Chapter 2 The Meet

Violet was going to give her father food in his office on one occasion, when a car splashed water on her body.

She was furious. And the look on her face when she surveyed the damage to her dress could kill. She looked at the person driving the Rolls Royce and was about to say something when the man spoke up.

'I'm sorry but you have to watch where you are going'.

'A great way to apologize', she said crossly. 'You should consider taking your own advice. If you had watched where you were going or been enough of a gentleman, you would have avoided this or at least apologized nicely'.

'But you see, I am not a gentleman', he said, looking at her indifferently, 'and if the apology I have offered is not good enough for you, then forget it'.

Violet looked at the man and was sure she had not seen a more arrogant man in all her life.

'In any case, I do not have time to chat. I have more important things to do', he said winding up the side window of the driver seat he had opened to speak to her.

Looking at him in a condescending manner, she said, 'You are impossible'. But she was speaking to herself because the man had already wound up and driven away.

Violet looked after the Rolls speeding away and felt like throwing something at the arrogant man who had spoilt her dress with muddy water and found it hard to apologize.

She looked at the little leather watch on her wrist and found that she had to hurry up before the lunch hour was over. Thank goodness she did not have much more further to walk. She cleaned the dirt on her cloth with the handkerchief with her and it was barely noticable.

The station was not to far from their house and she could call a cab if she wanted but she preferred to walk.

Her father had been honoured with an apartment outside of the officers' mess.

She went into the police station and all the officers greeted her with smiles because they knew her and commented on her good manners and care for her father.

'Not all the young ladies these days would have the time to bring food to the office for their father's', they would say to themselves.

Violet stayed and chatted with her father as he ate with relish.

'A very tasty meal as always', he commented.

'Thank you dad. But I hope you remember that I shall be going for the interview for that secretariat job'.

'I do and it's about time too. You have to keep busy and your mind occupied creatively'.

They were still speaking when she heard a distinctly familiar voice. She looked up to find the irritating man who had splashed water on her way to her father's office due to his careless driving.

She looked at him furiously and when her father asked what the matter was, she hissed and told him all that had transpired between her and the strange man.

'He is the friend of the head officer here. He frequents this place especially if he has something he wants us to do for him', Jeremy said, 'He owns the Devon Pharmacy. And there is talk of him being a titled man but he denies it'.

Violet looked at the man and admitted grudgingly to herself that he was quite handsome. Ruggedly handsome with his grey eyes, black hair and aristocratic features, especially his nose.

Okay, so he was handsome and wealthy but was that the reason for him to be rude and so arrogant? Violet thought to herself.

The man in question just spared her a glance and after that did not spare her another glance nor acknowledge her. It was almost as though she was non existent or not present there.

He came and chatted with her father who introduced them.

'This is my daughter, Violet', Jeremy said, 'and this is Damien Douglas'.

They both shook their hands, muttering, 'How do you do?' He looked at her remotely and she acted as though she could not wait to be freed of his irritating presence and surprise of all surprises, he smiled.

She had to admit that his lopsided smile made him devastatingly handsome but she was still very angry with him.

He chatted with her father for a while, Violet excised herself and went home, thinking what a rude and irritating man. He could have intimidated her with his impersonal and arrogantly remote look but she had had experiences with hard men as a result of her father being in the police force and making criminals confess to their crimes.

She hoped she never saw Damien again. His ungentlemanly attitude irritated her and she could not tolerate him.

She got home to prepare for the interview she had to for the following day but was surprised when her father called her on the phone.

'Sweetpie', he began, 'You left in a hurry. I thought you were still around somewhere'.

'But I excused myself when you were busy speaking with man', she sulked.

'That man had decided', Jeremy continued, 'that since he needed another secretary, you are worthy to fill the position'.

'Is he offering me the job in his pharmaceutical company because I am your daughter or because I merit it?' she asked, and then, 'Wait

Hope you did not go begging him for favours? How did he know I was not yet employed?' she asked suspiciously.

'He asked what you were doing in the house and if you were through with school's, he explained, 'I told him you were just out of college and though you had wanted to go to the Defence Academy, I had swayed you to read Secretariat studies and a bit of Health Science. He felt you were worthy to fill the post since you had knowledge of drugs and medicine and is able to work as a secretary as well'.

'I can't work with that man, Dad'.

'And why is that so? He is handsome and gentlemanly. You will be safe with him', Jeremy assured his daughter.

'What has his good looks got to do with it?' Violet asked, seething. and thinking what use were his looks if he could not back it up with civil manners.

But her father was speaking.

'So, you noticed his good looks?' he teased.

'I would be blind not to see how he looked like but his manners are not gentlemanly at all', she said firmly. 'And why are we talking about his looks? Hope you are not trying to matchmake again?'

'Every parent want to see their daughters happily married and I am no exception'.

'But I am just twenty two. There's still time', she said soothingly to her father. 'When that time comes, I shall be the one presenting my husband to you and not you matchmaking me with any eligible bachelor in town'.

'Okay. I'll take your word for it. Now about the job. You will take it. I called to inform you about it so that you won't have to prepare for the other'.

'But dad...'

'Don't 'but dad' me. This is final', he told her firmly. 'We shall discuss further when we get home about how you will carry on with the job and not whether or not you will accept the job. That matter is closed. You are going there to work and not to complain about his manners'.