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‘I will choose to overlook that,’ Leo said, his expression still impassive and mildly interested, but with a hint of steel in his voice ‘Because what I really want to find out is why you’re hiding here, in thefrom?’

‘I’,’ Heather sta in the country! I don’t enjoy being trapped in a building surrounded by paveo off’ Behind hi their long-overdue appearance ‘They’re here,’ she said, resisting the urge to groan with relief

‘Saved by the proverbial bell,’ Leohimself in ways he had never expected to It occurred to him, and not for the first ti than the possession of it Eleven years ago he hadambition in life It had eluded his parents It had certainly eluded his brother, the ht a twisted scowl of displeasure to Leo’s mouth

He had determined to prove to himself and to his parents that he could escape the craly claustrophobic clutter of his lower round Now, rich beyond his wildest dreaed to prove anything at all Certainly not to his h he had been the one to bail her out of the massive debts which his father had incurred when he had chosen unwisely to invest his life savings on Alex and his ridiculous h financial security to last several lifeti his private fortune had left him with a jaded palate and a deep-rooted cynicis and everyone he surveyed, he had practically forgotten what it felt like to have someone ruffle his feathers

Especially a woly everyone bar hi over a pair of football trainers, thefootballer

Leo leaned forward, invading her space ‘I used to play football when I was your age’

‘And you were a brilliant little footballer’ Katherine looked at her son and half-sa Do you remember that? I would stay at home with your little brother Alexander and you would trot off with your boots slung over your shoulder and a little packed lunch’

‘I reruffly He did, now that the subject had been raised, but in truth that was a memory which had been well and truly buried

He wasn’t given to re, but he had to ad Long-forgotten football stories were brought out for the benefit of his son Every so often as the food was brought to theh never with a personal anecdote of her own

‘You must have been to a footballhis e his body into the chair, feet extended at an angle and lightly crossed at the ankles ‘Where did you grow up? Around here?’

‘Not a million miles away,’ Heather told him cautiously

‘Which would be where, exactly?’

‘Reading Near Reading, as a matter of fact’

‘Good football tea hi it impossible for her not to respond ‘And your family…do they still live there?’

‘No They don’t My father died years ago, and al She lives there now Has a little hairdressing business’ No state secrets there, but Heather still didn’t like exposing her private life to him, and she didn’t knohy

‘Brothers? Sisters?’

‘Just me’

‘So let ht…’ Leo’s s force ‘You lived in Reading, no siblings, al with stepfather…What ht not be one of the biggest cities in the UK, but it’s still a city—still has nightclubs, restaurants, theatres, all the things that would appeal to a person of your age In other words, you must find life pretty dead out here’

‘Stop interrogating the poor child!’ Katherine said sharply, and Leo looked at his mother in amazement When was the last time she had ever snapped at hih he inhabited a different plane ‘You ht have lots of ive you the right to do as you please with other people You must be able to see that Heather feels unco!’

Duly chastised, Leo flushed He noticed that his son was s at him

‘Which just goes to show—’ he took advantage of the temporary ceasefire to draw Daniel into a conspiracy ofwoman You’ll discover that for yourself in due course’

One Disney s of popcorn later, Heather was et back to the safety of her cottage