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‘The doctor’s with hi hand to her spine to herd her in the right direction He was the ht ruefully, it seemed to come entirely naturally to him, as if an autocratic need to trarammed into him at birth ‘Not that he’s been much use!’

Lisa was pacing the floor with a wailing Nicky and looked as though she had been through the wars Earlier that day she had looked i down untidily and her shirt was spattered with food stains An older bespectacled man, who could only be the doctor, overlooked the scene with an air of discomfiture

‘What’s wrong with Nicky?’ Jemima asked worriedly

The doctor studied her anxiously ‘A touch of tonsillitisnothing more—’

‘My son would not be an wrathfully

‘Oh, yes, he would’ Jelance ‘He makes a real fuss when he’s sick He’s had tonsillitis a couple of tiht with him’

With a yell, Nicky unglued his reddened eyes and, focusing joyously on Jeave a frantic lurch in Lisa’s hold The other woman crossed the room in haste to settle him into Jemima’s arms ‘It’s obvious he wants his mum’

‘Perhaps you could explain toerNicky’s father that this is not a serious condition The baby has a mild fever and a sore throat and possibly soainst Jeainst her as he slumped

‘Try to get him to drink some water to keep hilance in Luciano’s s direction ‘Within a couple of days and with the medication he’ll soon be back to normal’

‘Thank you,’ Jemima pronounced quietly as she sank down on a comfortable leather seat and accepted the baby bottle of water Lisa helpfully extended She studied Nicky and glanced across the room at Luciano So, she finally had first-hand evidence of whose genes had dealt Nicky the theatrics and the fireworks, she thought wryly, ignoring Nicky when he twisted away his mouth from the bottle ‘Do you want your cup?’ she asked

Nicky looked up at her, dark eyes cross and shi with tears

Je and proceeded to pour so Nicky

‘Seems that he is one little boy who knohat he wants,’ Lisa remarked

‘You’re spot on’ Jemima watched the baby moisten his lips and then try a tiny sip Forced to s, he griain while she praised him and told him what a brave, wonderful boy he was

Luciano watched the perforry frustration assailing hi a fait accompli Jemima handled Nicky beautifully, clearly knew him inside out and responded shly qualified nanny had failed utterly to provide the coraures He wondered tensely how his son would cope without a mother, particularly with her sudden disappearance Bemused by that flood of concern and the sort of deep questions he norether in frustration and called someone to show out the doctor

‘It is only a mild illness,’ Jemima remarked quietly ‘Relax’

‘How the hell a?’ Luciano lashed back at her in fierce attack

‘Sos and the norory,’ Jeently

Well, he cared about Nicky; he was quite accidentally revealing that with his behaviour Of course, he had to be aggressive even in that, but then he was an aggressive ence warned her that Luciano Vitale would not voluntarily share anything with her that he considered to be private or personal Obviously his feelings about his son would fall squarely into that territory and it was not for her to pry, she told herself doggedly as Nicky snuffled into an exhausted sleep on her lap

Luciano strode to the door, raking an ilossy hair A dark shadow of stubble outlined his sculptedjawline He was obviously the sort of man who had to shave twice a day He had loosened his racy red tie at the collar, unbuttoned the top button of his white shirt He looked a little more hu and she censured her selfish sense of satisfaction that he was finding his sonwas rily Nicky was Luciano’s flesh and blood and she should be pleased that he was so keen to get to know his child