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Sybil’s eyes met Merry’s but neither of them commented

‘Your ed when Angel sank fluidly down into his seat by her side ‘Why?’

‘The horror of being old enough to be a grandparent,’ Angel proffered wryly

‘Are you serious?’

‘There’s nothing we can do about it She’ll have to learn to deal’

‘Do you see much of your mother?’ Merry probed uneasily

‘More than I soel adement to continue she will have to tone herself down’

As the afternoon wore on Merry watched Angel’sdisplay on the dance floor with Primo She did not behave like a woman likely to tone her extrovert nature down Merry also saw Angelina seek out Roula Paulides and sit with the blonde for a long ti an animated conversation So, she was unlikely to be flavour of the month with her mother-in-law any time soon, Merry told herself wryly Well, she could live with that, she decided, secure in the circle of Angel’s arms as they ainst hers sparked all sorts of disconcerting responses The prickly awareness of proxi waves She rested her head down on his shoulder, drinking in the raw, evocative scent of hi she could not live without and only just resisting the urge to lick the strong brown column of his masculine throat

Early evening, the newly married couple flew out to Greece and the Valtinos hoel had been born Merry was madly curious about the small island and the darkness that screened her view of it frustrated her Serried lines of light ascending a hillside illue above the bay as the helicopter ca them up a steep road lined with cypress trees to the ultra-iant cruise ship, the entire house seemed to be lit up

They stepped out into the war and reeted theonal marble hall ornamented by contemporary pieces of sculpture

‘Sally will take Elyssa straight to bed,’ Angel decreed, closing his hand over Merry’s before she could dart off in the wake of her daughter ‘She’s so tired she’ll sleep This is our night’

Merry coloured, suddenly insanely conscious of the ridiculous fact that she had barely acknowledged that it was their wedding night She was teue that she had to take care of Elyssa, but was too well aware of their nanny’s calm efficiency to tilt at wind a full-time mother, she found it difficult to step back from the role and accept that soers scrabbled indecisively in the grip of Angel’s large masculine hand until she finally followed his lead and the staff already s

‘Supper has been prepared for us We’ll eat in our roolad to be home You’ll love it here Midsurowth and the air is fresh’

‘I didn’t realise that you were so attached to your ho her attention over the display of is in the corridor

‘Palos has been the Valtinos base for generations,’ Angel told her ‘The original house was derandfather He fancied hin arandmother split up and she refused to move out His house plan was then divided in two, one half for him, the other half for her and it’s still like that Some day I hope to turn it back into one house’

Merry was frowning ‘Your grandparents divorced?’

‘No, neither of them wanted a divorce, but after ible Roel admitted as carved wooden doors were spread back at the end of the corridor ‘I never knew either of therandfather didn’t randmother was in her forties when my mother was born They died before my parents married’