The Billionaire Banker(68)
Her voice becomes hard and cold. ‘Of course. I had Martin draw up the papers and I transferred the money from my Gibraltar account. I’ve checked and she’s gone.
Left the country.’
‘It appears you’ve taken care of your little problem.
What do you want me to do?’
‘Daddy, I love Blake, he is a good, strong man, and I know that once we are married he will be a good husband and a fine father. I can forgive him for this little indiscretion.’
Her father nods carefully.
‘But I know that he will never forgive me for interfering with his affairs if he finds out it was I who offered her the money. Daddy, could you please see him and tell him that it was you who offered her money. Surely he will be able to see what a little tramp she is to leave him while he is still in hospital.’
‘That will surely ruin my relationship with him.’
‘Does it really matter? You will still be his father-in-law and he will come to recognize that you did it for his own good.’
‘You are certain you want this man?’
‘I have never been more certain of anything in my life.’
He turns away from her and looks out of the window.
‘Do you have a copy of her signature?’
‘Yes.’
He nods. ‘Of course, the contract.’ A thought occurs to him. ‘What about a sample of her writing?’
‘Yes.’
He raises a bushy, enquiring eyebrow.
‘I have a copy of her application form at the temporary agency she used to work at.’
He smiles regretfully. Shame she had not been born a boy. He could have used her at the helm of the family instead of being a tool of consolidation.
‘Give them both to me. I will work something out with Jason.’ Victoria has never met Jason, but she knows of him. He is a master forger.
‘Thank you, Daddy,’ she says and running up to him snuggles her perfumed cheek against his. Her father’s arm comes around her shoulder and he gives her an affectionate squeeze.
‘Oh, my pretty, pretty little viper—what that man doesn’t know about you!’
She moves away from him and looks up into his eyes.
‘Daddy?’
‘Yes, Victoria.’
‘Is it very wrong what I have done?’
‘You should have left it alone, Victoria. He is a man and men, my dear, have needs, but these needs do go away.’
‘He took her to the Crafts ball.’
Her father’s eyes narrow to slits with disapproval.
Immediately she feels bad that she told him that. She wants her father to think well of Blake.
‘He’s a good man, Daddy. He’s just a bit lost. She has bewitched him. He has never done anything like this before.’
Her father says nothing but it is obvious he is not impressed.
Victoria cannot leave it alone. ‘Are you angry with me, Daddy?’ she asks, her eyes misting over.
‘Of course not. You did what you thought was best, but there is a very important lesson that a woman can learn from a dog. When a dog finds another dog’s scent on his master, he does not panic, feel threatened or hurl abuse, but merely finds it interesting. If you can cultivate that habit you will have a very happy marriage.’
When his daughter leaves, Hugo Mongomery looks out of the window at the rolling green fields of his estate and the beautiful Van Gogh clouds in the sky. He has known about Blake’s woman. Seen photos of them together.
Something about the pictures makes him worry that this might not be the end of the matter. Still, his daughter is an intelligent, cunning fox. And to date there is nothing she has wanted that has eluded her.
To be continued…