A Millionaire For Molly

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘FRANCIS?’

‘Mr Baird.’ Roger Francis answered on the first ring and his tension was palpable. ‘What’s the decision?’

‘No decision yet. The property is just what I’ve been looking for but I’m required to meet the owner. It seems the old lady’s only selling if she approves of me and if she approves of the selling agent. She’s set up a lunch for us both tomorrow.’

‘And if things don’t go well?’

‘Then I’ll be back looking at the Blue Mountain property again. And it may well happen. As I said, she seems just as interested in her saleswoman as she is in me. She sounds a real eccentric-but then at her age and with her degree of wealth I guess it’s her prerogative.’

‘Sure.’ But Roger didn’t sound sure. He sounded tense as hell.

Well, it was late on Sunday night, Jackson thought. Maybe he’d interrupted something important. But the man was on his payroll; he was paid to be on call at all hours and he hardly ever earned his keep. And there was something Jackson wanted him to do.

‘You want me to check the titles?’

‘Um…no.’

‘Then what…?’

‘I want you to check the saleswoman.’

‘Pardon?’

‘Molly Farr.’ Jackson hesitated, knowing he was stepping over the line of reasonable business practice. But he guessed she was in financial trouble and he wanted to know how badly.

‘I want a bit of background briefing,’ he told him. ‘In a hurry.’

‘Molly?’

‘Michael!’

‘Molly, love…’

What on earth was he on about? Molly had barely walked in the door before the phone had started to ring, and when she’d recognised her ex-fiancé’s voice she’d come close to dropping the receiver. ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this. What did you call me?’

‘Molly, we need to talk. Something’s come up.’

There was only one answer to that. ‘Talk to whoever you like. Just don’t talk to me.’

Slam.

‘Cara?’

‘Jackson, love, I wasn’t expecting another call so soon…’

‘Cara, I need to tell you about this property. It’s fantastic. If we can get it then I think it’s just what we’ve been looking for.’

‘That’s marvellous.’ She hesitated. ‘Is anything wrong?’

‘What should be wrong?’

‘I don’t know. You sound sort of absent.’

‘I am in Australia.’

‘That must be it.’

‘Are you willing to come and see it-before I sign on the dotted line?’

Another hesitation. ‘Darling, I am busy. And Australia’s so far.’

He let his irritation show through at that. ‘Well, I’m busy, too. But this is for long term, Cara. If you can’t put in a bit of effort…’

‘Okay. Okay. I’ll make time. If it’s important.’

‘It is.’

‘Roger? It’s Michael.’

‘Mmm?’

‘It’s not going to work. She won’t have a bar of me.’