chapter 9 Notice the mayhem
1392 Words
Conversation died after that, each of them concerned with their own thoughts, and it wasn't until
he pulled up before a discreetly lit restaurant and a doorman came to open the doors for them that Ursula realized where he had brought her. Her fingers tightened into fists at the curl of apprehension that twisted in her stomach, but she made her
hands relax. He couldn't have known that she always avoided places like this 0r Could he? No, it was impossible. No one knew of her pain, she had alway
kept her aloof air firmly in place.
Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to be helped out of the car, then it was being driven away and Williams had his hand on her elbow, escorting
her to the door. She would not let it bother her, she told herself fiercely. She would talk with him and eat her meal and it would be finished. She did not have
to pay any attention to anyone else they might meet.
After a few dinners out after their marriage,
Robert had realized that it was intensely painful to his young bride to be so publicly shunned by people who knew him, and they had ceased eating out at the exclusive restaurants he had always patronized. It had been at this particular restaurant that a group of people had literally turned their backs on her, and
Robert had gently led her away from their half-eaten dinner before she lost all control and sobbed like a.child in front of everyone.
But that had been five years ago, and though she had never lost her horror
at the thought of eating in such a place-and this place in particular she held her head proudly and walked without hesitation through the doors being
held open by the uniformed doorman.
The maître d' took one glance at Prince Williams and all but bowed. " Your majesty , we are honored!
"Good evening, Swaine; we'd like a quiet table, please. Away from the crowd."
As they followed the maître d, winding their way between the tables, Ursula recovered herself enough to flash an amused glance up at the tall man beside
her.
"An isolated table?" she queried, her lips twitching in a suppressed smile. "So no one will notice the mayhem?"
The black head inclined toward her and she saw his flashing grin
" I think we can keep it more civilized than that,"
The table that Swaine selected for them was isolated as was possible on a busy Saturday night. it was partially enclosed by a bank of plants that made Ursula think of a jungle, and she half-listened for the scream of birds before she chided herself for her foolishness.
While Prince Williams chose a wine, she glanced about at the other tables, half afraid that she would see a familiar face; she had noticed the little silence that
had preceded them as they made their way to their table, and the hiss of rapid conversation that broke out again in their wake. Had Williams noticed'?
Perhaps she was overly sensitive, perhaps the reaction was for Prince Williams rather than herself. As a billionaire Prince , he was certainly more noticeable than most people!
"Don't you like the table?" Prince Williams voice broke in on her thoughts and she jerked her eyes back to
him, to find that he wore an irritated expression on his hard, dark face as he stared at her.
"No, the table's fine," she said hastily.
"Then why are you frowning?" he demanded.
"Black memories," she said. It's nothing, your majesty. I just had an.. unpleasant experince in here once,"
He watched her for a moment, then said calmly,
"We can leave if it bothers you."
"It bothers me," she admitted, "but I won't leave. I think it's past time I got over my silly phobias, and what better time than now, when I have you to battle
with and take my mind off old troubles?
"That's twice you have alluded to an argument between us," he commented. He leaned closer to her, his hard brown hand reaching out to touch the low flower arrangement between them.
"There won't be any arguments tonight, You're far too lovely for me to want to spend our time together throwing angry words about. If you start to argue, I'll simply lean over and kiss you until you're quite. I've warned you now, so if you decide to spit defiance at me like a ruffled kitten, I can only Conclude that you want to be kissed. What do you
think about that, hmmm?"
She stared at him, trying to control her lips, but they parted anyway in a delicious smile and finally she laughed, a peal of laughter that brought heads
Swinging in their direction. She leaned over the table, too, and sad confidentially, "I think, Prince Williams , that I'll be as sweet and charming as
it's possible for me to bel"
His hand left the flowers and darted out to capture her wrist, his thumb rubbing lightly over the delicate blue veins on the inside of her arm. "Being sweet
and charming will also get you kissed," he teased huskily, "I think that I'll be the winner regardless! And I promise you that I'll kiss you hard if you call me Prince Williams again. Try to say Williams ; I think you'll find it isn't that difficult. Or call me Willies, as my
friends do."
"If you wish," she said, smiling at him. Now was the time to tell him about the shares, before he became too serious about his charming act.
"But I want to tell you that I've decided to sell the shares to you, after all, so you don't have to be nice to me if you don't want to. I won't change my mind even if
you're nasty,"
"Forget the shares," he murmured. "Let's not talk about them tonight."
"But that's why you asked me to dinner," she protested.
"Yes, it was, though I haven't a doubt I could have come up with another good excuse if that on had failed." He grinned wickedly.
" The little waif with the tear-streaked face was very fetching, especially as I knew a cool, maddeningly sophisticated woman was lurking behind the tears,"
She shook her head, "I don't think you understand, pri..nc.... Williams. The shares are yours.
"There's no need to keep this up."
His lids drooped over the dark brilliance of his eyes for a moment and his hand tightened on her wrist.
"Very well, let's discuss the damned shares and be finished with it, as you won't leave the subject alone. Why did you change your mind?"
"My financial advisor, Charles Welby, had already told me to sell rather than try to fight you. I was prepared to sell them, but your manner made me angry and I refused out of sheer contrariness, but as
usual, Charles is right. I can't fight you; I don't want to become embroiled in boardroom politics. And there's no need for that outrageous price you mentioned, market value will do nicely."
He straightened, dropping her wrist, and he said sharply, "I have already given you an offer; I won't go back on my Word."
"You'll have to, if you want the shares, because I'll accept market value only." She faced him calmly
despite the flare of temper she saw in his face.
He uttered something short and harsh in Greek.
"I fail to see how you can refuse such a sum. It's a stupid move."
"And I fail to see how you'll remain a billionaire if you persist in making such stupid business deals!"
she shot back.
For a moment his eyes were like daggers, then laughter burst from his throat and he threw back his head in sheer enjoyment.
Oblivious of the many interested eyes on them, he leaned forward once more to take her band,
"You are a gorgeous snow queen," he said huskily, "It was worth losing the Dryden issue to meet you. I don't
think I will be returning to Greece as soon as I had planned."
Ursula's eyes widened as she stared at him. It seemed he was serious; he was actually attracted to her! Alarm tingled through her, warming her body
as she met the predatory gaze of those midnight eyes.
- Writer
