Destiny Unleashed (5 page)

“I’m sure your intentions were honorable, Chester, but my aunt is in charge now. It is not my intention to second-guess her at every turn,” he said, determined not to undercut her authority when she’d barely gotten started. “If I’d felt that was necessary, I would never have sent her in the first place. I’m sure you’ll find some way to work with her and see that she has whatever information is necessary for her to succeed.”

“Absolutely,” Chester said, sounding more resigned than enthusiastic.

Ten minutes later, Richard was on the phone to Destiny, not to second-guess her, he reminded himself, but to find out what the dickens she thought she was doing. He kept Melanie’s warning in mind, though. The last thing he wanted to do was insult his aunt and get her dander up.

“Having fun yet?” he inquired lightly.

“Settling in,” she corrected her.

“Any plans in the works now that you’re on the scene?” he asked. “Any strategy you perhaps forgot to mention before you left?”

She heaved a sigh. “You’ve heard about the party.”

“And the guest list,” he admitted.

“Chester, I imagine. I know he was snooping around Miriam’s desk while she was addressing the invitations.”

“I’m not telling,” Richard replied. “I assume you have a reason for including Harcourt.”

“I do.”

“Mind sharing?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Destiny said. “I’ll let
you know how it turns out, though. I’ll give you a call first thing tomorrow.”

“Damn straight you will,” Richard groused. “You do still answer to me, you know.” It was something that bore repeating with his headstrong aunt.

Destiny merely laughed. “Don’t get all huffy with me, Richard. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“I just wish I did.”

“It’s nothing illegal or immoral, nothing that will reflect negatively on Carlton Industries. That’s all you need to concern yourself with. You know the old adage about keeping your enemies close, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Well, then, think of it that way. I intend to keep William Harcourt very close. He won’t make a move from now on without me catching wind of it.”

All of which struck Richard as a somewhat risky but reasonably fine idea until later that evening when his wife reminded him over an early dinner with his brothers and their wives that they were all but certain William Harcourt was not just some casual acquaintance from years ago, but the important man in Destiny’s life when she’d lived in France.

“Whoever that man was, she was deeply in love with him,” Melanie said. “In fact, she once called him the love of her life. Sounds to me as if she has a very different agenda in mind.”

“She never admitted that that man was Harcourt,” he grumbled, knowing that he was splitting hairs. Destiny had conceded that she’d known William back then and she’d also acknowledged that there had been an important man in her life. The likelihood that they were one and the same man was fairly high, especially
given her eagerness to take on this assignment. Richard might not like it, but the coincidences were too obvious to ignore. Wasn’t that the very thing that had him so worried about all of this?

“But I picked up on it,” Melanie said.

“So did I,” Kathleen added.

Richard looked at his brothers. “Did you guys get all of that from whatever Destiny said?”

“Pretty much,” Ben said.

Mack merely shrugged.

“You really should pay more attention to what people tell you,” his wife scolded. “She laid all the clues out there.”

He stared at his brothers in complete bewilderment. “Okay, let’s say she was in love with Harcourt at one time. They haven’t had any contact in a couple of decades now. She did say that, right?”

“Yes,” they all agreed.

“Then what on earth is Destiny up to over there?”

“Sounds to me like she’s out for blood,” Mack said.

“I don’t think so,” Ben said, his expression thoughtful.

Though Ben refused to accept it, he was Destiny’s favorite and he was closest to her in temperament. Richard knew if anyone could see into her heart, it was Ben.

“She might think that’s what she’s after,” Ben continued. “But I think it’s something else.”

Richard’s heart drummed slowly. “What?”

All three women and his youngest brother stared at him as if he were totally dense. “The man who got away,” they chorused.

“She took this job because she wants William Harcourt back in her life?” he asked, astonished and suddenly more worried than ever. Destiny’s remark about keeping the enemy close echoed dully in his head. “Then what was all that garbage she fed me about finding herself, about taking on new challenges and reinventing herself?”

“A smoke screen,” Mack suggested.

Beth regarded him with pity. “Don’t be absurd. Destiny wants to do all of those things. I’m sure she wants to become a powerful business executive
and
William’s lover. The two things are not mutually exclusive.”

“What’s more, I’d say he’s after the same thing,” Kathleen added.

“Dear God in heaven,” Richard muttered. “I’ve got to get her back here.”

Mack laughed at that. “How do you propose to do that?”

“I’ll fire her,” he said grimly.

“That won’t bring her home,” Ben told him. “It’ll just infuriate her. Besides, right now you’ve got her in a place where you can keep an eye on her. Old Chester the blabbermouth will alert you if she gets in over her head.”

“Actually, I warned him to stop tattling on Destiny before she caught on and fired him with my blessing.”

