and gets in the shopping for me. You forget, Heather, when you’ve been institutionalised you soon learn the true value of having your own privacy.’
She felt her skin heat up in shamed embarrassment at her implied lack of insight. It infuriated her that Kyle seemed to have this knack of always putting her in the wrong, of making her feel that her emotional responses were shallow and childish.
As though the small, bitter exchange had never taken place, he asked casually, ‘Black or white?’
‘White, please.’
When he had gone she stretched out her hands to the fire, luxuriating in its warmth.
‘We’ll get business out of the way first and then we’ll have lunch. I hope you still like chicken casserole.’
‘We’re eating here?’
‘Why not? You don’t have any objection, do you? I promise you I’m not going to poison you. I’ve rather a lot to get through before I leave for the States, and, to be honest, I simply don’t have the time to drive a dozen or more miles to eat what would probably be an indifferent meal, surrounded by the unedifying babble of the conversation of others.’
‘Forgive me, I’m sorry if I’m taking up too much of your valuable time,’ Heather interrupted sarcastically, still sore from their previous exchange, and reaching for her bag. ‘You were the one who wanted to talk, Kyle. I…’
‘All right, come down off your high horse.’
Heather gasped as he took hold of her and firmly pushed her down into a chair.
‘God, why on earth is it that you always have to twist everything I say, Heather? If I hadn’t wanted to see you today, I wouldn’t have suggested that we have lunch together but, having said that, I felt that what we had to say to one another could best be said in the comfort and privacy of my home than over a dining-table in public.’
He had a point, of course, but Heather didn’t want to acknowledge it.
‘And, of course, my time isn’t valuable, is that it?’ she demanded acidly. ‘It doesn’t matter that I’ve had to waste over an hour driving here, and then an hour driving back, two hours when I could have been working.’
‘Could you?’ Kyle asked her wryly, reaching down on to the table in front of him and picking up their order book.
As he deliberately thumbed through the betrayingly empty pages, Heather fought to control her chagrin.
‘All right, so we don’t have a lot of orders on hand at the moment, but…’
‘But nothing, Heather. The business is finished. You know it and I know it,’ he interrupted flatly. ‘Your father’s heading for bankruptcy unless he gets out now, and I mean now…like immediately. I’ve been to see your mother this morning—which is why I invited you here, by the way. She’s agreed, and so has your father, that I can take over the business with immediate effect. From this morning, your father’s company officially became a part of Bennett Enterprises.’
Heather stared at him. ‘You’ve taken over the company? But…’
‘Lock, stock and barrel,’ Kyle told her calmly. ‘Between us, your mother and I managed to persuade your father that he’s never going to be physically strong enough again to go back on the road and run the business as well. To be honest with you, I think he was quite relieved by my offer. I’ve paid him enough for the company to ensure that he and your mother will have a comfortable retirement.’
‘You’ve paid for the company? You mean, you’ve bought it from him?’
‘Is there any other way of acquiring someone else’s business legally, other than marrying into it?’ Kyle asked sardonically. ‘Certainly I’ve bought it from him. Come on, Heather, you know your father. Did you honestly think he would sit back and simply allow me to pay for his operation?’
Of course, he was right.