Page 12 (2/2)

‘The letters are ready for your signature and the balance sheets froh Mr Edant to see the He left a ot a client for First Love The usual drill’

Chane and canapés, followed—if the client showed serious interest and illing to pay top dollar—by an elegant dinner at one of London’shouses As Edward’s executive assistant it was her job to ensure that the evening went smoothly, his to extol the virtues and provenance of the piece the client was interested in

‘So he’s not putting it in the private viewing,’ Caroline mused as she came off the phone ‘Someone must be keen’ She leant back in her chair and raised one finely drawn brow at Michael

The private viewings were as near the vulgarity of a public auction as Edward Weinberg would allow None of the items were ever priced but amounts were discreetly mentioned, offers just as discreetly made and just as quietly topped until, at the end of the day, the original suh

Though occasionally, a particular client would o to the limit, and above, to acquire a particular piece and a private evening ht, would take place

‘The old man plays his cards close to his chest,’ Michael pointed out ‘He must have put feelers out—or waited to see what caraph of the painting Who knows?’

He lounged back in his chair, his warleam of her upswept black hair Caroline Harvey was quite soe Her beauty was cloaked in inviolability He wondered if she had ever allowed any man past a chaste kiss at the end of a date He doubted it He picked up a pencil, rolling it between his fingers, and wondered what it would take

She returned his warm approval, hers overlaid with affectionate a He affected a casual style of dress—bordering on the sloppy Mainly because, she guessed, he knew he could never compete with his father in the sartorial stakes so went the other way

She gathere

d together the papers she needed and Michael said, ‘Lunch? There’s a new place opened round the corner, just off Berkeley Square I thought we ht suss it out’

He was already on his feet but Caroline shook her head Since his divorce, over twelve ether when they were both back at base To begin with they’d talked shop, but recently their conversation had reached aas much, he had hinted that he would like their friendship to deepen into so far more intimate

She sighed slightly Approaching thirty, she had choices to le, a career woman with no family, just a small circle of friends; or whether to becoain…

‘Sorry,’ she declined softly ‘I’ll have to work through I’e and I’m already pushed for time’