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‘Does anyone ever admit to having a favourite?’ Jack asked, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. ‘Especially in this family?’

Linnet laughed, amused by his tone. ‘No. But they have them. Any everyone loves Gid, you know that. He’s special.’

Immediately Jack thought of Gideon’s brother Toby, whom he found highly competitive when it came to his younger sibling. Toby was jealous. But Jack decided not to comment on this. He merely said, ‘True enough,’ and continued, ‘Your mother gave me Emily’s guest list, and I received Gideon’s a couple of days ago. It seems to me that family only have been invited.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

There was a small silence.

Jack broke it finally, his voice grown more serious when he said, ‘There’s something I need to tell you, Linnet … Jonathan Ainsley’s back in London, I wanted you to be aware of that.’

‘He always manages to show up at the wrong time!’ she cried, her voice rising.

‘I have everything under control,’ Jack reassured her swiftly. ‘My people have him under surveillance on a permanent basis, that’s how we know he’s back here.’ Having no wish to upset her unduly, he refrained from telling her that Ainsley had been spotted that very morning watching the store from across the road. And so he went on quietly, his voice as always calm and soothing, ‘I’m simply telling you this because I promised to keep you informed about him. I just want you to be aware … and on your guard, so to speak.’

‘I will be. Have you mentioned it to Gideon?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Shall I say something to Evan?’

‘No, don’t. It could upset her, and, after all, she’s very, very pregnant.’

‘She’s holding her own, though. And the babies are not due until the last week of March. But it’s probably better she doesn’t know Ainsley’s around. She and Gideon are going to Yorkshire to stay at Pennistone Royal until the wedding. She can take it easy up there, have a rest.’

‘And she’ll certainly be safe,’ he murmured in response. ‘That place is like Fort Knox these days.’

‘Thanks to you! And no doubt Gid’s had you working on Beck House. Installing a security system, I bet.’

‘He has indeed,’ Jack answered, smiling. ‘It’s a lovely old house and they’re both thrilled it came on the market when it did. Gideon especially, since his father owned it once.’

‘With Daddy when they were gay young blades,’ Linnet pointed out. ‘Gid told me it’s almost ready for them to move in.’

‘I know. But getting back to the guest lists, do you think there might be any last-minute invitations? To non-family members?’

‘I doubt it. You see, Jack, Evan hasn’t really made any friends, I mean outside the family. She’s been caught up with Gideon most of the time, and with India, Tessa and me. Oh wait a minute, there’s that couple who own the hotel … George and Arlette Thomas. Her father’s friends. I’m sure she would probably invite them, but—’

‘She did,’ Jack cut in, ‘they’re on Gideon’s list.’

‘Then I can’t think of anyone else.’

Jack nodded. ‘As I said, there’ll be plenty of security, but I do need your help with one thing, if you don’t mind.’

‘Tell me.’

‘More than anyone else, you know every person who’s going to attend the wedding. You would spot a stranger in a crowd, and instantly. Far quicker, certainly, than me. Or any of my people. And also, although I’m acquainted with every member of the family, I obviously can’t be everywhere at once. So, here’s what I want you to do … Keep your eyes peeled, make a mental note of everyone who’s there, and particularly strangers, and tell me or one of my operatives if you see anyone you don’t know. Immediately.’

Linnet nodded her head. ‘I could wear a wire, or whatever you call it. A mike and an earpiece. Like you did at my wedding.’

Jack burst out laughing, and sat back in the chair, staring at her, amusement reflected in his eyes. There was no one quite like her … except for Emma when she was alive. She would have made exactly the same kind of outrageous suggestion as Linnet just had.

‘Why are you laughing?’ she asked, looking baffled.

‘Because only you or your great-grandmother would have said that to me. My God, you’re so like her.’

‘I’m glad I am, but getting back to the wedding, I could wear an earpiece and a mike, couldn’t I, Jack? I mean, why not? What’s to stop me? Or who?’

‘No one really, but don’t you think it might alarm some members of the family? Like Great-Aunt Edwina, for instance.’

‘Oh come on, Jack, not Edwina! You know better than that. Anyway, if Edwina were to spot me with a mike on my lapel she’d want one, too. You know she’s the general in the family, bossing everyone around and taking charge at the drop of a hat. But she’s a good egg.’

‘Indeed,’ he murmured, biting back a smile. There was no denying it, at times Linnet took his breath away, but he had no doubts about her whatsoever. She was brave and determined as well as smart, and one day she would take charge, be the one to run the Harte stores. She was a star.

‘Jack, what about it?’ she pressed. ‘Can I wear a mike?’

‘It’s not a bad idea at that, Linny,’ he replied at last, thinking: But would Paula stand for it? Wouldn’t she balk at her daughter being miked-up at a family wedding?

Almost as if she had read his mind, Linnet announced, ‘Mummy might object. If she knew. But she doesn’t have to know. I’m sure I can hide the mike on my lapel, behind a large flower. And nobody would notice an earpiece. My hair’s longer.’ As she spoke she fluffed out her auburn bob, staring at him pointedly, her green eyes intense.

‘Your hair is longer, that’s true,’ he murmured and stood up, glancing at his watch as he did. ‘Listen, I’ll get back to you on that idea later in the day. Let me think it through. Basically, I don’t believe it will be necessary. It is a small wedding, after all.’

As Jack moved away, heading for the door, he turned, and said, ‘Oh, there is one other thing. Your mother told me that all of the help at the reception are locals, who’ve been employed at Pennistone Royal in the past. Just scan them for me on the day, okay?’

She nodded, and rose, walked over to him. ‘I’ll mention it to Margaret this weekend, make sure they’re old hands. And of course I’ll keep my eyes open at the reception.’

‘Thanks, Beauty.’

Linnet fell in step with him, and just before they reached the door of the auditorium she touched his arm lightly. ‘Jack?’

‘Yes?’ He looked down at her questioningly.

‘Do you really think Jonathan Ainsley might try to cause trouble? Do something insane?’

‘No, I don’t think he will. He’s too smart. On the other hand, I like to be one step ahead of the other guys. So I play it safe.’

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_9a35c5d8-6fc1-53aa-895e-1d2fe5acee84)

Evan picked up a thick, felt-tipped pen and in her bold, flowing handwriting wrote across the manila folder the word BRIDE. Then she pushed the folder to one side of the desk, smiling to herself as she patted it almost lovingly. She had not realized how much work she had already done on the idea of creating an entire floor devoted to brides until she had gone into her computer an hour ago and printed everything out.

After reading all of the pages written weeks ago, she knew she had a workable and comprehensive blueprint for the bridal floor, and she was pleased. She hoped that Linnet would also be pleased. More than likely she would be. But what about Paula O’Neill? Would their boss really let them create a floor catering only to brides at the expense of other departments?

The question hung there in the air for a moment. It was a tantalizing question for which she had no answer. A sense that problems were brewing, a premonition of trouble ahead still lingered in her mind. Very determinedly she tried to push this away, disinclined to ponder problems today. As Linnet would say, in her quaint way, there were better fish to fry.

Rising, Evan walked across the floor to her long work table at the other side of her office. The top of the table was covered with photographs of the house Gideon had bought in Yorkshire, and she had an overwhelming desire to look at the pictures again.

Sitting down at the table, she stared at those which she had laid out days ago. Once more she experienced the now-familiar pleasure and excitement that knowing this would be her home engendered in her, as well as a genuine longing to be there. Such feelings were paramount in her these days, and she could hardly wait to move in.

As she shuffled through photographs of the grounds and the exterior of the house, she thought of that Saturday morning last October, only three months ago, when she had first seen the house.