“Well, that was shortsighted,” Ben told him with a dismayed look.

“If I’d had any idea what she was really up to over there, believe me, I would have handled things differently,” Richard replied defensively.

“Maybe we’re worrying over nothing. Maybe Har
court won’t even show up at the party,” Mack suggested. “Maybe he got over his personal interest in Destiny years ago.”

All three women hooted at that.

“The man has been bidding huge amounts of money on companies he probably didn’t even want just to get Destiny all worked up and lure her over there,” Kathleen said. “Trust me, he’ll be at the party.”

Richard gaped at the comment. “You think that’s why he’s been mucking about in our business, just to get Destiny’s attention?”

“That’s been my theory all along,” she said. “If we’re right about their involvement years ago, it’s obvious he still knows her very well.”

Richard groaned at the implication.

“When is this party, by the way?” Ben asked. “Is it too late to fly over? I wouldn’t mind getting a look at this guy myself.”

“Too late,” Richard said bleakly, glancing at his watch. It was midnight in London. Then he brightened. “Actually, the party was probably a crashing bore and is over by now. Harcourt’s probably gone. And Destiny’s safely tucked in her own bed, exhausted by all her machinations.”

“Or they’re sharing a private moment with some brandy in front of a cozy fire, discussing the past,” Mack suggested.

Richard shot him a sour look. “Bite your tongue.”

“Well, I think it’s romantic,” Kathleen said staunchly. “Destiny has spent years and years catering to your every whim. She deserves to have some romance in her life, if she wants it.”

“Not with a man who’s out to destroy an entire division of Carlton Industries,” Richard retorted.

“I’m telling you he doesn’t give a damn about Carlton Industries,” Kathleen responded. “This has been about Destiny from the very beginning. If it hadn’t been, you would have lost more of those acquisitions than you won.”

“Kathleen could be right,” Mack said slowly. “The man always seemed to know just when to pull out of the bidding. You’ve said yourself, Richard, that it was almost uncanny how he backed down, just when you were about to concede defeat.”

“All that tells me is that someone was leaking our final offer to him, and he was smart enough to see he was out of his league,” Richard said. “That’s not much comfort. And this Fortnum Travel acquisition that’s coming up is critical. Destiny’s there and he’s showing no signs at all that he’s going to stop fighting us for it. This time he seems determined to win.”

“Really?” Kathleen said, obviously surprised. “Then he could be a real threat on this one?”

“Yes,” Richard said succinctly.

“But he could still back off at the last second, right? He’s done that before,” Ben said. “He might make some gallant gesture for Destiny’s benefit.”

Richard glowered at him. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t take a lot of comfort in the notion that a man that sneaky and underhanded is after our aunt.”

“Oh, please,” Mack said. “When it comes to being sneaky and underhanded, Destiny’s a match for any man. All you have to do is look around this room to see the evidence of that.”

Richard sighed at that. It was true. All three mar
riages were the result of Destiny’s clever schemes. If she could handle the three of them, William Harcourt would be a piece of cake. Richard just didn’t want Harcourt to be the piece of cake that wound up giving Destiny—or Carlton Industries—food poisoning.

D
estiny’s only regret about arranging this party before she lost her nerve was that it hadn’t given her much time to get over her jet lag and assure herself that she looked like a million bucks. Still, a glance in the mirror told her she looked more than respectable in an emerald satin cocktail suit that matched her eyes and showed off plenty of pale-as-cream skin.

Her London flat had been decorated for the holidays in advance of her arrival. The sparkling decorations were the only thing that had kept her from gasping with dismay at the sight of the dull furnishings. Once she’d seen her office, she recognized Chester’s taste reflected in both places. The man obviously had no imagination. Thankfully, Miriam had had the foresight to track down a decorator to handle the holiday preparations.

The tree shimmered with tiny white lights and golden ornaments, echoing the diamond-and-gold sparkles at Destiny’s neck and ears. The large rooms were filled with flattering, romantic candlelight. The buffet table set for the late-evening gathering glistened with silver and crystal and a centerpiece of holly. The bar shimmered with rows of Waterford champagne flutes and bottles of Dom Pérignon. Soft Christmas music and the scent of bayberry filled the air. She’d
deliberately chosen a late start for the event, hoping that anticipation would add an extra element to the occasion.

She gazed around in satisfaction. The scene had been properly set, worthy of a spread in some slick magazine. Best of all, it was a far cry from the simpler, more casual style of her holiday entertaining years ago. Then she had prided herself on outrageous decorations and an eclectic assortment of guests. Tonight spoke of a woman of taste, elegance and substance. Those parties had been fun. Tonight’s was meant to impress—one man in particular. If Richard had suspected as much when they’d spoken earlier, his panic level would have increased tenfold. In fact, now that he’d had time to think, she imagined he was working himself into a frenzy over his own dinner.

