A desperate move after working long enough. Desperate step

Katie McAlister

Desperate step

You can't leave me now! How selfish it is to leave when I need you more than anything. I forbid you to leave! I strongly forbid you to leave me during my Great Depression!

I have no choice. I have to go now.

Mom, pee-pee.

Stay where you are, Gillian. Don't you dare even move to the door!

Charlotte, give me the key.

I can not!

Mom, I want pee!

Charlie, Dante needs to visit the nook before we leave. Please, if you love me a little bit, give me the key. Noble will be furious if he learns that you are keeping us in his library as captives, and I can also assure you that Dante will not announce his desire to pee until he has a final urge.

The tiny blonde who stood to death at the double oak door, looked uncertainly at the three-year-old boy dancing in front of her. Two fine wrinkles appeared between the dark blond eyebrows.

This is a gimmick. You taught him. You use your own child as a weapon against me, cousin, and I consider it an incorporeal act.

You mean, "dishonorable," Charlotte? - Gillian, Lady of Wessex, took her son in her arms and poked them in the direction of his cousin. “If you don’t open the door and let us out, I’ll let him pee right on you.”

The boy giggled with delight. Lady Charlotte de Abalongia, née Collins, sucked in horror and gave her cousin a defiant look.

You won't do it!

Gillian! Jill, where are you hiding? No time for games, dear. We should have left an hour ago! The doorknob twitched.

Dad, I want to write! Dante began to wriggle in his mother's arms.

Well, well done, - stepping back, nodded Jillian. “Now you've made Noble angry. I would advise you to move away from the door, because he for sure ...

The door was suddenly struck three times with a crash. Charlotte jumped nearly a foot.

- ... wants to come in. We are here, darling! - shouted Gillian. - Charlotte touched the key somewhere, but we almost found it.

I want pee!

I'm sorry, what? Charlotte? What the hell is she doing here? I thought she ran away from home a few years ago to become the mistress of some Italian!

I didn't run away anywhere, we just ran away! Charlotte yelled toward the door. - We got married in Paris! It was so romantic!

Does not matter. Open the door! Gillian, it's time for us to leave. Now!

Charlotte, ”Gillian said softly but insistently. Charlotte looked anxiously at the door, on which the enraged Black Earl was pounding, and attentively listened to the steel notes in her voice. best friend and the closest relative. - I understand that you are terribly upset, and I know that you are very upset. Hard times after I returned to England from these ancient creepy Italian ruins, but, my dear, I have a son who urgently needs to go to the toilet, two impatient children in the carriage and a husband who ... - she trailed off, listening to a particularly loud tirade of curses, accompanying a terrible roar at the door, - ... quickly loses patience, and it has already been tested more than once today. Please, please, Charlie, give me the key before Noble has to take drastic action.

Charlotte looked from the writhing toddler to Gillian's emerald, anxious eyes. Previously, tears always helped. Maybe if Charlotte can squeeze out a tear or two, her cousin will know that she is serious? Charlotte waited for a special tingling sensation, which meant that her cornflower blue eyes were filled with tears, and let a note of despair in her voice.

Jilly, I need you. Honestly. You are all I have left. Nobody else will accept me, dad took care of it. I have nowhere to go and no money at all. I sold what was left of my mother’s jewelry in order to buy some traveling dresses and pay my way to England. You are the only one from the family who recognizes me, and suddenly you float to the West Indies ... - The voice faltered. She brushed the moisture from her cheeks and was surprised to realize that the crocodile tears had suddenly turned into real ones. - Oh, Jilly, please stay! Please help me. I've never lived alone before. I do not know what to do!..

Gillian squeezed Charlotte's hand.

You know I will do everything in my power to help you ...

Charlotte squealed with delight and hugged her cousin along with the peeing baby.

I knew that you would not leave me!

The room was shaken by a tremendous roar, a crackling of wood was heard, and Noble Britton, known by his nickname (in Charlotte's opinion, very weakly reflecting the formidable properties of his character), the Black Earl rushed in. A tall man in a wig, with a hook for his left hand, and two lackeys in livery followed closely on his heels.

Are you okay? - asked the earl, running up to Gillian.

She smiled encouragingly.

Yes, of course. Charlotte just needs a minute or two and I'll be ready.

Anticipating the protests of her husband and cousin, she thrust the wriggling toddler into the Count's arms, grabbed Charlotte tightly and dragged her to the sofa, upholstered in emerald-gold damask.

While you're driving Dante to the pot, I'll talk to Charlie. Croach, please take Lady Charlotte's things to the Blue Chambers. She will live here for a while. Deacon, Charles, tell the rest of the carriages to go, we’ll catch them right away.

Noble shot a questioning look at his wife, and an angry look at Charlotte. She was sincerely grateful that the look was so short, - Charlotte never could bear the angry Noble, but fortunately, the father hastily carried away his son, who announced that he would now pee right in the library.

We have five minutes before I leave, ”Gillian told her cousin emphatically. “You can live here as long as you want. How else can I help you?

Charlotte's heart twitched suspiciously and flew somewhere into low shoes made of dense fabric.

You're leaving? Are you leaving me after all?

