High-Society Secret Baby - Maxine Sullivan Page 0,49
driver.”
“I’ll make sure he gets a job.”
Her eyes widened. “You would?”
“He’s family now.”
Her heart really began to melt now. He would do that for people he didn’t know? “Thank you, Dominic. Thank you so much.”
“It’s no problem.” He paused. “Give me your sister’s bank details and I’ll transfer the money tonight.”
She stared in grateful surprise. How had she thought this man hard-hearted? She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “I’ve already put the money straight into her account, so thank you for the offer, but it’s not needed now.”
“Give me her details, anyway. I’ll put in some extra.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Just give me the details.”
“Okay, but I’ll repay you as soon as I get money from the estate.”
“Keep the money.”
“But—”
“Keep it.”
She closed her mouth, her mind racing ahead. Thankfully, she still had three thousand to pay the nursing home to hold them at bay.
“Now…” he said. “We have to get your brooch back. I gather it’s a family heirloom.”
“Yes. It is.” He seemed to be waiting for more. “I…er…would never part with it normally, but I knew I’d be able to get it back once I repaid the loan.”
There was a pause. “I apologize for not believing you last night.”
She inclined her head. “Thank you.”
“Come on, I’ll drive us. Nesta can mind Nicole.” He watched as she put on her shoes. “I see you didn’t use my driver. I checked,” he added, before she could ask how he knew.
“I caught a cab. But I didn’t take Nicole with me,” she quickly assured him.
“What did I tell you about—”
“Dominic, it’s not like anyone expected me to be going out in a cab, least of all to a local ‘Pawnbroker and Money Lender’ I’d found online.”
“I suppose not.” His eyes held hers, a growing admiration in their depths. “You’re a good sister,” he said brusquely.
Cassandra was pleased, but she couldn’t help but wonder. How long would his admiration last if he found out that Liam had paid her to have his baby?
After lunch, Nesta asked if she could have the rest of the weekend off. Her daughter was sick with a migraine, and she needed her to look after the grandchildren. Cassandra assured her that she could handle everything, including the delivery of the Christmas tree the next morning.
“But what about the dinner tomorrow night?” Nesta asked, fretting. “I might not be back until late.”
“It’ll be fine, Nesta. Take as long as you need.” An idea flashed through her mind. “Hey, I can do the cooking.”
“You?”
Cassandra almost laughed at the surprise in the housekeeper’s voice. “It’s been ages since I cooked a meal. It’ll be a nice change for me.”
In fact, the thought of cooking for her in-laws excited her a little, unlike the dinner parties she’d arranged for Liam. Those dinners hadn’t resonated with her like cooking for a family did. And perhaps now this could be a small start to Laura and Michael making peace with her. She could only hope.
But Dominic vetoed the idea that evening as they ate the casserole Nesta had already prepared. “There’s no need for you to cook,” he argued. “We can organize someone to come in tomorrow night. Even if Nesta’s back, she can still have the night off.”
“But I like cooking,” she said with disappointment. She’d already decided on a menu of vegetables with poached salmon and a summer trifle. “You do?”
She almost laughed. Did everyone think she was incapable of doing any manual work? “Yes, and afterward I’ll just throw everything in the dishwasher and leave the rest for Nesta to clean up the next day.”
He frowned, then, “Okay, but if Nesta’s away longer than this, I’ll be phoning the employment agencies.”
“Temporarily, right?” she said, hoping he wasn’t thinking what she thought he was thinking.
He looked slightly taken aback. “You think I’d fire Nesta because she took some time off?”
“No, I just…” She pulled a face. “All right, so for a moment I did think that. And that’s your own fault. I can never anticipate what you’re going to do next.”
His lips twisted wryly. “That’s a good one coming from you. You’re the most contradictory person I know.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Will you now?” he said with a surprising dash of humor.
Something lightened inside her. “You expected me not to take it as a compliment?” she asked, hearing herself flirting with him.
“I never expect the expected from you,” he said, his eyes deepening…darkening…imperceptibly drawing her toward him. Tiny shivers of anticipation rolled down her spine.
And then