“I just saw Mr. Lockwood, and he said something about next week. I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, didn’t I?”
“Tell me what?” Stephanie straightened; a strange sensation, akin to dread, shot up and down her spine.
“Mr. Lockwood’s traveling to Paris on business.”
Crossing her arms, Stephanie glared at Jan suspiciously. “That’s nice.”
“The interesting part is that he requires a bilingual secretary to accompany him.”
Knowing what was coming, Stephanie tightened her jaw until her teeth ached. “You couldn’t possibly mean...”
“When Mr. Lockwood first approached personnel, we didn’t have anyone on file who spoke French, but since that time I’ve gone through the applications and found yours.”
“Jan, I refuse to go. The man and I don’t get along.”
“When I mentioned you to Mr. Lockwood, he was delighted.”
“I’ll just bet.”
“Your flight leaves early Monday morning.”
Chapter Three
The jet tilted its wings to the right, aligning its narrow bulk with the smooth runway before beginning its descent. Stephanie stared out the small window, fascinated by the breathtaking view of the River Seine far below. Her heart pounded with excitement. Paris. How her grandmother would have envied her. As a young French war bride, Stephanie’s grandmother had often longed to revisit the charming French city. Now Stephanie would see it for her.
“If you would tear your gaze from the window a minute, Miss Coulter, we could get some work done,” Jonas Lockwood stated sarcastically.
“Of course.” Instantly she was all business, reaching for her steno pad. This was the only level on which she could communicate with Jonas. Not once since they’d taken off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport had her employer taken note of the spectacular scenery. No doubt he would have considered it a waste of valuable time.
“I’ve ordered us a three-bedroom suite at the Chateau Frontenac,” he informed her coolly.
Stephanie silently repeated the name of the hotel. “It sounds lovely.”
Jonas glanced down at the paper in his lap and shrugged one muscular shoulder. “I suppose.”
It was all Stephanie could do not to shout at him to open his eyes and look at the beauty of the world that surrounded him. At times like these, she wanted to shake Jonas. The mere thought of even touching the stone man produced an involuntary smile. He’d hate being touched.
The middle-aged man Stephanie had met that first morning, Adam Holmes, had accompanied them. He’d been properly introduced, but the role he was to perform in the transaction was left to conjecture. Stephanie guessed that Adam was an attorney.
“It’s looks like we’re in for pleasant weather,” Adam stated conversationally. His dark eyes narrowed fractionally as he gazed out the small window. For most of the trip, Adam had carried the conversation. He was both friendly and outgoing, a blatant contrast to the solemn, serious Jonas.
A little surprised, Stephanie glanced up, not knowing if Adam was addressing his comment to her. Jonas didn’t respond. Stephanie would have been shocked to learn that any type of weather interested her employer.
“I would guess early summer is the perfect time to visit Paris.” In reality, Stephanie wondered how much of the city she’d have a chance to see. Her one hope was that she would visit the Champs de Mars and view the 9341/4-foot Eiffel Tower built for the 1889 World’s Fair. High on her list were the twelfth-century cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe. She’d spent a year in France as an exchange student in high school, but apart from a quick trip through the airport, Stephanie hadn’t seen anything of Paris.
The plane began its descent, and she clicked her seat belt into place. Casually, Jonas put away his papers and closed his briefcase. As soon as they landed they’d be going through customs, and Stephanie would be expected to step into her role as translator. Although she spoke fluent French, it’d been a while since she’d had the opportunity to use it.
To her surprise, everything went without a hitch at the customs station, and her confidence grew. The three moved from that area to the waiting limo with only the minimum of delay.
Adam Holmes held the door open for Stephanie, and she climbed inside the luxurious automobile. Jonas followed her, and they were soon on their way.
At the hotel, they were escorted to their rooms and their luggage was delivered promptly. While Stephanie unpacked her clothes, she heard Jonas and Adam discussing the project. Apparently they would be meeting a powerful financier in the hope of obtaining financial backing for a current project. Lockwood Industries was the world’s largest manufacturer of small-airplane parts. There also seemed to be the possibility of establishing a branch of the Minneapolis firm in France, and Jonas had decided on Paris as the first foreign site of Lockwood Industries.