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‘Anna, what...?’
‘My grandfather? Yes, itismy grandfather. I hate to disappoint you, but he’s alive.’
It was at that point he saw the light flashing on the phone on the desk and he closed his eyes.
‘I don’t know what you heard.’
‘I’ve heard that you planted the lies about my grandpa!’ she bellowed incredulously. ‘And now you’ve decided to blame him for your father’s suicide, which of course is brilliantly convenient when he can’t defend himself.’ She looked up at him with an expression of supreme disgust on her face. ‘You’re twisted, you know that? Not content with punishing an innocent, sick old man, you thought you’d really stick the knife in by—’
‘I was trying to protect you.’
‘Oh, God, yes, I feelsoprotected.’
He winced at the acrid bitterness in her voice.
‘If protected means lied to and used and... Was it your plan all along to make me fall in love with you?’
‘I never wanted to hurt you, Anna. I tried to keep my distance, but you are so... I was wrong about you.’
‘Oh, God, yes, I’m gorgeous,’ she drawled sarcastically. ‘And if you were wrong about me, why can’t you be wrong about my grandpa?’ She lifted a shaking hand to her head. Her choice was brutal—either her grandfather was a monster or the man she loved was.
‘This isn’t what it looks like...’
Her breaking-glass laugh cut across him. ‘And I wasgrateful!’ She pressed a hand to her mouth. ‘I feel sick...’ She swallowed and revived enough to fling out with spitting fury, ‘I also feel so stupid, but, you know, some day soon I’ll start feeling less stupid, but you...you...you’ll always be a total, complete bastard!
The muscles around his jaw quivered but he said nothing. Anything he said would have been the equivalent of throwing oil on a fire, he knew that.
‘I thought you were trying to protect me... God, an old man who has never done anyone any harm and you set out to—’
‘Enough, Anna. I understand you’re upset, but this is no conspiracy. I’m sorry, but your grandfather is guilty of everything he is accused of and more. He has a dozen aliases. When he was in Iceland he used the identity of a dead boy. He was my father’s partner. He embezzled from the firm and left my father to carry the can.’
‘You’re rich...you planted the evidence!’ she yelled wildly.
He caught one of her flailing arms and lowered his voice to a soothing tone intended to reassure the dogs, who were looking unsettled by the commotion, as well as Anna. ‘Calm down, you’re going to hurt yourself.’ He pursed his lip in a whistle and both animals settled down on their haunches.
Anna, who was pausing to gulp for air, didn’t register the canine-human interchange as she pulled her hand free. Shehadbeen calm, she had been ice calm and then he had walked in and she had gone up in flames. She stood there shaking with the aftershocks of a mind-numbing rage she had never experienced the like of before.
She scanned his face.
‘You’re not even denying it?’
He found her subdued tone even more disturbing than her furious shrieking.
Anna swallowed a sob, hating that there was a tiny part of her that had wanted there to be an explanation, even though she knew in her heart that it wasn’t possible.
‘The truth is your grandfather is a crook. He has ruined countless lives, including those of my parents. Perhaps the only good thing he has done in his life is take care of you.’
Her breath coming in short, sharp pants, Anna shook her head and covered her ears. ‘You’re trying to turn me against him. Well, it won’t work,’ she gritted. ‘Iknowmy grandfather.’
He picked up on the expression that flickered at the backs of her green eyes. ‘But you’re wondering, aren’t you? That’s why you’re so angry. You have your doubts.’
Unable to quite meet his eyes, she looked past his shoulder. ‘I have no doubts at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some packing to do.’
‘Come back, Anna. Go home, check out your grandfather, check out the facts and come back. We can talk...’
She looked at him as though he were insane. ‘Talk...the only thing you ever wanted from me was sex and that particular well is dry!’
His jaw clenched. ‘I don’t seem to recall you complaining.’
