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His eyes roved over her in a manner she had always found offensive, but Cathy had learnt to ignore the suggestive way her boss looked at her, just as she had learnt to ignore his other annoying traits Because no job in the world was perfect Nothing was Everyone knew that ‘What?’ she questioned apprehensively

‘You’ll need to do so about your appearance All of the staff need some sort of overhaul, but you need it more than most, Cathy’

It was a criticism he had levelled at her more than once But Cathy never really had the inclination to use anything other than a little honest-to-goodness soap and water and to drag a brush through her pale and disobedient hair Her cha duties meant she had to be up reat-aunt who had brought her up had been a no-nonsense woreat-niece to do the same

Cathy hated the way Rupert sometimes made her feel As if she were only half a woets a kick out of it, that’s why And because he’s never got over the fact that you once rejected hiet the better of you and she found herself asking, ‘What’s wrong with my appearance?’

‘How long have you got?’ Rupert smoothed back the lock of hair which flopped over his forehead ‘The point is that the Prince is a connoisseur of beautiful things and beautiful wo for a miracle, I’d like you to make a bit o a a brand-new uniform’

Most woht of a new unifor in Rupert’s eyes ly, she could feel herself starting to blush—a slow heat travelling all the way down her neck and beyond, to the infuriatingly heavy weight of breasts which had always been too lush for her tiny frame ‘But—’ ‘No buts,’ said Rupert ‘I’oes’

Well, she certainly couldn’t argue with that Cathy bit her lip as she watched Rupert sweep out of the reception area in that over-dramatic manner of his

In a way, she had been in the job too long—and soe to leave Yet familiarity was a powerful tie, especially to the e else but this place

She had been brought to this village as an orphan—delivered into the care of her great-aunt—a forrieving child Cathy had hts And her great-aunt, though well-intentioned, had been unusually strict with her, extolling the virtues of clean living, early nights and plenty of book learning

But Cathy had proved to be so of a disappointment Not a particularly academic child, she had achieved little in the way of qualifications except for a co and a special arden

When her great-aunt had beco in some small way to repay the woman’s kindness to her And after her death Cathy had experienced that sa alone as when her parents had died

The job as cha other than a temporary post while she decided what she really wanted to do with her life It had provided an undee from the cruel knocks of life But the days had drifted into y roentleness—and when he had asked her toa sihtforward man who loved her

Or so he’d said He had taken a job up north and the plan had been that she would join him at the end of the year And then yesterday, the letter had arrived The one which had destroyed all her hopes and dreams and made a mockery of all she stood for The one which said: I’ to have a baby…

She was so lost in her troubled thoughts that at first she didn’t notice that anybody had walked into Reception Not until a fainttowards the desk Aa professional smile of welcome to her lips

And froze

It was one of those rareonce in a lifetiaze sodevoured by it