lot?’
‘That’s what I said.’ He sat back in his chair.
‘But…’ Liz stopped and bit her lip. There were at least ten appointments in one form or another to be rescheduled. There were at least five major appointments amongst them, involving third, fourth and even fifth parties, so cancellation would produce a ripple effect of chaos down the line.
She swallowed. ‘All right. Uh—what will you being doing tomorrow? I mean, what would you like me to say? Mr Hillier has been called away urgently? Or…’ She paused and gazed at him.
That crooked grin chased across Cam Hillier’s lips, but he said gravely, ‘Yep. Especially said in those cool, well-bred tones. It should do the trick admirably.’
Liz frowned. ‘I don’t sound—are you saying I sound snooty?’
‘Yes, you do.’ He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Probably your private school.’
She grimaced, and after a moment deliberately changed the subject. ‘Should I know what you
are
doing tomorrow, Mr Hillier, or would you rather I remained in ignorance?’
He noted the change of subject with a twist of his lips. ‘That would be hard, because you’ll be with me. I’m going up to Yewarra and I need your help, I’ll be engaging staff.’
‘Yewarra?’ she repeated, somewhat dazedly.
‘It’s an estate I have in the Blue Mountains.’
‘The Blue…’ Liz caught herself sounding like a parrot and changed tack. ‘I mean—how long will it take?’
‘Just a day—just working hours,’ he replied smoothly, and shrugged. ‘Let’s leave here at eight a.m.—then we
will
be back in working hours. And come casual.’
‘You’re planning to drive up there?’ she queried.
‘Uh-huh. Why not?’
Liz moved uneasily. ‘I prefer not to feel as if I’m low-flying when I’m in a car.’
He grinned. ‘I promise to obey the speed limits tomorrow. Anyway, it’s a very good car and I’m a very good driver.’
Liz opened her mouth to say his modesty was amazing but she changed her mind. As she knew to her cost, you could never quite tell how Cam Hillier was going to react in a confrontation…
‘So,’ he said, lying back in his chair with his hands behind his head, ‘only three more days before Roger is restored to our midst—completely recovered from his glandular fever, so he assures me.’
‘Yes,’ she said quietly.
‘And you head off into the sunset, Liz.’
‘That too,’ she agreed.
‘But we’ve worked well together. Oh—’ he sat up and gestured widely ‘—apart from the couple of times you’ve narrowly restrained yourself from slapping my face, and the day you threatened me with worse.’ His blue eyes were alive with satanic amusement.
‘I get the feeling you’re never going to let me forget that, so it’s just as well I
am
riding off into the sunset or something like that.’
She was destined not to know what his responsewould have been, because the door of his office burst open and Portia Pengelly swept in.
‘Cam, I have to speak to you—
oh
!’ Portia stopped dead, then advanced slowly and ominously with that knee-in-front-of-knee model’s walk. She wore a simple black silk shift dress splashed with vibrant colours. She had a bright watermelon cardigan draped over her shoulders, and carried a large tote in the same colour. Her famous straw-coloured locks were gorgeously dishevelled and her long legs were bare.
‘Who is
this?’
she demanded as she gazed at Liz.
Liz got up and took up the diary. ‘I work here. Uh—if that’ll be all, Mr Hillier, I’ll get back to work. Excuse me,’ she said to Portia, and left the room—but not quite quickly enough to miss Portia Pengelly uttering Cam Hillier’s Christian name in what sounded like an impassioned plea.
They set off on the dot of eight the next morning.
Liz had taken her boss’s advice to ‘come casual’ to heart. She wore a short-sleeved pale grey jumper with a black and white bow pattern on the front, and slimline jeans with a broad cuff
‘That’s what I said.’ He sat back in his chair.
‘But…’ Liz stopped and bit her lip. There were at least ten appointments in one form or another to be rescheduled. There were at least five major appointments amongst them, involving third, fourth and even fifth parties, so cancellation would produce a ripple effect of chaos down the line.
She swallowed. ‘All right. Uh—what will you being doing tomorrow? I mean, what would you like me to say? Mr Hillier has been called away urgently? Or…’ She paused and gazed at him.
That crooked grin chased across Cam Hillier’s lips, but he said gravely, ‘Yep. Especially said in those cool, well-bred tones. It should do the trick admirably.’
Liz frowned. ‘I don’t sound—are you saying I sound snooty?’
‘Yes, you do.’ He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Probably your private school.’
She grimaced, and after a moment deliberately changed the subject. ‘Should I know what you
are
doing tomorrow, Mr Hillier, or would you rather I remained in ignorance?’
He noted the change of subject with a twist of his lips. ‘That would be hard, because you’ll be with me. I’m going up to Yewarra and I need your help, I’ll be engaging staff.’
‘Yewarra?’ she repeated, somewhat dazedly.
‘It’s an estate I have in the Blue Mountains.’
‘The Blue…’ Liz caught herself sounding like a parrot and changed tack. ‘I mean—how long will it take?’
‘Just a day—just working hours,’ he replied smoothly, and shrugged. ‘Let’s leave here at eight a.m.—then we
will
be back in working hours. And come casual.’
‘You’re planning to drive up there?’ she queried.
‘Uh-huh. Why not?’
Liz moved uneasily. ‘I prefer not to feel as if I’m low-flying when I’m in a car.’
He grinned. ‘I promise to obey the speed limits tomorrow. Anyway, it’s a very good car and I’m a very good driver.’
Liz opened her mouth to say his modesty was amazing but she changed her mind. As she knew to her cost, you could never quite tell how Cam Hillier was going to react in a confrontation…
‘So,’ he said, lying back in his chair with his hands behind his head, ‘only three more days before Roger is restored to our midst—completely recovered from his glandular fever, so he assures me.’
‘Yes,’ she said quietly.
‘And you head off into the sunset, Liz.’
‘That too,’ she agreed.
‘But we’ve worked well together. Oh—’ he sat up and gestured widely ‘—apart from the couple of times you’ve narrowly restrained yourself from slapping my face, and the day you threatened me with worse.’ His blue eyes were alive with satanic amusement.
‘I get the feeling you’re never going to let me forget that, so it’s just as well I
am
riding off into the sunset or something like that.’
She was destined not to know what his responsewould have been, because the door of his office burst open and Portia Pengelly swept in.
‘Cam, I have to speak to you—
oh
!’ Portia stopped dead, then advanced slowly and ominously with that knee-in-front-of-knee model’s walk. She wore a simple black silk shift dress splashed with vibrant colours. She had a bright watermelon cardigan draped over her shoulders, and carried a large tote in the same colour. Her famous straw-coloured locks were gorgeously dishevelled and her long legs were bare.
‘Who is
this?’
she demanded as she gazed at Liz.
Liz got up and took up the diary. ‘I work here. Uh—if that’ll be all, Mr Hillier, I’ll get back to work. Excuse me,’ she said to Portia, and left the room—but not quite quickly enough to miss Portia Pengelly uttering Cam Hillier’s Christian name in what sounded like an impassioned plea.
They set off on the dot of eight the next morning.
Liz had taken her boss’s advice to ‘come casual’ to heart. She wore a short-sleeved pale grey jumper with a black and white bow pattern on the front, and slimline jeans with a broad cuff
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