Too Wild to Wed by Jayne Ann Krentz Page A

that?"
    "Because if you don't, I will seriously consider withdrawing my commitment to endow the new chair in business administration and I will see to it that the trustees of the college know that you were the reason I changed my mind."
    Sheldon's handsome face paled and then tightened with fury. He knew as well as everyone else at the table what that threat would mean. Quite literally it spelled the end of his career at Tipton College. The trustees would never forgive him for depriving the school of a major endowment. They would see to it he was fired.
    "You're a real bastard, aren't you, Augustine?" Sheldon's voice was hoarse with fury.
    "I can be when I'm crossed. Otherwise, I'm really very easy to get along with. Just ask anyone."
    Sheldon got to his feet with a jerky movement and regarded Xavier with a frustrated hostility that was obviously just barely under control. "You think you're so damned smart, don't you? Go ahead and show up at Greenslade. I'll tell the people in charge that you've got a personal invitation from me. We'll see how much you enjoy the quarterly meeting. You don't know what you are getting into, Augustine."
    "I think I can handle anything you can come up with, Peabody."
    "Don't bet on it." Sheldon turned away from the table and strode through the crowd to the door.
    Letty sat frozen in shock. A glance at Molly revealed that her friend was just as stunned by the outrageous threat Xavier had so casually issued as she was. Xavier himself appeared oblivious of the scene he had just caused. He was reaching for another slice of Letty's pizza.
    "How dare you?" Letty squeaked as she finally found her voice.
    "It
    ’ s not that bad," Xavier said, regarding the peppered pizza with a considering eye. "A bit heavy on the anchovies, but otherwise pretty tasty."
    "I
    ’ m not talking about the pizza. I'm talking about what you just said to Sheldon. That was absolutely appalling, Xavier. How could you threaten him like that?"
    Xavier gazed at her as he munched pizza. "I hate to tell you this, but it was amazingly easy."
    "My God, you're impossible." Letty shot to her feet and tossed down her napkin as if it were a gauntlet. "I have never been so embarrassed."
    "You're in for a lot more embarrassment if you continue to throw Peabody and me into a ring together," Xavier warned.
    "I am not doing any such thing," Letty stormed. "Furthermore, I want to make it quite clear that I don't want you at Greenslade. Do you hear me?"
    "Everyone in the place can hear you," Xavier said. Letty gave up. She glanced desperately at Molly, who got to her feet like the good friend she was and prepared to follow her out of the pub. The two women turned their backs on Xavier and stalked out of the restaurant.
    "Whew," said Molly as they stepped outside into the cool night air. "I think you're right. Whatever else he is, your Mr. Augustine is no saint."
    "I want you to dig up anything you can on him, Molly."
    "I'll get started on it right away," Molly promised. "Should prove interesting. A man like that is bound to have lots of skeletons in his closet. But even if I find them that still leaves you with the problem of what to do with them."
    "I'll think of something. I'm going to teach Xavier Augustine that he can't treat me as if he were some lord from the Middle Ages."
    "Uh-huh." Molly sounded doubtful.
    "I will," Letty assured her fiercely.
    "Just leave me a number where you can be reached."
    "I will."
    Molly nodded. "I don't know if it's any consolation, but you can take comfort in knowing that we all just stuck Xavier with the bill for the pizza and drinks."
    "So we did," Letty said. The thought cheered her somewhat. "I guess there is some justice in the world, after all."

    The red MESSAGE LIGHT on the telephone was flashing when Letty was shown to her room at the Greenslade ion the following afternoon.
    "Just pick up the phone and ask the front desk for the message," the bellman said as he dropped her suitcase and took the dollar