I confirmed nothing. ‘Is that why you came here tonight? To discuss a merger?’

‘Isn’t that why you invited me?’ Owen countered.

‘Among other things,’ I replied.

‘I was very surprised to get your invitation,’ Owen admitted. ‘You’re not exactly on my Crossmas-card list.’

‘And I won’t be inviting you to a sleepover and braiding your hair any time soon either,’ I told him. ‘But I do have an announcement to make once our meal is over. Something I know you’ll want to hear. Can our proposed merger discussion wait until after that?’

‘What kind of announcement?’ Owen asked, his eyes narrowing.

‘If I told you that, it’d spoil the surprise.’

‘I don’t like surprises,’ said Owen. ‘Never have.’

‘You’ll love this one. I guarantee it,’ I told him. ‘In the meantime, why don’t you go and enjoy yourself at the dinner table with the rest of the guests?’

‘You sat me next to Sephy Ealing,’ said Owen sourly. ‘I fully expect to end the evening with a steak knife in my thigh.’

‘Sephy wouldn’t do any such thing.’

‘Don’t you believe it. The way she’s been scowling at me, I expect nothing less. Besides, anyone is capable of anything given the right circumstances and motivation,’ said Owen.

‘You think so?’

‘I know so. And, if you haven’t learned that by now, you’ve been sleepwalking through this existence and are due for a rude awakening.’

‘You misunderstood me. If you threaten Sephy, she wouldn’t stab you in the thigh with a steak knife, she’d go for the jugular.’

‘Thanks for the heads-up,’ said Owen. He got to his feet. ‘We’ll talk later, no doubt.’

‘No doubt,’ I replied.

I didn’t take my eyes off Owen till he left the room, closing the door behind him. Dowd was the one who’d offered Kellan a way out from under. Why? To stick it to me? Or to buy Kellan and all his business connections? Whatever the reason, Dowd was a serious liability. It was time to step up my plans to get rid of him.

Permanently.

twelve. Eva Foxton