The Grass is Greener by Loretta Hill Page B

wall was glass from floor to ceiling, with panoramic views of the city. Cyril Eddings’s desk was centre stage, large and charcoal in colour. Surprisingly, he wasn’t seated in the high-back leather chair behind it, but was standing in front of the desk. He held out his hand to her in greeting.
    â€˜Ah, my dear, thank you for coming. Claudia Franklin, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m Cyril Eddings, pleased to meet you.’
    Claudia felt herself relax a little as she shook his hand. Remembering quickly the man she had witnessed at the wedding, mild-mannered and easygoing. He had not changed much since she had last seen him. He was still portly, with a full head of salt and pepper hair and a smile that was both sharp and engaging.
    â€˜Oh.’ Her lips stretched into a smile. ‘That’s absolutely no problem at all.’
    â€˜I believe you come to me from Bianca Hanks.’ He tilted his head to one side. ‘How do you know her?’
    A bark of laughter erupted from left field, startling Claudia, as she had not previously noticed anyone else in the room.
    A low baritone sounded. ‘I’d be surprised if she knows her at all.’
    Claudia’s wide eyes veered away from the man in front of her to the one on a couch in a pocket of the room that was out of her direct field of vision. She only just managed to stop her jaw hitting the floor.
    The man from the bar.
    You’ve got to be kidding me!
    He lounged there on one of the couches, one arm stretched out along the back, one leg crossed over the other. He regarded her steadily and without any outward sign of threat. Yet instinctively she knew that she’d be a fool to regard that slight twist to his mouth as anything but suspicious. She glanced quickly at Cyril, who did not seem perturbed by his companion’s statement.
    â€˜Do you know Sebastian Rowlands?’ he asked her, in tones more curious than accusatory.
    â€˜Yes,’ Sebastian answered for her, with predatory satisfaction. ‘She does. This was the woman I met at Seashells. I’m surprised you don’t know her. After all, she is your niece .’
    Double crap.
    Claudia glanced quickly at Cyril, expecting to be outed immediately. However, he was watching Sebastian with more enjoyment than shock on his face. The man on the couch stood up unhurriedly, buttoning his open jacket and walking towards her, his eyes trained on her face. ‘Are you sure you’re in the right place, er … Claudia, is it?’
    The sarcastic lilt to his voice indicated that he believed she was both liar and fraud, and was expecting her to turn tail and run. Her spine stiffened, making her temper flare anew.
    â€˜Definitely. Perhaps you’d like to see my résumé too so that you can satisfy yourself that I am indeed qualified for this position.’
    She fished the spare out of her slim, soft leather briefcase and practically shoved it into his hand.
    He didn’t look at it.
    â€˜You do realise that this job requires not only university qualifications but admission to the bar and registration as a practitioner with the High Court of Australia?’
    â€˜I satisfy all of those requirements,’ she declared truthfully.
    He snorted. ‘You don’t look old enough to have finished uni.’
    â€˜And you don’t seem well mannered enough to speak in corporate circles but you do, don’t you?’ She snapped crossly before she thought better of it.
    At Sebastian’s gasp, Cyril barked with laughter, making her cringe.
    â€˜Well, this is all very intriguing.’ Cyril rubbed his hands together. ‘Please, Claudia, don’t stand there by the door. Come in, come in, I want to hear all about you.’
    In truth, she would much rather continue giving Sebastian a piece of her mind, but that wasn’t going to get her this job anytime soon.
    Better to pull back.
    She allowed