Free Bird of Prey by Henrietta Reid

carefully she hurried back to the study, her heart beating a little faster as she placed it on a shelf opposite his desk.
    Would he notice it? she wondered. Perhaps he would look up from his work and it would catch his engrossed eye for a moment and bring to his hard, implacable features a softer expression. Not that it was easy to imagine gentleness in that harsh, forbidding gaze. Not even for Grace had he seemed to unbend. It was true that his expression had changed when he looked at her, but his attitude had been enigmatic and impossible to interpret. When they were alone together, Caroline wondered, did he show to Grace a side of his character that he revealed to no one else?
    She was standing, contemplating her efforts, her mind running along these lines, when she became aware with a start that he was standing in the doorway regarding her derisively.
    “Admiring your efforts?”
    She swung around, feeling guilty and a little panic-stricken as she saw the hard, steely expression in his face. Did he think she had been prying? she wondered a little fearfully.
    “No—no, not really,” she stuttered.
    “Then what are you doing? You seemed to be sunk in a pleasant reverie of some sort or another: I distinctly detected a smile touching the corners of your lips.”
    “I hadn’t realized I was smiling,” she confessed simply.
    He advanced into the room still fixing her implacably. “Now what on earth made you think I would appreciate a floral offering? Did it not occur to you that the softer things of life might not appeal to me?”
    Caroline felt a little spark of rebellion bubble up at the harshness of his voice. So her efforts were being treated with contempt by this imperious man! Before she realized the significance of her words she burst out, “Yes, it was foolish of me!” Her cheeks flushed with mortification and anger, she stretched out to whisk the bowl from its position, but as she did so, she found her wrist clasped in a vice-like grip.
    “You’ll leave it just where it is, Caroline.”
    “But why? You’ve told me you don’t want it.”
    “I said no such thing. I’m simply interested in knowing what inspired you to exercise your artistic talents on my behalf. You see, it’s been my experience in life that when a woman takes special trouble to please a man she’s usually looking for something in return.”
    “Oh, you—you—” Caroline spluttered, unable to find appropriate words to voice her indignation.
    “Do continue,” he said blandly. “Don’t let rage prevent you from expressing yourself freely. I’d be really interested to know how I strike you.”
    Caroline stared at him helplessly. He was deliberately trying to place her at a disadvantage, she realized.
    “Well, why don’t you answer? You surely don’t find yourself at a loss for words, do you, Caroline?” he inquired mockingly.
    It was at this point, as she was searching her mind wildly for a suitable rejoinder, that there came the sound of a car driving up outside and the slam of a door. Unconsciously Caroline gave a short little gasp of relief, which was not unobserved by her tormentor.
    “Now fortunate for you that Grace has turned up in time to let you off the hook! Next time you may not be so fortunate.” The strange steely-grey eyes glittered with wicked amusement.
    “That will be Robin,” Caroline said unnecessarily.
    “Yes, indeed this will be Robin. How perspicacious of you. Don’t let me delay you, for I see you’re all agog to take on your new duties.”
    As she thankfully scuttled from the room she was aware of his long, dark regard following her.
    As Caroline opened the main door Grace was advancing leading a little boy by the hand. She appeared to be in excellent humour and was smiling charmingly as she instructed the child, “Say how do you do, Robin. This is Caroline, who’s going to take care of you until Mummy comes home again.”
    Very reluctantly the boy complied, and Caroline, regarding him, decided