I have no choice, ”came the calm answer. Charlotte took it as a betrayal, and pain flared in her chest, but after thinking for a moment, she came to the conclusion that Gillian really could not stay here if her husband and children went to the coffee plantation. Charlotte suppressed the painful feeling of abandonment and focused on trying to explain how chaos her life had become.

Well, OK. Did you receive my letter where I wrote that Antonio died of a fever in November?

Gillian nodded.

You wanted to leave Villa Abalongia because you didn't get along with his family, but you wrote that

Angela Wells

Desperate step

CHAPTER FIRST

Penny gazed absently out the window as the taxi driver struggled through the dense rows of cars on the main streets of London's West End, where the offices of Van Diemen Consulting were located.

Outside, it was drizzling with a steady November rain, covering the panels and pavements with mud. Of course, only inclement weather forced her to take a taxi; because besides the fact that Penny did not know exactly where the place where she was going, she really did not want to appear there, in stockings splattered with mud. She needed to keep the little self-confidence that still remained. She had been shifting from side to side all last night, thinking, but she hadn't come up with anything new.

She sighed heavily, clasped her hands, trying in vain to calm her trembling. To be honest, she just didn't know what to do. When she called this morning, Saul van Diemen was not there, and Penny decided she might not succeed at all. But now, when it became clear that he was ready to meet, the determination returned to her.

They say that serious illnesses require extraordinary funds. And isn't she now in the most difficult circumstances in her life, which are comparable to a serious illness and therefore require a desperate step?

Penny brushed a speck of dust off the black woolen dress she was wearing. Six weeks have passed since the terrible disaster - the earthquake in Mexico, which claimed the lives of her beloved twin sister and son-in-law, whom she respected and admired. Penny was in mourning, and the black color of her dress reflected that sincere and deep grief, that inner emptiness that she experienced.

If only Saul van Diemen had not then sent Michael on a business trip to Mexico ... if only the Mexican colleagues had not invited Tuppy to accompany Michael ... if only Penny had not already shown her ability to look after Tuppy and Michael's little daughter, when her sister had to go to the hospital! Lucy was then four months old ... If only she hadn't protested so vehemently when Tuppy wondered if the conditions in Mexico would be difficult for the child ... She then said something about unknown germs, and Penny announced that she would move to him to an apartment and will look after the girl while her sister and her husband spend their honeymoon in Mexico, which they never had ... If only they did not love her and did not trust her so ... then Tuppy would have stayed with the child, and Michael would have left alone ... But no, that would have meant that her sister would have remained a widow ...

Penny tried desperately to drive away all these now vain assumptions, all those "ifs." She must face the truth and act accordingly. She sat upright on the edge of the seat, as if the determination to act had given her strength. She never left her sister when she needed her ... and will not leave now, even if she had to give up her own pride.

And damn it, she won't cry! She has cried too much, the last weeks, and she knows it’s no use. Only the nose swells, the eyes become inflamed, the skin becomes covered with spots and a terrible headache!

She touched the cuff. Penny was dressed perfectly for the challenge ahead: a modest knee-length dress that covered her arms from shoulder to wrist.

A warm wave of paint flooded her cheeks. Just six weeks ago, Saul's cocky gaze slid mockingly over her half-naked body. The memory of this made her blush for a long time, until, against the background of the tragedy that happened to her sister, this case began to seem insignificant. But now the shame she experienced then tormented her again with the same force. At least, Penny thought grimly, he'd have no reason to grin at her tonight!

The black color clearly did not suit her: it made her skin paler, and her golden brown hair seemed dull. She thought for a long time whether to put on makeup, but then decided that she would feel more confident if she slightly tinted her lips and powdered dark circles under her eyes. She even donned a string of pearls — Tuppy’s birthday present — not as an addition to her dressing room, but as a memory of her dead sister.

When the taxi pulled up to the sidewalk near basement floor of a large building, the steps of the entrance, despite the rain and slush, were white, the black railings glittered. Penny knew they had arrived even before she saw the brass plate confirming that the van Diemen empire was occupying this well-appointed and beautifully decorated mansion.

Thank you dear! The taxi driver flashed her a white-toothed smile as she handed him the pay and tip. - Best wishes! Good luck!

Penny smiled. If only this cheerful guy knew what lay ahead for her now, he would understand how dear such a wish is to her.

But she could no longer stand and look after the departing taxi. Taking a deep breath and tugging at the short jacket worn over her dress, she quickly entered the building, until the determination to do so left her.

Miss Penelope Kingston? The attractive blonde secretary rose to greet Penny with a polite smile. And when Penny nodded, she said: - Mr. van Diemen is waiting for you, please come in. - The secretary pointed to the door nearby.

So right away? Penny swallowed. She hoped that she would have a few more minutes to collect her thoughts, to repeat to herself - perhaps for the hundredth time - what she was going to ask him for. With a quick glance at her watch, Penny saw that she was several minutes late. She took another deep breath, hoping it would help calm her pounding heart. Saul van Diemen was her last chance. Her only chance ... And she wished with all her being that it was anyone but him! But it was already quite inconvenient to be late.

Grasping the doorknob, she mentally counted to three, lifted her chin higher, muttered a short prayer, and stepped forward.

