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‘Yes, I’ve heard it,’ Elizabeth confirmed softly ‘And that may or may not be true of both your own father and et what you said towith the unresolved issues between my father and myself before it’s too late The funeral today, with all those people who have fond memories of your father, has shown me that I need to know, to find out for myself what sort of man ently

Rogan’s , I suppose, that I left it too late to find out what sort of man my own father was?’

Elizabeth gave hi is about you, Rogan’

He scowled fiercely ‘I know that, damn it’

‘Then please try to understand that I have to do this—forelse’

Rogan did understand He even ad to do He had just been totally thrown by her announce Sullivan house later today…

Which was pretty stupid when Rogan already knew he had no intention of staying on there any longer than he absolutely had to That he would be leaving there himself tomorrow Or at the very latest the day after that

But the thought of Elizabeth leaving, of never seeing her again, disturbed hiined…

‘Fine,’ he accepted offhandedly ‘Go But I hope you’re prepared to accept that your father just ht he was!’

‘Believe ave a rueful sood for each other But, as I told you before, I didn’t know until I was old enough to realise that I re, and very loving towards me when he was at home Possibly because of the lack of love in his relationship with ed ‘But which ca? Or my father’s affairs? I was a child, so how could I possibly know or be in a position to act as his judge and jury?’

Had Rogan acted as judge and jury to his own father…? Hell, yes After his ed his father! But he was an adult now, and not the eer he had been when he’d left Sullivan House all those years ago Was his judgeht one? Or had it been as flawed as Elizabeth now felt perhaps her own had been of her own father?

Whatever the answer to that question was, Rogan certainly didn’t feel like thanking Elizabeth for putting these doubts in his own mind!

‘Maybe I’ll see er I‘ve felt towards him for so many years,’ Elizabeth continued ruefully ‘And maybe I won’t…’ Her expression istful

Rogan looked at her thoughtfully ‘That’s a pretty gutsy outlook’

‘It hed softly ‘But I have to at least try’

Rogan had to ade

At least he would have ade if he didn’t still feel so confused by his own anger at the thought of her leaving here later today

Leaving him!

The car finally pulled up to the house, and other cars with guests who had taken Mrs Baines up on her offer of tea and sandwiches after the funeral were already starting to pull in behind

Elizabeth looked at hiain?’ she asked

‘Not really, but I suppose I’ll have to,’ he replied ‘Hopefully it won’t go on too long’ And, with that, he took a deep breath and opened the car door

Chapter Eleven

‘ROGAN?’ Elizabeth said softly

He e her presence as she stood hesitantly in the bedroom doorway He simply stood as still as a statue in the middle of the rooht after talking with his father’s lawyer, once the other funeral guests had left

‘Rogan, what’s wrong?’ Elizabeth pressed

His expression was grihtly etched features His eyes were so dark and unfathomable that Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel concerned about him