The Billionaire's Secrets (3 page)

However, he found it hard to concentrate on the meeting
,
which turned out to be even more contentious than he had predicted. All he could think of was this girl, worming her way into
Sophia
’s good graces as she planned how she would worm her way into his. Better to get rid of her sooner rather than later. The child didn’t need to feel like she was being deserted yet again. Damn, he was going to kill Marcus!

* * *

Chloe stepped back from the door and tried to think of a suitable reaction to the screaming girl. Fortunately, an older woman appeared in the foyer. She too seemed taken aback for
a moment at the sight of Chloe
but at least didn't start to scream. She looped a strong arm around the girl. "Stop that, child. You'll rub me nerves right raw!"  The girl stopped instantly, but she stayed within the protective circle of the woman's arms, regarding Chloe now with a mixture of interest and distrust.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked Chloe. Chloe couldn't even begin to guess her age. She was a large woman and wore what Chloe's mother always called a "housedress," a shapeless garment of printed cotton for doing housework. She had thick white hair that was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, and her florid face was criss-crossed with deep wrinkles. She had a bright smile
,
and her eyes twinkled with good humour.

Chloe gave them both her bravest smile. "Hi. My name is Chloe," she said in her brightest school-teacher voice. "I don't know whether I've arrived on the right day or not, but I'm
Sophia
's new teacher."

"Goodness gracious, girl!" the woman exclaimed
,
opening the door wider, letting out a seductive flood of warmth. Behind her, Chloe glimpsed a huge wood-panelled hall, adding to the impression that Widow's Peak was indeed a castle. "You are early. We weren't expecting you for another week and a half!"

"I think I got my dates mixed up," Chloe said weakly.

"Well never you mind, you come right in."

"Thank you," Chloe said gratefully. She picked up her bags and set them down inside the door. "You must be
Sophia
," she said to the little girl.

Sophia
nodded
her head
vigorously,
all signs of distrust melting like an icicle in the sun.

"I'm sorry I frightened you," Chloe said.

Sophia
smiled. "I was just playing," she said.

Chloe glanced at the housekeeper.

"Like I say, she rubs me nerves," she said without any sign of irritation. She spoke with a distinctive Newfoundland accent, musical and lilting, reminiscent of her Irish ancestors. "She probably saw you there with your
hair like a birch broom in fits
and thought you
was
a ghost or something."

Chloe laughed as much at the housekeeper's expressions as at the idea of
Sophia
thinking she was a ghost. "Is that what you thought?"

Sophia
shook her head, and Chloe smiled at her. She liked her already.

The housekeeper started to pick up the bags, but Chloe stopped her. "Please, don't pick them up, I'll move them. Maybe
Sophia
can show me my room." Silently she prayed it would still be her room tomorrow and that
Gaelan
Byrne would not send her back on the first plane
out of St. John’s
!

"Okay, okay," said the woman. "But first, we'll have a
cup'a
tea. You look tired and froze right through."

"A cup of tea sounds lovely," Chloe said. The housekeeper took her coat and hung it on a hall stand before leading the way to the kitchen.

"I should introduce myself," she said. "My name is Windy."

"I'm pleased to meet you Windy. I like your name. It's very pretty."

"It suits me. I was born in a gale, my husband died when his fishing boat went down in a gale, and I'm sure I'll be blown to heaven on a gale." She laughed at her own joke, and Chloe joined in.

The kitchen was beautiful and warm. At one end of the room a fire blazed in a large fireplace, while the other end held state-of-the-art appliances that would be the delight of any cook. In between was a long harvest table surrounded by cane-seated
chairs.
Spread across the table were
several children's books, a newspaper, and some children's drawings.

"Did you draw this?" Chloe asked, picking up one of the sheets of paper and holding it out to
Sophia
. A picture of a house on a
cliff, it was dark and brooding-
looking with storm clouds gathering above it and a wild sea smashing below.

Sophia
nodded a bit hesitantly, as if wondering whether she was about to get in trouble.

"It's very good," Chloe said sincerely. Actually, the drawings were excellent for a child of six.
Sophia
was obviously very talented. "Is it Widow's Cliff?"

Sophia
nodded, more enthusiastically this time. She picked up a picture of a cat and handed it to Chloe. "I drew this one too. It's my cat, Cookies. He's upstairs in my room right now. You can come up and meet him."

Chloe took it from the child. "I'd love to. Do you draw a lot?"

Sophia
shrugged.
"Sometimes."

Windy placed steaming mugs of tea and a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies on the table. Chloe was pleased when
Sophia
chose to sit next to her. She felt warm and happy.
Oh please, don't send me away!
she
prayed silently, not knowing if it was a higher power or
Gaelan
Byrne she was praying to.

"Can I have two cookies, Windy?"
Sophia
asked.

"Yes, dear," Windy said.

"Can Chloe?" she said.

Windy laughed. "Chloe is the guest, and she can have as many as she wants."

Chloe complimented Windy on the cookies and tea and listened attentively to
Sophia
as she talked about her drawings. Except for the house picture, they were all of animals, and Chloe concluded that
Sophia
's true passio
n was animals, not drawing.
Nonetheless, the girl was talented
,
and Chloe vowed to encourage her. That is, if she were allowed to stay.

"Do we start school tomorrow?"
Sophia
asked hopefully.

Chloe suppressed a sigh with a sip of tea. "I don't know
Sophia
. I still have to talk to your father. I'm not sure I
’
ll be your new teacher. I'd like to be, but it's up to him."

Windy looked like she was about to object, but Chloe shot her what she hoped was a warning glance.

"You are my new teacher! He promised!"
Sophia
objected. She crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in the universal sign of sulkiness.

Chloe put her arm around the girl's shoulders and gave her a quick hug. "Well, you keep your fingers crossed then that everything works out." Chloe always found it difficult to explain the foibles of adults to children. It was a hard lesson for them to learn that adults could not always be relied on to keep their promises.
"How about you show me my room? I could use some help with my suitcases."

Sophia
immediately brightened. "Okay," she said pulling away from Chloe and heading out into the hall. Chloe and Windy followed.

"Do you not want to stay here?" Windy asked Chloe in a low voice.

"Of course I do," Chloe said earnestly
, casting a glance at Sophia
. "I already love it here. I just don't know about Mr. Byrne. I met him on the road on the way in, and he didn't seem very happy to see me."

"Oh, that
's just
Gaelan
. He’
s an odd duck for sure. Doesn't know what is good for h
im anymore. Ever since his wife…
" Windy stopped short as
Sophia
picked up the heaviest of Chloe's bags. "
Sophia
, put that down! It’
s much too heavy for you."

"I can carry it,"
Sophia
insisted.

"
Windy’
s
right," Chloe said, taking the bag from the girl. "You carry this one." She pointed to the bag whose contents had so recently been dumped on the road. "It isn't so heavy."