to be in absolute control, then—no more tricks? I believed you last night, remember.” Anger still tinged his voice, but not as much as when he’d first seen her.
Rosemary nodded. “Aye, no tricks.”
“And you’re too obey me in everything?” This question was posed more sternly, and Rosemary flushed, thankful that he couldn’t tell beneath her makeup.
“But what if—”
“Everything,” he said firmly. “Without your unquestioning cooperation, you can’t expect the troupe to comply. I understand their loyalty to you as Carney. Agreed?”
“Yes.” She sighed as if beaten. Her shoulders drooped, and she scuffed at the dirt.
“Good, as long as we understand each other. I want no more repetitions of last night.”
Glancing once more toward Zach, who seemed oddly indifferent to her dilemma, Rosemary shrugged and admitted softly, “Last night I left for more than one reason. ‘Tis true, I wanted to get a head start on you"—at his angry glitter, she continued more quickly—"but I also had a problem come up. I wanted to get here early to try and find a solution.”
“What problem?” He seemed genuinely interested, and she relaxed for the first time since their dreadful interview began.
“One of the assistants quit. I need to find a replacement but haven’t had much success. Normally, I would just eliminate the act, but I’ve billed it for tonight. It always starts a row if I don’t come through after advertising. Sometimes the people even demand their money back.”
“I see.” Actually, he did. Judging from last night’s audience, these farmers and homesteaders worked long and hard for their dollar. They wouldn’t take too kindly to being bilked out of even one small act. “What do you normally do under these circumstances?”
“As manager, I would step in—”
“Done,” he said smoothly. “As new manager, I cannot begin by shirking a responsibility. I will do it.”
“Oh, but you can’t!” Rosemary looked at him in astonishment. “This is William’s act, and as his assistant—”
“If you can do it, then I can,” Michael said impatiently, well aware of her tactic. God, if he let her get away with this, he would never set a precedent and would have the title in name only. He’d walked into enough business circumstances just like this, where the former inept boss refused to let go of the reins of power. It was a situation he’d learned not to tolerate for even a day, and at Carney’s he’d not stand for it one moment. “I am manager now, and if that means stepping in until we find a replacement, then I will. That’s enough on the subject.”
Rosemary sighed in resignation. The man was determined, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Taking note of her defeat, Michael put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Miss Carney. This is a lot of responsibility for a woman. You should be glad to shed it. And when I’ve had the opportunity to turn the circus into a real profit center, we can all walk away happy.”
He mistook the glitter in her eyes as resignation, and she turned on her heel, bluntly peeling his hand from her shoulder. “We have less than an hour until showtime. I’ll take you to your tent.”
She marched ahead of him, her enormous shoes flapping and her clown suit billowing with each step. The outfit effectively hid her body, making him wonder if the curves he had felt last night were just a figment of his imagination. Michael followed her, trying to keep a pleased smile from his face. It had been easier than he thought. Even a Carney could be defeated, if one just used the right weapons.
“This is it?” He glanced around the interior of the tent. Dark and dim, it was one of the smallest and least attractive of the circus enclosures and was positioned right next to the elephants. Four cots lined the walls, and a deck of cards, empty whiskey glasses, and tobacco, littered the dirt floor. A basin of water and several
Rosemary nodded. “Aye, no tricks.”
“And you’re too obey me in everything?” This question was posed more sternly, and Rosemary flushed, thankful that he couldn’t tell beneath her makeup.
“But what if—”
“Everything,” he said firmly. “Without your unquestioning cooperation, you can’t expect the troupe to comply. I understand their loyalty to you as Carney. Agreed?”
“Yes.” She sighed as if beaten. Her shoulders drooped, and she scuffed at the dirt.
“Good, as long as we understand each other. I want no more repetitions of last night.”
Glancing once more toward Zach, who seemed oddly indifferent to her dilemma, Rosemary shrugged and admitted softly, “Last night I left for more than one reason. ‘Tis true, I wanted to get a head start on you"—at his angry glitter, she continued more quickly—"but I also had a problem come up. I wanted to get here early to try and find a solution.”
“What problem?” He seemed genuinely interested, and she relaxed for the first time since their dreadful interview began.
“One of the assistants quit. I need to find a replacement but haven’t had much success. Normally, I would just eliminate the act, but I’ve billed it for tonight. It always starts a row if I don’t come through after advertising. Sometimes the people even demand their money back.”
“I see.” Actually, he did. Judging from last night’s audience, these farmers and homesteaders worked long and hard for their dollar. They wouldn’t take too kindly to being bilked out of even one small act. “What do you normally do under these circumstances?”
“As manager, I would step in—”
“Done,” he said smoothly. “As new manager, I cannot begin by shirking a responsibility. I will do it.”
“Oh, but you can’t!” Rosemary looked at him in astonishment. “This is William’s act, and as his assistant—”
“If you can do it, then I can,” Michael said impatiently, well aware of her tactic. God, if he let her get away with this, he would never set a precedent and would have the title in name only. He’d walked into enough business circumstances just like this, where the former inept boss refused to let go of the reins of power. It was a situation he’d learned not to tolerate for even a day, and at Carney’s he’d not stand for it one moment. “I am manager now, and if that means stepping in until we find a replacement, then I will. That’s enough on the subject.”
Rosemary sighed in resignation. The man was determined, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Taking note of her defeat, Michael put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Miss Carney. This is a lot of responsibility for a woman. You should be glad to shed it. And when I’ve had the opportunity to turn the circus into a real profit center, we can all walk away happy.”
He mistook the glitter in her eyes as resignation, and she turned on her heel, bluntly peeling his hand from her shoulder. “We have less than an hour until showtime. I’ll take you to your tent.”
She marched ahead of him, her enormous shoes flapping and her clown suit billowing with each step. The outfit effectively hid her body, making him wonder if the curves he had felt last night were just a figment of his imagination. Michael followed her, trying to keep a pleased smile from his face. It had been easier than he thought. Even a Carney could be defeated, if one just used the right weapons.
“This is it?” He glanced around the interior of the tent. Dark and dim, it was one of the smallest and least attractive of the circus enclosures and was positioned right next to the elephants. Four cots lined the walls, and a deck of cards, empty whiskey glasses, and tobacco, littered the dirt floor. A basin of water and several
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