If the Shoe Fits (13 page)

“I'm sorry about all this,” she said carefully. “Was that man, Mr. Jameson, a very important client?”

“Jameson's an investor. He's provisionally earmarked Cardiff Mode for an injection of rather a large amount of cash. Today was the day when we found out whether we'd get it or not.”

“Oh, God, I'm so sorry! Do you think I've ruined everything?”

“Jameson's a good man; he'll understand that accidents can happen. He doesn't base his decisions on first impressions. I'm confident that he will still invest.”

“Oh,” said Eleanor.

“You sound surprised,” remarked Charming, as he turned into Jewel Street. “What number?”

“Oh, twenty-four. And I
am
surprised. You look like you want to strangle someone.”

“I do,” he muttered darkly, looking at her briefly.

Charming parked the car smoothly and got out, walking around the vehicle to open Eleanor's door. He helped her out of the car and waited while she dug around her handbag for her keys.

“I'll be fine from here, you go back and finish your meeting with your investor,” said Eleanor hurriedly, not liking the glint she could see in Charming's eye.

“I'll just see that you're settled first, and then I'll leave you in peace.”

Eleanor knew for a fact that she would never settle with Charming in her house, so she offered a shaky thanks and told herself to put a brave face on things until he left. He soon had her propped amongst several cushions on her sofa, and after finding the kitchen, made her a pot of tea and a plate full of sandwiches.

“I really need to get back to work, but I'll be here later on today to check on you.”

“There's really no need,” protested Eleanor.

“No, I don't trust you,” he replied darkly. “Left to your own devices, you'll probably end up back in the hospital by this evening.”

“I'm honestly not usually this clumsy, I promise,” said Eleanor earnestly. Charming raised an eyebrow. “Well,” she added hastily. “I know I've been in a few scrapes in the last couple of weeks, but I think it's just a phase. Normally I'm not accident-prone at all.”

“A phase?” said Charming, rubbing his chin. “That's all the more reason to come back and check on you. This phase obviously hasn't run its course yet, so it's in your best interests to have someone looking out for you.”

“It is?”

“Yes, definitely. I'll be back around six. Don't move from that spot. In fact, you'd better give me your keys so that I can let myself back in.”

“But what if I need to have a, well, use the toilet?”

“Hold it in.”

“Charming.”

“What?”

“Oh, I meant charming as in
charming
, not your name,” said Eleanor, sounding like a complete loon.

“Right. Well, see you later.”

And with that, he left. Just like that. Taking her keys with him, too, the dratted man. Eleanor closed her eyes and groaned.

“Ella!”

Crap.

“Er, hi, Muse. I've had a little, er, accident, so I've come home early, as you can probably see.”

Muse strolled in to the room and shrieked loudly at the sight that greeted her.

“Your foot! What have you done this time?”

Eleanor quickly explained what happened, and cringed at the look of censure on her cat's face. Honestly, she was getting quite good at reading cats' expressions these days; she really should consider writing a book about it or something.

“And can you tell me how exactly you're going to continue with your walking lessons this week?” asked Muse irritably. “And what about your dress? You can't wear it while you've got a dirty big bandage strapped to your chest.”

“The bandage will be off in a day or two,” said Eleanor soothingly.

“And the foot?”

“Well, that might take a little longer to heal,” she said truthfully.

Muse glared at her.

“I'm sure I'll be fine by Friday. Don't worry.”

“Don't worry?
Don't worry?
Is that all you can say?”

“There's not an awful lot I can add to it.”

“Don't be so flippant! I honestly don't understand you, sometimes. How in the world do you get yourself into these messes?”

“Hey! It's not like it's intentional!”

“Shut up, I'm lecturing you!”

Eleanor scowled and folded her arms across her chest, prompting a fresh
ow
from her lips. Muse gave her a nasty look and continued to rant.

