Blue Clouds

Blue Clouds by Patricia Rice Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: Blue Clouds by Patricia Rice Read Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Rice
could handle Seth Wyatt.
    ***
    She felt less sure of that later that day when Miss MacGregor arrived to pick her up.
    Wyatt’s current assistant stood nearly six feet tall and wore a business suit like a suit of armor. Pippa had the urge to pinch the shiny gray material and see if it squished or clanked. How could she compare with a monster of efficiency like this?
    â€œIf you’ll drive me to the airport in the morning, Miss Cochran, I’ll leave you the use of my car while I’m gone. You’ll need one living out there. Doug isn’t reliable, and Mr. Wyatt won’t let anyone else drive his vehicles.”
    Considering what Durwood had done to the BMW, Pippa could understand his reluctance. He had trouble hiring qualified employees, it seemed. She wondered how he’d kept Miss MacGregor.
    As if hearing her unspoken question, MacGregor supplied the answer. “I would have left the place long ago if he hadn’t bought me this car and offered a pension plan. I’m near retirement age, and it’s quite a temptation, believe me. I could have worked for any major corporation in the country. I’ve had them inquire often enough. But I’m accustomed to doing things my own way now and don’t think I could change.”
    Oh, swell, another neo-Nazi with no loyalty whatsoever. Wyatt certainly knew how to pick them. Or maybe his employees just reflected his own character. She didn’t have any difficulty believing that.
    â€œI’ll show you my filing system this evening. I hope you’re familiar with Microsoft. It’s the only software Mr. Wyatt uses. I understand you’ll have some charge over the child also. I wish you well. He’s completely uncontrollable. I hope Mr. Wyatt is paying you well for the extra duty while I’m gone. I’m certain the boy will be your main duty when I return.”
    Pippa was beginning to suspect she wasn’t paid half so well as Miss MacGregor, or even half as much as she deserved if she survived. No wonder the cad had agreed to her terms so easily.
    â€œI dislike leaving Mr. Wyatt when he’s so close to deadline, but the circumstances can’t be changed. Supply him with plenty of coffee and don’t let anyone disturb him until he’s done for the day. He’s quite irrational when disturbed. You won’t need a strong grasp of grammar and spelling for your editing duties. The software is quite good and Mr. Wyatt knows his business well. You’ll learn his few idiosyncrasies after a chapter or two. You can learn from the work I’ve already completed.”
    A chapter or two? Pippa stared at the lantern-jawed woman expertly guiding her candy-red Mazda coupe up the road. “A chapter or two of what?” she inquired politely, hoping the question wasn’t too stupid.
    It was. Miss MacGregor turned and gave her a disbelieving stare. “Of his book, of course. Why do you think he hired you? We’re halfway through it now. He writes one a year, but he always waits until the last minute. It’s due the first of June, but he’s hit his usual midbook slump. It would help if he could bounce ideas off you. Once he’s back in stride, you won’t hear anything out of him for days at a time. You’ll just find the pages on your desk in the morning.”
    â€œI thought he was in the publishing business,” Pippa answered weakly. Actually, now that she thought about it, they had never discussed precisely what business he was in. Meg’s letter about the printing plant had led her astray.
    â€œOh, he is,” Miss MacGregor replied airily, navigating the last hairpin turn with surprising speed. “He owns an independent publishing house for small-press books and magazines here in California, another in Tokyo, and he’s negotiating for one in Boston. He has printing plants and warehouses across the country. He’s in a position to compete with the big houses, but he

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