“Don’t sell her short,” William warned.
Malcolm looked startled by his sharp tone. “You know her, sir?”
“Quite well, as a matter of fact. She might not have spent much time working with the company, but it would be naive to assume she can’t handle the job. She’s a Carlton, after all. I suspect we’ll have our work cut out for us, if we intend to get the better of her.” He was not about to admit how much the prospect excited him. There was a deal on the table right now for a group of faltering travel agencies. The notion of battling wits with Destiny to acquire it right out from under her was stimulating. This was one fight he intended to win at any cost, a metaphor of sorts for his intentions toward Destiny.
“As you say, sir. But as brilliant as she may be, she’ll be no match for you. The nephew certainly hasn’t been.”
“Because his mind hasn’t been on it,” William guessed. “And the stakes haven’t been high enough.” He paused thoughtfully. “I imagine Destiny’s going to come in and do something dramatic, if only to get our attention. She won’t be satisfied to win this skirmish for Fortnum Travel. I wonder what her first target for acquisition will be?”
“Shall I see what I can find out?” Malcolm asked. “Perhaps there are rumors inside the company.”
William nodded. “Yes, definitely, see what you can learn, Malcolm. A preemptive strike might be just the thing. We’ll want to keep her on her toes.”
In fact, he thought cheerfully, a preemptive strike might bring Destiny roaring straight into his office, eyes blazing and temper high. Now, there was a sight he’d been longing to see for far too long now.
* * *
Destiny was growing weary of all the admonitions and instructions and piles and piles of detailed reports, most of which she’d read long before she’d put her plan into play. She knew perfectly well that Richard was merely trying to overwhelm her with so much information, to make the task seem so daunting and formidable that she’d give up in frustration and declare herself no longer interested in taking over the European division. He still wasn’t entirely reconciled to this whole idea of her as an integral part of the company.
She frowned as Richard went over ground he’d covered just last week...and the week before that.
“Do you truly believe that I am so forgetful that I don’t know we’ve been over this twice before?” she asked finally, her voice filled with undisguised frustration.
He seemed startled by her question. “Have we?”
She rolled her eyes. “Either you’re the forgetful one or you’ve gotten your strategy completely muddled.”
“Strategy? What strategy?”
“To make me forget what you still believe is a crazy idea,” she said mildly. “Mack and Beth’s baby is due any day now. I’m leaving in two weeks, Richard. Get used to it.”
“I just want you to be fully prepared to pull off this Fortnum Travel acquisition. We can’t afford any missteps,” he retorted defensively. “This deal will set the tone for everything you do from now on. After all, you’re not just someone new coming in. You’re a Carlton. How would it look if you’re not on top of things?”
“I’m sure the earth would keep spinning,” she responded.
“But you need to have everyone’s respect from the moment you set foot into the building,” he said. “You only have one chance to make a first impression. How many times did you drill that little maxim into my head?”
“A first impression is one thing,” she responded. “Respect is something else entirely. No one gains respect just because they show up, I don’t care what their name is. Respect is earned. I expect to pay my dues in that regard, which is why we will acquire Fortnum Travel. I won’t let it slip away. I promise.”
“I’m just trying to make it a bit easier,” he grumbled.
“I know,” she soothed. “And I do appreciate it, but this is getting old, Richard. It’s not as if there aren’t phones and faxes over there. I’ll be able to reach you at a moment’s notice if something comes up that I can’t handle. I’m neither proud nor foolish. I’ll ask for any help I need.”
“Yes, of course,” he said finally, his expression resigned. “Is there anything I can help with now?”
Destiny had been waiting for just this moment. She’d been toying with an idea for a few weeks now, something guaranteed to get William’s attention and show him that she was about to make his life the same sort of hell he’d been trying to create for Carlton Industries. It would be solid proof that she was just as capable as he of capitalizing on the intimate secrets they’d shared all those years ago. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a thick folder. She’d left absolutely no stone unturned in accumulating her research to make her case to Richard. The cover sheet was concise, but there were pages of backup material for every premise she’d stated.
“Take a look at this,” she said, handing it to Richard. “Tell me what you think. I want your honest opinion. Don’t sugarcoat anything.”
Richard’s eyes widened as he glanced through the detailed research. “You’ve spent a lot of time on this,” he said eventually in a cautious tone that could only be construed as less-than-a-ringing endorsement.
“I wanted to be sure I could answer any questions you might have.”
“The numbers make sense,” he admitted.
“But?”
He gave her a perplexed look. “Why on earth would you want to acquire some nothing little bookstore? I don’t get it. It’s not the kind of business that’s a good fit for us. It’s too small. There’s no real growth potential.”
She smiled at his logic. It was exactly what she’d expected. Richard was very
