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For a while we’re both silent -- then Luke see to have to hold a few hands today," he says abruptly "So I won’t be able to make this charity lunch with you and my mother"

Oh shit Luke’s e?" I suggest "So we can both go?"

"Unfortunately not," says Luke He gives a quick smile, but I can see true disappointnation toward his ot a very busy schedule And as she pointed out, I didn’t give her very " He frowns "You know, my mother’s not just some… society lady of leisure She has a lot of i, much as she would like to"

"Of course not," I say hurriedly "Anyway, it’ll be fine I’ll just go along to this lunch with her on h I’m not at all intimidated by this prospect

"She has to go to the spa first," says Luke, "and she suggested you accoht!" I say cautiously "Well, that could be fun…"

"And then there’s the charity lunch she’s going to take you to It’ll be a chance for you two to get to know one another I really hope you hit it off"

"Of course ill," I say firo and put my arms around Luke’s neck His face still looks strained, and I put up my hand to smooth away the creases in his brow "Don’t worry, Luke People will be queuing up to back you Round the block"

Luke gives a half-smile and kissesfor Luke’s ue Ito talk about? If I werehis stepmum, she could tellout all the eraphs But Luke’s real mum barely saw him when he was a little boy Apparently she just used to send hie presents at school, and visit about every three years

You’d think that would have made him a bit resentful -- but he adores her In fact, he si to say about her I once asked hiot all defensive and said she had no choice And he’s got this enorraph of her in his study at hoer than the one of his dad and step day I do someti I really feel I can bring up

"Rebecca?" A voice interrupts ant wos and crocodile shoes, is staring down at raph in the flesh! And she looks just the sah cheekbones and dark, Jackie Kennedy -- style hair -- except her skin is kind of tighter, and her eyes are unnaturally wide In fact, it looks as though she etting aardly toout my hand "How do you do?"

"Elinor Sherlish, half-A two enors that press into my flesh "So pleased to meet you"

"Luke was very sorry he couldn’t ive As she undoes the wrapping, I can’t help goggling A Herm`es scarf!

"Nice," she says dis"

"Luke was really hoping we et to know each other a bit," I say, with a friendly smile

"I have until two fifteen," says Elinor crisply

"Oh," I say "Well, never o?"

Bli -- and are those earrings real emeralds?

As we drive away, I can’t help surreptitiously staring at Elinor Now I’ht, probably in her fifties And although she looks wonderful, it’s a bit as though that glamorous photo has been left out in the sun and lost its color -- and then been painted over with makeup Her lashes are heavy with mascara and her hair is shiny with lacquer and her nails are so heavily varnished, they could be red porcelain She’s so completely… done Groomed in a way I know I could never be, however le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">