Yes, but Henry didnt do it for that reason. He did it to keep Cy Harden from finding out who I was, and where I was, in case he ever came looking for me. She closed her eyes, trying to blot out the memory of the fear shed felt after her flight from Montana. Pregnant, accused of both sleeping with another man and being his accomplice in a theft, shed been driven from the house by Cys mothers harsh voice while Cy looked on in cold agreement. Meredith didnt know if the charges had ever been dropped, but Cy had believed she was guilty. That was the hardest to face.
Shed been carrying Cys son, and shed loved him so desperately. But Cy had used her. Hed proposed to her, but shed learned later that it had only been to keep her happy in their relationship. Love you? hed drawled in his deep voice. Sex was pleasant, but what would he want with a gangly, shy teenager in any other respect? Hed said that in front of his vicious mother, and something in Meredith had died of shame. She remembered running, blinded by tears, her only thought to get away. Great-Aunt Mary had bought her a bus ticket, and shed left town. Left under a shadow, in disgrace, with the memory of Myrna Hardens mocking smile following her.
You could give up the takeover bid, Don suggested hesitantly. There are other companies with mineral holdings.
Not in southeastern Montana, she replied, her soft gray eyes fixing on him calmly. And Harden Properties has leases we cant break. Theyve made it impossible for us to get any mineral leases in the area. She turned and smiled, her oval face and creamy complexion framed by an elegant sweep of blond hair. She had the look of royalty, and the graceful carriage. That confidence was a legacy from Henry Tennison, whod given her far more than control of his business empire by the time he died. Hed hired tutors for her, to teach her etiquette and the art of hostessing, to educate her in business and finance. Shed been an eager, willing pupil, and she had a mind like a sponge.
Hell fight, the thin, balding man said stubbornly.
She smiled, because Don looked so much like Henry when he set his lips that way. He was ten years Henrys junior and ten years Merediths senior. He was a good businessman, even if he wasnt her best friend in the world. But Don was conservative, and Meredith was aggressive. More than once theyd locked horns over company policy. The domestic operation was her baby, and Don wasnt going to tell her how to run it. Her steady, level gaze told him that.
Let him fight, Don, she replied. It will give him something to do while Im taking over his company.
You need rest, he said with a sigh. Blakes a handful by himself, and youve been ill.
Flu is inevitable with a child in kindergarten, she reminded him. I didnt expect it to go into pneumonia. Besides, the takeover bid is crucial to my expansion plans. Regardless of how much time or energy it takes, I have to give it priority. I can ferret out a lot of information while Im deciding what to do with Great-Aunt Marys house.
There shouldnt be a problem. She left a will. Even if she hadnt, Henry paid for the house.
Nobody in Billings knows that, she said. She turned from the window, arms folded over her high, firm breasts as she nibbled her lower lip thoughtfully. I wrote to her, and she came out here to see me several times. But I havent been to Billings since She caught herself. Not since
I was eighteen, she amended.
But he knew. Its been six years. Almost seven, he added gently. Time is a great healer.
Her eyes darkened. Is it? Do you think six years or sixty would be enough to forget what the Hardens did to me? She turned toward him. Revenge is unworthy of an intelligent person. Henry drilled that into me, but I cant help what I feel. They accused me of a crime I never committed, sent me out of Billings in disgrace and pregnant. Her eyes closed and she shivered. I almost lost the baby. If it hadnt been for Henry
He was crazy about Blake, and about you. Don grinned. Ive never seen a man so happy. It was a shame about the accident. Three years out of a lifetime isnt long for a man to find and lose everything he values.
He was good to me, she said, smiling with the bittersweet memory. Everybody thought I married him because he was wealthy. He was so much older than I wasalmost twenty years. But what nobody knew was that he didnt tell me just how rich he was until he talked me into marrying him. She shook her head. I almost ran away when I knew what he was worth. This she gestured around the elegant room with its priceless antiques terrified me.
Thats why he didnt tell you until it was too late, Don mused. Hed spent his whole life making money and living for the corporation. Until you came along, he didnt even know he wanted a family.
He got a ready-made one. She sighed. I wanted so much to give him a child. She turned away. Thinking about that would do no good at all. I have to go to Billings. I want you to check on Blake and Mr. Smith every day or two, if you dont mind. Im so nervous, about both of them, after that kidnapping attempt.