Marrying Well

By Lynda Simons

How to Marry a Millionaire
by Jeannie Renamo

1. Irk your boss, handsome magazine publisher Kyle Hunter, by creating controversial new column "Marrying Well: A Practical Guide."

2. Accept Kyle's challenge to follow guidelines and land a rich husband of your own.

3. Proceed to date only bachelors with bucks.

4. Realize they all fade in comparison to Kyle who also happens to be a bachelor with bucks.

5. Struggle to convince yourself that you are not attracted to Kyle.

6. Lose struggle.

7. Win bet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460875964

Book preview

1

Marrying Well

(A Practical Guide)

by

Lady Victoria Boulderbottom

Step One: Overcoming Guilt

This month’s column is dedicated to those of you who have had it up to here with low-budget dreamers. It’s for those women who are ready to seriously undertake the task of finding a rich husband, but aren’t sure how to go about it.

I know some of you may secretly long to pursue this noble tradition, but have a problem with guilt. This is understandable.

We do, after all, live in a society that loves to point a nasty finger and holler, She only married him for the money, anytime some nice girl hits it big.

So guilt will be the first issue we’ll deal with today. Once you’ve conquered that, there will be no stopping you.

Now I want you all to stand proudly in front of a mirror, take a deep breath and repeat these words:

Love, schmuv. He’s rich and I want him.

Kyle popped out the disk and tossed it across his desk. I can’t run this. The whole idea is ludicrous.

Outside, the wind shifted, driving the warm spring rain against the glass. Jeannie stepped away from the window, turning her back on one storm to face another.

Have I mentioned how good it is to have you back, Kyle? She sank into the chair opposite him and smiled. How long are you staying?

He glanced up. As long as it takes.

Wonderful, Jeannie muttered as the phone started to ring.

Kyle picked up the receiver. Hold on a minute, please. Cupping a hand over the mouthpiece, he nodded at the disk. Take that with you when you go, he said to Jeannie, then swung the chair around so his back was to her. He lowered his voice. Hunter here, how can I help you?

Jeannie rose and snapped up the disk, tapping it against her palm as she paced back and forth in front of the desk. Take that with you when you go. No discussion, no compromise, nothing. The man hadn’t changed a bit.

She’d been expecting this, of course. In the days following his return to Chicago, Kyle had managed to alienate the art director, the advertising manager and most of the department heads as he undertook a complete revamping of his magazine.

As editor of Aspects’ Single Life section, how could she hope to fare any differently?

She paused and looked over at him.

Tall, blond and blue eyed, the legendary Kyle Hunter was still undeniably good-looking. His skin was tanned, his shoulders broader than she remembered and the power suits had been abandoned in favor of a pair of khakis and a loose cotton shirt.

Whatever he’d been doing in Maine for the past two years had definitely agreed with him, Jeannie decided. And the sooner he went back to it, the better.

Kyle ended the call and turned back to his computer. The issue is closed, he said, not bothering to look up as Jeannie approached.

She set the disk in front of him and sat down. You know, Kyle, for a man of vision you can be remarkably shortsighted.

He lifted his head. Is that so?

Jeannie remembered that gaze—intense and unwavering, daring her to turn away. So she propped her elbows on the desk and met it squarely. What else do you call it when someone rejects an article he hasn’t even read?

He swiveled the chair around to face her. What makes you think I haven’t read it?

You haven’t had time. You weren’t in here more than five minutes when I came in.

One brow raised. I had no idea I was being kept under such close scrutiny.

Jeannie laughed easily. Don’t flatter yourself. I just happened to be coming back from lunch with Magda when you went by. She reached out and gave the disk a spin. How much did you read?

Enough to know it won’t work.

Why not?

Because it’s not your usual Boulderbottom stuff. The faintest trace of a smile curved his lips as he leaned closer. What were you thinking about anyway?

His tone was so low, it bordered on intimate, and Jeannie found herself bending to him, her response as instinctive as it was unsettling. She eased back in the seat, reminding herself that Kyle was a man best dealt with firmly but from a distance.

A Boulderbottom spoof. You know, a parody, biting satire…that sort of thing. She nudged the disk toward him. Keep reading. You’ll catch on.

