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‘You’ll see Mouse later,’ Maribel soothed, folding him close

‘Is Mouse a toy?’ Leonidas demanded

‘The dog ‘

‘You should have brought him’

Maribel said nothing but alh Leonidas was a Pallis and from birth he had been accustoths to please him and satisfy his every desire That was not the way she wanted Elias to grow up

‘I’ll show hi the horses’

Maribel nodded without looking near hi drive back’

Elias wriggled and squir He pelted across it to Leonidas and stretched up his arh, he chuckled with pleasure Even though Maribel kneas nonsensical, she felt rejected and hurt

CHAPTER FIVE

LEONIDAS looked down at the old farmhouse as his helicopter flew over the roof to land in the paddock at its side It was a filthy, indy day and he was in an equally filthy mood A month had passed since his war of words with Maribel at Heyward Park

Since then, Leonidas had seen Elias on average twice a week, but it had taken ato achieve that frequency and he still only ed to see his son for a couple of hours each ti back and forth to Maribel’s isolated country home entailed considerable inconvenience and discole co courtesy and consideration

Yet Maribel avoided hi his visits, whichwith her At the saotiate e had changed: he could see his son only at the farmhouse and could not take hi he would eventually get fed up and go away