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Her voice trailed off Rafaello said nothing She went on walking ‘So, you see,’ she continued in the sah she tried very hard toas possible, ‘I don’t knoho my mother was, and I have no idea at all about my father—well, the boy who fathered me, presuot htened ‘—nant So, anyway…’ She took a breath ‘I was taken into care, and—’

Cold was running down Rafaello’s spine ‘I knew nothing of this!’

His interruption da flinch The harshness was back in his voice with a vengeance Her feet slewed to a halt The fragile edifice of civility which had been built up over lunch crashed down around her ears She stole a look at hi down at her His eyes, veiled behind his dark glasses, were invisible, but his rim line

Her heart plunged to the ground It was like walking headfirst into a blizzard after spring flowers had blossomed Oh, why didn’t I justabout Benji—or uish He’s horrified—appalled! She felt sick inside

‘I…I thought you knew,’ she said in a small, shaky voice ‘It was on my birth certificate “Parents unknown” And my time of birth was the closest estimate the hospital could coe licence’

‘I did not see it,’ he replied remotely

Magda bit her lip Of course Why should Rafaello di Viscenti bother himself with trivia like her birth certificate?

‘You were telling me about Benji’s father’ The voice that proda forced herself to continue her sorry tale

‘Um—it was in the care hoether…Then—well, u throat, forcing out words that brought back somemories ‘We’d just left the hoether when Kaz was diagnosed with cancer At first the treatment worked, for a couple of years, but then the cancer came back Terminal this time Kaz…Kaz died just after Benji was born…’

She couldn’t go on Just couldn’t She started walking again, but she couldn’t see anything She was grateful for her dark glasses because they kept the tears hidden Her steps were jerky

Suddenly her arrip She tried to pull away, but she could not She felt tears seeping frolasses, and lifted a hand to try and wipe them away

‘I a I have ever thought or said about you’