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As, in the ht cheating with another man, Tally could only feel that her father had had so matrimonial enthusiasm Indeed, her parents had such different outlooks on life that she did not see how they could ever have made each other happy Anatole, unfortunately, had never been able to forgive or forget the stinging hu interviews she had sold tohim in the aftermath of their break-up He had also questioned the paternity of the child that Crystal was carrying Ultiet an allowance hich to raise her daughter and although her father had eventually paid his dues Tally had reached eleven years of age before he finally agreed tosince married a Greek wohter, Cosima Tally had always beenin and surplus to paternal requirements

In fact she could count on two hands the number of times she had met her reluctant father Currently a student in her last year of a degree course in interior design, however, Tally was conscious that Anatole had paid for her education and she was grateful for that because her spendthrift mother never had a penny to spare at the end of the month

‘You like Cosima,’ Binkie pointed out cheerfully ‘You were really pleased when you were invited to her seventeenth birthday party last year’

‘That was different I was a guest,’ Tally pointed out ruefully ‘Butme to accompany Cosima this weekend to keep her out of trouble Apparently she’s been drinking and partying toosome man he disapproves of’

‘She’s very young Naturally your father’s con cerned’

‘But I don’t see how I could make a difference I doubt very much if she would listen to me She’s ’

‘But it’s heartening that your father trusts you enough to ask you to help, and Cosima does like you …’

‘She won’t like me much if I try to interfere with her fun,’ Tally retorted wryly, but she was far fro

In truth, after a couple of brief encounters, organised er woued by her beautiful ornaossip colu wo in common in looks or personality and lived in different worlds Cosihter of a very rich ner clothes and jewellery and was only seen out at the her realities that had shaped Tally and formed her attitudes had never touched Cosie from the day she was born Cosima had never had to deal with unpaid bills or bailiffs or a mother hen the cupboards were bare, would buy a new dress instead of food Only the roof over their heads remained safe because the terraced town house in London where Tally lived with herto her father

It was there that the li handed the driver a s to stoay, she scrambled into the rear seat where her half-sister subjected her to a pained appraisal ‘You’re dressed all wrong,’ Cosi Tally’s colourful raincoat and jeans with a grimace

‘I have a typical student wardrobe and two business suits bought for my work experience last year and that’s prettyCosi black hair and big brown eyes, her sliure beautifully set off by a fashionable h heels ‘You look like you’re about to go out on the town’

‘Of course Soeneration will be staying at Westgrave this weekend,’ Cosirin ‘You should see your face! That wasDad He’d love to uy so that he could stop worrying about ot a man’

‘Great Who is he?’ Tally enquired with interest and the lively enthusiasrateful the attention was off her clothing deficiencies, because that so-visible difference between them had embarrassed her

‘His naaze, her reluctance to share anyanyone?’

‘Not right now, no,’ Tally fielded, her face warone out on a date But then she loathed it when men she barely knew tried to paw her and was evena coht out, she had learned, was a challenge

Being raised by a devoutly religious and moral woman like Binkie had put Tally rather out of step with her conteh the constant turmoil caused by her mother’s colourful love life, Tally had eh now in her forties, Crystal remained a very beautiful woman But none of her relationships had lasted,based on theon the sidelines of such shallow affairs, Tally had long since decided that she wanted soh or an open wallet from a man, and she told herself that she was quite happy to sleep alone until she found it

Cosi mobile phone and babbled in a torrent of Greek Tally, who had attended evening classes in the language for several years, only to have her self-conscious efforts dismissed as ‘an embarrassment’ by her critical father, sealed her ears to the content of her half-sister’s chatter, aware that the younger woman had assumed that she spoke no Greek at all

The li doooded lane by the ti She slid her phone back into her bag and shot Tally a guarded look ‘You know I’ to tell my friends who you are I’m sorry if that offends you but that’s the way it is,’ she declared ‘If Dad had wanted to acknowledge you as his daughter you would have been given his name That you don’t have our name says it all really’

In response to that deeply wounding little announce else, she said hurriedly, ‘So, for your friends’ benefit, who am I?’

‘Well, obviously, you’re still Tally Spencer, because that won’t re—I ed to anyone but mybrought out I think it would be safest to say that you work for me’

‘In what capacity?’ Tally enquired with a frown

Cosima wrinkled her delicate little nose ‘You could say you’reand look after invitations and things for me Some of my friends have employees like that You know you’re only here in the first place because Dad said I couldn’t come without you!’ she complained petulantly

Tally went red and nodded, her own quick te, only to be suppressed by her common sense and intrinsic sense of tolerance for more volatile personalities Cosima didn’t intend to be rude or hurtful She was si and she had not been taught to regard Tally as a real sibling

‘As an employee I’ll be excluded from any activities and I won’t be able to look out for you’

‘Why would I want you looking out for ly ‘You’ll be totally out of your depthwith my friends’

‘I’ll try hard not to get under your feet or embarrass you in any way but I did promise our father that I would take care of you and I like to keepher chin andher fine eyes when her half-sister spat out a very rude word in challenging response ‘And if you’re not prepared to let o home now—’