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CHAPTER THREE
‘HI’
How did one greet one’s fiancé when one was a) pregnant, b) entering ato be in love?
It should be a kiss on the cheek Daisy greeted everyone with a kiss on the cheek, from her ht of pressing her lips to that stubbled cheek, inhaling the scent of leather and outdoors and soap
Instead she stood aside, holding the door half open, her knuckles white as she clung onto the door handle as if it anchored her to the safety of her old life ‘Come in, I’m nearly ready’
Seb stepped through and then stopped still, his eyes narrowing as he looked around slowly
A converted loft, all exposed brickwork and steel girders, one wall doh which the alley kitchen at one end, built-in shelves cra the side wall and the rest of the ground-floor space bare except for an old blue velvet sofa, a sht her subjects The bulk of her personal belongings were on the overhangingspace
Daisy adored her light-filled spacious studio and yet, compared to Seb’s home, steeped in history and stuffed with antiques, her flat felt sparse and achingly trendy
‘Nice’ Seb looked ht possible, -sleeved T-shirt in a soft grey cotton and newer, cleaner jeans Maybe because he stood there confidently, unasha at each one of the photos hung on every available bit of wall space He turned, slowly, taking in every detail with that cool assessing gaze ‘Wedding photography must pay better than I realised’
‘It’s not mine unfortunately I rent it froestured over to thethe far wall ‘I used to share with four other students on the floor above and it got a little cramped—physically and mentally, all those artistic temperaments in one open-plan space! It was such a relief when John decided tothe studio from him’
‘Mates’ rates?’
‘Not quite’ Daisy tried to s back her defensiveness at the assumption Her parents would have loved to set her up in style but she had been detero it alone, no matter how difficult it was to find a suitable yet affordable studio John’s offer had been the perfect solution ‘I do pay rent but John’s turned into a bit of a hermit so I also handle all the London side of his business for him It works well for us both’