Unwelcome Visitor

Liana Wade & Charlie Prince

Liana was cleaning up the kitchen following lunch when someone knocked at the back door. It startled her a little. Ben was still in the States and Dan had just left to go down to the stables.

Peeking through the window before unlocking it, she saw Charlie Prince standing outside. Charlie had always made her nervous. Something about the way he looked at her, following her with his eyes whenever she was around--but she couldn't think of any excuse not to open the door for him.

"Charlie." She put on a smile and tried to be noncommittal. "How are you? Is there something I can do for you?"

There she was. The boss's wife, looking just as pretty as the first time he'd seen her, Charlie thought. He'd always been attracted to her and had plans for getting her for himself. And it was getting close to time to put those plans in motion. But not quite yet.

He smiled at her, a smile that never reached his eyes. "Ma'am." He took off his hat and walked casually into the kitchen, not giving her the opportunity to block his way.

"There's some papers I need. Contracts with one of our feed suppliers. Dan said they should be in the boss's study."

Even pregnant she was beautiful, he mused. Her rounded belly didn't detract at all from the fine features of her face, which seemed to be glowing a little. He'd always heard that about pregnant women--that they glowed.

It hadn't escaped Charlie's thoughts that they were alone in the house. It also hadn't escaped his thoughts that Dan Evans could return at any moment. Besides, he told himself firmly, now wasn't the time. Not yet. Soon. Soon he could have her all to himself.

Liana shivered at the way Charlie looked at her. Like Ben, his eyes were intense, but unlike her husband, there was no warmth in them. She'd never seen any there.

Wishing for Dan to return, she started determinedly for the living room and the stairs. "If you'll tell me what I'm looking for, I'll bring them down to you," she said to Charlie over her shoulder. She wanted to get them quickly and get this man out of her house.

"Oh, I wouldn't know how to describe 'em, ma'am. I'll just go up with you," Charlie told her easily, from right behind her. "I've been in the boss' study before."

He HAD been in Ben's study before, but never without Ben in the house, Liana thought. She didn't want Charlie going up with her. To get to the study, you had to pass through the bedroom she and Ben shared, and she didn't want to do that with Charlie Prince at her heels but, again, she couldn't think of an excuse for him not to go.

As they entered the bedroom door, she could see Charlie glance toward the big bed. It was almost a leering look. The bed was already neatly made, with it's spread tucked in primly around the pillows, but that look made it something else entirely. Ignoring it, Liana entered the door of Ben's study.

"Where would these papers be?" she asked, her anger coming up now. How dare this man just casually survey their bedroom and have such obviously dirty thoughts?

Charlie turned his thoughts back to moment at hand. He hadn't missed the flush of anger that came up in Liana Wade's cheeks. Made her even prettier.

"Dan said they should be in a file on top of the desk," he told her.

A file sorter stood on the desk top, with several folders standing upright in it. Liana picked out the one marked 'Contracts' and handed it to Charlie. "Are those the ones?" Her voice was tight with anger. They hadn't been difficult to find at all. He'd only used that as an excuse to come up here with her.

Charlie flipped open the folder and gave a brief glance at the papers inside. "Yes, ma'am," he told her with a wide grin. "That'd be them."

Brushing back around him, Liana was halfway across the bedroom to the door leading back downstairs when his voice stopped her.

"That the new nursery?" he was asking, gazing toward the doorway, where the new room for the baby had been built on.

The construction had been finished and the room had been painted a soft, cream, but Liana had not finished decorating or furnishing it yet. Everything had been chosen, but she was waiting for Ben to come home, so they could finish it together.

Charlie was out the doorway, looking in, before she could reverse her course and get back to him. "Yes," she said breathlessly, putting herself determinedly between him and the room, before he could walk in. She didn't want him inside the room, didn't want him around anything having to do with the baby.

"But I'm afraid it's a mess right now. We're going to finish it up when Ben comes home. Tomorrow." She added that last word pointedly.

Charlie grinned again, before turning around and heading downstairs. It wouldn't be long before she'd stop pushing him away like that.

At the back door, he said, "Thank you, Miz Wade. I'll be seein' ya."

Liana found those last words from him somewhat threatening.