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'You were pretending to liketo hate Dad, and I nearly fell for it,' the girl charged on, co her father 'Well, you can stick your stupid gym and you can stick your bloody two-faced friendship and your creepy son—' The genuine agony behind the fury made Clare's heart weep for her, but David was made of sterner stuff

'All right, Taest you go back to our suite before youClare, or insulting e about'

'Oh, right It's nothing to do with ht?' Tahter Your boring, stupid, ugly, talentless daughter who you can't even stand to have around! Well, that's fine, because I can't stand being around you, either Why should I care, if you don't?' She turned her fury back on to Clare, although her words lashed out at her father 'You think he cares about you, either? He'll dump you just like he dumped all the others, like he dumped me So you better just enjoy the celebrity screhile it lasts—' She lie out of the corner of her eye and broke off to flee, sla the door behind her There were no tears, but Clare didn't doubt there would be floods of theot back to her room

'I'htly 'She woke and saw the tiht be worse When she saw the dinner things, she started acting like a betrayed wife Hell, what a h the hair that only a short tio Clare had ruffled in the freedoued cat, but—'

'She's hurt and cornered, and feels the only way out is to fight,' Clare defended tiredly 'Don't be too hard on her'

David's anger slipped a cog Tamara was teet 'And you're too daet aith htest criticism of your fa mine What the hell makes you such

an expert? You have probleh it may please you to believe you have all the answers'

'I never said that—'

'No? You think this nightmare problem of Tim's is just a phase? After two years! You don't think that there's so in these timely asthma attacks of his? Your son is an extremely clever child What do you think all this 'there, there, Mu him? That only you can make it better! That he can't rely on anyone else You treat the sy-headed to seek out the proper advice I adht?—I admit it! Tim wouldn't be happy at the Music School, because there he would be just one of enius You think that byhim a favour You're not Here he's one of a kind, out of step with his peers and probably suffering for it ed to develop his individuality, to interact with kids who are on th But of course that wouldthe boy, and you can't have that, can you? He must hat you want'

David's anger, once released, built fro up and down the rooust evident with every word Hands on hips, Clare s her own angry a down his arrogant nose, his black eyes savage with frustration

'Oh, yes, you're just aching to orderhappened Well, I happened, Clare Malcolm And I dare you to try and deny o over there on the floor, you gave ht to say them!'

Clare faced hi but the use ofbreath 'And as it happened I have sought the proper advice for Tiist, whose final diagnosis was that Ti environment And over the past six months he has improved dramatically It's only when he's under par that he has a tendency to revert'

'Then why in the hell didn't you tellcheated of the satisfaction of being right

'Maybe if you had asked the question without iht have,' Clare retorted

'Hell, you can be an aggravating bitch!'