CHAPTER THREE
SHE joined Carly and Paul in the dining-room for dinner, having no real appetite for the food, not after the scene she had been through with Jerard Daniels.
‘What was going on earlier in reception?’ Carly broke into her thoughts. ‘I thought Mr Daniels was going to get violent.’
‘Carly!’ Paul warned, frowning heavily. ‘When are you going to learn to mind your own business?’
‘Never,’ she grinned. ‘I’m nosey, I don’t mind admitting it.’
Her boy-friend sighed. ‘I’m sorry about this, Velvet. She’s incorrigible!’
Velvet smiled. ‘I don’t mind. I just didn’t see you at the time.’
‘We were in the lounge,’ Carly revealed. ‘Mr Daniels had been fuming up and down the reception area for an hour before you came in. I’ve never seen anyone that angry before, I thought he was going to explode. What happened?’
She explained the situation to them—after all, she owed it to them to do so, it could affect their job here.
Carly whistled through her teeth. ‘So that was his little girl.’
‘Mm,’ Velvet nodded. ‘She’s a sweet little thing, a bit on the small side for eight, but very bright.’
‘He seems very fond of her.’
‘And no doubt he is,’ she busied herself arranging her napkin. ‘Vicki certainly idolises him.’ That much had been obvious.
‘It’s a bit rough on a child to lose her mother at that age,’ Paul echoed her own sentiments.
Velvet bit her lip. ‘I hope she’s going to be all right, now that Faye’s hurt.’
‘It’s Daniels’ problem,’ Paul dismissed as their meal arrived. ‘Let him deal with it.’
Velvet knew that Jerard Daniels wouldn’t appreciate her concern, anyway. But she couldn’t help worrying. Vicki had so recently lost her mother, and now she had lost what Velvet presumed to be her nanny. Unless Jerard Daniels could be persuaded to forget the incident! After all, what had the poor woman done besides taking the only course of action she could in the circumstances?
But Jerard Daniels wouldn’t appreciate her interference. Still, what did she have to lose. Not a lot; Jerard Daniels was already furious with her, why not let him go the whole way and be absolutely livid?
Paul was studying her. ‘You look as if you just came to a decision.’
Velvet smiled. ‘I did.’
‘One you aren’t going to let us in on, hmm?’
‘Right,’ she nodded.
‘Sounds interesting,’ Carly grinned.
‘Sounds private,’ Paul corrected. ‘You know the meaning of that word, do you?’
‘Spoilsport!’ she grimaced at him.
Greg joined them as they had their coffee in the lounge, sitting down. ‘I can’t stay long, I’m on duty. And after the bawling out I got earlier I daren’t be caught slacking. Boy, Mr Daniels really laid into me!’
‘About his daughter,’ Velvet nodded.
‘You too, hmm?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ she said ruefully.
Greg shook his head. ‘He was really mad.’
‘I know,’ she grimaced. ‘How’s Miss Rogers’ ankle now?’
‘They’re keeping her in for a few days.’
‘Poor woman.’ Especially as she was probably going to lose her job over it.
‘Mm,’ Greg nodded. ‘They only got here this morning.’ He sighed. ‘I suppose I should have called Mr Daniels this afternoon, but Faye insisted on doing it herself. I don’t think she could have made much sense, not by his reaction to me tonight. You would have thought I’d pushed the woman,’ he added with disgust.
‘At least he didn’t think you’d tried to kidnap his daughter,’ Velvet said dryly.
‘From that remark I take it he thought you had. I don’t understand Mr Daniels this trip,’ Greg frowned. ‘He’s usually such a nice guy.’
Carly gave Velvet a speculative look, one Velvet chose to ignore. Jerard Daniels’ behaviour had nothing to do with her, nothing at all. He seemed a bit on the explosive side to her anyway. It certainly didn’t take much for him to lose his temper.
Greg stood up to leave. ‘I’d better get back to work.’
‘And I think I’ll go to my room,’ Velvet joined him. ‘The sea air seems to knock me out.’
Greg grinned. ‘It is pretty potent. If you’re going to your room I might as well come with you, it just so happens that I have to go to the ninth floor myself.’
Velvet flushed, smiling her goodnight to Carly and Paul. ‘See you in the morning.’ She walked off, head held high. ‘Do you really have to go to the ninth floor?’ she asked Greg tightly as they travelled up in the lift together.
‘Really,’ he nodded. ‘Hey, you didn’t think I was moving in for the kill, did you?’
‘I wasn’t the only who thought it.’ She knew Carly and Paul had had the same idea. In fact, that was the reason for her embarrassment.
‘I have a complaint from the room a couple of doors up from you,’ he told her seriously. ‘I have to look into it, soothe the situation down. Honest!’
She felt rather foolish now—conceited too. Greg had already told her he was on duty, she should have realised he wouldn’t sneak off to her room, especially when he had already had one reprimand from Jerard Daniels today.
‘I’m sorry,’ she sighed. ‘I’m just being silly.’
‘Believe me, if I had the time …’
She laughed. ‘Now you’ve spoilt it. I was just beginning to trust you,’ she explained.
‘I wouldn’t want you to feel too safe,’ he grinned. ‘I’m not the sort of man who likes to make friends out of women.’
Velvet chuckled at his leering expression. ‘If you’re intending to ravish me—’
‘Good evening, Mrs Dale. Boyd.’
All humour faded from Velvet at the sound of that harsh voice, her face suddenly pale as she turned to see Jerard Daniels blocking the corridor. ‘Mr Daniels,’ she returned in a stilted voice. ‘Were you wanting to see me?’
He eyed Greg contemptuously, that contempt passing on to Velvet as his gaze returned to her. ‘That was my intention, yes. But as you’re busy …’ He made to brush past her.
‘I—er—I’m not busy,’ she said hastily, remembering Faye Rogers and her decision to try and help the other woman.
