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'We must pay him back as soon as we can, Mitch.' She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice less shaky. 'Perhaps when we've done
this job we'll be in a position to repay at least half of it.'
'Perhaps,' her brother agreed quietly. 'Although, like I said, he's in no hurry—'
'Well, I am.' Her voice had been too sharp and she moderated it quickly. 'He's done us an enormous favour and I don't want him to think we might take advantage. I'd be the same with anyone,' she added defensively, when Mitch still didn't speak.
'Right.' Mitch cleared his throat and changed the subject. 'How did things go today?'
They discussed the day's events for a few minutes more before finishing the call, but the earlier conversation got between Miriam and the time schedule over and over again in the following hour before bed. When she found herself thinking of several perfectly ridiculous ideas to pay him back she caught her thoughts abruptly, forcing herself to stop.
They hadn't asked him to do this; he had done it quite willingly because, presumably, he'd wanted to, and he was prepared to wait until the debt could be paid. She would make sure that every spare penny went into doing just that and now she had to leave the matter alone, she told herself firmly. She would thank him tomorrow for his help, make sure he understood that repayment was a priority and then let the thing drop. She slid into bed with a determined nod. No problem.
Vera and Dave used their own car for work the next morning, now that they knew where the house was, and left early for an open evening at their son's school. Miriam hadn't seen Reece in the morning but had arrived at the house to find that he had established Mrs Goode downstairs in the drawing room, with a wheelchair within reach if she needed to get about, and had left a note for her from Barbara, who had thought of some last-minute items she wanted adding to the menus.
She worked solidly all day without even stopping for lunch, and was just wiping down the work surfaces in the kitchen, preparatory to leaving, when the same sixth sense as before brought her head turning to the doorway.
'Hi.' He had obviously changed after leaving the office, unless he usually wore jeans and a denim shirt for big business, she thought silently as she nodded her reply to his greeting. And he looked gorgeous. 'Everything going to plan?' he asked lazily as he levered himself off the doorframe where he had been leaning watching her.
'More or less.' She smiled carefully.
'You look tired.' She stared at him in surprise, not knowing quite how to respond as he walked across to stand in front of her, his eyes thoughtful as he lifted her head by tilting her chin gently with one hand and looked down into her face. 'I suppose you just had a sandwich again for lunch?' he asked disapprovingly.
'Lunch?' she asked faintly. 'I didn't have any lunch. An order was delivered just as we were going to eat soup and rolls, and by the time I'd finished checking things in…' Her voice trailed away as the silver eyes took on a distinctly steely hue.
'You didn't bother to eat,' he finished for her. 'Well, you make sure from now on that you take time out at lunchtime; I mean it, Miriam.' He stepped back a pace and surveyed her condemningly, his gaze piercing. 'It won't help anyone if you fall ill, and Barbara's wedding is only days away now.'
The wedding—the damn wedding, she thought tightly. That was the only thing of concern to him in all of this; she might have known. And she had to talk to him about the Gregory matter.
'And stop frowning,' he added drily. 'That's my prerogative.'
'I wanted to talk to you,' she said quickly. 'About the money you paid to the garage. We must put things on a legal footing, Reece— arrange an amount to be repaid each month.'
'Must we?' He crossed his arms in the gesture that was becoming familiar to her and stared down at her with narrowed silver eyes. 'Why?'
'Why?' She waved her hands helplessly. 'Well, it's obvious, isn't it? You can't go around lending people money and saying they can pay you back whenever they like—'
'Oh, I don't.' He smiled slowly. 'Believe me, I don't, Miriam.'
'No, well, then…' She really wasn't handling this very well, she thought weakly. 'You shouldn't with us either.'
'You're friends of Frank,' he said mildly as he settled himself on one of the high breakfast stools scattered about the vast room. 'You aren't 'people'. And forget about the loan if it troubles you—look on it as a bonus for helping Barbara out.'
'No way.' She stared at him as though he were mad. 'You're paying us for doing this job and the loan is something quite separate. I've still got to settle up with you for my car too.'
'What is this preoccupation with money tonight?' he drawled mockingly as his eyes wandered over her troubled face and wide eyes. 'Do you imagine I shall want something other than financial reimbursement? Is that it?'
'No, that is not it,' she snapped angrily. 'And there is no way on this earth I'd agree to anything like that anyway.'
'Pity.' His smile was a white flash in the dark face and she saw that for once he was genuinely amused. 'If you knew the number of times I'd been propositioned exactly along those lines, and the one time I might consider it it's no go.' His smile widened at her outraged face. 'There's no justice in this world,' he said softly. 'No justice at all.'
'You're just…just—'
'Hungry.' He interrupted her shaking voice firmly as he stood up again, smiling and amused. 'I will go and change into something more formal and then we will go out to dinner.'
'We won't.' It was the most ungracious refusal that she had ever made, although that fact didn't occur to her until much later. Now all she was concerned about was the almost tangible arrogance of the man. 'And I've got my cheque-book with me, so if you will just tell me how much I owe you for the car—'
'How much?' He eyed her quietly as the laughter slid from his face. 'You're determined to consider yourself in debt to me?'
