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Passion! A bitter smile touched her lips as she used the housekeeper’s entrance to ood her escape Muchthat she was suffering fro it surging to life

CHAPTER FIVE

IN the e told Chelsea acidly that he had had to go into Newcastle on business

She was just on the point of leaving the house when the housekeeper suddenly produced a set of car keys which she handed begrudgingly to Chelsea, watching her speculatively

‘Told ive these to you and said you were toit, he was thisbefore he left’

For a e in no uncertain ter the car, but caution prevailed She had no intention of arousing the woman’s curiosity even further, and it had occurred to her that with the car she ht be able to find alternative accommodation

With this in mind she drove up to the far to ask Tom’s mother if she could recommend somewhere where she could stay

She found Mrs Little in the large old-fashioned far sed kitchen, and Chelsea sniffed appreciatively as she followed Mrs Little inside

‘Fancy a slice, do you? It will give you indigestion, ainst temptation

‘Tom isn’t here,’ she told Chelsea severaldown at the scrubbed wooden table ‘He had to go into Jedburgh’

‘It’s not him I’ve come to see,’ and Chelsea quickly explained the purpose of her visit

‘H a room hereabouts won’t be easy There’s none to be had in the village, that I know of Not e is a sour old besoh…’

‘It’s got nothing to do with Mrs Rudge,’ Chelsea told her hastily, avoiding her eyes as she added, ‘It’s just that now that Mr Ashford has returned, I thought he ht want his home to himself’

She purposefully avoided Mrs Little’s shrewd eyes as she added the last remark, but felt that she had not totally deceived her when the older wohtfully,

‘Aye, well, there’s the conclusions if Janet

Rudge wasn’t living there, and young Slade’s a fine-looking man; takes after his mother’s fae A bonny lad he ith all the lasses wild for hiised when Chelsea re I doubt that you’ll find anything local’

The kitchen door swung open as she spoke and Tom strode in, patently surprised and pleased to see Chelsea there

‘Sorry about last night,’ he apologised, when she had explained the purpose of her visit, and he had agreed with hisalternative accommodation, ‘but at least you had Slade to take you home’

‘Yes’ Chelsea forced a noncolanced at her watch ‘Heavens—I’d better be going I’d no idea it was that time’

‘I see Slade’s fixed you up with your own transport,’ Toot a minute I’ll show you the new arrival who interrupted our dinner party’