Darkness into Light Read online

  ‘Completely, I would have thought,’ Pierce observed thoughtfully. ‘You batted those long lashes at him and he didn’t hesitate to break all the rules. What good would someone like that be in a real security break?’ he scorned. ‘One smile from a pretty woman and he would probably show her the way into the house!’

  ‘It was because he knew me that he did that,’ Danny insisted forcefully.

  ‘He can’t be trusted.’

  ‘That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘No more ridiculous than what he did,’ Pierce answered grimly.

  She sighed her frustration. ‘Do possessions mean so much to you?’ she demanded disgustedly.

  ‘What?’ He glared his impatience.

  ‘I didn’t see anything at the house that was worth all this fuss!’

  ‘No?’ he asked dangerously soft.

  ‘No.’ She frowned. ‘The paintings may all be originals—’

  ‘They are.’

  ‘And perhaps you have money in the house—’

  ‘Some.’

  She shot him an irritated glance for his interruptions. ‘Private papers you wouldn’t want anyone else to see—’

  ‘Those too.’ He nodded abruptly.

  ‘But all those things are replaceable!’

  ‘At a price,’ he confirmed softly. ‘But you forgot one other thing of value in the house.’

  ‘What?’ she asked scornfully.

  ‘Me.’

  ‘You?’ Her eyes widened. ‘What on earth would anyone want with you?’ She was genuinely puzzled.

  His mouth twisted. ‘At any other time I would question the flattery of that remark,’ he drawled. ‘But at this moment I think impressing on you how genuine the threat of kidnapping really is may be more important.’

  ‘Oh come on,’ she dismissed, ‘that sort of thing only happens in films and books.’

  ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Pierce accused harshly.

  Her eyes flashed. ‘I know that you’ve lived in your artificial world too long! You have people guarding you day and night, private helicopter, private jet, private hotel suites all over the world, an exclusive list of acquaintances but no real friends that I can tell, women you would rather pay to sleep with you because then you don’t have to question the validity of them actually being attracted to you and not your money. You live your life like a character out of a book!’

  ‘I live my life the way I’ve been forced to do so by society,’ he corrected grimly. ‘You’ve lived in your safe cocoon too long if you don’t know of the increase in kidnapping of prominently rich figures in recent years. I doubt the Gettys will ever forget it!’

  She remembered the sensation there had been when Paul Getty’s grandson had been kidnapped. But it wasn’t something that happened as frequently as Pierce was implying it was, and she told him so.

  ‘Because we’ve all tried to increase our security,’ he pointed out grimly.

  ‘You’re being ridiculous again,’ she insisted disgustedly.

  His eyes were icy, his expression harsh. ‘And you’re being childishly na$iUve.’

  She was breathing heavily in her frustrated anger. ‘And Dave Benson?’

  ‘His dismissal stands.’ Pierce picked up a file from his desk and began flicking through it uninterestedly, obviously considering the conversation over.

  It was a long way from over as far as she was concerned! ‘He has a family to support,’ she protested.

  Broad shoulders shrugged. ‘He should have thought of that sooner.’ Pierce frowned down at the chart in his hand.

  ‘Will you put that down and listen to me!’ Danny snatched the file out of his hand, closing it to slam it down on the desk-top beside him. ‘Now you might like to feel safe and secure in your ivory-tower,’ she flared furiously. ‘But us lesser mortals have to get through as best we can. Dave Benson is forty-four years old, and although that is far from being old, it’s a very precarious age to be out of work in this economic climate.’

  ‘Like I said, he should have thought of that sooner,’ Pierce bit out unrelentingly.

  Danny fell back a step. ‘You would really do this to him?’

  ‘He’s done it to himself.’

  ‘Because of me! All right, Mr Sutherland, obviously nothing but complete retribution will satisfy you,’ she snapped erratically. ‘I resign!’

  ‘Don’t be childish.’

  ‘I’m as guilty as Dave is,’ she insisted shakily. ‘If he goes, so do I!’

  Pierce looked at her calmly, his eyes silver-grey. ‘How long did you say your family has worked at the estate?’ he questioned softly.

  She blushed. ‘I’m third generation, work it out for yourself!’ she told him resentfully.