What a pleasant surprise, Penny! - He walked towards her across the large room, as tall and strong as she remembered him, with dark hair and gray eyes - the very personification of masculinity - and smiled affably. - Let me help you. - He continued to say something in a deep pleasant voice while she removed the jacket from her unexpectedly stiff shoulders. “If I had known earlier that you were coming, I would have canceled the scheduled business lunch.

I came on business, not just to chat, ”Penny said coldly, watching him hang her jacket over the back of a chair, and still not sitting down, despite his silent invitation, in a white leather chair opposite the table.

But it is not at all necessary that our meeting was only a business one, ”he answered cordially, sitting down on a swivel chair at the table. He leaned back and stretched out his long legs, at the same time examining her pale face, frozen with tension, as she settled in the chair.

What he read on her face seemed to surprise him, his eyes narrowed.

Despite your decision not to contact me personally about Michael's affairs, as I have told you before, my experts are ready to help at any time. You only need to contact them.

Yes ... - Penny looked down somewhere, at her tightly clenched hands lying on her knees, knowing how awkward she now seems to this person sitting opposite her and looking at her with genuine interest. And yet, no matter how highly he appreciated her refusal, it was difficult for her to bring herself to treat him with sympathy. - Thank you.

Realizing that he was waiting for the continuation, - one eyebrow raised in his mute question, - Penny hesitantly cleared her throat.

There are no problems with the property. Although neither Tuppy nor Michael left a will, I received letters from the administration. You see, there is actually no one else ... - Her voice cracked. None but ten-month-old Lucy. She tried to suppress the tears that were ready to splash. “In the letter you wrote to me, you also offered your personal assistance. His gaze reassured and reassured her. It seemed to her that he was about to guess the question, ready to escape her lips. - Is this offer still valid?

Current page: 1 (the book has a total of 12 pages)

Angela Wells
Desperate step

CHAPTER FIRST

Penny gazed absently out the window as the taxi driver struggled through the dense rows of cars on the main streets of London's West End, where the offices of Van Diemen Consulting were located.

Outside, it was drizzling with a steady November rain, covering the panels and pavements with mud. Of course, only inclement weather forced her to take a taxi; because besides the fact that Penny did not know exactly where the place where she was going, she really did not want to appear there, in stockings splattered with mud. She needed to keep the little self-confidence that still remained. She had been shifting from side to side all last night, thinking, but she hadn't come up with anything new.

She sighed heavily, clasped her hands, trying in vain to calm her trembling. To be honest, she just didn't know what to do. When she called this morning, Saul van Diemen was not there, and Penny decided she might not succeed at all. But now, when it became clear that he was ready to meet, the determination returned to her.

They say that serious illnesses require extraordinary funds. And isn't she now in the most difficult circumstances in her life, which are comparable to a serious illness and therefore require a desperate step?

Penny brushed a speck of dust off the black woolen dress she was wearing. Six weeks have passed since the terrible disaster - the earthquake in Mexico, which claimed the lives of her beloved twin sister and son-in-law, whom she respected and admired. Penny was in mourning, and the black color of her dress reflected that sincere and deep grief, that inner emptiness that she experienced.

If only Saul van Diemen had not then sent Michael on a business trip to Mexico ... if only the Mexican colleagues had not invited Tuppy to accompany Michael ... if only Penny had not already shown her ability to look after Tuppy and Michael's little daughter, when her sister had to go to the hospital! Lucy was then four months old ... If only she hadn't protested so vehemently when Tuppy wondered if the conditions in Mexico would be difficult for the child ... She then said something about unknown germs, and Penny announced that she would move to him to an apartment and will look after the girl while her sister and her husband spend their honeymoon in Mexico, which they never had ... If only they did not love her and did not trust her so ... then Tuppy would have stayed with the child, and Michael would have left alone ... But no, that would have meant that her sister would have remained a widow ...

Penny tried desperately to drive away all these now vain assumptions, all those "ifs." She must face the truth and act accordingly. She sat upright on the edge of the seat, as if the determination to act had given her strength. She never left her sister when she needed her ... and will not leave now, even if she had to give up her own pride.

And damn it, she won't cry! She has cried too much, the last weeks, and she knows it’s no use. Only the nose swells, the eyes become inflamed, the skin becomes covered with spots and a terrible headache!

She touched the cuff. Penny was dressed perfectly for the challenge ahead: a modest knee-length dress that covered her arms from shoulder to wrist.

A warm wave of paint flooded her cheeks. Just six weeks ago, Saul's cocky gaze slid mockingly over her half-naked body. The memory of this made her blush for a long time, until, against the background of the tragedy that happened to her sister, this case began to seem insignificant. But now the shame she experienced then tormented her again with the same force. At least, Penny thought grimly, he'd have no reason to grin at her tonight!

The black color clearly did not suit her: it made her skin paler, and her golden brown hair seemed dull. She thought for a long time whether to put on makeup, but then decided that she would feel more confident if she slightly tinted her lips and powdered dark circles under her eyes. She even donned a string of pearls — Tuppy’s birthday present — not as an addition to her dressing room, but as a memory of her dead sister.

When the taxi pulled up to the edge of the sidewalk near the basement of a large building, the steps were white, despite the rain and slush, and the black railings glittered. Penny knew they had arrived even before she saw the brass plate confirming that the van Diemen empire was occupying this well-appointed and beautifully decorated mansion.

