he is," Keri agreed warily, and speared a lettuce leaf.
Agreement seemed to be the only spur Mrs. Covey needed because the river of her confidences reached flood proportions immediately. Keri was rapidly brought up-to- date on the fact that Mrs. Covey had worked for Dain's father until sudden ill health had forced his involuntary surrender of the reins to Dain when that young man was barely out of college, where evidently few academic and social honors had escaped him.
In fact, according to Mrs. Covey, little escaped Dain if he chose, be it women or business coups. Though yet short of thirty, he had put together a number of outstandingly complicated takeovers, divestations, and mergers, all of them shockingly profitable to RanCo. He had recently been in Europe on just such another major enterprise, and the staff and stockholders of RanCo confidently expected the latest to be no different from the previous in terms of success and profitability.
Keri didn't doubt it in the least. Latter-day pirate or modern version thereof, he'd be successful no matter what his occupation. He wore the arrogant, unmistakable look of power like a cloak—an inborn, integral part of a powerful personality.
Then Mrs. Covey switched from the public to the private life of Keri's daunting employer. In exhaustive detail she told Keri far more than she wanted to know about Dain Randolph the man, confirming with every word what Keri had feared since she had confronted him across the width of his desk that first day.
Like a rake in Regency days, Dain had adroitly evaded the marriage mart, choosing instead to play, when he played, among the sophisticated and worldly, most of whom played the game superbly and often. Mrs. Covey was acidic about Miss Barth's so obvious aspirations, assuring Keri that Mr. Randolph never looked among his employees for his, as she delicately termed it, liaisons.
Keri wasn't sure if Mrs. Covey meant this statement for warning or reassurance. She would like to be able to accept it as reassurance, but the hard, appraising eyes which had stripped away her camouflage so easily were anything but impersonal. She didn't know why he was so interested, but the fact remained that he was! Something had trig gered his attention and now Dain Randolph was exhibiting more than common interest in an employee.
"Has Mr. Randolph any other family?" Keri questioned idly, when Mrs. Covey paused for breath.
"Hmph, yes. A sister six years younger," responded Mrs. Covey in portentous tones. "And a right bitch that one is. Mr. Randolph and his father have pulled her out of more scrapes than I care to think of. They've spoiled her rotten because her mother died when she was just a little girl and she's used to having the world laid out on a carpet for her. I hear she's recently gotten herself engaged, so now there'll be three men to indulge her. She hasn't been around much because Mr. Randolph's been away, but you can be sure we'll be seeing more of her, sweeping in, nodding graciously to the serfs, and snarling like a sand cat whenever things don't go her way. She's got claws, that one, and isn't choosy about whom she uses them on, except for Mr. Randolph, of course. She's honey sweet and purring with him!"
And without losing a beat, Mrs. Covey looked shrewdly at Keri and said, "And what about you, my dear? When are you going to quit hiding behind those dowdy clothes and prim manner?"
It was too sudden a move for Keri to mask her reaction. Her mouth fell open with shock while Mrs. Covey chuckled quietly, well satisfied with her broadside. Keri looked at the dumpy little woman sitting opposite her and began to smile in her own turn. She laughed softly and ruefully.
"I've worked at RanCo three months with nary a raised eyebrow and now, in the space of two days, two people have seen through me. There must be clearer vision in the rarefied air of the executive suite," she finished dryly.
"Mr. Randolph being the other one with clear vision," Mrs.
Agreement seemed to be the only spur Mrs. Covey needed because the river of her confidences reached flood proportions immediately. Keri was rapidly brought up-to- date on the fact that Mrs. Covey had worked for Dain's father until sudden ill health had forced his involuntary surrender of the reins to Dain when that young man was barely out of college, where evidently few academic and social honors had escaped him.
In fact, according to Mrs. Covey, little escaped Dain if he chose, be it women or business coups. Though yet short of thirty, he had put together a number of outstandingly complicated takeovers, divestations, and mergers, all of them shockingly profitable to RanCo. He had recently been in Europe on just such another major enterprise, and the staff and stockholders of RanCo confidently expected the latest to be no different from the previous in terms of success and profitability.
Keri didn't doubt it in the least. Latter-day pirate or modern version thereof, he'd be successful no matter what his occupation. He wore the arrogant, unmistakable look of power like a cloak—an inborn, integral part of a powerful personality.
Then Mrs. Covey switched from the public to the private life of Keri's daunting employer. In exhaustive detail she told Keri far more than she wanted to know about Dain Randolph the man, confirming with every word what Keri had feared since she had confronted him across the width of his desk that first day.
Like a rake in Regency days, Dain had adroitly evaded the marriage mart, choosing instead to play, when he played, among the sophisticated and worldly, most of whom played the game superbly and often. Mrs. Covey was acidic about Miss Barth's so obvious aspirations, assuring Keri that Mr. Randolph never looked among his employees for his, as she delicately termed it, liaisons.
Keri wasn't sure if Mrs. Covey meant this statement for warning or reassurance. She would like to be able to accept it as reassurance, but the hard, appraising eyes which had stripped away her camouflage so easily were anything but impersonal. She didn't know why he was so interested, but the fact remained that he was! Something had trig gered his attention and now Dain Randolph was exhibiting more than common interest in an employee.
"Has Mr. Randolph any other family?" Keri questioned idly, when Mrs. Covey paused for breath.
"Hmph, yes. A sister six years younger," responded Mrs. Covey in portentous tones. "And a right bitch that one is. Mr. Randolph and his father have pulled her out of more scrapes than I care to think of. They've spoiled her rotten because her mother died when she was just a little girl and she's used to having the world laid out on a carpet for her. I hear she's recently gotten herself engaged, so now there'll be three men to indulge her. She hasn't been around much because Mr. Randolph's been away, but you can be sure we'll be seeing more of her, sweeping in, nodding graciously to the serfs, and snarling like a sand cat whenever things don't go her way. She's got claws, that one, and isn't choosy about whom she uses them on, except for Mr. Randolph, of course. She's honey sweet and purring with him!"
And without losing a beat, Mrs. Covey looked shrewdly at Keri and said, "And what about you, my dear? When are you going to quit hiding behind those dowdy clothes and prim manner?"
It was too sudden a move for Keri to mask her reaction. Her mouth fell open with shock while Mrs. Covey chuckled quietly, well satisfied with her broadside. Keri looked at the dumpy little woman sitting opposite her and began to smile in her own turn. She laughed softly and ruefully.
"I've worked at RanCo three months with nary a raised eyebrow and now, in the space of two days, two people have seen through me. There must be clearer vision in the rarefied air of the executive suite," she finished dryly.
"Mr. Randolph being the other one with clear vision," Mrs.
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