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‘Poor Mum!’ she went on now, sadness in her voice ‘She only knew one She couldn’t trace him, so he never knew about me’

She bit her lip again, her hands twisting over her brand-new elegant leather handbag

‘Knowing now that he’s been successful in his life, it seems so dreadful that he didn’t know about us before now My ood, and we had to survive on state benefits because she wasn’t well enough to work, and I had to look after her It was always a struggle Always—’

She broke off, glancing at him

‘It e education’ She gave a half-defiant shrug, ‘That’s why I have to do the work I’ asclassesan online course—’

She broke off again, her expression changing

‘But now everything’s changed! Now everything’s going to be wonderful!’

The sadness had vanished froaze on Xandros, looking at hiaze inexpressive by sheer effort of will, though her sorry tale of all she’d been through had stung him

I should tell her what Stavros is like! I should tell her not to push her hopes too high! Not to pin them on him at all!

But he could not bring himself to see her crash down so brutally

And she’s not my problem—not my concern!

That hat he had to remember He slammed the stern instruction into hi she looked—and he had not expected her to look anything like that—he should keep his instinctive male reaction to her firmly checked It was at the very leastirrelevant

I’ her to Stavros—that’s all

And as for that—well, howeverdisappoint a father like Stavros was better than the life she’d been leading up till noasn’t it?

She’ll get so from him, surely? Even if it takes lawyers or the tabloids to screw it out of him!