Takeover Engagement. Elizabeth Duke
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Was it because of David? Because David was a valued Maxi Board employee? Was Case Travers the kind of employer who would feel an obligation towards his employees, particularly one of his senior engineers?
She shrugged, and swung away. Maybe, over lunch, she would find out.
Case was already back at the table, consulting the wine list. ‘French chablis suit you?’ he asked, half rising as she joined him.
‘Fine.’ She was surprised he’d even bothered to ask.
Over their Caesar salads and delicately cooked Atlantic salmon they talked of various things. Inconsequential things to begin with, like the sculpture exhibition at the Arts Centre, the beautifully restored Regent Theatre, and the thriving Southbank development along the Yarra River, which at night, they both agreed, with the reflections in the river and the old buildings enhanced by amber lighting, could be Paris or anywhere in Europe. Then more personal matters crept in.
‘Your mother lives in Brisbane, you said?’ His eyes met hers fleetingly. ‘North or south of the river?’
Her eyes flickered under his gaze. Why would he want to know that? Why would he care? ‘North. Towards the airport,’ she told him diffidently. ‘Why?’ she blurted.
He quirked a lip, brushing the question aside. ‘I guess you miss her.. Jiving so far away?’
‘Well, yes…I do miss her,’ she admitted, and paused. His eyes encouraged her to go on, so she did, though she was sure she’d see his eyes glaze over with boredom at any second. ‘And I think she misses both of us too-my brother and I. But she says we don’t need her as much as Avril does right now. And my mother’s entitled to live her own life.’
She shrugged, surprised to see that his eyes were still as sharp and intent as ever. She heard herself babbling on. ‘My brother and I are always pretty busy, what with one thing and another. Mike—my brother—is a company secretary. And a mad-keen golfer. He loves his footy too…’
‘And what else do you like to do, when you’re not treating people’s feet?’ Case asked as she trailed off. He was giving her his full attention still, as if he really wanted to know.
She would have given much to know what thoughts lay behind the fathomless black eyes…what circumstances in his life had etched the hard, cynical lines in his face. Was it everything having come too easily to him making him jaded with life and people? Then why did he seem so riveted by her mundane ramblings?
‘I compete in triathlons,’ she told him, and saw his brow shoot up. ‘I train a fair bit, especially during the season—which has finished for now until after winter. Even in winter I try to go for a swim every morning, at a public pool. And I go bike-riding. I run. I go to the gym. And, since you ask—’ for whatever reason, she thought. ‘—I like movies and plays, and when I have the chance,’ she added, her eyes twinkling defiance, ‘I like to go to the footy too.’ Case Travers would be used to his lunch companions having more sophisticated, feminine interests, no doubt. ‘I’m a one-eyed Demon fan,’ she told him, ‘like my father and brother.’
‘Well, what do you know? A Demon fan. Melbourne’s my team too.’
‘Really?’ she said politely. But I bet you don’t sit in the open stands in the wet and the cold like we do, Lucy thought. I bet it’s a corporate box or the members’ stand for you.
‘Triathlons, eh?’ He rolled the word round on his tongue. Feigning interest? ‘That entails…swimming, cycling and running, doesn’t it? Sounds strenuous.’
‘I do it for fun,’ she asserted. Believe it or not, Case Travers, she added silently. ‘I enjoy it.’ She was about to ask what he did for relaxation, but he slipped in another question first.
‘And David? He shares your sporting interests?’
She shrugged, her lashes sweeping down. ‘Not really.’ She wished he hadn’t reminded her of David. It made her feel guilty. As well as confused and unsure about her future. Would David be relieved when he found out that she hadn’t deliberately stood him up? Would he welcome her back into his life with open arms? Did she really want him to?
She blinked in shock, and felt a stab of self-reproach that the question had even surfaced. Of course she did! She’d be mad not to. David was a good man. He’d make a wonderful husband and a wonderful father and he would always be there, steady as a rock, to rely on. If she’d been getting cold feet lately, it was nothing he’d done…it was…it was her mother’s fault. The way Charlotte kept urging her to be sure…to be sure…to be sure…Until she wanted to throw up her hands and forget the whole thing.
‘He doesn’t?’ Case prompted, and she blinked again, realising he was waiting for elaboration.
‘Well…’ She might as well be frank. ‘Sport’s not really his thing. Except for going to the footie with me sometimes, when I manage to get there myself. Not that he’s madly keen. He only comes along for my sake. He’d rather be working on his cars. Restoring old cars is his hobby. He and his father are restoring a vintage Delage at present.’
‘Doesn’t sound as if you see too much of him.’
‘Well, we don’t live in each other’s pockets,’ she conceded. ‘But there’s usually some spare time at the weekends to get together. Or odd nights during the week.’
‘But not this week,’ he drawled. ‘He’s gone away, you say. On business?’
‘He’s gone to a conference. There’s a big pulp and paper conference in Surfers Paradise this week.’
‘Ah…that. Yes, of course. I recall seeing his name on the list of delegates.’ At her surprised look, he added with a sardonic smile, ‘David doesn’t need my permission. He reports to his plant manager or to my general manager, John Castle—my brother-in-law.’ He raised his glass languidly and took a long sip of his wine. ‘I happen to be going to the conference myself the day after tomorrow…just for the last day.’
Lucy’s eyelashes flickered as she glanced up at him quickly. Did that mean he would see David? He’d be bound to!’
‘Do you suppose—’ she swallowed ‘—you’ll have a chance to speak to David while you’re there?’ David was, after all, one of Maxi Board’s senior engineers. He was even giving a paper at the conference.
‘I’ll be making sure I speak to all my Maxi Board people.’
She moistened her lips with a quick sip of wine. ‘Will you…will you mention to him that I got stuck in that lift with you on my way up to meet him?’ Would he bother? No doubt he had better things to do on his only day at the conference than arrange a private conversation with one of his engineers on an errant girlfriend’s behalf.
‘I have a better idea,’ Case murmured. ‘I think he’d rather you tell him yourself.’
She flushed. Just as she’d thought. He had more important things to bother about in his limited time there. ‘I—I will. Naturally. When he gets back—’
‘That’s not what I meant,’ he slid in smoothly.
‘What—what do you mean? That I should try to ring him? At the conference?’
‘I was thinking of a more personal approach. Face to face.’ He eyed her coolly. ‘Why don’t you fly up with me on Friday and stay at Surfers for a couple of days? I have a spare plane ticket. You could patch things up with David and then visit your mother in Brisbane at the weekend. It’s only a short drive from Surfers.’
She gaped at him. He had it all worked out! Was this how he was used to operating? Making spur-of-themoment decisions affecting other people, even people he barely knew, confident that they’d fall in with his plans…as she’d fallen in with his plans for lunch?
‘That—that’s crazy!’ she spluttered. ‘I can’t just—’