Silken Threads (4 page)

“
For which I will be eternally grateful,” Somner said with his own dashing smile.

He stood and started around the table, but Cassandra held up her hand and seated herself. A half-minute later, the waiter appeared to pour their wine.

“
I’ve already ordered,” Somner said, “You did say our time was limited.”

“
Of course.”

“
Veal Francese. I know how much you like it.”

“
Thank you,” Cassandra said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. Somner always ordered for them—always.

“
Cassie,” Somner began, but Cassandra lifted her glass and held it aloft.

“
A toast.”

“
In honor of?” he asked.

“
My new job.”

Somner’s smile flattened. “Job? Why?”

“
Because I needed it.”

“
You needed a job…what about me?”

Cassandra couldn’t help the smile caused by his startled reaction. “You don’t need a job; you have one.”

“
That’s not what I mean. I need you also.”

“
Me, or what I represent?” Cassandra asked. There was no malice in her tone, and she’d asked the question honestly.

“
What’s that supposed to mean?” Somner asked in a coarse voice, his lips thinning until they became little more than a narrow line.

With the perfect timing of the insensitive, the waiter appeared with their lunch. They stayed silent while the waiter, with delicate maneuvers, placed the plates before Cassandra and Somner, after which he held a long wooden pepper mill aloft and looked at Cassandra.

“
No, thank you,” she said pleasantly. Somner waved him brusquely away.

Cassandra refused to look at Somner for a moment as she picked up her silverware and cut a small piece of veal. She had told herself before entering the restaurant, she would be open and honest with him. She did not want to be catty, but she had to make him understand what she needed for herself.

“
Are you ready to answer me?” Somner asked.

“
Can’t we enjoy our lunch first?”

“
Which means if we talk now, we won’t be able to eat?”

“
That depends on you. The veal is delicious. Thank you for choosing it,” Cassandra added as she put another small piece into her mouth.

“
Cassandra, I’ve waited three months for this.”

Cassandra put down her silverware and took a deep breath. “You’re right, Somner. I don’t mean to procrastinate. You have every right to an explanation, and an apology.”

“
All I want is you.”

“
What good would I be if I don’t want to be married now? Somner, I’m sorry for not speaking out sooner. I feel I need some time to learn about myself, to work and see what I’m capable of before getting married.”

“
Marriage has nothing to do with work.”

“
I think it does.”

“
Then all you had to do was ask. I can give you a job in one of my companies, and we can get married also.” Cassandra ignored his last few words. “Really? What kind of a job?”

“
You have a natural flair for promotion. You’d make a great P.R. lady,” Somner stated with a proud smile.

Irritated, she was hard-pressed to hold back her anger. “Because of my social contacts? Or would I be good at P.R. because you don’t think I have any talent for real business?”

“
Don’t put words in my mouth,” Somner snapped loudly.

“
No, that’s your game.”

“
Cassie, why are we arguing?” he asked in a more controlled voice. “I love you. I want to marry you.”

“
And I want to live the life I choose. I want to do for myself before I have someone else taking care of me. Is it so hard to understand?”

“
Yes!” Somner Barwell, always the calm aristocrat, shouted the word. Several people turned to look at them but quickly averted their eyes.

Cassandra tried to keep her anger in check but found it harder with every passing heated moment.

Once again, Cassandra reinforced her earlier intentions. “Somner, I know we’ve been together for the last year and we have had a wonderful time. Nothing stands still; people change—I’ve changed. I need some direction in my life before I settle down. Direction is what I’m trying to find now.”

“
Some direction or some other man?” he challenged.

“
I won’t dignify that with an answer,” Cassandra whispered icily.

“
Where have you been for the last three months? Who were you with?” The harshness amplified Somner’s voice; several heads turned again.

“
Don’t let your fragile ego get in the way of this conversation!” she snapped. Then she forced herself to speak in a calmer tone. “I was in Greece, trying to understand why I wasn’t with you,” she replied truthfully.

“
I find that hard to believe.”

“
Then you have a problem!” Cassandra was very conscious of the people who were openly staring at them, and strangely, of the man she’d seen just before sitting down apparently had better manners than the others did. He was not looking at them; he was signing his check.

“
Cassie, I want us to marry.”

“
Why?”

“
Because we love each other.”

“
I don’t think so, Somner,” Cassandra whispered. The look in his eyes told her he would not accept her answer.

“
I do!” he stated, accenting his words with a sharp slap of his hand on the table.

Cassandra stared at him.

“
Cassie, we’re good for each other. Everyone says so. Even our parents think our marriage would be a wonderful match.”

“
A wonderful match? Do you mean love, convenience, or just the easiest way to consolidate our fathers’ business dealings?” Before Somner could respond, Cassandra held up her hand to ward off his next words.

“
What about me? Do what I think and feel make any difference? Do I get a say in this, or has the decision been made by you and our parents?” Without realizing it, Cassandra’s voice had risen loudly, but she no longer cared.

“
That’s what we’re here for.”

Cassandra’s hard-fought control failed. She directed her anger at Somner Barwell’s inflexible attitude and lack of understanding.