His gaze drifted down to the small black square that sat between them. Don’t count on it.

I have faith. Just read.

He flashed her one of his rare, charming smiles. Forget it, Jeannie.

She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. I’m not leaving till you do.

The smile broadened. Suit yourself.

Jeannie bristled. Kyle had the deepest dimples of any man she’d ever met. And the longer he sat there grinning at her, the more she remembered how much she truly disliked dimples on a man.

He stroked a hand across his chin. Eyes that reminded him of melting caramel watched his every move, their challenge clear and direct He’d been expecting this, of course.

His last publisher, Marcus Underwood, had graciously attached performance reviews to each personnel file before running off with a sleeping bag and a rifle to take on the Alaskan outback.

It was the worst case of mid-life crisis Kyle had ever seen. But the reviews had evidently been written during one of Marcus’s more lucid moments and were proving to be invaluable in helping him make decisions. The only one that was no use at all was Jeannie Renamo’s.

Kyle had expected pages regarding her inability to grasp the concept of no. Instead, Watch her was all Marcus had written. What was that supposed to mean? Kyle wondered. Watch out for her? Watch over her? As she shifted in the seat across from him, making her skirt ride up even higher on her thighs, it occurred to him that maybe it simply meant Look at her—something that was far too easy to do.

She’d only been with Aspects six months when he left, yet he’d remembered her the moment she walked into the first editorial meeting after his return. The same fiery curls, a face that was more arresting than beautiful and a style that could only be called eclectic. Lace and pinstripes one day, wildflowers and a straw hat the next How fitting that she’d chosen leather and steel that morning.

Jeannie crossed her legs, tapped her fingers on the armrest and tugged the zipper on her jacket down a little lower. Kyle leaned the chair way back and laced his fingers behind his head. This would be torture for her, just sitting and waiting—something else that hadn’t changed.

Full of restless enthusiasm, she was always in motion—pacing while she talked on the phone, fidgeting with a pen during meetings. She put him in mind of a butterfly, all flash and movement. Fascinating to watch but impossible to follow, never lighting anywhere long enough to be caught.

Not that he wanted to. A woman like Jeannie would be too much work. Granted, there had been times when he had wondered what it would be like to hold her still and have her concentrate that energy on him.

But right now, all Kyle had time to think about was the magazine. And how quickly he could get away again.

Under Marcus’s direction, Aspects had grown and prospered, but somewhere along the way the magazine had lost its edge. Once a bold and controversial publication, Aspects was now mired firmly in the middle of the road.

Kyle intended to put some fire back into the magazine before turning it over to someone else again. And the fact that he had to be in Maine by Labor Day meant the changes would have to be accomplished quickly. If that meant offending some of the staff as well as a few readers in the process, so be it. And Miss Renamo was no exception.

As if reading his thoughts, she dropped her head back and sighed heavily. God, how I miss Marcus.

Kyle let the chair up slowly. I’ll bet. I understand Marcus was a real pushover in the last year.

Jeannie’s eyes narrowed as she raised her head. Marcus Underwood was a reasonable man. You, on the other hand, are impossible.

Look, Jeannie, Kyle said patiently, knowing it would only irritate her further. I know you’ve always thought of Victoria as your personal territory—

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Hold it right there. Victoria is my territory. I created her, remember? And as I recall it, you fought me on that idea, as well. But perhaps you’ve managed to forget."

Kyle laughed softly. How could I? It’s been a while, but let’s see if I can get this right. He started to quote.

‘Lady Victoria Boulderbottom, a transmigrating turn-of-the-century spirit, finds herself caught in a time warp and winds up stranded inside a Chicago singles bar on a Saturday night. Never one to miss an opportunity, Victoria sheds her inhibitions along along with her corsets, and sets out to explore her newfound freedom.’

He sat back. How was that?

Not bad, Jeannie admitted, smiling in spite of herself.

She’d only been with the magazine three weeks when she’d approached him with the idea. Kyle’s response had been typical. "Sorry, Jeannie. The idea just isn’t right for Aspects."

Of course it is, she’d insisted. Victoria will bring a whole new perspective to the ‘Single Life’ section. Everything will be new to her. She’ll be like a kid in a candy store. She won’t know what to try first.

