Free In Bed with the Enemy by Janet Woods

luxurious pale gray carpet.
    A beautiful Siamese cat, its hackles raised on high, was yowling with frenzied fury from the top of the refrigerator. Tail wagging from side to side, Georgie gazed up at it with an idiotically pleased expression on his face. 
    Just then a woman came rushing through the kitchen door. The cat jumped down, took a swipe at Wee Georgie’s inquisitive nose in passing and went to weave around her ankles.
    Leon clicked his fingers and Georgie immediately went to his side. ‘I hope Georgie didn’t frighten you, Anna.’
    The woman laughed. ‘It would take more than a dog to frighten me, Mister Price.’ The woman gave Darcie a curious glance. ‘Is this the young lady you told me about when you phoned?’
    ‘This is Miss Channing.’ He took her hand, his smile an intimate caress that warmed her face. ‘Darcie, this is Anna. She and her husband look after the place when I’m away.’
    They exchanged smiles.
    ‘It’s nice to meet you, Miss Channing. Will you be in for dinner, Mister Price?’
    ‘Yes. And we’ll be staying the night, so make up the guest bedroom, please. But first, we’d like some coffee.’
    Darcie opened her mouth to protest, and then slowly shut it again when he grinned. What was the use?
    An hour later they were seated in a plush office in Perth, facing Leon’s lawyer across an expanse of polished wood - and she was perusing the papers he set before her.
    She’d expected to see Colin’s neat handwriting, but scrawled across the bottom of the page was her father’s untidy signature. Bewildered, she gazed from the one man to the other. ‘I don’t understand. This is my father’s signature!’
    ‘Yes. He handled the deal personally.’ The lawyer tapped his pen on the desk and frowned. ‘Against my advice, I might add. Doctor Channing should have used a settlement agent, at least. However, it proved to be quite straightforward as there was no mortgage to pay out and he brought the deeds with him. They’re in my safe. Would you like to see them?’
    ‘I don’t see the point.’ Her eyes narrowed slightly. ‘When did he receive the money from the sale?’
    Papers were consulted. ‘It was paid straight into his bank account the day after settlement, as he instructed. Is there some problem?’
    ‘Did he give a reason for selling the property?’
    The lawyer frowned for a moment. ‘I believe your father mentioned something about going to Sydney. Yes, that’s it. He’d been offered a position at one of the universities. He seemed very pleased about it.’
    He would have been. She’d always thought her father’s talents had been wasted teaching at the local high school. Darcie felt totally deflated. Why hadn’t he told her? Then she thought. Perhaps he died before he could. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Gazing numbly at Leon she choked out. ‘I owe you an apology.’
    ‘Under the circumstances, anyone would have jumped to the same conclusion.’ His voice was sympathetic as his hand covered hers. ‘Would you like a copy of the offer and acceptance?
    As she nodded the lawyer rose from his seat and took the papers through to the outer office.
    ‘The money must be in your account,’ he said.
    Feeling numb, Darcie took a deep breath. ‘Then why didn’t the machine accept my card?’
    ‘I expect you used the wrong pin number.’
    ‘No ... I’m sure I didn’t. Not three times, anyway.’
    Remembering her absent cousin - a man who bore the same name as her father, he could understand her unease. ‘Let’s not jump to any conclusions, Darcie. We’ll check with the bank when we get back, okay?’
    She went to gaze out of the window when the lawyer came back and he and Leon began to talk business.
    The office was situated high in an office block and looked down over Perth. It looked what it was, a clean, prosperous city with the river a blue ribbon winding through its midst.
    It seemed odd to her that her mother hadn’t been able to settle here, that