Consequences

Part 9

Isabelle stifled another yawn. She couldn't help it. She was exhausted. And now she had this puzzling situation to deal with. And this enigmatic man was being far from helpful.

Doug's brow quirked in query. He watched her cover her mouth as she attempted to stifle yet another yawn. "That must have been some night." He said dryly. He was not stranger to late nights, but the way she kept yawning suggested she was not a morning person.

"As a matter of fact, it was." Isabelle said offhandedly. She took a sip of her hot coffee and rehashed what he had told her. Sifting through the details still left her none the wiser. He was of the opinion that she had announced their engagement. She knew she had not.

Doug watched her assiduously. She seemed aloof. Controlled. Reserved. Beautiful. Very, very, cool. Self contained. Almost buttoned down. And yet there was something about her that had him seriously wondering what might have been possible had they met under different circumstances. Not that someone with her classical beauty would have hooked up with him. Well not for the long term. But she might have entertained the notion of dating a bad boy!

Isabelle placed her cup on her saucer and said calmly as she repeated her thoughts, "Anyone could walk in off the street and say they were me, ..."

Doug snorted at her paltry attempt to shift the blame. He had no time for this sham. He leaned back, tipped his head to one side and pinned her with a steely gaze. "Really?" He interrupted with a somewhat derisory tone.

"..and they could want to place an announcement..."

"Why would they do that?' Doug interrupted curtly, the anger seeping out in his tone even though he was attempting not to show just how infuriating he found the situation. Being engaged would cramp his style!

Isabelle's brow furrowed. "How would I know?" She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and said with cool command as she looked him in the eyes, "I'm just trying to explain why this might have happened. Perhaps someone is playing a practical joke on us." She knew she was tired and trying to make sense of a ridiculous situation was taking up too much energy.

Doug folded his arms. It was either that or bellow. He settled for the more controlled option as he spoke, "It happened because you phoned..."

Isabelle's head snapped up, her chin tipped defiantly at him. "There!" She pointed at him, pleased to have found a chink in his argument.

"There what? Ms Sojour-D'Sa?" He grated.

She did not like his tone. "Even you have to see Mr Hawke, how anyone could have phoned. Pretended to be me. Put in that fake announcement. A simple case of mistaken identity even." Delighted to be able to pick holes in his reasoning, she beamed at him. Thank goodness they were getting somewhere now. He could just apologise for his accusations, they could contact the paper, ask for a retraction and she could head for bed!

Doug snorted. She seemed so pleased with her deductions. She clearly did not know that he had access to other sources of information. But she was about to find out that he was pretty sure she was messing him about. "And paid with your credit card?" He challenged tersely, the insolence was back in his tone again.

Floored, Isabelle digested his last question. She narrowed her gaze. "My card?" She demanded, her voice icy, her tone frigid. "Really? My card?" How could anyone have her card?

"The announcement was paid for by credit card. Yours. Platinum Visa, with the Alliance." Doug was tired of being polite. Time to highlight that he knew the source of this particular rumour.

Isabelle wished she wasn't quite so tired. She needed her wits about her with this man. The audacity of the man. To turn up here, tell her she was engaged to him and that he knew her visa card. Well he might think he was a professional con man, but she was not going to be taken in by some hustler.

Her chin rose another inch as she prepared to harangue the man. "That's impossible." Isabelle told him regally, knowing that that particular card had not been used since Marina's wedding. She couldn't afford to put much more on it. It was already carrying near to its limit. She was still in the process of juggling. There was no way she would risk overloading it. Not with the hefty interest that would then kick in.

When Doug thought about visiting her this morning, he'd anticipated a very different meeting to the current one. The last thing he'd expected was to meet a woman who seemed to think she could pretend she had nothing to do with the situation and to imply that he was simply making this up. She was about to find out that he had details.

"Why?" A brow rose in question. "You don't have a Platinum visa card?" He challenged audaciously. He'd been watching her reaction, she certainly didn't give the impression that this was her idea, but who else would use her card to place an ad.

Isabelle wished she could growl at him. But a lady never growled. He seemed so calm. As if this was her fault. He was attempting to scam her, she was pretty sure. Trying to imply that she had announced her engagement to a man she was meeting for the first time this morning. But as he was about to find out, Isabelle Sojour-D'Sa was made of sterner stuff.

"Yes, Mr Hawke." She all but snapped at him and then had to take a breath to give herself a chance to calm down. He was getting beneath her skin. "I have a card."