The Prince's Proposal. Sophie Weston
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father had produced a string of offences—petty-criminal convictions, a dubious name change, even old school reports. And pointed out that Barry had only started his heavily romantic campaign after he had researched her wealth on the net.
Francesca had not believed him. Well, not at first. But then Peter Heller had announced that he was disinheriting her and Barry’s romantic attachment dissolved. Fast. Taking with it a whole raft of Francesca’s dreams and most of her self-respect.
But no one would believe that, of course. Everyone thought Francesca was such a fighter.
Now Jazz was bracing. ‘You would have thought better of it eventually. There was nothing to Barry, after all. Just Bambi eyelashes and a good story.’
After the scene when her father had flung his accusations at Barry, Francesca could not really take issue with that. She bit her lip.
‘Why didn’t I see that?’
‘You did really,’ said Jazz comfortingly. ‘Your father may have done the research. But the demolition was strictly down to you.’
Francesca’s eloquent eyes widened and widened. She sat down rather hard.
‘Think about it,’ advised Jazz, seizing a pile of new stock and leaping nimbly up her ladder again to ‘Crime, authors H to J’.
Francesca stared blindly at a pile of giraffe-shaped bookmarks that complemented the latest toddlers’ book.
She had stood up to her father. She had linked her arm through Barry’s and defied Peter Heller for the manipulative, money-grubbing troglodyte that he was. Only Barry was having none of it.
‘My bird,’ he said tenderly. He drew the glasses off her nose and slid them into his pocket, one of his more charming little tricks, Francesca always thought. It had cost her a fortune in replacement glasses, which she now had strewn about his flat and hers. ‘I can’t do this to you.’
He kissed her forehead. It was clearly meant to be a gallant renunciation.
Peter Heller snorted. Francesca felt sick.
Without her glasses Francesca could only see a blur. ‘We’re both young. Healthy. Why do we need my father’s money? We can work,’ she said in a level voice. ‘I don’t care what you’ve done in the past. I’ll stand by you. We can make it together—’
And that was the point when Barry turned on her, all charm wiped. She couldn’t see him properly. But she could feel it in the jagged movement; hear it.
‘No, we can’t.’
Peter was delighted. He snapped his fingers. ‘Aha!’
Francesca ignored him. She said to the Barry-shaped shadow lowering over her, ‘I don’t need money—’
‘But I do.’ It was a cry almost of anguish. ‘Don’t you understand? I’ve done my time wondering where the next meal is coming from. I’m never going back to that.’
Francesca said nothing.
‘Goodbye, Mr Trott,’ said Peter. That was Barry’s real name. Not de la Touche, after all.
Francesca ignored him. ‘You mean you don’t think I can afford you,’ she said to Barry. Even to herself her voice sounded odd.
‘That old bastard has just made sure of that.’
That was when she gave up. That was when she realised this was the end. And this was the worst day of her life.
She gave a little laugh that broke in the middle. ‘Yes, I suppose he has.’ She held out her hand politely, in the general direction of his voice. ‘Goodbye, Barry.’
She was less polite to her father.
And then she went off to the stock room and sought out her absolutely last pair of emergency glasses.
They were in the first-aid box. Their loose arm had been taped up with whatever had come to hand. It looked as if it had been a plaster originally, though it was difficult to tell. It had turned grey in the first-aid box and was fraying elastic bobbles by now. It kept catching on her hair, making her eyes water. That had to be what it was. Francesca, after all, never cried. As her mother always said, she was too like her father to cry.
So now Francesca blinked hard and said to the witch on the ladder, ‘What do you mean—the demolition was down to me?’
Jazz looked down at her affectionately. ‘Because you didn’t tell Barry that you are rich in your own right.’
Francesca jumped. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Have you forgotten? You told me. When we were first talking about you coming into business I told you I was worried about asking anyone to invest in The Buzz who couldn’t afford to lose money. I believe in it—but I could be wrong. And anyway it will take a long time to make a reasonable return on the investment. Let alone get its money back. And you said, “My father settled a lot of money on me when I was a teenager. It’s mine. I can do what I like with it.” So I said, OK, then, let’s go for it. Don’t you remember?’
Francesca swallowed. ‘Yes. Yes, I do now. I see.’
‘So when you said Peter couldn’t disinherit you, that was the literal truth, wasn’t it? He’s already handed over your inheritance. Why didn’t you explain that to Barry?’
‘I—tried.’
‘No, you didn’t,’ said Jazz shrewdly. ‘You wanted to know too. Didn’t you, Franny?’
‘Know?’
‘Whether the money was important to him or not.’
Francesca flinched. But she was a woman who faced the truth, however unpleasant. Truth was important. ‘I suppose so.’
‘See? You weren’t completely taken in. You had your doubts, like the sensible woman you are.’
‘Sensible, unattractive woman,’ muttered Francesca.
‘You would never have married that idiot—’ Jazz did a double take. ‘What?’
Francesca made a clumsy gesture. ‘Every man who has ever been interested in me was either dazzled by my mother’s title or my father’s millions.’ Truth had taken hold with a vengeance. ‘When they managed to focus on me long enough to see what was really on offer they all backed off.’
Jazz was shocked, as much by the resignation in her voice as what she had actually said.
‘Nonsense,’ she said.
It was just ten seconds too late. Francesca smiled wearily.
‘You don’t know the disasters I’ve had, Jazz.’
‘Haven’t we all? It’s called growing up.’
‘By twenty-three I should have cracked that one,’ Francesca said drily. ‘No, I’ve got a bit missing when it comes to understanding people. Figures, fine. I can do sums standing on my head. Facts, great. I can remember them and I don’t muddle easily. But people! I’m hopeless and I always have been.’
Jazz could not think of anything to say.
Francesca stood up and squared her shoulders. She even managed a lopsided smile.
‘So that means I’d better concentrate on a career, right? So lead me to this damned party.’
Conrad Domitio shook his head at the hundredth canapé and thought wistfully about fresh air.
‘How long will this go on?’ he yelled at the publicity assistant.
She stepped a little closer to the tanned god in front of her. Tall, hazel-eyed, with an athlete’s frame and philosopher’s formidable brow, Conrad Domitio had everything. Even his voice was sexy. It made her shiver in spite of the competition from a heavy drumbeat. Her and every other woman at Gavron and Blake, his publishers. Probably