- Thank you, dear! The taxi driver flashed her a white-toothed smile as she handed him the pay and tip. - Best wishes! Good luck!

Penny smiled. If only this cheerful guy knew what lay ahead for her now, he would understand how dear such a wish is to her.

But she could no longer stand and look after the departing taxi. Taking a deep breath and tugging at the short jacket worn over her dress, she quickly entered the building, until the determination to do so left her.

- Miss Penelope Kingston? The attractive blonde secretary rose to greet Penny with a polite smile. And when Penny nodded, she said: - Mr. van Diemen is waiting for you, please come in. - The secretary pointed to the door nearby.

So right away? Penny swallowed. She hoped that she would have a few more minutes to collect her thoughts, to repeat to herself - perhaps for the hundredth time - what she was going to ask him for. With a quick glance at her watch, Penny saw that she was several minutes late. She took another deep breath, hoping it would help calm her pounding heart. Saul van Diemen was her last chance. Her only chance ... And she wished with all her being that it was anyone but him! But it was already quite inconvenient to be late.

Grasping the doorknob, she mentally counted to three, lifted her chin higher, muttered a short prayer, and stepped forward.

- What a pleasant surprise, Penny! - He walked towards her across the large room, as tall and strong as she remembered him, with dark hair and gray eyes - the very personification of masculinity - and smiled affably. - Let me help you. - He continued to say something in a deep pleasant voice while she removed the jacket from her unexpectedly stiff shoulders. “If I had known earlier that you were coming, I would have canceled the scheduled business lunch.

“I came on business, not just to chat,” Penny said coldly, watching him hang her jacket over the back of a chair, still not sitting down, despite his silent invitation, in a white leather chair opposite the table.

“But it’s not at all necessary that our meeting was only a business one,” he answered cordially, sitting down on a swivel chair at the table. He leaned back and stretched out his long legs, at the same time examining her pale face, frozen with tension, as she settled in the chair.

What he read on her face seemed to surprise him, his eyes narrowed.

“Despite your decision not to contact me personally about Michael’s affairs, which I have already told you about earlier, my experts are ready to help at any time. You only need to contact them.

- Yes ... - Penny looked down somewhere, at her tightly clenched hands lying on her knees, knowing how awkward she now seems to this person sitting opposite her and looking at her with genuine interest. And yet, no matter how highly he appreciated her refusal, it was difficult for her to bring herself to treat him with sympathy. - Thank you.

Realizing that he was waiting for the continuation, - one eyebrow raised in his mute question, - Penny hesitantly cleared her throat.

- There are no problems with the property. Although neither Tuppy nor Michael left a will, I received letters from the administration. You see, there is actually no one else ... - Her voice cracked. None but ten-month-old Lucy. She tried to suppress the tears that were ready to splash. “In the letter you wrote to me, you also offered your personal assistance. His gaze reassured and reassured her. It seemed to her that he was about to guess the question, ready to escape her lips. - Is this offer still valid?

Sol smiled. A smile softened his stern features. The lips parted, revealing the whiteness of strong, even teeth. Penny clenched anxiously as she waited for his answer.

- It needs to be discussed. The answer was careful, but at least he was willing to listen to her. - What exactly do you mean: do you want to get a job, to borrow a certain amount of money? ..

Her breathing became ragged, she felt his gaze sliding over her, now rising, now falling in time with the breathing of her chest, covered with a dark dress.

- Not certainly in that way. Remember what Michael said at Lucy's christening? He said that after Christmas you are going to sell your wonderful home because you cannot find a suitable housekeeper to live with you and meet all your requirements.

Penny's anxious look begged him to understand and agree to her proposal, but in vain.

- And what?

The question was soft, and yet Penny felt sweat begin to sweat across her neck.

“If this place is still free, I would like to take it ... and take Lucy with me.

Now beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, above her upper lip and under her breasts - her nerves were clearly letting her down. But she had only taken the first step, just one step towards the goal that she had set for herself!

The room became quiet, absolute silence ... In front of the house, a car braked sharply, the grinding of tires on the asphalt was heard.

“As for Lucy, you see ...” (Sol stared at her in silence.) “She was given to her foster mother, and I have no legal right to take her. Pain and despair stood in Penny's eyes. A lump rose in her throat and she made an effort to continue. - I can only ask the court to appoint me a guardian ... to convince them that this way the girl will be better, that she will be happy with me.

- Do you really think so? Penny shuddered when she heard this question, insinuatingly given by the person sitting across from her. On his face, she saw not the slightest sign of sympathy. - Why did they take her away from you?

Paint covered Penny's face. Does he really think that she voluntarily abandoned her little orphaned niece ?!

Michael's apartment lease was running out, and she had to take Lucy into her own tiny apartment. She barely placed the crib and all the baby things in the bedroom, and no one helped her, she did everything herself! When the first attacks of fever began, she decided that it was just a reaction to everything that had happened, but when they continued, accompanied by high temperature, she realized that this was serious.

- I had the strongest flu, some kind of special virus, and it knocked me down. I then realized that I would not be able to look after the girl, and indeed it would be a crime to leave her with me, because she could become infected.

