‘Bill is also my business adviser,’ she told him abruptly.
‘Very well,’ Sir Charles shrugged. ‘Well, I suppose we might as well get down to business.’
‘I haven’t been introduced to Mr Lane,’ Logan said sharply.
Callie’s lids rose before fluttering down again, totally unnerved by how handsome he looked. ‘Bill Lane, Logan Carrington,’ she introduced abruptly.
‘Bill?’ Logan frowned. ‘You wouldn’t happen to have a little boy called Paul, would you?’
Bill was physically taken aback by the question ‘Why—yes,’ he frowned.
‘How is he?’ Logan’s concern was genuine, a smile of gentleness on his face. ‘He was teething when I last saw him.’
‘He’s over the worst of that now,’ Bill answered awkwardly.
‘Can we get on, Logan?’ his uncle snapped. ‘I’m sure Mr Lane has a perfectly charming little boy—’
‘Oh, he has,’ Logan nodded.
‘But he is hardly the reason for this meeting,’ his uncle continued sharply.
‘No, of course not,’ Logan drawled mockingly. ‘Carry on, Charles.’
‘Thank you!’
‘You’re welcome,’ he taunted.
To Callie the whole meeting had been turned into a farce. Bill had been angrily resentful towards Logan on her behalf, and with a few thoughtful words Logan had totally bemused the other man. It had been cleverly done; Logan had used every man’s weakness towards his son to reduce Bill to just another indulgent father, not the important ally she had thought he would be.
She only half listened to the start of the meeting, finding all the technical talk boring in the extreme. She would certainly never make a businesswoman!
‘And now we come to the subject of expansion,’ Sir Charles beamed at them all. ‘I don’t think there’s any need to discuss it further, we all know how we’re going to vote.’
‘Callie?’ Logan prompted.
‘Yes,’ she sighed. ‘I’m ready.’
‘So am I,’ he nodded to his uncle.
‘Would it be simpler to say who is for or who is against?’ Sir Charles boomed.
Both Callie and Logan remained silent, and she could see the older man’s confidence begin to waver.
‘Caroline?’ he questioned sharply.
‘Finish the vote, Charles,’ Logan instructed, his steady gaze never leaving Callie’s face.
‘But Caroline—’
‘Against,’ Logan said firmly.
‘Against,’ Callie echoed.
The reactions about her were instantaneous—Sir Charles’ voice raised in protest, Logan’s smile of approval. She had known Sir Charles wouldn’t like her decision, but she had known there was no other one she could make.
‘I don’t understand,’ Sir Charles was babbling, taken completely by surprise. ‘Caroline, you can’t mean this!’
She stood up to leave. ‘I do,’ she said firmly. ‘If you want to know why, I’m sure Bill will be only too glad to discuss it with you.’