Sabina gave a vague smile at this description of his grandfather, but otherwise continued to look unconvinced.
‘Whereabouts in Scotland does your mother live?’ Brice tried a different approach, knowing he had to get Sabina’s agreement to his idea of the two of them going to Scotland. He just had to!
‘My mother?’ she repeated dazedly.
‘Do try to stay up with the conversation, Sabina,’ Brice taunted teasingly. ‘I’m suggesting we go to Scotland. Your mother lives in Scotland too.’ He deliberately spoke slowly and clearly. ‘If it’s anywhere near my grandfather’s home you could visit her while we’re there.’
Sabina shook her head, this conversation obviously running on too swiftly for her liking.
But Brice was always like this when the inspiration hit him. And, despite doing numerous sketches of her, he had been in a complete fog where painting Sabina was concerned; but he could see her at his grandfather’s castle now, knew exactly how right she was going to look.
‘But I’ve never—’ Sabina broke off what she had been about to say, biting her lip distractedly.
‘Never what?’ Brice frowned at her. ‘Never visited your mother in Scotland?’ he realised incredulously. ‘How long did you say she’s lived there?’
‘Five years,’ Sabina admitted reluctantly.
‘Then it’s way past time you did visit her,’ Brice told her disgustedly.
Her cheeks flushed resentfully at his obvious rebuke. ‘I think any future plans I make to see my mother are—’
‘Your concern,’ Brice finished derisively. ‘Probably they are. But as we’re going to be in Scotland, anyway—’
‘I haven’t agreed to go with you yet,’ Sabina protested.
‘You’ll need to see Chloe early next week too,’ he continued frowningly. ‘She—’
‘Chloe?’ Sabina echoed dazedly. ‘You mean Chloe Fox?’
‘Or Chloe McCloud, whichever you prefer.’ He nodded. ‘I want her to design and make a dress for you. I know exactly what it has to look like, so Chloe can actually draw the design before seeing you, and then it will just be a case of making it up to your measurements. Am I going too fast for you, Sabina?’ he drawled mockingly as she was looking more and more weighed down by the minute with this bombardment of information.
‘Too fast!’ Sabina repeated agitatedly. ‘You—’ She broke off as Mrs Potter arrived to serve their main course.
More of the roast chicken that Brice hadn’t been able to eat earlier, served with fresh Rosti potatoes and a mixed salad.
‘It looks delicious,’ Sabina told the housekeeper warmly.
‘Thank you, Mrs Potter.’ Brice smiled his appreciation at his housekeeper before she left the room. ‘You were saying?’ he prompted Sabina, even as he put a large serving of the potatoes onto her plate beside the slices of chicken.
‘I have no idea how my schedule stands for next week,’ she told him determinedly. ‘But I very much doubt I have a couple of days free in which to go up to Scotland. Even if I wanted to go,’ she added irritably.
‘Which you don’t,’ Brice easily guessed.
‘Which I don’t,’ she echoed forcefully.
‘Hmm,’ he murmured consideringly. ‘You work too hard, you know. Why is that?’ he mused lightly. ‘You’ve been at the top for years now, so it certainly can’t be because of the money—or can it?’ He stopped frowningly.
That letter she had received in the distinctive green envelope; was it possible that someone was blackmailing her? Over what, Brice couldn’t even begin to imagine, but it would certainly provide an answer to more than a few questions that had been bothering Brice since the day she had received that letter…!
‘Sabina—’
‘It isn’t the money, Brice,’ she told him with certainty. ‘I—like to work, to keep busy.’ She gave an overbright smile. ‘After all, models have a very short shelf-life; I can’t expect to be at the top for much longer.’
As an attempt at diverting the conversation, it wasn’t bad, Brice conceded. If he were the type of man that was easily diverted. Which he wasn’t.
‘Good try, Sabina,’ he drawled. ‘Now what’s the real reason?’
Her eyes flashed deeply blue. ‘I’ve just told you,’ she snapped. ‘Just as I’ve told you I can’t disappear up to Scotland next week on such short notice,’ she added impatiently. ‘I have work. Commitments.’
