‘Meryl,’ he agreed.
‘You make that sound more formal than Miss Winters,’ she complained.
‘I’m always formal with my business partners. It works better that way.’
He didn’t intend to smile back at her, but her own smile compelled him. For a moment her sophistication had slipped and she was a cheeky little girl, teasing him. At last he gave up the effort not to smile. He would resist her another time.
A sound from the door made them both look around. Sarah stood there, her face tense.
‘I’ll see you later,’ Meryl said softly, and slipped away.
Sarah came forward and searched Jarvis’s face. ‘Tell me it isn’t true,’ she said. ‘Ferdy told me, but I couldn’t believe you’d stoop to such a thing.’
Jarvis tried not to let her see how this embarrassed him. Sarah was an old and dear friend who had his best interests at heart.
‘Does the whole world know?’ he demanded. ‘What should I do? Go bankrupt and take everyone down with me? I’ve been given a chance to save us all.’
‘But at such a price-’
‘It’s a formality, nothing more. Meryl and I each gain what we want. When the dust has settled we get a discreet divorce and never see each other again.’
‘That’s what she’s told you, is it?’
‘Sarah, my dear, what is this? Meryl has no interest in me as a man.’
Even as he said it the memory of her teasing ‘Wanna bet?’ darted through his mind and was gone, with a mischievous flick of the tail. Luckily Sarah was too agitated to see the disturbance in his face.
‘Not long term, no,’ she agreed. ‘But I knew what she was like the moment we met. The way she just marched in here and expected to take over-so sure of herself-of the divine right of money-’
‘That’s not really fair,’ he said, forgetting how often he’d thought the same.
‘Oh, Jarvis, she’s spoilt, she’s used to getting her own way, yielding to every stupid impulse and assuming that someone else will pick up the pieces. Look at the way she just turned up here without warning. Never mind the inconvenience to everyone else. Never mind the risk.’
‘That’s true,’ he said, struck. ‘I don’t know that any risk fazes her. She nearly drowned that night, then she ended up here, all alone, no clothes, and she faced me down as if she had an army at her back.’
‘Whatever do you mean? No clothes?’
He was about to make a humorous reference to the way his robe had fallen open on Meryl, but instinct warned him that Sarah wouldn’t see it as he did. Besides, he was trying to avoid that memory.
‘Her own were wet so she had to borrow some,’ he said lamely. ‘Come on, Sarah, try to be happy for me now that my troubles are nearly over.’
‘Your troubles are just beginning, if only you could see it. You think she’s just going to go away? Well, maybe she is, when she’s turned you into her poodle.’
‘That’ll never happen. She knows that.’
‘And you think she’s accepted it? Don’t you realise that she has to bring every man to heel? She won’t be satisfied until she’s bought and sold you emotionally as well as financially?’
His face darkened. ‘If you think that could ever happen-my dear, that’s practically an insult.’ He took hold of her arms and gave her a gentle shake. ‘Trust me. I know what I’m about.’
‘Of course.’ She gave him a determined smile. ‘Let invaders tremble.’
‘That’s the spirit. You’ve always been my dear friend, Sarah. I know I can count on you.’
‘Now and always.’
He gave her a fierce, brotherly hug. He wasn’t sufficiently alive to her to sense that she was exasperated with him. Nor did he see Meryl passing the door and swiftly averting her gaze from the sight of them in each other’s arms. Only Sarah noticed that.
Larry reached them two hours later, sweeping in with a face like thunder.
‘I suppose I might have expected it,’ were his first words.
‘I suppose you might,’ Meryl observed mildly. ‘You know me.’
‘I know you’re not going to change now. You said you’d find a fortune-hunter and you’ve found one.’
‘Larry-’ Meryl said in a warning voice.
‘Good evening,’ Jarvis said politely, descending the stairs. ‘We haven’t met before. My name is Jarvis Larne.’
‘So it’s you! Well, you ought to be ashamed, that’s all I have to say. No decent man would have written that letter-’
‘Jarvis didn’t write it,’ Meryl broke in desperately. ‘It was his friend, Ferdy, who meant it as a joke. Jarvis knew nothing about it and tried to throw me out. He hates the idea as much as you do.’
Larry gave a disbelieving sniff. Meryl could hardly bear to look at Jarvis, but to her relief he’d managed a grin. As they went into the library he muttered, ‘When do I ask him for your hand in marriage?’
‘Never, if you want to live. Look, I’m sorry-’
‘Don’t be. I’m rapidly developing a thick skin. I wouldn’t have missed him for worlds.’
In the library Larry was persuaded to sit down and drink some sherry, but he refused an invitation to supper.
‘I have one hour,’ he declared loftily, ‘then I have to leave if I’m to catch my flight.’
‘You can’t come all this way for just one hour,’ Meryl protested.
‘One hour is enough.’ He glared at Jarvis. ‘You, sir, have you no shame?’
‘None at all,’ Jarvis declared more coolly than he felt. Whatever his private feelings, this was between himself and Meryl. Hell would freeze over before he explained himself to Larry Rivers.
‘It doesn’t worry you to take advantage of a helpless woman?’
‘I don’t take advantage of helpless women, but we’re talking about Meryl.’
‘And you think Meryl is calm and clear-headed, able to take care of herself?’ Larry demanded.
‘No, I think she’s harebrained, impulsive, idiotic and needs locking up. But she’s going to do what she wants, and neither you nor I can stop her.’
‘You could stop her!’
‘It’s too late for that,’ Jarvis said calmly. ‘I already owe her money.’
‘What?’
‘Well, I’m marrying her for her money, so it seemed only sensible to get my hands on it before she had time to think. Let’s see-twenty thousand last night-that’s pounds sterling, which at the current exchange rate-’
‘I know what the exchange rate is, thank you,’ Larry bawled.
‘There’s that, and-’ Jarvis glanced at Meryl ‘-whatever you paid for the car.’ To Larry, ‘How did you like my wedding present, outside?’
‘It didn’t take you long to get your snout in the trough,’ Larry said stiffly.
Jarvis shrugged. ‘Start as you mean to go on. I just hope the dowry is worth it. An English title doesn’t come cheap.’
In the deadly silence that followed this remark Larry raised his head to survey Jarvis, and something like respect dawned in his eyes. ‘I’m sure Meryl will tell you what she has in mind,’ he said.
‘I don’t believe in discussing finance with women,’ Jarvis declared, straight-faced.
‘Oi!’ Meryl said, and to her delight Jarvis winked at her.
This was an unexpected side of him, and it made her want to know more. But for now she felt the time had come for her to take charge of the conversation.
‘Larry, if this is your attitude I suppose it’s too much to hope that you’ve started the paperwork. I need to be signing things fairly soon. Otherwise my betrothed might jilt me.’
Jarvis suppressed a grin. Incredibly he was enjoying himself.
Larry glared. ‘Nobody has ever accused me of inefficiency. I have some preliminary papers here.’ He produced them from his bag. ‘I never really thought you’d listen to me. If you’re determined to do this thoroughly stupid thing, at least let’s do it properly. Of course these are just the initial papers. I’ll be back with more for the actual wedding. I take it I am invited?’