morning working in almost complete silence, a companionable sort of quiet that was meshed with a thinking concentration. Diana immersed herself in the wording of the contract proposals and was genuinely surprised when Alex stretched hugely in his chair and said, “Lunchtime, slave.”
She stuck her tongue out at him before asking pertly, “How much time do I get to eat—fifteen minutes?”
He eyed her lazily. “If you’re lucky.” He ran his hand through his hair, a sure sign that he was concentrating on something hard. “I wish I didn’t have to go to that business lunch this afternoon. I wish I could send somebody in my place…” A gleam entered his eyes as his head swivelled towards her.
She immediately scrambled up, grabbed her handbag and headed for the door, chattering the whole while. “I sure hope you find someone to send, of course you know I would if I could, but I have this luncheon date with a juicy, junky hamburger and I’d be really disappointed if I couldn’t make the date…” She was out of the door and gone, still hearing the echo of Alex’s shout of laughter as she escaped down the hall.
When she made it back after lunch, it was to find the office empty and dark. Turning on the lights, she sat down to work on the papers left over from the morning. Unable to keep her eyes away from the desk clock on Alex’s desk, she kept track of the minute hand as it crept slowly around in a circle. When he finally walked into the office, the clock showed two o’clock.
“Hi,” she said simply, finishing a mark on her paper before she looked up. Alex had a curious expression on his face as he walked around his desk and sat down. “What’s happened?”
“Payne has raised his prices for steel up back to normal,” he replied, putting his elbows on the desk top and resting his fingers against his mouth. “I guess that’s one way to signal defeat.”
Diana mulled over Alex’s words for a minute. She had a vague feeling of anticlimax, almost a feeling of disappointment. “That’s it?” She spread her hands as she asked incredulously, “All that unbelievable tension, all those frantically busy working days, all that tension, and now it’s all over?”
“Apparently,” he muttered almost to himself. “I don’t trust that son of a bitch, though. I’d sure like to know what he’s thinking right now.”
“Is there anything else he could do?”
He looked at her with a sardonic curl of the lips. “Nothing legally. That’s what has me worried.”
“And you do have guards at both of the foundries, so there’s nothing that he could do there,” Diana thought out loud. She glanced at him quickly and then away. “Are you going to keep your lower prices?” She might as well have said, “Are you going to break him?” Both she and Alex knew what she had meant. Diana looked down at her desk, dreading the reply. There was silence for a moment.
Alex had clenched his fingers tightly and his face seemed to be all angles as he said harshly, “I don’t know.” She understood his dilemma. Here was the man that Alex could have cheerfully killed in a good fight, but the dirtiest thing he could have done was give up. Now it would look like a coldblooded act of murder with Payne as the victim. There was no way that they could pin the guilt for the arson on Payne, for he had been too clever covering up that evidence. Mason Steel had kept quiet about the whole thing and Payne could easily plead ignorance of the whole thing. Alex was caught between the desire to break the man he hated, and the prudence of backing down. Diana felt suddenly very weary of the whole mess.
“Well, I think he deserves the worst you can give him,” she declared indignantly. “I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you did keep the lower prices, even for a little while, just for spite. I would!”
He smiled a little. “You know just what to say at the right time, don’t you? Well, I’ll think about it over the weekend. Maybe
She stuck her tongue out at him before asking pertly, “How much time do I get to eat—fifteen minutes?”
He eyed her lazily. “If you’re lucky.” He ran his hand through his hair, a sure sign that he was concentrating on something hard. “I wish I didn’t have to go to that business lunch this afternoon. I wish I could send somebody in my place…” A gleam entered his eyes as his head swivelled towards her.
She immediately scrambled up, grabbed her handbag and headed for the door, chattering the whole while. “I sure hope you find someone to send, of course you know I would if I could, but I have this luncheon date with a juicy, junky hamburger and I’d be really disappointed if I couldn’t make the date…” She was out of the door and gone, still hearing the echo of Alex’s shout of laughter as she escaped down the hall.
When she made it back after lunch, it was to find the office empty and dark. Turning on the lights, she sat down to work on the papers left over from the morning. Unable to keep her eyes away from the desk clock on Alex’s desk, she kept track of the minute hand as it crept slowly around in a circle. When he finally walked into the office, the clock showed two o’clock.
“Hi,” she said simply, finishing a mark on her paper before she looked up. Alex had a curious expression on his face as he walked around his desk and sat down. “What’s happened?”
“Payne has raised his prices for steel up back to normal,” he replied, putting his elbows on the desk top and resting his fingers against his mouth. “I guess that’s one way to signal defeat.”
Diana mulled over Alex’s words for a minute. She had a vague feeling of anticlimax, almost a feeling of disappointment. “That’s it?” She spread her hands as she asked incredulously, “All that unbelievable tension, all those frantically busy working days, all that tension, and now it’s all over?”
“Apparently,” he muttered almost to himself. “I don’t trust that son of a bitch, though. I’d sure like to know what he’s thinking right now.”
“Is there anything else he could do?”
He looked at her with a sardonic curl of the lips. “Nothing legally. That’s what has me worried.”
“And you do have guards at both of the foundries, so there’s nothing that he could do there,” Diana thought out loud. She glanced at him quickly and then away. “Are you going to keep your lower prices?” She might as well have said, “Are you going to break him?” Both she and Alex knew what she had meant. Diana looked down at her desk, dreading the reply. There was silence for a moment.
Alex had clenched his fingers tightly and his face seemed to be all angles as he said harshly, “I don’t know.” She understood his dilemma. Here was the man that Alex could have cheerfully killed in a good fight, but the dirtiest thing he could have done was give up. Now it would look like a coldblooded act of murder with Payne as the victim. There was no way that they could pin the guilt for the arson on Payne, for he had been too clever covering up that evidence. Mason Steel had kept quiet about the whole thing and Payne could easily plead ignorance of the whole thing. Alex was caught between the desire to break the man he hated, and the prudence of backing down. Diana felt suddenly very weary of the whole mess.
“Well, I think he deserves the worst you can give him,” she declared indignantly. “I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you did keep the lower prices, even for a little while, just for spite. I would!”
He smiled a little. “You know just what to say at the right time, don’t you? Well, I’ll think about it over the weekend. Maybe
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