‘Whether he was handsome or not, shortly after they met he died from his wounds. It’s a terribly sad story, isn’t it? Whether the two of them had feelings for each other we can only wonder, but the giving of the ring was documented in the soldier’s family archives. That’s how we were able to trace its provenance.’
‘I am guessing that you like to imagine the couple did have feelings for each other, Rose.’ Eugene’s expression was suddenly intense.
Feeling strangely as if she was under siege, she shrugged. ‘Why not? Who could begrudge them the little bit of happiness they may have had in the midst of such a terrible situation? But the truth is we’ll never know what really happened.’
What Rose did know was that she had to engineer some space between her and Eugene. She might at one point have felt a chill, but now she was definitely warmer...too warm.
‘If you’ve finished having a look round up here we should go downstairs and have that meeting...don’t you think?’
‘I agree. Perhaps you could make us some coffee?’
‘Of course... How do you take it?’
‘How do you think I might take it, Rose? Humour me.’
If his tactic was to disarm her and lull her into a false sense of security because he’d decided to be playful, Rose couldn’t deny that on another day she might have succumbed to his charm. After all, what woman wouldn’t feel flattered by his exclusive attention? But today she wouldn’t be so easily swayed. Not when she had an important task to fulfil. She had to sell the antiques shop on her boss’s behalf and secure the very best deal she could. Nothing could distract her from that goal.
Leading the way back downstairs, in an attempt to let Eugene see that she wasn’t rattled by his friendly repartee, she breezily threw over her shoulder, ‘Okay, then. I’m guessing you probably like it strong and black. But I’m also guessing you like a couple of spoons of sugar to sweeten it. Am I right?’
‘I’m impressed. But be careful not to assume you know what I like in any other respect, Rose... You might find that you’ve bitten off a little bit more than you can chew.’
Even though she’d heard a smile in his voice, Rose didn’t doubt the comment carried a warning. No man became as successful as Eugene Bonnaire without carefully assessing anyone who might put obstacles in the way of him getting what he wanted...
* * *
When she returned to the office with the tray of coffee she’d made Eugene had his back to her, and she couldn’t help but let her gaze linger for a moment on the impressive breadth of his shoulders. In the better lit room she also saw that his hair was a rich dark brown, with dulled gold lights glinting here and there.
As if that wasn’t enough to capture her attention, the scent of his classy cologne drifted beguilingly on the air and made her insides turn over. With the tip of her tongue she moistened her suddenly dry lips and placed the tray on the gracious Victorian desk in front of him. Then she walked round to the beautifully carved chair that her boss usually occupied.
Coming face to face with Eugene’s features again was not something any woman with a pulse would soon forget... He was chisel-jawed and handsome as a Michelangelo sculpture. But she was perturbed when she saw that his dazzling blue eyes didn’t seem as warm as they had upstairs, when she’d met his gaze over the jewellery cabinet and he’d shared that touching story about the fake pearl and diamond ring his father had bought his mother.
In fact, as they swept over her they brought to mind a once sunlit ocean frozen under ice. A little alarmed, Rose sensed hot colour flooding into her cheeks. Was he assessing the way she looked?
Having never considered herself a beauty, she was painfully disconcerted at being scrutinised by the businessman so penetratingly. Friends had often remarked that her best features were her eyes and her cheekbones, but other than that she knew she was quite ordinary. Disturbed that she should waste even a second fretting over what the man’s opinion of her might be her instinct was to be doubly wary of him.
But the restaurateur’s carved lips curved in another disconcerting smile. ‘Would you like to pour the coffee for us? Then we can proceed. I have a particularly heavy schedule today, and would like to settle our business as quickly as possible.’
‘You sound as though you’ve made a decision?’
‘I have. Having seen the interior of the building, I’d like to make you an offer.’
Straight away Rose noted that he’d said ‘the building’—not the antiques business. Her stomach plunged like a stone.
‘I’d really like to tie up the sale of the property today,’ he added smoothly, bringing his hands together with his long fingers forming a steeple.
His words suggested it was a given that she would agree to the sale. Maybe he didn’t think she could possibly refuse him because she was only standing in for the owner? Perhaps he imagined his wealth and status would intimidate her?
If she was right, then his arrogance beggared belief. Biting her lip, she decided to delay commenting and garner her thoughts.
Reaching for the cafetière, she carefully poured out his coffee. ‘It’s two sugars, isn’t it?’ she checked, aware that his intense gaze was closely surveying everything she did and resenting it mightily.
‘That’s right.’
Passing him the beverage, Rose made a particular point of not meeting his gaze. After pouring her own drink she sat down, but in truth she knew any hopes she might have had of remaining calm throughout the meeting had fled as soon as her glance had encountered the Frenchman’s...
‘Can I just clarify something? You said that you wanted to tie up the sale of “the property” today?’
‘That’s correct’
‘Forgive me, but I thought my boss had made it clear that he wanted to sell the business as a going concern, Mr Bonnaire? You can’t separate it from the property and just purchase the building. Do I take it that you’re not interested in running the antiques shop at all?’
‘That’s right, Rose—but, please, call me Gene. You may or may not know, but I already run a very successful worldwide restaurant business and I’d like to install one of my most prestigious restaurants here. The location is perfect. And, although I do also have other successful businesses, to be frank with you I’m afraid that antiques don’t interest me in the slightest. I’m sure you must have learned from your boss that people just aren’t as interested in them these days as they used to be. Anyone in business wants to make money. No interest in the product, equals no profit. Isn’t that the reason why he wants to sell?’
Rose felt as if her face had suddenly been seared by an iron. She was both embarrassed and furious. ‘You don’t have to be so brutal—’
‘Business is brutal, ma chère...make no mistake about that.’
‘Well, Philip is selling because he’s ill and no longer has the energy to run the business. This antiques shop has always been his pride and joy, and if he was well I can assure you it wouldn’t be up for sale at all.’
It was Gene’s turn to sigh. ‘But I’m guessing the fact is, due to his poor health, he’s decided to take the opportunity to make as much money as he can on his asset while he is still in a position to do so. Is that not so?’
She flushed again, and twisted her hands in her lap to still their trembling. She couldn’t make a proper decision about anything if her emotions got in the way. But Gene, as he seemed to prefer being called, had guessed right. Because of his failing health Philip needed to make this sale. But she knew that he’d fervently hoped to sell the business along with the building, and if Rose didn’t manage to do that for him then she would have failed the man who was not just her boss and mentor, but who had been her father’s