The open hostility in her blue eyes did not allow Sol to appreciate the seriousness of her illness, perhaps he even doubted the sincerity of her decision, but his thoughtful look forced her to continue. And she spoke again, although with excitement her voice quieted down when she remembered what happened next.

- I called the doctor, he came and gave Lucy a shelter. She paused, trying to cope with the surging feelings. If only she did not burst into tears! She didn't want to inspire Saul's sympathy in this way, didn't want him to feel sorry for her, she appealed to his sense of duty. But, as she became more and more convinced, it was hardly familiar to him! - Only after three weeks I recovered. And then I discovered that they would not give the girl back to me.

- If I understood you correctly, do you want to use my house as a base for further negotiations? Yes? He glanced at her from under his brows.

“I mean a business proposal that would suit both sides,” Penny argued fervently. A blush glowed on her cheeks.

“Go on, then,” Sol said drawling. - I'm all the attention.

For a moment she hesitated, looking for even a faint glimmer of compassion on the impenetrable face of the man who looked at her with cold calmness, but this face was impassive.

- So. She clenched her fingers nervously. - To convince the authorities that I can raise Lucy, I need to have a large apartment. And I also have to keep working to support the baby. My apartment is too small and I cannot afford to buy or rent a large one until I have a permanent job.

There was no point in going into details further. Sol already knew that she earned a living by completing orders for glass engraving, writing inscriptions and patterns on flower vases, glasses and other products that were given on the occasion of anniversaries or other significant dates and events. During Lucy's christening, he praised the quality of her work. She gave her goddaughter a crystal vase made according to her design ... Their goddaughter! .. She remembered this all the time. Saul was not related to Lucy, but as the godfather he took care of the girl!

- So I thought, if I become your housekeeper, you will be able to provide me with more housing than mine, and I will manage your house: cook, keep it clean - in short, do whatever you need to keep the house properly, and it won't cost you anything.

- So nothing? He looked at her, smiling. - I strongly doubt that ... the price will be anxiety, disruption of the usual way of life.

Sensing his resistance, Penny bit her lip. However, she did not expect that everything will turn out so easy for her.

- Tell me, Penny, why do you think that if you become a housekeeper in my house, then in the eyes of the authorities it will be a reason to allow you to adopt a niece or take custody of her? - Without waiting for her answer, he continued: - After all, the housekeeper can be fired at any time if her job for some reason does not satisfy the owner.

He even whistled softly, wanting to show her that such a possibility could not be ruled out.

- Or do you expect that I will give you some kind of certificate of reliability, a guarantee that you will not lose your job, no matter what happens? His dark eyebrows went up.

“Not really,” she said hesitantly. Oh my God! Everything turned out to be much more complicated than she expected!

“All right,” Sol insisted, leaning against the table. Malice flickered in his gray eyes. - Let me try to guess. You probably know that, firstly, I have a good income, and I do not have a constant partner in bed at night, and secondly. Perhaps you are thinking of guaranteeing the stability of your position if you help me spend what I mentioned first and fill the gap that I have designated under the second number? Did you think that I would find your charms irresistible and take you to my house, not as a housekeeper, but as a mistress?

- How dare you?! Penny jumped to her feet, her sapphire eyes sparkling with anger, red spots on her face. - How could you even think that I would come to you with such a proposal!

She was trembling all over, her heart was pounding so hard that it seemed that she was about to jump out of her chest. If her sister once lost her head because of him, what right does he have to think that she, too, is in love with him! But Sol was right about one thing: she didn’t come to him just to get a job as housekeeper. This will not be enough to convince the court that she has every opportunity to raise little Lucy. She needed a stronger argument, a much stronger one ... and it was time to try.

- Do you want to know what I want? She said, uttering each word distinctly, lifting her head high, looking straight into his eyes. - I want you to marry me. I want to be your wife.

CHAPTER TWO

She saw how Saul's face changed. His features froze in mute surprise, it seemed that he did not believe what he heard. And at the same time, an expression of confusion slipped through his face, as if she had unexpectedly hit him in the solar plexus.

Suddenly, Penny felt weak and powerlessly sank into a chair so as not to collapse at his feet.

It's his own fault, Penny encouraged herself. She calculated carefully and gradually to bring him to her plan, to explain everything. He himself provoked her, forced her to reveal her cards prematurely.

- Forgive me ... Apparently, I underestimated your ambitions! Sol was the first to come to his senses and was now examining her with intent attention. She felt like he was mentally undressing her. Penny tried her best to control herself and act calmly.

- Do not misunderstand me. She shook her golden chestnut head proudly. - I propose a temporary solution, only until I collect enough money to rent a large apartment. She changed her position, casually squared her shoulders; she thought she looked more confident that way. - Well, let's say it takes me a year ... at most a year and a half.

- And then? Saul's gray eyes stared at her, motionless and implacable. In them she saw only coldness and alienation.

Penny lifted her chin even higher. She is ready to answer his question, asked with undisguised hostility.

- Then a quiet divorce, and Lucy and I will disappear from your life forever.

- And leave me without a housekeeper?

Penny didn't know if he was joking or serious.

