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‘I’m not arriving. Xavier, my deputy, is attending. Made perfect sense, seeing as he speaks fluent French and has worked on the project all the way through.’
‘Hmm,’ says Grandfather over the phone. I can tell he’d rather I was going in person. I do my best to keep him happy and live up to his expectations, but I’m confident they don’t need me there. Xavier is more than up to the job.
‘There should be a Rochester in attendance, for maximum publicity.’
‘Okay, I can fly out on the morning of the opening if you think it’s that important,’ I offer, hoping he’ll let it pass because I really don’t want to go. I’m juggling so many projects and am rammed with work. And Daisy might go to her mother’s soon, which in theory should mean I’ve got more flexibility, but I’m always wary she’s going to change plans at the last minute. It puts me on edge and makes it more difficult than if she’d never said she’d have her in the first place.
Grandfather says, ‘Hmm, yes, I think you should go.’
‘Right, okay, I’ll make the arrangements for a fly-in-fly-out visit,’ I agree to pacify him. If he thinks it’s important, then he’s probably right. I don’t underestimate his years of experience. He expanded Rochesters internationally and I don’t kid myself we would be where we are in the business if it wasn’t for him.
‘Good call,’ he says, as if it was my idea all along. It’s subtle, but he’s smart like that. ‘How did it go with Lizzy Archer, by the way? I heard you had dinner.’
I can’t help smiling at how he slips it into the conversation and I imagine him and her grandfather hatching their plan for world domination through the two of us.
‘It was good,’ I say. ‘She’s lovely.’
‘That is wonderful news. I thought you two would hit it off. She’s a fabulous girl. Known her since she was a kid.’ Then he adds with a wistful note, ‘My goodness, when I look back, I don’t know where the years have gone.’
He prods and probes for more details with the skill of a master interrogator and seems satisfied when I say we will be having a second date. Just as I think it’s over and I can get back to work, he adds, ‘I’ve got a suggestion.’
My stomach lurches. I’m familiar enough with his suggestions to know that I probably won’t like what’s coming. ‘Go on,’ I say, running my hand through my hair.
‘How about surprising Lizzy with a trip to Cannes? Kill two birds with one stone.’
I wince at the idea of going away with her and crack a joke about his crass phrasing. ‘Let no one say you’re not a true romantic.’ Dinner was enough of a challenge, but I don’t want him suspecting I’m not being fully transparent about Lizzy.
‘There’s a time for romance, and there’s a time for bold moves. I’ll let you guess which time this is,’ he chuckles.
‘What do you have in mind? You know if I fly in for the opening, it’s going to be hectic, with no time for anything other than business meetings and PR.’
‘That’s true, but remember that Lizzy knows the ropes. This is exactly why it’s such a good idea to marry someone from the same background as you. She’s been on business trips such as this with her grandfather for years. You realise she’s the sole heir to Archer Banking? She’s the only grandchild, you know,’ he says. ‘Ultimately, the business will pass to another branch of the family if she doesn’t produce an heir.’
I hadn’t realised, but I am quickly realising why he thinks this is such a perfect match. If I marry Lizzy, Archer Banking will be under the Rochester umbrella, within a generation. Her father is a dynamic leader, so all being well, he should be at the helm for quite some time yet.
‘Um,’ I say, mulling over what he wants me to do. If I take Lizzy to Cannes for the grand opening, it’s as good as making an official announcement that we are a couple. I suspect this is his real motive, despite all the business talk. ‘Lizzy told me she is her father’s right hand of London operations, so surely, she has just as demanding a schedule as me? I doubt she can take off for several days with such short notice. She must have commitments.’
Grandfather’s sigh reaches me over the phone. ‘Sometimes you forget there are perks to being the boss. It’s not all hard work and sacrifice—occasionally you get to take advantage of being able to call the shots.’ He pauses as if he’s waiting for me to catch up.
I stay quiet and try to think of a graceful way to avoid inviting Lizzy to join me, without revealing we’re not really dating.
‘If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that you can be extremely charming and if you want her there with you, I’d put money on the fact that she will be. One word to her father and I’m sure he’ll see the wisdom in you two teaming up for such a high-profile event.’
I’m not sure what to tell him. The last thing I want is to travel to Cannes for a supposedly romantic business trip with Lizzy. I wish it was a trip with Nathalie.
Well, you shouldn’t, you numpty. You and Nathalie are just friends, and you can’t take her away. There is no future for you.
But the idea of whisking Nathalie away to the French Riviera excites the hell out of me. I imagine her blue eyes sparkling at the invitation, the way they did when I asked if she wants to visit Richmond Park again. She thinks I don’t notice these little things, but I notice everything about her. You get to know someone fast when you share a house with them.
What would she make of travelling on the private jet? Thoughts of sharing a bed with her at the new Cannes hotel, and strolling along the beach, hand-in-hand, spring into my mind and I struggle to focus on the conversation. She’s given me glimpses of the difficult childhood she had, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to give her a whole new experience of her home country. They say money can’t buy happiness and I’ve found that largely to be true. But it can buy wonderful experiences and I’d love to treat Nathalie to a five star holiday.
‘What’s it to be, my boy?’ Grandfather asks, puncturing my fantasy bubble and snapping me back to reality with a thud.
‘I’m not sure. I’ll see about shifting some meetings and making plans to go myself, but I don’t think I’m ready for a weekend away with Lizzy just yet. We’ve only been on one date, Grandfather.’ There’s a tinge of resentment in my statement, and I take a deep breath and calm myself.
‘Precisely,’ he says. ‘There’s no reason to take it slow when we’re dealing with a mutually beneficial marriage such as this. You want to make sure no one else steals her from under your nose. If you hadn’t got involved with Madeleine when you did, and married her in such a whirlwind, I would have suggested this match with Lizzy then.’
He knows exactly how to get to me. He knows my weak spots—all of them. It’s almost impossible for me to not rise to the challenge when he throws one out for me. I hate disappointing people who think highly of me, and I can’t bear falling short of his expectations.
