invited me, not Heath.’
‘Whatever you say …’
They were clearing out the old stables when Bronte shared her news. Colleen had picked up on her tension, Bronte realised.
Leaning on her sweeping brush, Colleenstared directly at her equally dishevelled friend. ‘So, tell me—what can I do?’
‘I’m just worried that the job of estate manager suggests someone older than me—someone more staid.’
‘I disagree,’ Colleen said firmly. ‘You’re the new generation.’
‘But what if Heath’s PA doesn’t see it that way? What if I don’t get any further than him? He sounds so snooty, and appearances matter in the city. I don’t think my muck-spreading look is going to cut it.’
‘You might have a point,’ Colleen agreed with a laugh as she took in the state of Bronte’s dungarees. ‘So you really think you’ve got a chance of landing the job? It would be wonderful if you did—it would give everyone such a lift.’
‘Thanks,’ Bronte said, smiling ruefully. ‘I have to believe I stand a chance or I wouldn’t go to London. I’ve got the right qualifications—and the right practical experience too. And I’ve got local knowledge, which hopefully will give me an edge. So, logically, I should be in the running…’ Though whether Mr Logical would see it that way remained to be seen. ‘But I must look as professional as I can, which is where you come in.’
‘Whatever I can do,’ Colleen offered.
‘Well, I’ve been off the radar for a while—so I’ll need a suit.’
‘And there are so many shops round here,’ Colleen said dryly.
‘Exactly, and there’s no time to visit the local town before my interview.’
‘Well, you must look good for Heath.’
‘This has nothing to do with Heath,’ Bronte protested a little too hotly.
‘Okay,’ Colleen soothed, holding her hands up palms flat in surrender.
‘Heath needs to come back to oversee this project,’ Bronte said thoughtfully. ‘An absentee landlord is no good to Hebers Ghyll.’
‘And an absentee lover is even less use to you.’
‘Colleen—’
‘I’m just saying. If friends can’t be honest with each other. Yes, of course I’ll help,’ Colleen confirmed when Bronte gave her a look. ‘Do you really think you can persuade Heath to come back here?’
‘He has to—look how much got done on his last visit. We have to be positive, Colleen. What?’ she said when Colleen’s gaze slid away.
‘I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, Bronte.’
‘I’m not going to get hurt,’ Bronte saidfirmly. ‘I know what I’m doing. This is business. Let’s get back to work, shall we? I can raid your wardrobe later.’
‘You can take whatever you want,’ Colleen assured her.
‘Then that’s settled,’ Bronte said cheerfully, but her friend’s concerned expression hadn’t changed.
The trade journals had picked up on his coup and were going crazy. The office was going crazy—and more crazy was exactly what he didn’t need. ‘What do you mean, you can’t cope?’ Heath thundered to the only man who didn’t quail when he let rip.
‘If I didn’t work with a bloody genius, you’d know,’ Heath’s harassed PA informed him testily. ‘You think everyone can work at your speed, Heath—i.e. the speed of light. Well, I’ve got news for you—I’ve only got one pair of hands—’
‘And if you spent less time slathering hand cream on them you’d have more time to spare for work.’
‘Woo-hoo.
Bitchee.
Now who’s suffering from a bad dose of Not Getting Any?’
‘And since when is that your business?’
‘I’ve made it my business. I have to suffer the backlash every day.’
‘If you weren’t—’
‘The only gay male friend you’re ever likely to have?’ Quentin interrupted smoothly.
‘The only friend I’m likely to have,’ Heath confessed ruefully.
Reaching up on tiptoe, Quentin threw a comforting arm around his boss’s powerful shoulders. ‘Take it from one who knows—you need to
‘Whatever you say …’
They were clearing out the old stables when Bronte shared her news. Colleen had picked up on her tension, Bronte realised.
Leaning on her sweeping brush, Colleenstared directly at her equally dishevelled friend. ‘So, tell me—what can I do?’
‘I’m just worried that the job of estate manager suggests someone older than me—someone more staid.’
‘I disagree,’ Colleen said firmly. ‘You’re the new generation.’
‘But what if Heath’s PA doesn’t see it that way? What if I don’t get any further than him? He sounds so snooty, and appearances matter in the city. I don’t think my muck-spreading look is going to cut it.’
‘You might have a point,’ Colleen agreed with a laugh as she took in the state of Bronte’s dungarees. ‘So you really think you’ve got a chance of landing the job? It would be wonderful if you did—it would give everyone such a lift.’
‘Thanks,’ Bronte said, smiling ruefully. ‘I have to believe I stand a chance or I wouldn’t go to London. I’ve got the right qualifications—and the right practical experience too. And I’ve got local knowledge, which hopefully will give me an edge. So, logically, I should be in the running…’ Though whether Mr Logical would see it that way remained to be seen. ‘But I must look as professional as I can, which is where you come in.’
‘Whatever I can do,’ Colleen offered.
‘Well, I’ve been off the radar for a while—so I’ll need a suit.’
‘And there are so many shops round here,’ Colleen said dryly.
‘Exactly, and there’s no time to visit the local town before my interview.’
‘Well, you must look good for Heath.’
‘This has nothing to do with Heath,’ Bronte protested a little too hotly.
‘Okay,’ Colleen soothed, holding her hands up palms flat in surrender.
‘Heath needs to come back to oversee this project,’ Bronte said thoughtfully. ‘An absentee landlord is no good to Hebers Ghyll.’
‘And an absentee lover is even less use to you.’
‘Colleen—’
‘I’m just saying. If friends can’t be honest with each other. Yes, of course I’ll help,’ Colleen confirmed when Bronte gave her a look. ‘Do you really think you can persuade Heath to come back here?’
‘He has to—look how much got done on his last visit. We have to be positive, Colleen. What?’ she said when Colleen’s gaze slid away.
‘I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, Bronte.’
‘I’m not going to get hurt,’ Bronte saidfirmly. ‘I know what I’m doing. This is business. Let’s get back to work, shall we? I can raid your wardrobe later.’
‘You can take whatever you want,’ Colleen assured her.
‘Then that’s settled,’ Bronte said cheerfully, but her friend’s concerned expression hadn’t changed.
The trade journals had picked up on his coup and were going crazy. The office was going crazy—and more crazy was exactly what he didn’t need. ‘What do you mean, you can’t cope?’ Heath thundered to the only man who didn’t quail when he let rip.
‘If I didn’t work with a bloody genius, you’d know,’ Heath’s harassed PA informed him testily. ‘You think everyone can work at your speed, Heath—i.e. the speed of light. Well, I’ve got news for you—I’ve only got one pair of hands—’
‘And if you spent less time slathering hand cream on them you’d have more time to spare for work.’
‘Woo-hoo.
Bitchee.
Now who’s suffering from a bad dose of Not Getting Any?’
‘And since when is that your business?’
‘I’ve made it my business. I have to suffer the backlash every day.’
‘If you weren’t—’
‘The only gay male friend you’re ever likely to have?’ Quentin interrupted smoothly.
‘The only friend I’m likely to have,’ Heath confessed ruefully.
Reaching up on tiptoe, Quentin threw a comforting arm around his boss’s powerful shoulders. ‘Take it from one who knows—you need to
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