page3 (1/2)

‘He’s a star,’ she interjected into the silence,Daniel towards her in a natural embrace She wondered how his father couldn’t be chareous, dark-haired seven-year-old son with those big brown eyes and skinny, vulnerable legs sticking out froe out of ‘Aren’t you, Dan?’ She ruffled his hair affectionately and then said brightly, ‘You have a wonderful weekend, and don’t forget you can pop over any tilish homework!’

Relegated to the sidelines, Leo saw that rarest of things, a shy smile of warmth and affection from his son Naturally not directed at him, but a smile nevertheless He looked at his watch and said briskly, ‘I think we should be heading back to the house now, Daniel; leave Heather to get on hatever she has to get on with’

‘Can’t you come across on the weekend?’ Daniel suddenly turned to Heather with a pleading look, which of course immediately made Leo frown impatiently Was his own co fro at all costs? Leo was uncomfortably reminded of Heather’s little talk, the first little talk he had had on the subject of his son since he had o

‘We could go see that Disneywith a touch of desperation in his voice ‘You know, you told me that you wanted to see it but you would have to rent a child to take along…’

‘I’s to do, and I was just teasing when I said that I wanted to see that movie I don’t actually like Disney movies’

‘You’ve got lots of the roo talent of a child to say precisely the wrong thing at the wrong time

Heather reddened, cleared her throat, could think of nothing to say, reddened a bit more and eventually broke the expectant silence ‘I’ll think about it’

Of course, she had no intention of going to aanywhere else for that matter

She had spoken herlack of success Leo West was egotistical, driven to the point of obsession and would never take advice from anyone, least of all from a woman like her Hadn’t he assu in other people’s lives because she had no life of her own?

She had a life A very good one!

In the stillness of the cottage, which see visitors had disappeared, she considered the excellent life she had

Wonderful job, doing the one thing she couldn’t have been happier doing, illustrating children’s books, getting inspiration froarden which she translated into pictures that were slowly achieving notoriety as works of art in the into London once a raphics with her art editor It was a real luxury

She also owned her cottage outright No , in fact, to anyone Which made her as free as a bird

True, there was no man in her life, but that, she told herself, was exactly how she wanted it

Little snippets of her past intruded into her peaceful cottage: Brian, as she had first known hihteen and he had been on the brink of his glittering career Blonde hair, straight, thick and always falling across his face, until he had had it cut because, he had told her seriously, in his profession men all wore their hair short

Heather blinked and shoved that little nest of bitter meo that dwelling on things that couldn’t be changed was a waste of time

Instead, she shifted her attention to the kitchen which still bore the renese His father, he had told her, had planned on taking theo He hated those fancy restaurants they went to He hated the food As a postscript, he had added that he hated his father

Whichof Leo and, once she started, she found that she couldn’t seem to stop That cold, ruthless face swam into her head until she was forced to retreat to her little office and try and lose herself in the illustration she was currently working on She was peering at the detail of a fairy wing, every pore in her being focused on theon her front door sent her jerking back, knocking over the jar of water, which shattered into a thousand pieces on the wooden floor

A second bang,to the front door before she had tiround

She pulled open the door before a third bang brought down the roof

‘You! What are you doing here?’ He was no longer in his suit Instead, he earing a pair of crealea silver Bentley

At nearly nine in the evening, the sun had faded to a dull, ht

Leo dealt Heather a grim nod ‘Believe me, I don’t want to be here any more than you want me to be here, but I have been put in the difficult position of having to ask you to acco his heels in and refused to budge I’raduated to books without pictures It’s ridiculous, but it’s true, hence the reason I’ence report that can’t wait’

‘I don’t knohat you’re talking about’