  ‘At least sixty years.’

  ‘Nearer sixty-five,’ she muttered.

  He nodded. ‘Don’t you think you should go away and think your decision over rationally before breaking such a tradition?’

  He sat there and callously dismissed the future of five lovely people, Dave, his wife, and their three children, and yet he told her to go away and think rationally. The man didn’t know the meaning of the word! ‘I’ve thought,’ she snapped. ‘I’m giving you a month’s notice.’

  He gave an impatient sigh. ‘Think of your parents’ disappointment if you left here.’

  ‘They would agree that I’m doing the only thing possible in the circumstances!’

  He tapped his finger-tips impatiently against the desk-top, deeply irritated by her obstinacy.

  ‘Don’t look so perplexed, Mr Sutherland,’ she derided. ‘I’m only the gardener.’

  ‘A damned stupid one,’ he rasped. ‘Your resignation will serve no purpose. It certainly won’t get Benson his job back.’

  ‘I realise that,’ she nodded. ‘But I couldn’t continue working here knowing I’ve caused someone else to lose their job.’

  Pierce stood up to walk around his desk and sit down, staring thoughtfully at the pyramid of his fingers for some seconds. At last he looked up at her, cool assessment in his grey eyes. ‘How much does this mean to you?’

  ‘I can get another job,’ she told him with more bravado than she felt. She probably could get herself another job, although there weren’t many estates could afford the expense of full-time gardeners any more. And the thought of leaving the cottage that had been her home for the last twenty-one years totally dismayed her. But she didn’t show any of that in her defiant demeanour.

  ‘I wasn’t talking of your job, I meant Benson’s,’ he said huskily.

  Danny gave him a sharp look, frowning heavily. ‘It means a great deal to me,’ she answered slowly, wary of this change in him.

  ‘How much?’

  ‘A lot!’

  He nodded. ‘I’ve decided I’d like to go away for the weekend after all. To Paris. I want you to come with me.’ He watched her with narrowed eyes.

  Danny swallowed hard, moistening her lips nervously. ‘Why me?’

  His mouth twisted. ‘I’m glad you weren’t coy enough to ask why!’

  ‘That must be more than obvious!’ she snapped, her eyes a dark brown.

  ‘Yes,’ he drawled. ‘And you because I want you,’ he stated without emotion.

  ‘And I don’t suppose Henry Sutherland the Fourth has ever been taught he can’t have everything he wants!’ she scorned.

  ‘All you have to decide is if Benson’s job is worth it to you.’

  ‘Nothing is worth that,’ she assured him unhesitatingly.

  ‘I didn’t think so.’ Pierce shrugged, picking up the calendar from his desk. ‘A month from today will make it the tenth of August.’ He glanced at her, dark brows arched. ‘Is that enough time for you to find another job?’

  She sucked air into her lungs, amazed at his calmness. She was in no doubt that if she had agreed to go to Paris with him both she and Dave Benson would still have their jobs now! ‘It’s enough time,’ she said stiltedly.

  He straightened. ‘You wouldn�
�t care to reconsider your decision?’

  ‘No,’ she told him tautly.

  ‘Very well.’ He nodded dismissively.

  Danny walked slowly back to her cottage, feeling as if she had just tangled with a tornado. That last request for her to go to Paris with him showed her just how different their lives were, Pierce buying whatever he wanted in life, including people. It hadn’t been difficult to refuse him.

  Although she looked for Dave Benson during the next two days, wanting to apologise to him for the fact that she hadn’t been able to help him despite her pleas on his behalf, she finally found out he had gone to France with Pierce Sutherland. She shouldn’t really have been surprised, he had his notice to work out too.

  Despite what she had told Pierce she still hadn’t broken the news of her resignation to her family, knowing how upset her father would be. Better to be able to soften the blow with the news of another job, which she also hadn’t found yet.

  In the end Dave found her, coming in search of her shortly after the helicopter had brought the security men and Pierce Sutherland back to the estate. They had been gone three days, not two, as Pierce had suggested.

  ‘I just wanted to thank you,’ Dave told her gratefully, a tall leanly attractive man with a mop of blond-grey hair, his torso firmly muscled beneath the fitted brown suit.

