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The clothing discarded in the master bedroom spoke of Ophelia’s recent presence and Lysander breathed a little easier Her priceless pearl and dia ring He fell still, his attention welded to the ring, his wide shapely estion that she was packing to go anywhere this tirily She had no reason to take off again Why was he even thinking this way?

Ophelia was potting up plants she had divided in one of the newly renovated Edwardian greenhouses The work had cost a fortune, but the previous poly-tunnels had offended Lysander’s aesthetic sensibilities Her eyes were still overflowing She sniffed and wiped them irritably on the sleeve of her oversized sweater She was annoyed that she was being so eot the man of her dreams and the baby of her dreams was probably on the way as well Wasn’t there always a serpent in paradise? So, it was a tad de the best of things with you Well, what had she expected?

Lysander thrust open the door of the greenhouse

‘What are you doing here?’ Ophelia spun back to the bench in haste before he could notice her daeously out of place in his forlea at his wrists

‘When you said you wanted a break froet on withday?’

‘Yes’

Feeling the full injustice of that coinia upset you?’

‘She’s lovely—and, no, she didn’t upset olden head was bent as she potted up another plant ‘But realising why I’ of a shock’

‘So, let me into this secret and the shock it dealt you,’ Lysander invited

‘Don’t be flippant,’ Ophelia warned hi it into a pot ‘Let inia was ill and you were ready to move heaven and earth to buy this house for her That’s why you enuineYou didn’t want her to find out how far you were prepared to go on her behalf’

‘Yes,’ Lysander agreed without a shade of hesitance

Ophelia had hoped he would argue and tell her she had got it all wrong His agreement of those facts cut her to the quick The pot she was filling furiously with coan to reseinia was delighted that you hadon to me to keep her happy’

‘No’

In the tense silence, Ophelia continued to build the co no?’

‘I hope I aood son, but I’m not an idiot It would be insane to stay et the impression I was thatme, yineka mou,’ he told her softly

Ophelia stole a wary glance at him ‘So tell me your side of the story…’

Lysander paced forward and gently turned her round, turning up her wrists and tugging off her gloves ‘My well-laid plans went belly-up around the same day that I decided I had to buy a four-poster bed in which to put you—’

Pale blue eyes perplexed, Ophelia stared at hi your pardon?’

‘And that was the day after Ion a different frequency from that moment on I should have stuck to business You were supposed to be a business arrangerave ‘But even though I believed you’d tipped off the paps, I still couldn’t wait to get you into bed’

Ophelia had turned pink

‘I began to ave you for the tabloid interview you did I decided we had to have a honey I wouldn’t have done to get you back, up to and including cancelling the island’s ferry service—’

‘Really?’ Ophelia was perking up, flattered by that confession ‘Would you have sunk that low?’

‘It comes naturally’ Metallic-bronze eyes raked over her heart-shaped face ‘Like loving you’

‘Loving her ‘Since when?’

‘It feels like for ever, agape mou How should I know? I never felt this way about any woman before, so obviously you were very special from the start You wrecked hed when you told a bad joke about it!’ Lysander curved his hands to her sli bench so that their heights were ether I miss you when you’re not with me I can’t wait for you to have my baby’

It was a declaration of love beyond what she had ever hoped to receive from him Yet no sooner had she heard it, than she knew she should have realised howher The passion had long been blended ar with happiness inside her ‘I guess you’re not just with me because your mother likes me—’

‘I would just have kept you apart if she hadn’t It would not influence how I feel about you’ Long brown fingers framed her cheekbones and tilted her face up ‘For better or worse, you are my choice and my wife’

‘And totally, madly in love with you,’ Ophelia confided unevenly, e up her vocal cords ‘I felt so lonely until you ca That’s one of the reasons I was so desperate to find Molly—’

‘In another year she’ll be eighteen and hopefully she’ll decide to look into her past I’ enquiries made about her early years with you It could be helpful to establish who her father is, in case there’s a connection But your details are waiting for Molly on the adoption contact register,’ he reminded her as he leant down to her, brilliant eyes intent ‘Now tell me how much you love me’

There was a hunger in his beautiful eyes that touched Ophelia and she reached up and kissed him with fierce love and appreciation ‘So h to show you,’ she swore passionately ‘Do you really think et in touch?’

‘I believe so, but you olden hair back off her brow ‘You should have toldaffair with Cathy’ As her eyes widened he sighed ‘Virginia thought I should know No wonder you were so hostile e first met Aristide really did work your family over—’

‘He got in touch with Muain when I was a toddler and it wrecked e He wandered in and out of her life for about ten years I only saw him a couple of times because they met up in hotels It was kind of sleazy…’

Lysander pressed a reassuring fingertip to her tremulous lower lip ‘It was love of a kind Obviously he couldn’t stay away I know the feeling I can’t stay away froape mou’