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‘Antiseptic,’ he mur rate ‘Did you know that? Let’s go and find some plaster’

‘I have some in one of these drawers,’ Francesca mumbled

‘Leave it toopen drahile she stood, transfixed, staring, heart racing He found the right drawer eventually and carefully began putting the plaster over the cut His touch was electrifying

‘There’s no need for you to do that, Angelo I’ on a piece of plaster ht, when she was passively allowing him to do what he wanted

‘Nonsense All woht of blood It’s a well docurinned ‘Fortunately I’ with situations like this’

‘That is the most…the most…’

‘Truthful thing you have ever heard spoken?’

‘The most ridiculous nonsense I’ve ever heard in ht there in front of her,it very difficult for her to breathe and impossible for her to move, with her back to the counter

‘You remember I once told you that for a while I toyed with the idea of studying medicine at university…’

‘And you re medicine didn’t actually qualify you as a doctor?’

‘I always thought that that was a particularly harsh response,’ Angelo said piously, ‘especially considering that I had just successfully diagnosed your stress-induced stoestion’

For a few breathless seconds Francesca didn’t say anything, then she , then, if you don’ton a piece of plaster for me and I don’t mean to have the last word but I could have done itfor him to return to his chair, which he did She failed to hear his exasperated sigh ‘Actually,’ she carried on, papering over her chaotic feelings with sood We didn’t just learn how to cook We also learnt quite a bit about nutrition and hoe eat affects our health and well-being, and also so with the sort of accidents that can happen in a kitchen You know, cuts, burns, that sort of thing’ With her back to hioing