  Thank her? ‘For what?’ She frowned.

  ‘Mr Sutherland told me it was because of you that I’m keeping my job after all…’

  ‘Keeping it?’ she repeated excitedly. ‘Did you say you’re staying on?’ she gasped disbelievingly; Pierce had been so emphatic!

  He nodded, frowning at her stunned reaction. ‘Mr Sutherland said it was his talk with you that influenced his change of decision.’

  ‘Well, that’s really wonderful, Dave.’ She hugged him enthusiastically.

  ‘I thought so,’ he agreed slowly. ‘Danny…?’

  ‘Is Pierce up at the house now?’

  ‘Yes. But—’

  ‘I’ll go and see him.’ She gave Dave another hug. ‘I really am pleased for you.’

  Pierce had changed his mind, that was all she could think of as she almost ran over to the main house. She found him in the pool, and stood at the side until he surfaced next to her. He looked very tired, lines of weariness next to his eyes.

  ‘You work too hard.’ She said the first thing that came into her head. And then wished she hadn’t. She had come here to thank him, not insult him.

  His mouth twisted as he levered up out of the water, picking up a towel to walk to one of the loungers, stretching out on it. ‘I don’t think so, Danielle,’ he derided.

  ‘But you look tired.’

  ‘I’m sure I do, but it’s from lack of sleep, not too much work,’ he said drily. ‘The companion I chose to replace you proved to be a little too enthusiastic once we reached the bedroom.’

  He was trying to embarass her again, and damn him, he succeeded! No wonder he had stayed an extra day and night in Paris if his companion had been that entertaining. ‘I just came to thank you for reinstating Dave Benson,’ she told him woodenly. ‘And now that I have I’ll leave you to rest; you obviously need it!’ She couldn’t resist the gibe, although she wished she hadn’t said it as Pierce looked amused.

  ‘Danielle?’

  She turned at the softly spoken query. ‘Yes?’ she said dully.

  ‘Don’t you want to know if you have your job back, too?’ he drawled.

  ‘I know I haven’t,’ she dismissed. ‘After all, I didn’t go to Paris with you.’

  ‘You have your job back.’ He scowled.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Do I have to give a reason?’ he rasped haughtily.

  ‘I think so, yes.’ She nodded.

  ‘I decided to give Benson another chance because once I thought about it I realised he’s probably the best security man I could possibly have now. He’s had the scare of almost losing his job to shake him up, he’ll be much more vigilant in future.’

  She should have known his reason was as coldblooded as that and not a genuine regret at the man losing his livelihood! Pierce had no such feelings. ‘And my own job?’ she prompted softly.

  ‘I could hardly sack you and not him,’ Pierce reasoned in a bored voice.

  ‘I thought you could do anything you wanted!’ Danny snapped.

  His face darkened ominously. ‘It seems I can’t shut you up!’ he rasped harshly.

  ‘Sorry,’ she muttered. She had her job back, why didn’t she just shut up!

  ‘I doubt that.’ He scowled, standing up. ‘Have dinner with me tonight.’

  She frowned at the abruptness of the request. ‘I thought you didn’t venture out into public?’

  ‘I meant here,’ he bit out.

  She shook her head. ‘I can’t.’

  ‘If you mean you don’t want to,’ he drawled, ‘then just say so.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hesitate,’ she told him candidly. ‘But I meant exactly what I said, I can’t have dinner with you tonight. Gary is coming over.’

  ‘I thought you said he didn’t mean anything to you,’ Pierce accused caustically.

  ‘Not in any romantic way,’ she acknowledged. ‘But I am fond of him, and as I haven’t been able to contact Cheryl since the weekend I’m curious to know how the two of them got on together then.’

  ‘Curious?’ he drawled.

  ‘All right,’ she admitted impatiently. ‘I’m still worried about them.’

  ‘I don’t know why you don’t just leave them alone to get on with it,’ Pierce dismissed.

  ‘No, you wouldn’t,’ she said sadly.

  He looked at her with cold eyes. ‘If you won’t have dinner with me tonight then how about tomorrow evening?’