As usual, Kyle had been adamant. So Jeannie had pulled out her wallet and slapped five ten-dollar bills down on the desk.

Here’s the deal, she’d told him. Fifty bucks says Victoria will be a hit first time out, and she’ll still be holding her own six months later.

At a loss for only a moment, Kyle had recovered beautifully, stuffing the bills into his pocket and muttering, You’re on.

Just as Jeannie had predicted, Aspects’ readers had taken immediately to Victoria’s unique blend of naive innocence and wanton lust.

Within weeks, Lady Victoria Boulderbottom had become one of Aspects’ most widely read columns, leaving Kyle red faced and Jeannie fifty dollars richer.

And if she wasn’t mistaken, he had just trapped himself again.

She traced a line on the disk with a fingertip, her eyes following the movement In other words, you admit your first reaction to Victoria was wrong.

I admitted that a long time ago.

So there’s a good chance you’re wrong now too. She looked up at him. Wouldn’t you agree?

His mouth quirked up on one side. Nice try, Jeannie, but it won’t work. ‘Marrying Well’ is pure fantasy. Women marry for money all the time—everyone knows that. But there’s no tradition, no steps to follow that will guarantee success.

She shook her head in disbelief. It’s a spoof. Remember? It’s not supposed to guarantee success.

That’s another problem. Everything else you’ve done with her, even the most outlandish things, have been practical. Doable, if you know what I mean.

Doable?

Like the time she took out all those personal ads in the newspapers and then wrote about the men she met. Great stuff, funny as hell, but practical.

And you had doubts about that one, too, as I remember.

He gazed at the ceiling for a moment then drew in a deep breath and started again. The point is that anyone could have read the article then gone out and placed their own ads knowing some of the pitfalls in advance, because Victoria had paved the way. That’s what she does. It’s the reason she’s so popular. He smiled. Don’t fight it, Jeannie. Work with it.

Only through a conscious effort did Jeannie keep her seat.

In the last three months alone, she had worn love amulets, joined dating clubs and endured more cups of coffee with unmemorable men than she cared to remember. All in the name of research for Lady Victoria Boulderbottom. But more importantly, Jeannie read the letters that were sent to Victoria.

Women responded to her in a way Jeannie had never dreamed possible. Some told her their most intimate and heartbreaking stories while others simply wrote to express outrage with something she had done.

For the most part, however, the letters were from women who were simply happy to know they weren’t the only ones meeting more than their share of less—thanwonderful men. Victoria’s appeal lay in the fact that she was one of them—just another woman in the hope of finding true love, poking her curious nose into all the spots where men were rumored to be hiding. And having the grace to laugh when things went wrong.

If anyone understood what made the Boulderbottom column successful, it was Jeannie. And the last thing she needed was advice from Kyle.

I do work with her, she told him. Every day. And I know ‘Marrying Well’ is perfect for Victoria.

Kyle rubbed a hand over his face. What makes you so sure?

Instinct and experience.

Kyle shook his head. Not good enough, Jeannie. Not anymore. Reaching across the desk, he selected a disk from a box and set it in front of her. I want you to take a look at this.

She eyed the square uneasily. What is it?

A new series for you and Victoria. Kyle turned back to the keyboard, letting her know there was no room for further argument. The outline is quite extensive, but if you have any questions, we can go over them later.

Her hands tightened into fists on the arms of her chair. I have a question now, she said evenly. Why didn’t you discuss the idea with me first?

I didn’t feel there was any need.

No need? This is my column we’re talking about. A column that has done extremely well without any input from you in over two years.

Kyle faced her. Don’t push too far, Jeannie.

I think I’m finally beginning to understand. It wouldn’t have mattered what I put on your desk, would it? You would have rejected it anyway.

You’re wrong, Kyle said mildly. If I felt the article had merit, I would print it and simply postpone the new series.

But you still wouldn’t have discussed it with me.

No.

Why not?

"Because to be perfectly blunt, I don’t have time. You were at the editorial meeting. You know the changes I want to see at Aspects, and right now, that’s the only thing on my mind. My concern is what’s good for the magazine. Nothing more."

She rose slowly, put one fingertip on his disk and slid it back. And mine is what’s good for Victoria.

Kyle’s expression remained