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The faates took care of that concern for her

That part of the estate was closed to vehicular traffic and she parked outside, scrah lane that had once been the entrance drive to the house For the first time she wondered if her inability to think and react norreed? Shock at the revelation that she was, after all, the rightful owner of the estate that had been in her faenerations? Of course that fact would have to be ratified by a court of law before it was officially hers but, even so, it was good neasn’t it? Nobody would ever be able to take the estate away froain and in her hands it would be safe The plant nursery would belong to her once er required to pass over all the profits to her father, she would be able to build up the business and look forward to s in the future

Yet even those rousing prospects failed to co parent had devastated her Worse still she was looking back and seeing that, although she had chosen to avoid acknowledging it, she had always been a rank outsider in her father’s faer to please, desperate to nored, dismissed or scorned

She wandered round the overgrown grounds of the estate for quite a while and the fas helped her to calm down somewhat Perhaps, she finally conceded, she was also a little bit in shock at the concept of a life that no longer contained Angelo How had he ht and expectation? Why could she not i iressive and dynay, high expectations and ienius He was only still and silent when he was asleep At last she let herself conteain and she realised with greater shock than ever that it hurtelse had that day She pressed clammy hands to her tear-wet cheeks and sank down shakily on the worn sun-warmed steps of the old house

When had she stopped hating Angelo? And why hadn’t she realised that she had long since stopped hating hiun to feel like a much loved friend rather than the source of her unfulfilled dreaht all the ti! What interests did they share? But she got quite a buzz out of fighting with him, didn’t she? He was incredibly attractive and sexy and heWas it an infatuation? Well, she was soon going to have the chance to find out, wasn’t she? She had just dumped him

Could she change her mind about that? Would that be foolish? Pathetic? Or was it her duty to go cold turkey and get over hielo had called her? It was at that point that Gwenna finally registered Piglet’s absence and realised that she had left her pet behind at the Old Rectory What a state she et about poor Piglet! Rising upright and dusting down her dress, she went back down the lane and found Toby walking round her car and peering in

‘Looking forthe driver’s door and i for her phone

‘I was surprised to see your car parked here…’ There were a number of missed calls on her phone and she was about to access them to check out the caller when she noticed the odd note in Toby’s voice

‘What’s up?’‘I assu her closely for signs of reaction ‘You don’t know, do you? Angelo’s been involved in an accident’ Her tuelo…accident She stared at Toby in horror ‘An accident? Where? When?’‘Your step—’‘Never elo! Is he all right?’‘Look, I’ll take you to the hospital now’ Toby tucked her into the passenger seat of his low-slung sports car

‘Toby!’ she prompted sickly ‘Just tell me!’ Toby drove out onto the road and cleared his throat ‘Eva said he was unconscious He was hit by a car—’‘You elo wasn’t in his car It’s possibly not the let’s all in one piece’‘What’s Piglet got to do with it?’ So Toby told her that Angelo had saved her dog’s life Angelo, who had once referred to her pet as a piranha fish on four legs She felt sick with fear and horribly guilty