âSo tell me about this new Phelix Bradbury.â
âThereâs not a lot to tell,â she replied. âI worked hardâand here I am.â
âAnd that covers the last eight years?â Nathan queried sceptically.
He halted, and she halted with him, and all at once they were facing each other, looking into each otherâs eyes. And her heart suddenly started to go all fluttery, so that she had to turn from him to get herself together. She supposed she had always known that thisââthe day of reckoningââwould come.
She took a deep breath as she recognised that day was here.
Get ready to be swept off your feet by perfect English gentlemen!
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Jessica Steele
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Jessica Steele lives in the county of Worcestershire, with her super husband, Peter, and their gorgeous Staffordshire bull terrier, Florence. Any spare time is spent enjoying her three main hobbies: reading espionage novels, gardening (she has a great love of flowers), and playing golf. Any time left over is celebrated with her fourth hobby: shopping. Jessica has a sister and two brothers, and they all, with their spouses, often go on golfing holidays together. Having travelled to various places on the globe, researching backgrounds for her stories, there are many countries that she would like to revisit. Her most recent trip abroad was to Portugal, where she stayed in a lovely hotel, close to her all-time favourite golf course. Jessica had no idea of being a writer until one day Peter suggested she write a book. So she did. She has now written over eighty novels.
CHAPTER ONE
PHELIX had not wanted to come. Oh, she loved Switzerland, but her previous visits had always been in winter when the skiing was good.
Yet now it was September and, apart from the remains of winterâs snow on some of the highest peaks, there was no snow. In fact the weather was sunny and beautiful. And here she was in Davos Platz, having arrived last nightâand still feeling very annoyed because, in her view, there was no earthly reason for her to be there.
It was âbusinessâ her father said. What business? She was a corporate lawyer working for Edward Bradbury Systems, her fatherâs company. But she could not for the life of her see why any lawyer, corporate of otherwise, would need to attend a week-long scientific, electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering conference!
âI canât see why I have to go,â she had protested when her father had informed her of the arrangements he had made.
âBecause I say so!â Edward Bradbury had replied harshly.
At one time she would have accepted that. Would have had to accept it, she knew. But not any longer. Not blindly, and certainly not without question. In the past she had been forced to accept every edict her control-freak father uttered. But not now. So, âWhy?â she challenged. It had taken a long while for her to get where she was, to get to be the person she now was. There was nothing left now of the weak and pathetic creature she had been eight years ago. âIf itâs work related, I could understand a need. But for me to spend a week in Switzerland with a load of scientists whoââ
âNetworking!â Edward Bradbury chopped her off, but unbent sufficiently to explain that there had been whispers for some while that JEPC Holdings, one of the biggest names in the industry, were about to outsource a vast amount of their engineering. He had now, personally, along with the top brass from other competing companies, been invited to make the same Swiss trip next week, when the top men from JEPC would be flying in for a round of exploratory talks, give a general outline, and chat with the various highest of executives. âIt will mean millions to whichever company gets the contract,â he stated, money signs flashing in his eyes. Phelix still did not see, since as yet there was not a sign of any contract, why she had to go. âIâm sending Ward and Watson with you. I want you all to keep an ear to the ground; listen for anything else going on that I need to know about.â
Duncan Ward and Christopher Watson were both scientists and wizards when it came to electronics. But Phelix doubted that there would be anything going on apart from a load of boring old speeches. It made her feel a little better, though, that the two scientists, both men she liked, would be there too.
âIâve booked you into one of the very best hotels,â her father statedâas if that was an inducement!
âDuncan Ward and Chris Watson too?â she asked.
âOf course,â he replied stiffly. And that, as far as he was concerned, was that.
It was not that, as far as Phelix was concerned. The very next day she went to see Henry Scott, her friend and mentor, and who was also the companyâs most senior corporate lawyer. Henry was nearing sixty and, through their various conversations over the years, she had learned he had been a very good friend to her mother.