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CHAPTER ONE

'You aren't Bennett and Bennett? Tell aze was unco as it swept over their faces, and Miria a smile to her lips

'The very saestured to her brother 'Mitch Bennett, and I'm Miriaure in front of her turned abruptly, stepping back into the sumptuous hall with a cursory flick of his head

'You'd better coressive, and for a moment they stood in bewilderorgeous, lavishly decorated surroundings

'Mr Vance, I think—'

'Look, there's been soain he turned and fixed the tofiret me out of the rily 'Not a pair of teenagers who clearly—'

'My brother and I took over our father's catering firo, Mr Vance, as I'm sure Mr Craven explained,' Miria onto both her temper and her aploe, but that's hereditary, I'm afraid However, we've had plenty of experience—'

'How old are you?' He alround his teeth at them 'Both of you?'

'My brother is twenty-six and I'm twenty-five—'

'For crying out loud!' It was , and as Miriam felt her face flame she remembered what Frank had told her

'Theonly teeks away and the catering firation by the police for fraud Heyou can't handle'

'Excuse ressive as Reece Vance's 'It ht have escaped your notice, Mr Vance, but no one dishes out any favours these days It's dog eat dog Whentoo well' The understatement of the year, Miriam reflected silently as she remembered the mound of debts and unpaid bills 'And noe employ five other people besides ourselves—'

'Very creditable, I' 'But this particular job would entail a staff of at least twenty on the day, not to mention all the preparatory work'

'Of course it would' Miriam smiled at him sunnily as she reflected that he was easily the most obnoxious, unpleasant, detestable individual she had ever met in her whole life 'And my brother was just about to add that we have part-time employees prepared to work at very short notice' Why have you done this to us, Frank? she asked silently as the grey eyes held her own violet ones in a vice We ht need work, but no one needs it this bad!

'And you think you can cope with this contract?' he asked icily

'I've no idea, Mr Vance' Her own sht-faced, her eyes disdainful 'You haven't even begun to tell us what it entails, have you? Catering we can supply, butcomes extra' Steady, Miriarey eyes chilled further This job could establish Bennett and Bennett for good if you pull it off; don't blow it on a temper tantrum

'I would have thought Frank would have explained,' he said after a long moment of taut silence

'He merely phoned us with a ave us a time and your address,' Miriam tried another smile but it would have had more effect on a block of stone 'He said you'd had some difficulty with the present caterers,' she added tactfully

'You could say that' He glared at her as if it were all her fault 'Well, now you're both here you ht as well come in the study for a moment and I'll explain what the job entails'

His tone said, quite succinctly, that such a procedure was a waste of tiht of the stairs, which seee to kick hial backside

'Now' He sat down behind a large and expensive desk in beautifully polished walnut and gestured towards two easy chairs placed strategically in front of it 'Do sit down' He spoke as if he was bestowing an honour of the utmost proportions, and just for a moment Miriam's irrepressible humour asserted itself What a stuffed shirt! What an overwhelh she wanted to do soh the hard outer skin that clothed this man like a barrier: take her clothes off and dance on his desk naked, maybe?

Her ht until shein the hard, high cheekbones and aquiline nose that at thedistaste No, perhaps not On reflection, the thought of appearing anything but fully dressed in front of this ht down to her toes