“
No! That’s what I came here for. You came here to tell me what you want, and what everyone else wants. Well, I’ll tell you something, Somner Barwell. I don’t give a hoot what anyone else thinks I should be doing. I’ll do what I damn well please, and I’ll live my life for myself, not for the people making plans for me!”

Standing, Cassandra pushed her chair back, drew her shoulders straight, and marched out of the restaurant. She ignored the startled stares, the knowing snickers hidden behind the backs of hands, and with every ounce of dignity, emerged onto Madison Avenue into the brilliant afternoon sun.

How dare he treat me like that! I tried. I tried to tell him how I felt, but all he did was tell me what he wanted.
Tears of anger stung her eyes, but she blinked them away as she walked quickly toward the Leeds Building and the sanctuary of her office. When she turned onto Fifth Avenue, she heard Somner call her name. Cassandra didn’t stop but increased her speed.

After the endlessly long two-block walk, she reached the building and, stepping quickly inside, headed toward the elevators. Behind her, Somner shouted her name again. At the far elevator bank, she pressed the call button several angry times. Leave me alone! she wanted to yell. But, Somner’s footsteps grew louder.

“
Cassie, listen to me,” Somner said when he reached her.

Cassandra refused to turn. Her back was stiff as she concentrated on the elevator door. “We have nothing else to say.”

“
We have a lot to say! Cassandra, I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose you. If you want to work, I’ll buy you a company. Just name it!”

Cassandra took a deep breath and, turning to face him, chased her anger away. “You just can’t see it, can you, Somner?”

“
Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you. You want to be a businesswoman. I’ll buy a business for you,” he told her. “Just marry me.”

Cassandra suddenly understood. Somner Barwell was a product of his parents and their generation, raised to believe he was all-important. His inability to see further than his own selfish desires repelled her as nothing had ever done before.

“
Leave me alone!” she shouted angrily, uncaring that she was a spectacle for the other people in the lobby.

Something changed in Somner’s eyes. His face, always the picture of stoicism, turned a mottled red. His eyes narrowed, and his lips grew taut. Then his arms shot forward, his hands grasping her shoulders tightly as he drew her close.

“
I always get what I want!” he declared.

Cassandra tried to pull away but could not. So instead, she tried not to feel the pain from his hands as she looked at him. She saw the truth of his words reflected in his features, and at the same time vowed that she would never become his property.

“
Let go of me,” she hissed.

Somner’s response was a tightening of his hands on her shoulders. “You will be mine!”

She tried to pull away again, but he squeezed harder. Then, from out of nowhere, a man grasped Somner’s wrists. Somner winced painfully, and Cassandra’s eyes widened with recognition. It was the man from the restaurant.

“
I believe the lady was trying to get into this elevator,” the man said, releasing his wrists.

As soon as Somner turned to face the stranger, Cassandra fled into the elevator and pressed the button. Before the doors closed, she saw that the man was facing Somner without a trace of fear. When the doors finally closed, Cassandra leaned back and took several deep breaths.

For a moment, she thought she was experiencing the after effects of the shocking confrontation, but she soon realized the chaos in her mind not because of Somner’s actions.

No, it was far from that: In the brief seconds when she’d looked into the eyes of the stranger, her entire being had reacted to him. It was more than his rescuing her, much more.

When he’d spoken to Somner, the rich timbre of his voice had struck a chord within her, and her mind and body had resonated powerfully. The strength she’d glimpsed in the man’s face and the powerful aura surrounding him had shaken her immensely.

Cassandra didn’t hear the bell for her floor. Only when the door opened, did she realize she was at her destination. Shaking from too many thoughts rampaging through her mind, Cassandra walked toward the security of her office.

Once she was safely behind her door, she sat on the brown suede couch and tried to organize her thoughts. So much had happened so quickly. She had learned the true character of the man she had almost married and was grateful she had run away three months before. If not… but Cassandra wouldn’t let herself think of that.

Who was the person I had lunch with? How could I have thought myself to be in love with him?
Even as she asked herself these questions, another sharper question reared its head. How could I have not known what he was really like? Suddenly, she remembering Somner’s eyes turning dangerous. She realized he had fully expected her to give in to his demands without a thought for herself.

He said he loved me
. “How could he!” she said aloud.

A shiver raced along her spine. She had thought she was doing the right thing in telling Somner about her feelings. She liked him a great deal; she had even believed herself in love with him. She had wanted to make him understand her needs and show him he was important to her, important enough for her to make sure they were not making a mistake.

However, in the last hour, she had come to realize the truth of the matter. Somner Barwell did not care about her emotions—only his. In the frightening moment by the elevator, she had caught a glimpse of just how far he would go to get what he wanted.

Facing horses couldn’t be any worse than facing him, Cassandra told herself.

Yet even as she thought of Somner, she thought of the man who had come to her aid. Who is he? she wondered, as the stranger’s face floated before her eyes.

The man had stood a good two inches taller than Somner, and his broad shoulders had dwarfed him. A full head of wavy brown hair had set off a startlingly handsome face. But it wasn’t a movie star’s good looks; rather, he had a rugged quality of inherent strength.

Intuitively Cassandra knew if she had not run away, if she had stayed to meet him, something would have happened between them, something would have had to happen. Understanding the possibilities, Cassandra was glad she’d run. Her life was just beginning.