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Reed left the two women going through a stack of files and headed back to his office where he was soon absorbed in planning his next major event, the Paris Fashion Week scheduled for April. He was surprised when maybe an hour later he heard a knock on the door and Sharon walked in. She was not smiling.
Reed frowned and laid the paper he was holding on top of the shiny desktop. “Is there a problem?”
She shook her head but then she checked that she’d closed the door fully. Satisfied, she turned and approached his desk. “How much do you know about this girl you hired?”
His frown deepened. “Nothing. Or next to nothing. Why?”
“So I guess you don’t know that she’s practically an orphan in her own home.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” As he was speaking he was rising. He got up and went over to pull out one of the chairs so that Sharon could sink down onto it. He knew his assistant was a tough cookie but, as hugely pregnant as she was, he wanted her off her feet as much as possible.
“Thanks,” she said as she leaned back into the chair and thrust her feet forward, staring at them quizzically like she hadn’t seen them in a long time.
Reed went back to his chair. “So what were you saying about her being an orphan?”
Sharon tore her eyes away from her feet. “Say thank God you’re a man,” she said with a wry grin, “and never have to go through this. My ankles look like tree trunks.” Then she sobered up. “But anyway, that’s not important. What’s important is that Golden almost didn’t make it to work this morning.”
“And why is that?” Reed cocked his head as he stared at Sharon. Her story was getting stranger by the minute.
Sharon straightened up in the chair. She looked like she wanted to lean forward but then seemed to change her mind. Her balloon-shaped belly was probably a hindrance. “She was trying to explain to me why she seemed so apprehensive when she came in this morning. She wants this job, there’s no doubt about that, but apparently her stepfather is against it.”
“Her working in the fashion industry?”
“Her working at all.” Sharon shook her head. “Can you believe it? It doesn’t make any sense. The girl is twenty years old and he doesn’t want her to go out to work.”
“You’re right,” Reed said, watching the righteous indignation cross Sharon’s face. “It doesn’t make sense at all. Why would he adopt an attitude like that?”
“Something to do with her mother and his wanting to take charge of everything.” Sharon shrugged. “That’s as much as I could figure out from the little she told me. It sounds to me like the man is nothing but a control freak who’s trying to keep her and her mother under his thumb. Why else would he want to prevent the girl from earning a living?”
“Sounds to me like he’s bent on stifling her independence,” Reed said, his thoughts going to the girl who was working just outside his office door. Now he was glad he’d insisted on her answer before she’d left his office. If she’d gone home to think about it as she’d said, with all that pressure from her stepfather, he probably would never have seen her again.
“Well, I won’t let him. The nerve of that bloody beast.” Sharon was glaring now, obviously taking the whole thing to heart.
Reed almost laughed. He’d expected Sharon to play the mother role to the girl but not like this. “Come on, Sharon. There’s nothing you or I can do about this except make sure she’s gainfully employed at this firm. Whatever goes on at her home is her personal business, not ours.
Sharon grimaced then she sighed. “I know. I just hate it when someone’s being taken advantage of. And she’s such a sweetie. That’s why he feels he can bully her and get away with it.”
“As I said, Sharon, her problem, not ours. If she doesn’t bring this up again just leave it alone, all right?”
She nodded, looking far from pleased.
“So how’s she doing so far?” Reed asked, steering the subject toward safer waters. “Trainable?”
“Oh, she’s very knowledgeable. In fact, she surprised me.” Sharon’s eyes were glowing. “I thought she would be totally green but she’s had some experience working in the administrative office of a nursing home. She obviously paid attention while she was there because it wasn’t just me training her. She ended up teaching me a couple of things, too. The filing system they use at the nursing home is pretty good, I must say.” She gripped the arms of her chair. “Well, I’ve taken up more of your time than I’d planned so I’d better head back now. Got to check up on my charge.” At the door she stopped and looked back at him. “After lunch I’ll send her in so you can bring her up to speed on the U.S. and France operations.”
“Fine,” he said, his tone nonchalant as he turned his attention back to the file he’d been reviewing when Sharon walked in. He was playing it cool but he was actually looking forward to talking with Golden. There was just something that drew him to her. Maybe it was his protective instinct. She was like a fragile China doll to be handled with care. And as much as he’d told Sharon they needed to mind their own business he planned to do the exact opposite. There was a lot more to this girl than what they could see on the surface and he planned to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Golden Browne.
***
It was with a huge sense of relief that Golden walked out of the office of Davidoff Fashions that Friday evening having completed her first week as a member of staff. She’d made it.
She’d been extremely nervous that first day wondering if she would fit in, if she would be able to manage the work or if she would end up making a fool of herself. She was sure the people at Davidoff Fashions would all be snobs. And then she’d met the delightful Sharon Crow and others like David Pearson from marketing and Lisa and Sienna from accounting. They’d all been unbelievably friendly, putting her so much at ease that she began to gain confidence, even venturing to go out with them one evening to have drinks.
Later she’d paid the price for that adventure. Dunstan Manchester was waiting up for her and as soon as she walked in the door he began to bombard her with questions. Why was she in so late? Where had she been? Had she been asked to work late?
None of which was any of his business, of course, but Golden knew exactly what was behind his questions. It was fear. The fear that somehow, despite his efforts to keep her isolated, she’d developed an interest in someone of the opposite sex.
And, as far as her stepfather was concerned, that was the worst thing that could ever happen.
She’d always been a shy girl, never going out with boys, always staying close to home. That had suited him just fine. She’d even told her mother she had no intention of ever getting married. Knowing Eugenia, she’d probably shared that tidbit with her husband and he must have been happy as a lark to hear that.
Because if he could keep her like that, under his control and unmarried until the age of twenty-one, then the world would be his oyster.
Golden shook her head. She didn’t even want to think about it. She had a major decision to make but for now, just for this weekend, she would forget about it and take one day at a time. One hour, even.
She glanced at the clock. Almost eight. She would read for an hour or so and then turn in early. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
When Saturday came, instead of lounging in bed Golden got up early, did the laundry and prepared her work clothes for the coming week. As she hung the freshly laundered skirts and blouses in her closet she grimaced. Although her co-workers had been nice about it, treating her like they did everyone else, she couldn’t deny that she stood out like a lowly daffodil in a garden of elegant lilies. She needed new clothes for work. These demure skirts and tops were just not cutting it. There wasn’t much she could do, though, until she got her first paycheck and that wouldn’t be until the end of the month.
And she wouldn’t even bother asking her mother for a small loan until she got paid. Manchester held such a tight hold on Eugenia’s finances that she couldn’t touch her own money without him questioning her about it. Golden did not want to go there.
With savings of just a couple of hundred pounds there was no way she could venture into any fashionable store. Harrods and Burberry were just a dream. Even Debenhams and BHS Oxford Street were out. With a limited budget like hers, her best bet was to visit the nearest thrift shop and riffle through the racks until she’d found some nice suits. She’d found some treasures there before and now would be a good time to go browsing again.
But first she had a very important stop to make. She’d been late to Claire’s last time and she was not going to do a repeat today, not because she was afraid of the old lady’s reprimand but simply because she liked to keep her promise. And besides, she was looking forward to seeing Claire. With her mother so hesitant to share in her joy, who else could she tell about her first full week as an employed person?