- By this time, the entire household will be adjusted, the house will be in order, which you like. Part of our agreement may be the clause that I must find a replacement for myself and teach her all the traditions in the house. She will know all your habits and addictions, so you hardly notice a change. Don't you get it? Penny leaned forward a little, her voice filled with excitement. Blue eyes followed Sol. - I know myself that this is an unusual idea, but this is a great way out for all of us! Everything in your house will be arranged the way you want, and at the same time, you will not need to hire an expensive servant. In gratitude for the two rooms that Lucy and I will be occupying, I offer you a full range of servant and housekeeper services.

Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes were burning, she tried to prove to him all the advantages of the plan she had invented.

“Of course you don’t need to support us. My earnings and the insurance Lucy gets for her dead father is enough for us. Another thought suddenly occurred to her. - In financial terms, you will even win, because while Lucy and I live with you, your taxes will be reduced!

Ignoring Sol frowning at her last remark, Penny was eager to lay out all the advantages of her plan until he interrupted her.

“You have such a big house, I guarantee you that we will not disturb you, we will not disturb your peace,” she assured him. “I need your patronage to convince the court that I can take over Lucy's upbringing. She stopped again to give extra weight to the last thing she wanted to say to him. - And naturally, as long as our marriage will exist only on paper, you will have complete freedom of personal life.

God forbid, if he thinks that she will interfere with his meetings with other women - nothing like that, he is completely free, but, of course, for the sake of Lucy he will have to observe some semblance of life together.

Saul van Diemen was undeniably an attractive man. He was of the breed of predators: tall, well-built, he was accompanied by success in all endeavors; people like him look great, are mobile, and few people do not pay attention to them when they pass by. Such lions are always somewhat careless with women. It was important for her to let Saul know that she understood his lifestyle and did not mind if he continued to live the way he liked if he appreciated the benefits of her plan and made her his fictitious wife.

- My personal life? Sol asked thoughtfully. “By that, I suppose you understand that I will be allowed to enjoy the company of other women ... from time to time. Penny nodded with a smile.

- We will only have a formal marriage, no obligations on your part.

- How well you thought of everything! His smile made her heart flutter. It was the smile of a tiger ... ruthless and menacing. - Did it ever occur to you that I might have own plans about that ... plans for a permanent, not a temporary relationship?

“To tell the truth, no. She hurried to explain: “Michael told me that after your marriage broke up a few years ago, you were not interested in any serious relationship. He said you were ... were ... ”She hesitated as she saw his expression turn almost ominous.

- That I was bitter, that you wanted to say? Or disappointed? Or did your son-in-law think that the memory of my unsuccessful marriage when I was much younger forever discouraged me from having anything in common with the opposite sex?

Penny immediately rushed to protect Michael.

- Michael always spoke of you with great respect, he admired you. She smiled, remembering the trepidation with which Michael always spoke of his boss. - You might think that you are Isambard Brunel 1
Famous mechanic and designer (1806-1859). - Hereinafter, the translator's notes.

and Leonardo da Vinci rolled into one - he sang such praises to you! Michael considered you his friend, was very proud of it and wanted you to be happy.

Michael did say that there were rumors that his boss, a brilliant consulting engineer, was unlikely to ever be able to trust a woman after his first wife’s famous tricks. But of course she wasn't going to repeat this his story. She had already shown herself quite immodest, and Saul's angry look eloquently warned her that he had heard enough of her already.

- Michael was my friend. Penny saw the knuckles in his fisted knuckles turn white. “And your sister too. He said it, barely hiding his anger.

Penny dared to agree.

- Yes I know. She quickly lowered her eyelashes so as not to see the grimace of pain that distorted his face.

- You know? He asked bitterly. - I wonder how much you know.

Penny held her breath. Just yesterday she read about Saul in Tuppy's diary. “I met Saul van D.,” her sister wrote. - Dined together - shine! I never thought it would end in bed !!! " Then later, much later, Tuppy wrote: "Saul came to me, asked me not to get married!"

Suppose she would say to this man with a stern face, sitting opposite and looking at her from the table: “I know that you loved my sister and lost her when your best friend married her. I know that you continued to support and encourage Michael, help him in promotion, that you agreed to become the godfather of his child, bought the girl an expensive christening gift, that it was in your wonderful country house that a christening celebration took place. And since I really I know all this, then hoped what will you understand: Lucy cannot be sent to an orphanage when, with your help, I can get custody of her, and she will live with me, and I will love her ... ”But instead of all this she said:

“Quite enough to ask you to support me as I get to my feet.

Sol got up slowly and walked to the end of the table where Penny was sitting, stopped and, leaning on the table, folded his arms over his chest.

- And while you still, so to speak, "did not get on your feet", it is assumed that I should close my eyes to the round dances of the men who plunged you into this state, right?

At some point, Penny was simply dumbfounded, so shocked she was by the rude hint that came through in his question. How dare he use her words so literally!

- Of course not! I have no personal life in the sense ... in the sense in which you imagine it, and I do not need it. The main thing for me now is to get Lucy back!

- And you chose me as a weapon of persuasion ... an instrument of deception ... So?

Penny flinched. There was rejection and outright hostility in his voice. But she could not allow herself to relax, to be intimidated by him, although she could see from his stiff cheekbones and the icy look of steel-gray eyes that he was seriously angry.

