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Daisy sagged in her seat She couldn’t tell them, she wouldn’t tell the drawl and step into her mother’s embrace She didn’t allow herself that luxury very often

‘Actually, can we go to the registrar’s to until we have told my parents Would you mind if we visit them first?’

Daisy waited, her hands slippery with tense anticipation It had been so long since she had consulted with someone else or needed consensus on any action

‘Of course’ Seb took his eyes froly on her hands, twisting in her lap ‘But if we’re going to tell your parents we’re engaged we should probably stop at a jeweller’s on the way You need a ring’

‘Daisy! Darling, what a lovely surprise’

It was strange being face to face with sodon: ure, as taut and slender at over fifty as it had been at twenty, the blonde hair sweeping down her back seehter’s

‘And who’s this?’ The famously sleepy blue eyes were turned onto Seb, an unexpectedly shrewdly appraising look in them Maybe not that unexpected—you didn’t stay at the top of your profession for over thirty years without brains as well as beauty

‘Sebastian Beresford’ He held his hand out and Daisy’sblack lashes

‘What a treat’ Her voice was low, al men home Come on in, the pair of you Violet’s around somewhere and Rick’s in his studio—the Benefit Concert is creeping up on us again Daisy, darling, you will be here to take some photos, won’t you?’

‘Wouldn’t h herpath that led from the driveway around the house It was a beautiful ivy-covered house, large by any standards—unless one happened to live in a castle—dating back to Willia the three-storey

Unlike Hawksley it had been sympathetically updated and restored and, as they rounded the corner, Seb could see tennis courts in the distance and a cluster of stable buildings and other outbuildings all evidently restored and in use

An unexpected stab of nostalgic pain hit hirandfather had taken a perverse pride in the disco—and as for Seb’s father He pushed the thought away, fists clenched with the unwanted anger that still flooded through hience

Sherry cae paved terrace with steps leading upwards to the French doors at the back of the house Coed to take the best advantage of the gorgeous views ‘I think it’s warhter ‘I’ll go get Rick He’ll be so happy to see you, Daisy He was saying the other day we see more of Rose and she lives in New York You two make yourselves at ho, let Vi know you’re here, will you?’

‘I’ll text her’ Daisy perched on a bench as she pulled out her phone and, after a moment’s hesitation, Seb joined her Of course they would sit together In fact, they should be holding hands He looked at her long, slender fingers flying over the phone’s surface and willed hih hers

Just one touch And yet it felt ht her and the vows he was prepared to make

‘That’s Dad’s studio’ Daisy slipped the phone back into her dress pocket and pointed at the largest of the outbuildings ‘The first thing he did was convert it into a soundproofed, state-of-the-art recording studio—ere never allowed in unsupervised but it didn’t stop us trying to ood None of us are particularly ust The room next to it is used as rehearsal space and we turned the orangery into a pool and gym, othere pretty ed much since it was built’

But it had The paintas fresh, the soft furnishings and wallpaper new, the furniture chosen with care NewIt hat Hawksley needed, if only his great-great-grandfather had married an American heiress