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CHAPTER FIVE

MERRY SHOOK HANDS with her new client, who had got into a mess with his tax returns, and promised to update him on the situation within the week Soon she would have to try to fit in a refresher course to update her knowledge of recent legislative changes, she reflected thoughtfully, incredibly keen to think of anything other than the awareness that Angel was sliding supple as a dancer out of his car as her visitor departed

Sybil had swooped in to take enthusiastic charge of Elyssa soon after Angel’s earlier departure Hearing of the lunch plan, she had laughed and drily observed, ‘He’s treating you to a charm offensive Well, if you must have a serious talk with hi for her lunch and her nap in the midst of it Phone me when you want to steal her back’

And once again, Merry had reflected how very, very lucky she had always been to have Sybil in her life, standing by her when life was tough, advising and supporting her, in short being the only caring ure that she had ever known Sybil had cured the hurts inflicted by her kid sister’s lack of interest in and ih Merry knew her aunt had been disappointed when she beca in a serious relationship, she had kept her disappointment to herself and had instead focused her attention on how best to help her expectant niece

‘Lunch,’ Angel told her carelessly, carting a large luxurious hamper in one hand

‘I’ve got a terrace out the back Since it’s sunny, wethe idea of that casual setting in which she thought Angel would be less inti

‘This is unexpectedly pleasant,’ Angel reht-iron chair and taking in the pleasant view of fields and wooded hills visible beyond the hedge

‘This was Sybil’s Christmas surprise for us,’ Merry explained ‘Her last tenant was elderly and the garden was overgrown Sybil hired someone to fix it up and now Elyssa will have somewhere safe to play when she’s more mobile’

‘You’re very close to your aunt,’ Angel commented warily ‘She doesn’t like me’

Crystalline blue eyes collided with his in challenge ‘What did you expect?’ she traded

Angel had not been prepared to etic and his teeth clenched, squaring his aggressive jaw, the faint dark shadow of stubble already roughening his bronzed skin accentuating the hard slant of his shapely mouth

‘Yes, you ensured I had enough money to survive but that was that,’ Merry stated before he could remind her of the reality

Angel sidestepped that deeply controversial issue by ignoring it Instead he opened the hamper and stacked utensils and dishes on the table and asked where his daughter was After all, what could he say about his treate theed that Didn’t his honesty and his regret lighten the scales even a little? Was she expecting hirovel on hands and knees?

‘Wow…this is some spread,’ Merry remarked uneasily as she set out the food and he uncorked the bottle of wine and filled the glasses with rich red liquid ‘Where did it come from?’

‘Froel responded with the nonchalance that was the sole preserve of the very rich

Merry placed a modest selection of savoury bites on her plate and said tensely, ‘What did you want to discuss?’

‘Our future,’ Angel delivered succinctly while Tiger sat at his feet with little round pleading eyes pinned to the meat on his fork

‘Nobody can foretell the future,’ Merry objected

‘I can where we’re concerned,’ Angel assured her, every liquid syllable cool as ice ‘Either we spend at least the next ten years fighting it out over Elyssa in court or…we get married and share her’

Merry studied hi pale blue eyes, and then gulped in hed and spluttered in the rip on her wildly fluctuating ehtened the life out of her by hter, and then he’d sent her spinning with a suggestion she had never dreamt that she would hear from his lips