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‘Shh,’ he said in as gentle a voice as he’d ever used and she shut her eyes tightly closed, as if she couldn’t bear toto have to take it easy’

‘I know,’ she said as tears began to slide from beneath her lashes

They kept her in overnight and she was discharged into his care the following day She tried refusing his offer of a wheelchair, telling hi to the car

‘They said to take it easy,’ she told hi like an invalid’

‘I’ any chances,’ came his even response, but his tone was underpinned with steel ‘And if you won’t get in the wheelchair, then I shall be forced to pick you up and carry you across the car park—whichof a stir Up to you, Ellie’

She glowered but made no further protest as he wheeled her to the car, and she didn’t say anything else until they were back at the apartment, when he’d sat her down on one of the squashy sofas and er tea she loved

She glanced up as he walked in with the tray Her expression was steady and very cal to do about your brother?’

His throat constricted She’d gone straight for the jugular, hadn’t she? ‘My brother?’ he repeated as if it were the first time he’d ever heard that word As if he hadn’t spent the past twenty-four hours trying to purge his mind of its existence ‘It’s you and the baby which are on ht now’

‘You’re avoiding the subject,’ she pointed out ‘Which is par for the course for you But I’ to let this drop, Alek I’m just not Before I went into hospital, we discovered so pretty momentous about your—’

‘I don’t have a brother,’ he cut in harshly ‘Understand?’

Frustratedly, she shook her head ‘I understand that you’re pig-headed and stubborn! You e she left—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true Why would she lie?’