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Polly eyed the eldest child; he was no es were aDespite lances at a football in thedaintily ‘He’s very good,’ she said Maybe French children did have better manners

Claire grinned ‘He’s been bribed Uncle Gabe will come and play trains with him if he eats all his lunch and behaves Don’t let hielic’

‘How do you do it?’ Polly looked from Claire to Natalie, both so laid-back, dressed siantly, not a hair out of place ‘Raise them and run this place?’

‘With help!’ Claire said ereement

‘I have an au pair, Mareat deal’

Polly s She didn’t have a mother or a husband—but she could buy in help After all, she paid people to clean her house, buy her groceries, mow her lawn Why not to raise her child?

Polly put the bread she was holding back on her plate untasted It sounded so cold She looked over at the sood and wished he were free to run free, to tear into his food with gusto That her presence didn’t constrain him

She didn’t want to recreate her childhood, to raise a perfectly behaved child painfully trying to live up to ih expectations She wantedshe wanted this Loud, argu to have a child then she wanted a real fa, the whole lot

Well, ; Mr Simpkins would never cope

Su up her best French, she leant over to the small boy ‘Bonjour, Jean I love trains,’ she said ‘When you’ve finished eating do you think you could show me?’

Jean put his bread down and regarded her with solemn dark eyes ‘I have cars too,’ he said after a pause ‘Do you like cars too?’

‘I adore cars,’ Polly told him ‘Especially old ones’

CHAPTER EIGHT