“I spend all my time plotting and planning your perfect Happy Ever After, and all you can do is run around flashing your body and getting into scrapes! Honestly, why do I bother? And another thing, what did I tell you about avoiding your Prince? Didn't I say that you were to make sure he didn't see you all week? Now look what's happened. He's coming back to play bloody nursemaid to you!”

“I thought swearing was forbidden,” muttered Eleanor.

“
It is!
See? See what you've done to me? You've got me cursing like a common sailor!”

“Look,” said Eleanor, sensing a pause in Muse's tirade. “All is not lost, I promise. Okay, so I haven't helped matters today, but it's too late to worry about that now. Charming will be back later, so all we need to do is work out a Plan B, yes?”

“A Plan B?” sniffed Muse doubtfully.

“Yes, a Plan B,” repeated Eleanor, thankful that Muse wasn't shouting any more. “I can't avoid him now; it's too late for that. But maybe you could give me a few pointers on how to behave when he comes back later. You know, tips and stuff to make me look like a lady instead of a walking accident.”

“Maybe,” said Muse slowly, though she was clearly still ruffled. “We definitely need to do something, or this whole mission is doomed.”

“Cheerful puss, aren't you?” remarked Eleanor under her breath.

• • •

A few hours later, Eleanor was studying the notepad in her hand doubtfully. Muse had given her a list of things to remember while she was in contact with Charming, with most of them bordering on impossible as far as Eleanor was concerned. She eyed the list closely, but no matter how much she wanted to do well, she knew that she was probably going to forget everything and revert to her usual un-lady-like self.

Things To Remember When Trying to Charm A Prince.

DO remember to sit up straight in your chair. Posture is everything!

DO cross your legs at the ankles. NEVER at the knee! This is important, because crossing at the knee is vulgar.

DO sip at your drink, and nibble daintily at any food. Slurping and guzzling is simply not done when you are a lady.

DO remember to speak in a clear voice. Muttering to yourself is to be avoided at ALL COSTS.

NO SWEARING! Absolutely no cursing, growling, or any other type of noise is to escape your lips. Ladies are POLITE at all times!

NO fidgeting. Playing with the button on your blouse might help to settle your nerves, but could prove to be disastrous when you accidentally show a little more than what you bargained for.

NO other un-lady-like noises. If you feel the need to pass wind, discreetly ask to be excused and make your way to another room.

Crikey, she was doomed.

With a few last-minute instructions from Muse running through her head, Eleanor greeted Charming with a smile when he arrived a little after six o'clock. He said a quick hello, and disappeared into the kitchen. Eleanor noted the bags he was carrying and could smell something very appetizing wafting from them.

“I hope you like Chinese,” he called over his shoulder.

“Love it,” said Eleanor warmly.
Polite, polite, polite. You can do it, Eleanor.

A few minutes later, Charming came back with two glasses of wine, though Eleanor noted that her glass was only half full.

“Best to be careful,” advised Charming. “You shouldn't mix alcohol with painkillers.”

Eleanor smiled, but inwardly winced. She usually didn't bother to worry about things like that, and was normally to be found swallowing her medicine tablets with a good swig of wine. Probably best if she kept that to herself, she thought to herself.

When Charming entered the room next, he was balancing a tray in each hand. Eleanor's mouth watered and she made to move her legs. She usually liked to put her feet up when she was eating, being the slob that she was. She had lifted her legs half way when she remembered the list. She covered her mistake by saying that she needed the bathroom.

“I won't be a tick,” she said uncomfortably.

“Fine, I'll wait for you before I start. Do you need any help?”

“No! I mean, er, no thanks. I'm sure I can manage.”

“Okay,” he said lightly. “Just shout out if you get stuck.”

Eleanor made her escape and limped up the stairs to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it heavily. She took a few calming breaths and realized that she really did need to use the bathroom after all. When she was done, she washed her hands and looked at her reflection in the bathroom cabinet.