Chester, an unaccompanied bachelor, was the first to arrive, obviously in a misguided attempt to forestall the mistake he thought Destiny was intent on making. Other Carlton executives and their wives were right on his heels, probably at his command. Destiny did her best to make them feel welcome, all the while keeping one eye on the door.

It was after ten, beyond fashionably late, when William finally appeared. Her heart immediately did a little flutter-step, which she promptly and viciously tried to regulate. Only when she had her emotions firmly in check did she go to greet him.

“William,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek, a kiss no more intimate than those she’d bestowed on all the other guests. It was the little jolt to her senses that made this greeting different. “How lovely that you could come.”

He regarded her with amusement. “You knew I wouldn’t stay away. It’s been a long time, Destiny. Far too long.”

“Has it?” she asked, as if his absence had barely registered. “Yes, I suppose it has been. The years have flown by.”

She regarded him more intently. He was as handsome as ever, his complexion tanned even in December from recent rounds of golf, no doubt. There was no softness to the line of his jaw and few signs of aging beyond the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and a trace of gray in his hair.

“Yet you’ve hardly aged a day,” she added appreciatively.

“And you not a moment,” he said, surveying her with equal approval. “You’re every bit as beautiful as I’d remembered. Perhaps more so. There’s a glow about you. It must be the excitement of your new challenge.”

“And you have the same glib charm I remembered,” she said lightly.

He laughed, obviously aware that she’d meant it not as a compliment, but as a subtle dig suggesting total insincerity.

“Tell me, Destiny, how are your nephews?”

For the first time, her smile came easily. “Wonderful. They’ve grown into extraordinary young men. I’m very proud of them.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised. With your influence, how could they have turned out any other way?”

She laughed at the continued flattery. “Oh, there are some who despaired at me being in charge of shaping their lives. They thought I’d ruin them. What
sort of mother would a madcap, gadabout like me make, after all?”

“An amazing one, I would think,” he said, his expression solemn. “Those boys couldn’t have been any luckier than to have you come to pick up the pieces after their parents died.”

She didn’t want to feel anything at the total sincerity in his voice, but she did—another of those traitorous flutters in the region of her heart. To cover for it, she glanced around quickly for an escape. Better not to linger when her defenses were so clearly down. Better to escape while this first meeting was going so well. There was an art to captivating a man. It was essential to leave him wanting more.

“Do you know everyone here?” she asked. “Let me introduce you around.”

She hurriedly parked him with Chester, a safe-enough bet, then made her way to the balcony off the living room for a quick breath of air. All of the oxygen seemed to have been sucked from her lungs at the sight of William. It wasn’t fair that he could still affect her so deeply, not fair at all.

The London night was raw and damp, but the air served its purpose. It wiped away the warm and fuzzy feelings that had resurfaced the instant she’d laid eyes on William. She’d told him the truth inside. The damn man had barely changed at all. Those few distinguishing streaks of gray in his thick hair, the laugh lines on his tanned face only added character.

She had to keep reminding herself that he was a snake, a snake who meant to do her family harm. That wasn’t bitter resentment talking, but truth. He’d proved his intentions time and again. He hadn’t been
targeting a million and one different companies for acquisition in recent years, only those in which Carlton Industries had expressed an interest. There was no mistaking that his business actions were directed her way. It would take longer to figure out why he was so intent on creating problems for her family’s company. But she would, and no matter the lingering attraction she felt, she would make him pay.

Still, it was hard, if not impossible, to keep the flood of other, kinder and gentler memories at bay.

And so, forgiving herself in advance for the indulgence, she let them come.

Provence, 1981

The fields were alive with poppies, bright red flags waving against a sky of purest blue. Destiny had glimpsed the glorious sight from her window not ten minutes before. Captivated, she ran down the stairs, grabbed easel, canvas and paints and ran barefoot through the field across from her house to a vantage point that showed a tiny patch of sparkling sea in the distance. While the light was still exactly right, she set to work.

“How many times are you going to paint this same scene?” William inquired, appearing behind her an hour later with a cup of coffee in hand, an amused expression on his face.

Destiny barely spared him a glance. “It’s different every time. The light is never the same,” she murmured absently, already lost in her work. “I’ll never tire of it.”

William sighed. “I suppose it’s the same way I feel about you.”

Something in his voice caught her attention. She turned slowly and put down her brush. “Oh?”

“I don’t think I shall ever tire of you,” he said, reaching for her, his hands skimming her breasts, covered only in the soft white cotton of the gown she wore to bed. “God, you’re gorgeous. You make me wish I could paint so I could capture you looking just as you do now, all rosy and rumpled and sexy.”

