“I honestly didn’t think you were serious.”
“In other words, you were certain it was just another one of Destiny’s flighty whims,” she scoffed. “And that says it all, doesn’t it? Is it any wonder I want my family to start to take me seriously?”
He could see that he’d hurt her, but he didn’t know how else he could have reacted to this crazy idea. He couldn’t just turn over an entire division to her because it was what she wanted. He had as much responsibility to the company as he did to her.
“Destiny, why don’t you think it over for another day or two? Or take a vacation, go to France and see if that fits you the way it once did,” he suggested finally, hoping to buy himself enough time to formulate a plan to steer all this energy in a different direction. Surely there was some other satisfying pursuit she could take up that would keep her right here at home. Maybe they could encourage her to accept one of the marriage proposals constantly being tossed her way by high-profile men in the region. The prospect of a little turnabout meddling struck him as a fine idea.
Meantime, though, he gave her a placating smile. “Think about it for a few days or even a few weeks and we’ll talk again.”
“Meaning you want to check with your brothers to make sure I haven’t gone round the bend,” she said dryly. “Okay, fine. I’ll compromise, but I won’t put this off for weeks. For one thing, William is nipping at our heels on another deal, and this time there’s a good chance we can lose if we don’t act quickly. I can wait twenty-four hours while you hold a family powwow, as long as it gets me what I want. Trust me, Richard, I won’t change my mind.”
It wasn’t the delay he’d hoped for, but he could see she wasn’t prepared to bend any further. “Fine. We’ll get together at the end of the day tomorrow.”
She gave him an innocent look. “I really do hope you’ll see this my way.”
“I promise to give it serious consideration,” he told her.
“I know you will,” she said cheerfully. “I’m sure you’re aware that I’d hate to have to pull rank on you.”
His gaze narrowed. “Meaning what, exactly?”
“Meaning that I’d prefer not to go straight to the board to explain that the European operation has been in a shambles for some time and that you haven’t taken any definitive action to shore it up and turn it into the gold mine it could be.”
As her words sank in, Richard stared at her. If he had ever doubted Destiny’s business acumen or her ability to be a tough negotiator, he didn’t any longer. She’d obviously done her homework rather thoroughly before coming to him. And she’d delivered that threat without so much as a blink of her steady gaze.
“You would do that?” he asked, stunned by her audacity.
She beamed at him. “I don’t think it will be necessary, do you?”
With that, Destiny swept out of his office, looking as regal and smug as a queen.
Richard watched her exit and sighed. Heaven help the European division! There was little doubt that Destiny was taking over. He considered himself to be a tough-minded businessman and a seasoned negotiator, but she’d put him in his place in no time flat. He’d just have to find some way to keep her on a tight rein.
But even as he reached that conclusion, Richard had to laugh. Keeping his aunt under control was going to be a little like trying to contain a hurricane. It simply couldn’t be done.
* * *
Destiny thought her meeting with Richard had gone rather well. There was little doubt that he would come around to her way of thinking, eventually, at any rate. It might take a bit more persuasion, but she thought that subtle threat at the end of their conversation had probably done the trick. He definitely hadn’t been anticipating that. She had a feeling he’d been as impressed as he’d been shocked. Hard truths and uncompromising stands were something her nephew understood.
She poured herself a cup of tea and settled into a chair in front of the fire, her feet tucked under her, and thought about what she would do first when she got to London, where Carlton Industries was headquartered.
She’d been studying the reports for months now. Goodness knows, there was a lot to do and not all of it had to do with William. There were some very stuffy people in charge and the entire operation needed a good shake-up.
She was still happily contemplating all that when the front door burst open and Mack and Ben called out to her.
“In here,” she responded, not the least bit surprised by their arrival. “Having tea by the fire. If you want some, get cups before you come in.”
They came in a few minutes later, not only with cups, but with another pot of tea and a plate of the housekeeper’s chocolate chip cookies, which were always on hand, especially for Ben. Not that there was any shortage of sweets in his life since he’d married Kathleen, who baked like a fine pastry chef, but he still loved Mrs. Darlington’s cookies.
“I imagine you’ve been talking to your brother,” she said when they were seated. “If you’ve come to change my mind, you can forget it.”
“Not to change your mind,” Ben said gently. “Just to see if we’ve done something to make you feel that you’re not needed here.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said at once. “Why can’t any of you see that this isn’t about you? It’s about me and what I need to do.”
“You really want to move halfway around the world?” Mack asked doubtfully.
“Yes. And it’s not as if we don’t own a corporate jet that can bring me home anytime I’m needed here.” She