- I thought it was worth giving you the opportunity to help me, yes! It seemed to me that you were not indifferent to the fate of Lucy! Her eyes sparkled, her lips curled in pain and despair. “You agreed to become my niece’s godfather, didn’t you? I assumed you felt responsible for her future. Or do you think that that gift, that golden trinket that you gave her for her christening, relieves you of all responsibilities to your goddaughter?

- Everything? Are you finished? - The expression of his narrowed eyes was impenetrable, and suddenly Penny felt a keen desire to somehow hurt him, to make him feel the same pain that she felt from his insults.

“No, not all,” she snapped sharply. - There is another reason why I came to you. I think you should remember that if you hadn't sent Michael to Mexico, Lucy wouldn't be an orphan right now!

Of course, blaming Saul for the deaths of Michael and Tuppy was both unfair and ignoble, but at that moment Penny did not think about it. Her face was flushed with anger, she jumped to her feet, deciding not to linger here for a second.

- Sit down!

Sol did not move, but such was the power of his power over her that when their eyes met, Penny was petrified, unable to withstand the silent duel and the unexpected harshness of his command.

“I have nothing more to say to you. Her throat was dry. She stood stubbornly.

“But I have,” Sol said ironically. “I listened to what you wanted to tell me, and now sit down and listen to me.

At first, she decided to leave after all, slamming the door, but she read the threat in the cold gaze of his gray eyes: if she does not sit down voluntarily, he will make her do it. There was no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils. Shrugging her shoulders, she sat down with an air of complete indifference to what was happening.

- That's better! - He approached her. - Now it's my turn.

Penny didn't want to look at him, but the power of his cold eyes was unforgiving. She cringed, trying to hide her dismay from his overly keen eyes.

- I am fully aware of my duties in relation to the goddaughter and intend to fulfill them to the extent possible. He stopped, took a breath in his lungs. “And that means that I would rather have Lucy taken up by a respectable family than agree to your plan. I didn’t want to see a girl living in a house where the bohemian order reigns, which is probably to your liking. I don't want the child to come to you just because you suddenly have a whim to indulge in the joys of motherhood. Honestly, my unceremonious godmother, I think you are an irresponsible person and therefore I do not want to help you arrange custody of Lucy.

- O! Penny jumped to her feet, looking at him. The cruel words, like a sharp dagger, slashed her across the heart. The blood rushed to my face. Disagreeing with her plan is one thing. But to justify your refusal in this way is quite another! Bohemian lifestyle! She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time at such an unfounded accusation; she opened her mouth to answer him with dignity, but before she could utter a word in her own defense, Sol jumped up to her and his strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders. He spoke with barely contained fury.

- Do you think I have such a short memory and I forgot how we met? This dress, which you are wearing now, may not be as seductive as the toilet in which you were at the christening, but its severity will not erase from my memory the memories of what it hides!

A shiver ran down Penny's spine. She was reminded of events that she tried with all her might to forget.

On the morning of Lucy's christening, Tuppy gave her a present, calling it "a gift for the godmother," an expensive and beautiful dress made of blue crepe. Tuppy begged her to wear this dress to the ceremony. Tightly fitted, with a low cut and a flared skirt, it fit Penny very well with her high breasts and slender waist. But it was the cause of the greatest humiliation in her life!

“This dress was a gift ...” She glanced at Saul indignantly, trying to explain.

- And you, of course, could not wait to take it off in front of some giver of pleasure?

- Not! Penny put all her anger, all her indignation into this exclamation.

She really took off this dress, but not in front of some man to please him, nothing like that! She was accustomed to simple loose-fitting clothes, and soon her entire body protested against the new outfit. It was even worse with the adorable underwire corset, which Tuppy also put on her. In essence, something happened that always happens to ordinary people who suddenly attract attention - they get lost, they feel uncomfortable! Tuppy was used to wearing fancy clothes in her job as a demonstrator of the latest models. But this was new to Penny. And when she was already completely unbearable: something stabbed, bit into the body, she imperceptibly went upstairs, found an empty room and took off her dress and this hated corset. She wanted to rip up the seams and move the lacing on the corset, which simply dug into the body.

And at the very moment when she spread silk and lace underwear on the bed next to the dress she had taken off and for the first time that day sighed freely, Sol flew into the room and saw her ...

- Then, then, the demonstration of your charms was intended for my eyes? A cynical grin lurked at the corners of his lips, but his gaze remained cold. - Dear Penny! You should have warned me. After all, in the end, I looked there by pure chance: someone dropped tomato juice on my shirt, and I had to go upstairs to change. I had no idea what you were up to!

She took a deep breath to keep her anger from taking over. It was his appearance, which none of them could have foreseen in advance, just proved the whole groundlessness of his accusations, he simply did not deserve that she somehow justified herself in front of him. And without going into long explanations, she coldly remarked:

- If you were a gentleman, you would immediately go out when ...

- When I went into my own bedroom and saw naked woman sitting on my bed ... passionate, full of desire?

- I was not naked! Penny shouted. And she was not at all passionate or fulfilled. On the contrary, she was very embarrassed and frightened when, after carefully examining her, Sol turned his back to her and slowly began to take off first his jacket and then his shirt, showing his broad, muscular back in front of her amazed gaze.

