Chapter 3: A Shocker

'Bryan should have had some shares in the bank long ago because his mother was my father's only sister, but he didn't due to a little misunderstandings in the family.

My grandparents were not happy with her choice of a husband.

They had wanted her to marry a rich merchant or hotelier not the humble doctor she brought he.

They refused to accept Andrew but he must have been a good man and a great doctor, father and husband because he obviously made Cynthia very happy and she never once came home crying in regret nor did she divorce him but they remained together till they both died in a boating accident some years ago.

Her father never forgave her for marrying Andrew because he left all his fortune to my father', David said.

'This must have made her very unhappy and must have led to a family feud'. Sharon observed.

'You are right. Though my parents exchanged Christmas cards with her, they never visited Switzerland and they never visited us either.

Sharon felt this was just childish of the grandparents but had to fine out something from David.

She felt that this Bryan must have known that since David hadn't remarried after the death of his wife and did not have any heir, he had a chance of persuading him to leaving him most of the money being a senior bank executive himself.

'Did you invite him to London or is he here on his own?'

'He called me a week ago to tell me that he would be in London for a banking conference and I invited him over to talk some things over. You really have a very suspicious mind, Sharon.

'Why? I didn't say anything!'

'You do not have to utter a word. I can read your thoughts as loudly as if you had spoken them out aloud'.

He looked into her eyes and they laughed merrily together.

At that very moment, someone strolled up to the table and David glanced round, exclaimed and stood up holding out his hands.

'There you are Bryan. I was wondering if you had forgotten about tonight'.

'I've been looking forward to this evening the whole week', a deep cool voice said.

Sharon was shocked to her bones to hear that voice. She could not mistake it. In fact given their history, she would recognize that voice anywhere. She did not need to look up to know who was standing by the table and who David was addressing as Bryan.

It was just her luck that of all the people in the world, she should pick this particular person to take an instant dislike to.

It had not occured to her that the man who had been stuck with her in the revolving door could be the same person she and Bryan were waiting for.

David introduced them.

'Bryan, I want you to meet my personal assistant for the last four years, Sharon Smith'.

Sharon numbly held out her hand.

Bryan took it, her little pale hands engulfed in his large powerful ones.

She risked a look at him and found his cold and mocking. She hoped hers was equally cold.

He said something polite and distant. She answered with equal remoteness. He released her hand.

'Sot down. Tell me what would you have? Their drinks here are wonderful.

'I'm sorry. I don't take spirits'. He looked at Sharon's glass.'I'd rather have mineral water'.

David called on Tom the waiter to get the drink and bring the menus as well.

'You told me you had business in London. It has to do with banking I suppose. Can we talk about it or change the topic?'

'It is confidential since I can't speak about it in detail but it will be out soon in the financial times and you can read about it then'.

'Alright then. How long are you planning on staying with us?' David asked.

'A week or two, then I plan on taking a vacation to somewhere I can relax before going back to work.

'You already have an amazing tan already. Sharon don't you think so?'

Sharon threw another brief glance in Bryan's direction and allowed her lids to droop indifferently over her eyes again.

'Amazing', she said offhandedly.

She felt Bryan looking at her closely, considering her rich auburn hair, the fine- boned face with the warm curved mouth and fierce green eyes,before running his gaze all over her body in arrogant appraisal.

Her flush deepened.

'Where do you go for a holiday?' he asked her. She shrugged, unwilling to give him an answer.

'Oh, Sharon does not like hot countries, her wonderful skin doesn't like too much sun but she and I had a terrific time in Sweden last summer, didn't we? And Switzerland was fun a couple of years ago'.

'Hmmm, I see', Bryan drawled.

He was making no attempt to hide what he was thinking. His gaze flicking from her to David and back again speculatively.

He suspected her of having an affair with David, she realised. He couldn't be serious! David was almost old enough to be her father!

David was still very goodlooking but he had no energy and alot of strains and aging traits. She was deeply fond of David and felt sorry for him but that was all.

She resented Bryan's speculative stare, the cynicism in his eyes.

'The head waiter came to their table and asked if they had ordered and David looked at them as he confessed that he was ready to order.

Sharon and Bryan nodded to indicate that they were ready to order as well.

They did and the waiter went to get their meals prepared and their table ready.

While they waited for the waiter to tell them that their table was ready, David and Bryan engaged in business discussions and Sharon felt that Bryan was intentionally pretending not to be as knowledgeable as Charles just to get more information from him.

She knew that if she tried to warn David, he wouldn't listen. There was no doubt about it. This Bryan guy was potentially lethal and Sharon suspected with a sinking feeling that he would run rings round David.

The waiter came back to inform them that their table was ready.

'Shall we go in?' David asked.

As they stood up to go in, David put a hand under her arm in a gallant gesture to which she submitted smiling at him affectionately. She liked his chivalrous, old fashioned ways.

Out to f the corner of her eyes, she saw Bryan watching her with Sardonic amusement. Her smile stiffened into anger. It was going to be an ordeal to sit through a meal with that man across the table.

She wished that she couldn't read his mind but it was as if his thoughts kept across the table at her or maybe he was allowing her or willing her to pickup what he was thinking. But why would he really? She thought allowing Bryan to steer her into the room.

She was seated between the two men but from then on, she practically ignored the other man and turned all her attention and body towards David, except of course when she had no option.

Bryan leaned back in his chair, a brooding presence dominating the circle they made, she, David and he with his broad shoulders and chest and hard face round the table.

It was towards the end of the meal that David finally asked Bryan the question, she knew he had been dying to ask.

'How would you feel about leaving your present job, Bryan and coming to work for us in a rather more senior position?'