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But he was finding he daant and had let her go, thinking that it was the best for the both of the to wonder whether that had been a mistake froiven hi to make the same mistake twice, not when there was so much at stake

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘WHAT’S going on?’ Charlotte stepped through her front door at a little after seven-thirty, to find Riccardo right there and apparently waiting for her This was disconcerting In fact, the past two-and-a-half weeks had been disconcerting She could accuse hi an effort for the sake of his daughter was not one of theuess, but if the object of the exercise was to get close to his daughter then he was succeeding with flying colours

He’d been getting back to the house by seven He had taken Gina to the cineine he’d enjoyed in ameal in a fast-food restaurant surrounded by babies, toddlers, young children running about and harassed mothers without complaint He had played Scrabble and contrived to lose, Monopoly—which he hadn’t quite been able to bring hiames of cards which Charlotte could only think he’d found supremely tiresome compared to his previous adult pursuits On a scale of one to ten, where, she wondered, did gin ru in the coy blondes at a posh restaurant?

Charlotte had watched fro herself froa situation with the one hundred percent desire to succeed hich he approached all situations

Aside frohed, he’d joked, but his attention had been prihtest hint that anything physical had taken place between theentleman The cynical side of her couldn’t help but think that he was covering ground quickly with Gina so that he could clear out of the house, having realised that sex with her er an option

‘Food,’ Riccardo said succinctly He began helping her out of her coat while Charlotte, bewildered, wondered what he was on about

‘You’re wearing my apron’

‘Well spotted’

‘It looks ridiculous’ But she had to smile Riccardo, decked out in old chinos, a tee-shirt and sporting an apron bought by Gina that declared the joys of motherhood, was priceless ‘I wish I had a ca’

‘Go upstairs and have a bath’

‘Yes, but…’

‘Gina’s with one of her school friends Last- to the ht-thirty I thought that would be all right as tomorrow’s Saturday’

‘Well…’ Charlotte felt a little twinge of alarm Gina had been their chaperone for the past couple of weeks, always around with the in potentially aard silences with relentless chatter When she hadn’t been around, Riccardo had disappeared to work and Charlotte had curled up in front of the television, alwayssure to take a handy book to duck behind should he appear without warning

‘It’s a good opportunity to discuss…douely