“Once we were sitting in the beginning of July in a birch forest under the Dyatlov pass. The wind, sleet sculpts in the face, dirty, wet, food is running out. On the contrary, the stalled Zaporozhets is standing heavily on its side in the middle of a mud puddle - the gasoline has run out, the battery has run out, the winch works every other time. And so I sit, look at him and understand what I will ride to the north this winter ... "

This is how the story of two residents of Russia begins - Alexander Yolkin and Dmitry Kulikov, who decided to take a desperate step and set off on a journey along winter roads on the Zaporozhets! Extreme sportsmen have reached the Arctic Circle. Their journey took place under the motto "Not a day without a breakdown." Moreover, they decided on such a risky journey in the most severe frosts. Alexander kept an Arctic travel diary all this time.

In Tyumen, the men met a lover and connoisseur of Zaporozhtsev - Alexander Sosnin, who helped in finding spare parts and repairing the car. The travelers began to prepare well in advance, with the thought that they would drive for a week before the long journey, and that nothing would come out at the last moment.

And now the day of the start. We say goodbye to friends and family, take pictures. Start key. Does not start. We begin to look for the reason, turn the starter, again look for the reason. As a result, we land the battery. So, of course, for today the feat is over, we need to drive them into the garage.

The day of the second start is coming. We say goodbye to friends and family, take pictures. Even got it started. Bad, but wound up. We wave all our hands, turn on the gear ... turn on the gear ...

Did you regulate the wings?
- Well, yes ... It seems ... SchA!

And now someone climbs under the car with the keys. At this moment, the car stalls, and all attempts to start it come to naught. Yeah, of course, for today, too, the feats are over.

As a result, it was decided to simply drive the car out and, without saying goodbye to anyone, drive it away from this garage. Because Zaporozhets, as soon as he got out into the street (and the frost was -32 degrees), understood that these two auto-sadists were again up to something amiss, and immediately broke down. And so they did.

As a result, we traveled 70 km from Tyumen to Nizhnyaya Tavda for 4 hours. The Zaporozhets resisted as much as he could - Troilus, stalled, twitched, forced us to change the alternator belt, distributor, spark plugs, fuel filter, and on top of that, high-voltage wires were constantly flying off. But still, we defeated him every time and forced him to go further north. And then Zaporozhets finally resigned himself, and overnight we walked the winter road to the city of Urai and in the morning we reached Yugorsk, where we could buy a spare belt for the generator and fuel filters, because obviously a very rusty tank clogged them very quickly.

From Yugorsk our way lay to the village of Agirish. A very beautiful snow-covered road, which presented us with another surprise. We were just driving and cheerfully discussed the moment that how great it was to cheat Zaporozhets, suddenly starting from the garage. But our reflections were interrupted by a roar, an instant loss of speed and a roll to port. Our wheel fell off. Moreover, it was so impressive that the two of them had to pull it out of the arch with a decent effort.

During the 12 days of the journey, we were braked four times with flashing lights. And by no means to ask about our unusual journey... There was an impression that these people live with stereotypes that only drunk people and without documents can drive the Zaporozhets. And only in Berezovo, after checking the documents, traffic police officers began to smile and ask questions, and after talking, they escorted us to the nearest gas station, which we could not find, for which we are very grateful to them.

The further we went north, the more difficult the road became. Ruts began to appear, and cars completely disappeared. From the stories of the drivers of oncoming cars, we understood that a blizzard had been blowing in the Salekhard area for the last few days, the winter road was closed, that there was a lot of abandoned equipment, and that we would turn around because we would not pass. Needless to say, these stories only strengthened our desire to drive forward. The ruts became deeper, the eyes of the drivers of oncoming cars at the sight of us became rounder. Here we have already started to sit down at the crossing with oncoming lane. Then they began to get stuck without them. I had to lower the wheels on the drive axle as much as possible.

More and more often a shovel was used, and the navigator was less and less inside the car and for the most part pushed Zaporozhets towards Salekhard. And on the road really started to come across abandoned cars. Some with torn off bumpers and even broken headlights. The road workers hooked them behind their makeshift drags and dragged them towards the city. Yes, it was a glorious battle here a couple of days ago. It is a pity that we almost did not make it in time. Several times the drivers of trucks passing by offered us their help, but realizing our intentions to move exclusively on our own, they left with a smile.

The result of the trip is a very interesting ring on the roads of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug with a length of 5200 kilometers, of which more than 3000 kilometers are on winter roads. We covered the entire path in 12 days, having crossed the line of the Arctic Circle twice - first in Salekhard, and then in Novozapolyarny. It was interesting and fun, and our main plan and the motto of the trip was "Not a day without a breakdown!" was even overfulfilled. Needless to say, we really enjoyed the renovation and the search for solutions in these situations. The Zaporozhets endured absolutely everything - broken roads, ruts, frosts, blizzards. Although it broke down, it drove, growling with its 40-horsepower air-cooled motor, despite the intimidation of us by the former owners of the Zaporozhtsev that it was impossible to drive such a car in severe frosts. Maybe! And how!

The author of the diary is not going to dwell on this. Behind him there are already two extreme tours on Zaporozhets - an Arctic trip and a trip to the Dyatlov pass. And, judging by his enthusiasm, very soon he will come up with a new test for the Zaporozhets.