Latham, Brice realised. No doubt the other man wouldn’t be too happy at the idea of Sabina going off with him for a few days, even if it was so that Brice could paint her. The only way around that Brice could see was to include the other man in the invitation. Which was something Brice was very loath to do…
He wanted Sabina to himself, he realised, even if it were only for two days. He wanted to get to know her, away from London, her work commitments, Latham. Most of all, away from Latham!
He grimaced. ‘Perhaps if I explain the situation to your fiancé—’
‘Richard will be away in Australia all next week—’ Sabina broke off her protest as she realised what she had just said. ‘I’m due to join him at the weekend,’ she added defensively.
Brice was well aware of the reason for that defence—he had been unable to hide his elation at the news that Richard Latham would be out of the country next week!
‘What a pity he won’t be able to join us,’ Brice said insincerely. ‘But surely there can’t be too much of a problem if you delay joining him until Monday,’ he reasoned with satisfaction.
Yes! Things couldn’t have worked out better if he had planned the whole thing himself!
Sabina gave a sigh. ‘You’re very persistent, Brice,’ she said heavily.
And, with her admission that Latham wouldn’t even be in the country next week, she had left herself with no feasible argument against Brice’s plan. Except the fact that she obviously didn’t want to go to Scotland with him…
Why didn’t she?
She had come here at all this evening for the sole reason of persuading Brice into telling Richard Latham he couldn’t paint her portrait. Why? Had the kiss they had shared three days ago affected her more than she cared to admit?
If so, as far as Brice was concerned, there was even more reason for them to go to Scotland together. Sabina might be engaged to Richard Latham, but she couldn’t possibly go ahead and marry the other man if she was attracted to him!
Sabina had little appetite for the food in front of her, too churned up by the fact that she had talked herself into a corner where Brice’s idea of going to Scotland was concerned. The trouble was, Brice tied her up in knots, so that what she really meant to say came out all wrong.
She had come here this evening with the sole intention of never seeing Brice again—and instead she found herself with a potential weekend with him in Scotland!
It just wasn’t possible.
‘I’m sorry, Brice, but I really do have to go now.’ She placed her knife and fork on the plate beside the almost untouched food.
‘Why?’
She wasn’t fooled for a minute by the mildness of his tone, knew by those narrowed green eyes that his mood was far from mild. ‘Because I want to,’ she told him firmly, pushing back her chair to stand up.
He grimaced, standing up too. ‘Mrs Potter will probably hand her notice in after this; it’s the second time this evening that the dinner she prepared has gone uneaten!’
Sabina gave a rueful smile. ‘I’m sure you’re more than capable of handling Mrs Potter’s disappointment.’ In fact, she was sure that Brice was more than capable of handling most situations!
But she wasn’t. And her nerve-endings had taken enough of a battering for one evening. ‘Could I use your telephone to call a taxi?’ she prompted huskily. As Brice had arbitrarily cancelled all her other plans for this evening, the thought of a long soak in the bath, and then a good night’s sleep, was very inviting.
‘I’ll drive you home—’
“No,’ Sabina cut in with quiet firmness. ‘I think you’ve already done enough for me for one evening!’
Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on Brice, his mouth tightening angrily at the jibe. Well, she couldn’t help that; there was no getting away from the fact that he had cancelled her other plans for this evening. Or that she needed to get away from Brice, not spend more time in the confines of a car with him!
‘Fine,’ he finally rasped. ‘I’ll go and call a taxi for you now.’ He strode forcefully out of the room.
That wasn’t quite what she had said, but by this time Sabina felt too weary to argue with him any further. Besides, the few minutes’ respite from Brice’s overpowering company gave her a chance to try and ease the tension from her body.
What was it about Brice McAllister that made it so difficult for her to be in his company? Somehow she didn’t think she really wanted an answer to that question. In fact, she was sure she didn’t!
‘The taxi will be here in a few minutes,’ Brice informed her abruptly when he came back into the room. ‘I’m completely serious about the two of us going to Scotland next weekend, Sabina,’ he added firmly.