“Sit up straight, no slurping, don't rush your food, be polite, don't cross your legs, and no swearing,” she chanted softly.

She dried her hands and smoothed her hair a little, then decided that she really couldn't hide any longer. Taking one last stern look at herself in the mirror, she squared her shoulders and hobbled back to the living room.

“Better?” asked Charming.

“Much,” she replied, as she sat down again, being careful to sit up straight and cross her ankles. She took the offered tray and picked up a fork.

“You didn't have to do this, you know,” said Eleanor, spearing a forkful of aromatic chowmein.

“I was planning on Chinese take-out tonight anyway,” he shrugged. “I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone.”

“You look a lot more cheerful than you did earlier on.”

“I was angry at you earlier,” he pointed out. “I'm still rather annoyed at you, to be truthful, but I've simmered down now.”

“I thought the investor thing was all right?” said Eleanor in confusion.

“Oh, he was fine. I wasn't worried about that at all.”

“So why were you angry at me?”

“Because you're a fool, that's why.”

Eleanor bit back a retort, shoveling food into her mouth to stop her from speaking.
Crap, that's another rule broken.

“Why am I a fool?” she asked, trying to salvage the situation.

“Because you were so busy worrying about that stupid investor that you forgot to worry about yourself. There you were, cut to smithereens, and I had to practically force you to accept my help.”

“I wasn't exactly cut to smithereens.”

“You were injured,” said Charming firmly. “Bleeding all over the place, actually.”

“Yes, well, it wasn't as bad as it looked. Really. I'm perfectly fine, and I'll be back at work in the morning.”

“You'll do no such thing! Have the rest of the week off, and that's an order.”

Eleanor was determined to return to work the following day, so she didn't reply. She had a few more mouthfuls of her meal, and sipped at her wine slowly. Charming finished his meal and poured himself another glass of wine, watching her closely.

“Are you sure you like Chinese? You don't seem to be enjoying that at all.”

“No, it's fine,” she assured him, having another mouthful to prove her point.

“There's no need to stand on ceremony with me, you know.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Thank goodness!” she exclaimed, leaning back and putting her feet up. “I have this friend who keeps telling me how I should behave in front of Pr — , er, people, and she's been lecturing me on the dos and don'ts of social etiquette all afternoon.”

Charming chuckled.

“This is bliss,” continued Eleanor, sighing as she shoveled an overflowing forkful of food into her mouth. “I love Chinese, and you can't really enjoy it if you're trying to be lady-like, can you?”

“Well, you certainly look much happier now that you've relaxed,” said Charming, smiling. “Why on earth are you trying to be more ladylike, anyway?”

“Oh, no reason,” said Eleanor, blushing slightly. “My friend just thinks that I should try to lose some of my bad habits, that's all.”

“Bad habits being?”

“Drinking too much, eating like a pig, swearing, and apparently losing my clothes far too often.”

“Well I don't know about the rest, but you do seem to be half naked more often than you should.”

Eleanor snorted.

“Though, I wouldn't say that was a bad habit as such,” he added.

“Men,” said Eleanor, rolling her eyes. “I should have known you'd say something like that.”

“Why were you in the studio earlier, anyway?”

Thankful of the change of subject, Eleanor explained about her need to avoid Derek, and how that need had prompted her to search out some privacy in her lunch hour.

“I'll have to have a word with that man,” said Charming darkly. “I've heard other female staff members complaining about him. He's turning into a bit of a problem, obviously.”

“He's always been harmless,” said Eleanor, trying to be fair. “I don't think he realizes how inappropriate he is being half of the time.”

“Yet you still felt the need to hide from him.”

“Maybe. To be truthful, I just didn't want to have lunch with him, and I took the coward's way out of it by hiding. I don't think he's dangerous. In fact, I'd swear he was harmless.”

“That's not the point. I won't have any of my staff feeling uncomfortable. I'll be having a word with Leeming first thing in the morning.”