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His eyes glea 'A little coed into some unspeakable horror video—' Clare frowned at this, the freckles between her straight brows for, little ers… it may be unspeakable to s Tamara doesn't seem to find it particularly scary, and I don't think it will be detri run I'm not a totally inept father, you know'

'I never thought you were,' Clare said faintly, because it seeht

'Don't think I haven't felt your disapproving , his dark eyes suddenly very ht, real or iined 'I can't be a father and mother to her; she remembers Nina far too well to accept my poor efforts as substitute They were very close Sometimes I think that her behaviour ste herout to Rome to join me when the plane crashed'

'Surely not—' Clare blurted reassuringly Was that really what he thought? Or was he just voicing his own deep-felt guilt?

'Look, can I co about this in a corridor,' he asked ruefully

She hesitated, fighting the autoet in the door?

'I was just about to relax on the couch with a Russian spy,' shethe book out from under her arm Then she realised what she had said and blushed

His eyebrows rose again 'Won't a musician do?' he murmured with sensuous amusement

'David…' They both heard the weakness in her voice, and he followed up his advantage

'Please? A lonely musician? I'm far safer than a spy'

'That's a ht 'I suppose you can co that she'But just for a little while,' she warned, more for herself than for him

'Just long enough to finish the bottle,' he pro past her

'What bottle?' Her eyes fell to the hands which had remained tucked behind him for the short duration of their conversation

'This one' He had two glasses, also, crystal flutes fro at over one hundred dollars a bottle, a fillass

'We can't drink that' Clare was used to the extravagance of guests, but her own econo it