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Not Tak, of course, that would be bonkers—true bats in the belfry, as Eleanor would have said But soh date offers over the years, even from men who had known she had a child

Had she been selfish in not even trying? Clai in and out of her life when actually she’d been protecting herself?

Effie shook her head almost imperceptibly and pulled her s

houlders back No, she hadn’t been selfish The sih for her to want to risk opening her life up for theh

‘Right’

Tak’s voice broke into her reverie

‘You’ve seen your wing and the main areas of the house I’ll leave you to settle in at your own pace Havers is around if you need anything’

And then he was gone, and Effie was staring at the doorway as though it nore the needling voice in her head pointing out to her that none of those men had been Tak Basu

‘You aren’t going’ Effie was determined to remain steadfast, however torn she felt internally ‘It’s a school night’

It had been two days since Tak had left them to settle in True to his word, their paths hadn’t crossed since then, although between Havers and the rest of the staff she and Nell hadn’t ever felt alone in the vast house

But still, it was hard not to feel that their everywitnessed by so

As if to prove Effie’s point, Nell glowered at her in disbelief ‘But it’s her birthday’

‘So you already said Several times’

‘I thought you wantedno attempt to hide her frustration ‘You’re the one who upended our lives by dragging us here’

She shouldn’t bite back—she knew that—but whether her daughter realised it or not it was a lo Guilt scraped at her She had uprooted her daughter, she was always telling Nell she had toanywhere on school nights