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She stood up, resolved to get it over and done with i, she walked into the kitchen and then stopped, surprised, when it was empty A moment later Travis appeared, his manner casual and his voice easy when he said, 'Left the newspapers in the car' He reached for his tray as he spoke, his plate piled high with enough food for a rugby tea'

He'd disappeared before she could say anything, and when she joined hi on the tub she'd vacated, a newspaper spread out on the floor in front of hirossed as he ate Beth sat down on the bench, feeling at a loss She didn't kno to start now Soain "You don't look very coan

'I'm fine' He didn't raise his head from the newspaper and his voice was preoccupied

Beth gave up and selected a newspaper fro into a croissant as she began to read She'd say so later; there was plenty of time

It was a war When they had eaten their fill—Travis packing away an inordinate amount of food—Beth made some more coffee and they continued to read the papers in the sunshine, sitting side by side on the bench now Fat buht-eyed sparrows chattered and squabbled as they cleared the cake from the bird table and Harvey, replete and satisfied, dozed and dreay dreams at their feet

It was a perfect suy But, like the night before at the hotel, Travis hadout his long legs and tilting his head back against the back of the bench, he appeared to doze for a while, before suddenly standing up and hauling her to her feet

'Walk,' he announced 'Burn off some calories for lunch'

Harvey had heard the ic word and so she couldn't object

With Harvey ga in the delicious s the banks of a sparkling tranquil river Or it had been tranquil before Harvey arrived It was at ed about in an ecstasy of enjoyment, that Beth realised he was still just a puppy in spite of his size

Travis radually found herself relaxing and just enjoying the beautifulDaisies, buttercups, rich white clover and many other wild flowers Beth didn't know the narass at their feet, the perfume of pine heavy in the warm air

Travis had taken her hand at the beginning of the walk and she hadn't objected, wondering if he would pause and kiss her at soht and an or accident Beth wasn't sure She only knew that her e with hienda Which made her the an to retrace their steps to the cottage But she just didn't seem to know her own mind where Travis was concerned

'What?' Too late Beth realised she aze was now trained on her face 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing' She forced a s's the matter'

He stopped, enclosing her within his arms, but loosely 'Don't buy it,' he said evenly 'What were you thinking?'

She thought swiftly 'I was just wondering about that' She touched the scar on his face 'How you got it'

He looked at her and she knew he didn't believe her but he didn't pursue the h his as they began to walk on 'I had a brother,' he said unemotionally, 'Kirk He o years older than me Shortly afterfor the day The boat overturned in the river whenoff Kirk got entangled in some weeds and stuff, couldn't surface I shouted tohis own skin By the tiot Kirk to the surface I'd had to come up for air umpteen times He didn't have a chance' He touched the scar on his face 'There were all ht my face on I didn't even feel it at the ti'

'Oh, Travis' Beth was appalled She stopped, causing him to halt too and look at her 'I'm so sorry,' she said weakly 'That's terrible'

He nodded 'Yes, it was' For a ain 'My stepfather insisted he didn't help because he couldn't swiet to the bank by a fluke I didn't believe hiht But my mother chose to accept his story'