The tycoon bride

Chapter Nine

                The door fell open even as they arrived at it, a short plump lady with hair a similar colour to the chauffeur appearing in the opening with a warmly expectant smile on her face. The moment she saw Melanie she let out a  soft cry of delight clapped her hands together then opened them up in greedy readiness to receive the baby. 

                  "This is my housekeeper, lefka," Andreas informed Melony as he dutifully placed the baby in the other woman's arms " as you can see from her expression, she is ecstatic to be given this opportunity to take care of the child while you are here. "

                 "oh but—"Melony began to protest, but even as the words began to form on her lips the housekeeper began speaking over the top of her, in what Melony had to assume was Greek. Then, without a by your leave to anyone, she turned and proceeded to disappear with Melanie into the bowel of the house! 

                  "usually her manners are much better than that, "Andreas dryly remarked as they watched the woman go. "No doubt she will recover them once her bout of ecstasy has subsided. "Then, more formally, he invited Melony to enter his home. 

                     The interior was more or less what she had expected —large and warm and beautifully furnished in a tasteful mix of modern and antique. 

                      Light hands smoothly removed the jacket. Glancing up and around, she mumbled a wary, Thanks, but felt uncomfortable lost without the jacket to hide in. 

                      Leading the way across the sure hallway, he opened a door and invited her to proceed him through it. In silence she went, still telling herself that she was going to find her aunt Laura waiting there —needing to find her aunt Laura waiting there. 

                    But there were no aunt Laura. 

                     Behind her, the door closed. She turned to confront him. 

                      "where is my aunt? " she demanded. 

                         "I do not recall saying that your aunt is here, "he replied, moving gracefully across the room to where a big solid desk stood with its top clear of papers. 

                         Had he said it? Melony's brow puckered up as she was sure of it. "Then why have you brought us here? She asked, puzzled. "If it wasn't to meet up with my aunt? "

                         He had switched on a small laptop computer and was studying whatever had appeared on the screen while casually tapping at one of the keys—though his head lifted at the question, his dark eyes drifting up the full length of her then back down again in a way that  raised every fine hair on her body. "I would have thought that was obvious, "he replied, his attention already back on the  computer screen again. "You are a mess, quite frankly, "he stated bluntly. "And in no fit state to carrot yourself, never mind a helpless young baby. So, for the time being at least, you will stay here with me ."

                     "But I don't want to stay here! "Melony cried, too horrified by the prospect to dress up her protest. 

                      That brief grim smile of his that he liked to use so much registered her horror. "I wasn't aware, "he drawled, "that I was giving a choice ".

                      No choice? Who did he think he was, for goodness sake? "It isn't your problem. "she flatly refused the offer. "We will manage somehow, "she insisted with more confident than she really felt. "My aunt —"

                    "Your aunt, "he interrupted, "is already out of the country. And since we both know that she would rather break both wrists, "he said, with a telling glance at her plaster cast, "than be forced to play housemaid to anyone, then I think we can take her out of the equation, don't you? "

                     Out of the country —out of equation? "But it's you who says where Aunt Laura goes! "she pointed out confusedly. 

                      He didn't even deign to answer that. Instead he lost interest in whatever was written on the computer screen and snapped it shut then straightened to give Melony his full attention. 

                       She was still standing where he had left her, looking pale, drawn and totally bewildered. A short sign whispered from him. "Look why don't you sit down? "he suggested. "And at least allow me to call the kitchen and order you something to eat and drink. I have been with you for most of the afternoon but as far as  I have seen you have only taken a couple of sip of water in all that time.......?"

                          As it was, she already determined that she wasn't accepting anything else from this man until she knew just what it was that was going on here, so the desire to tell him where to put his offer was strong. 

                         But she was thirsty and cold, and at this moment she was ready to kill for something hot inside her stomach. "Please, a cup of tea would be nice, "she nodded. 

                         Then seemingly because she had given in to  one craving she found herself giving in to another. While he began talking into the telephone, she turned to walk over to where two dark red velvet recliner sat flanking the  blazing log fire. 

                          Sitting down hurt. But then, just about every muscle she possessed was beginning to ache now, and the other thing she really wished for was a long soak in a piping hot bath. 

                         No chance of that, though, she thought, glancing dully at her plastered wrist. "Don't get it wet, "they'd said. "Tape a plastic bag around it when you bathe. "

                       But who taped the plastic bag? She asked herself dully, closing her weary eyes as her body sank into the softest velvet. And how did she undress herself, wash and dry herself? How did she manage all of those other little necessities that she taken so much for granted until today? 

                       Melony............ " A deep voice prompted softly.