An Exception to His Rule by Lindsay Armstrong

Author:Lindsay Armstrong
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

‘TENSE, BLOODY-MINDED and all-round impossible,’ Charlie said to Harriet one evening. ‘That’s Damien at the moment. It’s like living under a thundercloud. I tell you what, I really feel for the poor sods he’s interviewing for his PA position. I wonder if they have any idea what he might drive them to? I mean to say, it’s got to be a pretty bizarre ambition, climbing Mount Everest.’

They were sharing what would have otherwise been a lonesome meal—Isabel was out and so was Damien.

Harriet had made hamburgers and chips, much to Charlie’s approval.

Harriet had to laugh. ‘I feel really guilty, though,’ she said as she passed the ketchup to Charlie.

‘You!’ He looked surprised.

‘I...’ She hesitated. ‘It was because of me that he didn’t go to Perth and on to South Africa. I can’t help wondering if that...if that—’ she gestured widely and shrugged ‘—caused all this.’

Charlie frowned. ‘Why “because of you” didn’t he go?’

‘Well, he missed his flight to Perth because he came back to explain something.’ Harriet bit her lip and berated herself for ever mentioning the matter but Charlie took issue with this.

‘You can’t open up a can of worms like that then play dumb,’ he objected, ‘but let me guess. You two had some sort of issue between you after my birthday party?’

Harriet sighed suddenly. ‘Charlie, we’ve had issues between us since the day I smashed his car and his collarbone. Not to mention the day I slapped his face and he kissed me back. But his issues are...very complicated. And he wasn’t supposed to be here while I finished the job,’ she added, somewhat annoyed.

‘Ah, well, so that explains—well, some of it! I didn’t think some business deal hanging in the balance—I mean he’s weathered a few of those before—was sufficient to cause this level of turmoil in my beloved brother.’

Harriet put her hands on her waist. ‘That doesn’t help me a lot, Charlie.’

‘Or any of us! I think we’ll just have to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst. At least you can stay out of his way.’

* * *

This proved to be incorrect.

She was riding Sprite along Seven-mile Beach the next morning with Tottie at her stirrup. It was cool and crisp and the clarity of the air was amazing, dead flat calm water with hardly any surf, some pink clouds in a pale blue sky—and another horse riding towards her: Damien.

Her first thought was to gallop away in the opposite direction, and she started to do so but Sprite was no match for his horse and he caught her up.

By this time, some common sense had returned to Harriet and she slowed Sprite to a walk.

‘Morning, Harriet.’

She glanced across at him as Sprite jostled his big brown horse and Tottie looked relieved. ‘Hi, Damien.’ Their breath steamed in the early morning cool.

‘Running away again?’

‘I guess that was my first intention,’ she confessed and found herself curiously unsettled. He looked so big in a khaki rain jacket and jeans with his dark head bare.

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