  ‘Why?’

  He gave a hard derisive laugh. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Danielle,’ he drawled in a bored voice.

  She raised surprised brows. ‘Didn’t your companion of the last three days provide enough amusement?’

  ‘More than enough,’ he rasped.

  ‘Then—’

  ‘For God’s sake, Danielle,’ he snapped impatiently. ‘Say yes or no, but don’t let’s have a post mortem about it!’ Anger snapped in the icy grey eyes.

  ‘Yes,’ she answered instantly. ‘What time shall I come over?’

  ‘I’ll send Benson for you.’

  ‘I’ll make my own way, thank you,’ she told him firmly. ‘Is eight o’clock all right?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said wearily. ‘Are you always this stubbornly independent?’

  ‘Always,’ she assured him happily. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow evening.’ She smiled.

  ‘Danielle?’

  She turned as Pierce softly spoke her name, for a moment filled with a sense of how lonely he looked. But it was a loneliness of his own choosing, she told herself impatiently.

  ‘Do you play chess?’ he asked softly.

  ‘Chess?’ she repeated dumbfoundedly, this the last thing she had expected him to ask.

  ‘It’s a board-game,’ he explained derisively. ‘With pawns, and bishops—’

  ‘I know what it is,’ Danny cut in frustratedly. ’It just seems a strange question, that’s all. Yes, I play chess.’ She frowned. ‘In fact you’re talking to the Martin family champion.’

  ‘I had a feeling you might say that.’ Pierce grimaced. ‘I’d like to give you a game tomorrow night anyway.’

  ‘After dinner…?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Enigmatic was too mild a word to describe this man; he seemed to be on another plane to her! But she had never been faint-hearted, and now wasn’t the time to start.

  Gary was his usual uncomplicated self that evening, talking fondly of Cheryl, evidence that her sister hadn’t yet spoken to him about Nigel. Cheryl was still mysteriously unavailable, and Danny couldn’t help but feel vaguely disturbed by the fact. Her sister couldn’t be out all the time—could she?

  But Gary didn’t seem at all worried about Ch
eryl’s behaviour, so she decided she shouldn’t be either. As Pierce kept telling her, it was really none of her business anyway.

  Pierce. She found herself thinking about him a lot the next day, alternately anticipating and feeling apprehensive about the evening ahead. She didn’t really know that much about him, except his cynicism towards the softer emotions in life. But he couldn’t always have been that way, had been married once, even if it was a long time ago. She would have liked to have known the man he was then.

  Choosing what to wear for her dinner with him wasn’t that difficult, she only had two evening dresses, usually wearing more informal clothes even for the casual dates she received on occasion. But she had a feeling Pierce was the sort of man that ‘dressed for dinner’, and so she had to do the same. And as one of the dresses was a brown velvet, and the temperature was still up in the seventies, she really had only one choice. But it was a pretty dress, cream cheesecloth matched with a heavy lace, the gypsy-style neckline pulled down her arms to completely bare her shoulders and expose the creamy curve of her full breasts, fitted at her narrow waist to flow in a full skirt to just below her knees. Her legs were deeply tanned and so she left them bare, high-heeled brown sandals accompanied by a matching clutch-bag. Her hair she brushed loose and glowing, the sparkle of her eyes needing no added adornment, only a light lipgloss smoothed on her mouth.

  At precisely five-to-eight she left her cottage to go over to the main house, her mouth compressing slightly as she saw Dave Benson and the two dogs waiting for her just inside the gate.

  ‘Mr Sutherland’s instructions,’ Dave told her as he saw her frown.

  She petted the dogs to cover her annoyance, after all it wasn’t Dave’s fault Pierce had gone against her request, chattering lightly to Dave as they walked over to the house.

  She was shown straight into the lounge, Pierce standing by one of the windows, a drink in his hand as he turned to look at her. As she had guessed, he was wearing a dinner suit, the black material tailored to his wide shoulders and tapered waist, his silk shirt gleaming whitely. He looked very handsome, if a little more remote than usual.

  Danny requested a sherry at his terse query, sinking gracefully into an armchair. So far the evening wasn’t quite going as she had imagined!