“Now then, I will talk, and you will listen.”
His eyes moved to her heaving bosom, and he sighed. “I must admit it’s hard to discuss business when you inspire…other thoughts.”
“Please say what you came here to say,” she requested coldly.
“Ah, Briana, such spirit,” he said. “You’d be sheer delight in bed, moving those luscious hips, with me rammed inside you. Certainly you’d be better than that little twit Marice. Oh, yes,” he informed her, “I saw her come in. I was waiting for her to leave. I’ve had many a good tumble with her, but she’s decided to sell what she was giving me for free, and, unfortunately, my allowance has been greatly reduced, so…”
He sat down across from her. “I suppose,” he continued musingly, “that if we are going to be business partners, I shall have to be completely candid with you and say that my allowance is, actually, nonexistent. The deBonnett fortune is gone, as you doubtless know. Alaina has a reprieve from the bank, but unless something is done soon, the château will have to be sold.”
“What do you want of me?” she interrupted. “I have my own troubles.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know you do, and that is why we need each other, Briana. You are going to help me and Alaina, and you’re also going to be able to help yourself and that poor, sick brother of yours.”
He lit a cheroot and inhaled, then blew the smoke out slowly before saying kindly, “How would you like to have enough money to pay for your brother’s operation?”
She went stiff with shock. She had never known Gavin Mason to do anything charitable, so there had to be something devious in his mind. “You are not going to get me to submit to you. Not even for that kind of money.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Of course not. I can have you any time I want you, you silly girl, don’t you understand that? Besides, I’d never pay that much for any woman. No, I’ve something else in mind, something that will require you to be quite a good actress. Are you desperate enough to do a good job?”
“That depends on what you have in mind. I have my principles,” she informed him.
“But you also have a price,” he said wearily. “Everyone does. Now, here is the proposition I’m making to you.”
“I’m listening,” she said warily.
“I will tell your brother’s doctors in Paris to prepare for the operation. I will have Charles moved to a private hospital so he will receive the best of care while he’s waiting for the operation. How soon the operation takes place will depend entirely on you. It’s a question of how quickly you get your job done.”
Briana’s heart was racing. Was there really a chance that she could earn the money?
Was there really a chance for Charles?
“You will be going to America with me.”
“America?” she gasped. “Whatever—”
He held up a hand for silence. “Listen to me. I don’t know if Dani ever told you, but her father is a very wealthy man.”
Briana shook her head. “She never talked to me about that.”
Gavin proceeded to tell her the whole story, finishing, “So Travis Coltrane is now in Paris. He’s written to Dani to tell her that she may claim her half of his estate any time. I offered to marry Dani, but she refused. She was determined to enter the convent.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste.
Briana smiled to herself. Dani would never have consented to marry Gavin in any case.
“Why do you need me?” she asked.
“Because,” he replied, smiling confidently, “all Dani has to do is go to America and claim her fortune.”
“Well, she’s not going to, is she?”
He sighed impatiently. “No. She’s not going to ask for her money. However”—he paused significantly—“Dani is going to America to lay claim to her share of the Coltrane fortune, because, you see…” He paused again, then continued: “You are going to be Dani.”
Briana shook her head without a second’s
His eyes moved to her heaving bosom, and he sighed. “I must admit it’s hard to discuss business when you inspire…other thoughts.”
“Please say what you came here to say,” she requested coldly.
“Ah, Briana, such spirit,” he said. “You’d be sheer delight in bed, moving those luscious hips, with me rammed inside you. Certainly you’d be better than that little twit Marice. Oh, yes,” he informed her, “I saw her come in. I was waiting for her to leave. I’ve had many a good tumble with her, but she’s decided to sell what she was giving me for free, and, unfortunately, my allowance has been greatly reduced, so…”
He sat down across from her. “I suppose,” he continued musingly, “that if we are going to be business partners, I shall have to be completely candid with you and say that my allowance is, actually, nonexistent. The deBonnett fortune is gone, as you doubtless know. Alaina has a reprieve from the bank, but unless something is done soon, the château will have to be sold.”
“What do you want of me?” she interrupted. “I have my own troubles.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know you do, and that is why we need each other, Briana. You are going to help me and Alaina, and you’re also going to be able to help yourself and that poor, sick brother of yours.”
He lit a cheroot and inhaled, then blew the smoke out slowly before saying kindly, “How would you like to have enough money to pay for your brother’s operation?”
She went stiff with shock. She had never known Gavin Mason to do anything charitable, so there had to be something devious in his mind. “You are not going to get me to submit to you. Not even for that kind of money.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Of course not. I can have you any time I want you, you silly girl, don’t you understand that? Besides, I’d never pay that much for any woman. No, I’ve something else in mind, something that will require you to be quite a good actress. Are you desperate enough to do a good job?”
“That depends on what you have in mind. I have my principles,” she informed him.
“But you also have a price,” he said wearily. “Everyone does. Now, here is the proposition I’m making to you.”
“I’m listening,” she said warily.
“I will tell your brother’s doctors in Paris to prepare for the operation. I will have Charles moved to a private hospital so he will receive the best of care while he’s waiting for the operation. How soon the operation takes place will depend entirely on you. It’s a question of how quickly you get your job done.”
Briana’s heart was racing. Was there really a chance that she could earn the money?
Was there really a chance for Charles?
“You will be going to America with me.”
“America?” she gasped. “Whatever—”
He held up a hand for silence. “Listen to me. I don’t know if Dani ever told you, but her father is a very wealthy man.”
Briana shook her head. “She never talked to me about that.”
Gavin proceeded to tell her the whole story, finishing, “So Travis Coltrane is now in Paris. He’s written to Dani to tell her that she may claim her half of his estate any time. I offered to marry Dani, but she refused. She was determined to enter the convent.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste.
Briana smiled to herself. Dani would never have consented to marry Gavin in any case.
“Why do you need me?” she asked.
“Because,” he replied, smiling confidently, “all Dani has to do is go to America and claim her fortune.”
“Well, she’s not going to, is she?”
He sighed impatiently. “No. She’s not going to ask for her money. However”—he paused significantly—“Dani is going to America to lay claim to her share of the Coltrane fortune, because, you see…” He paused again, then continued: “You are going to be Dani.”
Briana shook her head without a second’s
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