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He should go home more often Talk to his papa about his future plans Help out a little

‘Sorry for gatecrashing, Pol’ Raff inkling up at his sister ‘Grandfather insisted’

‘Clara explained It’s okay, of course you’re all welcome but there’s not much I can tell you today Gabe and I haven’t had an opportunity to pull our research together, although after seeing what Natalie is doing with the software on a s completely convinced if we can make the numbers add up’

‘This isn’t about Rafferty’s,’ her grandfather interrupted and Gabe could feel the shock reverberate through Polly as her cheeks whitened and she took a step closer to her grandfather’s chair

‘Not about Rafferty’s? Are you ill? I knew you should have stepped down earlier!’

‘Charles isn’t ill, at least, no worse than he was before the angina attack’ Polly’s grand for and apparently finding reassurance

‘Then what?’

‘Polly dear, your grandfather and I are going to remarry’

Polly looked down the wooden table at her fae to rub her eyes It was ironic, just last night she would have given anything to have her faated in her kitchen the way the Beaufils did, all eating together

And here they were Sure, it was a little more formal, a tad more aard than in the Provence farue-tied and Gabe evidently eht up in the family drama Clara

Clara only had eyes for Raff and he for her

A hollow pit opened up in Polly’s stomach What would it be like for someone to look at her like that? As if she were the answer to every question? To every prayer

Yesterday with Gabe she had co him in Colour flushed her cheeks as she reed him No wonder he couldn’t meet her eyes

‘Not hungry, Polly?’ Clara looked pointedly at Polly’s almost untouched plate

‘Sorry, Clara Please don’t tell your father It was delicious as always I’ to, Polly allowed her eyes to wander over to Gabe, somehow at the head of the table Of her table He looked co fingers playing on the stelass

Fingers that just yesterday had been playing on her skin