The secretary gestured toward a low stool against the wall, wedged between two miniature palm trees. “He’ll be with you in a moment.” Feeling meek and small, Margo did as she was told. It was exactly as though she were sitting outside the headmistress’s office at Orange Grove. Anxiously, she wiped her sweaty palms against the scratchy fabric of the pleated plaid skirt she had chosen to wear, a holdover from her old life. If I’m going to be punished like a naughty schoolgirl, she thought, I might as well look the part. A tall, distinguished-looking gentleman strode briskly through the office door and into the reception area. The secretary sprang abruptly to her feet. “Mr. Payne! You’re finished so soon!” She was practically standing at attention. “Shall I call a car to take you to the airport?” The man ignored her. Instead, he cast his hooded gaze toward Margo, raking his eyes lazily from the top of her head to the tips of her toes—with a lot of meaningful lingering on certain parts in between.