“Perhaps one day I’ll put myself in a painting and give it to you.”

He stroked her belly, starting a fire that couldn’t be ignored.

“It won’t be the same,” he said. “You don’t see yourself as I do. You still think of yourself as the American runaway, a shy girl escaping the demands of her family. I see you as a woman with so many facets, I’ll never know them all.”

At his touch, his words, Destiny gave up all thoughts of painting. “Will you try?”

“Always,” he said, scooping her into his strong arms and carrying her back to the house, to the bed they’d been sharing for almost a year now. “When I found you, I truly found my destiny.”

Destiny fit her body to his, reveled in his touch, and wondered if it was true, if they would be like this always.

But, of course, they hadn’t been, Destiny reminded herself sadly, shivering in the chill of the London night. Their magical time together had been cut short by the tragic deaths of her brother and his wife. And
even though she’d felt an instantaneous connection to William tonight, he wasn’t the same person he’d been back then. Neither of them were. Sentiment and nostalgia had no place in their relationship now. They were business enemies. It would be wise to remember that and keep her defenses solidly in place.

It was also important to remember the reason she’d thrown this party in the first place, then added William to the group. It hadn’t been merely to catch a glimpse of him while surrounded by other people. She’d wanted to see if there was anyone here tonight who seemed especially friendly to him or, possibly, someone he was careful to avoid. She couldn’t detect any of that from her safe spot on the balcony, and it was time she got to work.

When she opened the door, the sounds of a successful party spilled out. The faint strains of music were overshadowed by laughter and conversation. Sometimes all it took to make a success of an evening was the right mix of champagne, good food and people with something in common. Over the years, she’d also learned it was good to throw a little something extra into the mix, someone to create a bit of controversy and keep the conversation lively.

Whatever whispers had been stirred by William’s arrival into the midst of this Carlton event, he’d clearly overcome the initial suspicion and distrust. He was chatting with two couples now, her director of finance and her marketing expert, and their wives, as Chester stood grimly by, his expression still registering his disapproval. If he kept it up, he was going to put a real damper on things.

Destiny plucked two glasses of champagne from a
tray and went to join them, handing one to Chester. She tapped her crystal glass to his. “To a successful partnership,” she said quietly.

Chester stared at her in surprise. “Yes, of course,” he said, then took a polite sip of the champagne.

“Could I see you for a moment?” Destiny asked, coaxing him away from the others. David Perkins and Edward Wildemon would have to fend for themselves with William. And if one of them happened to be William’s spy, it was unlikely he would reveal himself in front of the other. At the moment, though, the conversation seemed focused on the current season of London theater.

“Is there a problem?” Chester asked at once.

“You need to cheer up,” she chided. “You’re giving everyone the impression that William needs to be watched like a hawk.”

“And well he does. Have you forgotten what he’s been up to?” Chester demanded. “It was a mistake inviting him. I don’t intend to let it turn into a disaster.”

“Then perhaps you should spend your time appeasing some of our neglected business associates,” she suggested.

His gaze narrowed. “You wanted Harcourt here for a specific reason, didn’t you?”

“Of course.”

He studied her intently. “Surely you don’t think he’ll give himself away. He’s too smooth for that.”

Destiny couldn’t deny that William was a slick operator. She’d alluded to that very thing when she’d spoken to him earlier. “But perhaps his inside source will not be quite so clever,” she explained.

“I’ll keep an eye on him. I’ll keep a close watch to see who he spends time with,” he said more eagerly. “But from a discreet distance.”

Destiny beamed at him. “I knew you would understand.”

He gave her an apologetic look. “Perhaps I misjudged you,” he said.

“It happens,” she said blithely. “Usually never more than once.”

For the first time since they’d met, Chester actually laughed. “Something tells me that working with you is going to be a revelation.”

She patted his hand. “For both of us, Chester. It can be a good partnership, you know. You have much-valued expertise in business and in the European market. I am rather clever with people. Together, I think we’ll be quite formidable, if you’ll give it a proper chance.”

“I most certainly will,” he said at once.

“And no more calls to my nephew. Understood?”

He blanched at that. “Richard told you?”

She laughed. “After promising he wouldn’t? Never. He didn’t have to. As I said, I understand people.”

“It won’t happen again, I assure you.”

Destiny nodded. “Then go and mingle. This is as good a time as any to prove to everyone that you and I intend to run this company as a team, rather than being at odds.”

When the obviously relieved Chester had gone off to talk with her other guests, Destiny turned her attention back to William. He was alone now, standing off to one side, almost in the shadows, his hooded gaze watching her. It reminded her all too vividly of
the night they’d met, when he’d sought a hiding place where he could observe rather than participate in the gathering.