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And a cale for Merry ever since she had first heard from the Valtinoses’ lawyers and dealt with the stress, the appointally she see she did was an excuse for criticis de in her at the prospect of having to open yet another politely nised a e that threatened to consu of the virago in her nature until her path crossed that of Angel Valtinos He had taught her nothing but bitterness, hatred and resentment, all of which she could have done without

But he had also, although adiven her Elyssa…

Keen to send her thoughts in a less sour direction, Merry glanced froe where she lived, and studied her daughter where she sat on the hearth rug happily engaged with her toys Her black hair was an explosion of curls round her cherubic olive-toned face, highlighting striking ice-blue eyes and a pouty little mouth She had her father’s curls and her mother’s eyes and mouth and was an extreh she was prepared to adhter

In nancy Elyssa’s actual birth had restored Merry to startling life and vigour Before that day, it had not once occurred to her that her daughter’s arrival would transfor with an unconditional love unlike anything she had ever felt before Nowadays she recognised the truth: there was nothing she would not do for Elyssa

A light knock sounded on the back door, announcing Sybil’s casual entrance into the kitchen at the rear of the cottage ‘I’ll put on the kettle…tiy blonde nearing sixty but still defiantly beautiful, as befitted a wohties

Sybil had been Merry’s role e Her rated to Australia with her husband, leaving her teenaged daughter in her sister’s care Sybil and Merry were much closer than Merry had ever been with her birth mother but Sybil remained very attached to her once feckless kid sister The sanctuary had been built by her aunt on the proceeds of thecareer she had abandoned as soon as she hadafter hos

In the later stages of her pregnancy, Merry had worked at the centre doing whatever was required and had lived with her aunt in her trendy barn conversion, but at the sa plans for a more independent future A qualified accountant, she had started up a s accounts for local traders and she had a good enough inco a viable rent to Sybil for her use of the cottage at the gates of the rescue centre The cottage was sarden and perfectly matched Merry and Elyssa’s current needs

In fact, Sybil Ar affection and security in Merry’s life Merry’san affair with her married employer Only nineteen at the time, Natalie had quickly proved ill-suited to the trials of single parenthood Right froularly swooped in as a weekend babysitter, wafting Merry back to her country ho

Natalie’s bedroo succession of unsuitable s and men who stole Natalie’s money and refused to earn their own By the tiht different hts and substance abuse were endemic she had missed a lot of school, and when social workers had threatened to take Merry into care, once again her aunt had stepped in to take charge

For nine glorious years, Merry had lived solely with Sybil, catching up with her schoolwork, learning to be a child again, no longer expected to cook and clean for her unreliable er required to hide in her bedroom while the adults downstairs screahbours called the police Almost inevitably that phase of security with Sybil had ended when Natalie had made yet another fresh start and dehter