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Twenty minutes later he was en route across London. Forty minutes later he had parked in the vicinity of Lady Kaitlin’s Chelsea flat and alighted from the car. He eyed the group of reporters that crowded the pavement outside.
Walk as if you have the right and then you do have the right.
Advice given to him by his stepbrother—the man he’d once revered more than any other being.
Moving through the baying throng of press, he ignored all the shouted questions, reached the door and banged on its navy blue surface in the pre-agreed code. Kaitlin pulled the door open a crack and he squeezed through.
Even now, when circumstance dictated frustration and anger, her beauty socked him. Her stance, her poise, the strength of her features, the vividness of her eyes—all endowed her with looks that wouldn’t fade with the ravages of time.
He followed her into a lounge that exuded elegance and good taste, where she turned to face him. ‘You said on the phone that we may have a problem.’
‘April Fotherington rang
me an hour ago for my reaction to your split with Prince Frederick. She suspects I am involved and I believe she will dig until she uncovers a link between us.’
The clenching of her hands was an indication that the news was less than welcome.
‘That woman has got some sort of super-sense about me. Probably because she has made it her business to be the Derwent family media expert.’
‘Well, she will not become an expert on me because I have no intention of being pulled into some media gossip frenzy.’
‘You may have no choice.’ Emerald eyes lasered bitterness at him. ‘Why, Daniel? Why did you have to come to the wedding? Why did you track me down? Come to that, why did I ever agree to have a drink with you?’ She gave a shake of her head and took a deep breath. ‘Doesn’t matter. You can’t turn the clock back.’
Her voice echoed motes of sadness across the air and he knew with gut deep certainty that she wasn’t just referring to her present predicament.
Not his business.
‘No you can’t. Time cannot be dialled back. That is why it’s always best to face forward.’ That was the vow he’d made when he’d walked away from his family, from his life of wealth and privilege.
Kaitlin sank down onto the sofa. ‘Unfortunately what I am facing is a tabloid tsunami that you have only made worse. Once April discovers you hot-footed it over here I am doomed—she’ll have all the “evidence” she needs to know there is a juicy story to unearth.’
‘So that still bothers you?’
‘Of course it does. If April digs up Barcelona I am the one who’ll bear the brunt of the damage. My image would be in tatters. I’d be painted as the woman who cheated on the Prince of Lycander and I have no wish to embroil myself in that kind of mire. In addition, this isn’t Prince Frederick’s fault—it is mine, and I feel I owe it to him to avert the scandal if I can.’
Her words rang true, yet for a second her gaze fluttered away and the slightest rose tint flushed the high angle of her cheekbone.
Irrelevant—his only concern here was to scotch the scandal. For his own sake.
‘OK. Then we are on the same page. I came here because I have a plan.’
Wary surprise touched her expression. ‘The only possible plan is to deny any connection between us.’
Daniel shook his head. ‘Too late for that. April will find out we met for breakfast and she’ll keep on digging. I propose to head her off at the pass. But to do that I need information—the real reason you and the Prince split.’
Her gaze dropped, but not before he saw a glint of hurt in her eyes—a glimmer she erased before she raised her head.
‘That is not your concern.’
‘Yes, it is. If we want to avoid a scandal then we need to put all our cards on the table.’
A half-laugh totally devoid of mirth fell from her lips. ‘By that you mean I need to put my cards on the table, when I don’t even understand why this matters so much to you.’
‘I told you. I have an international reputation to maintain as well, and I have no wish to see my name splashed across the tabloids. It would hardly make me look good in court.’
Though that would be the least of his worries if his connection to the mob was revealed. The adverse effect of that would reverberate through his company and impact on his employees, and he would not let that happen.
Her slim shoulders lifted in a shrug. ‘I’m not an idiot either, and I’m pretty sure that’s not your full hand of cards.’
