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His voice sounded far too familiar and her knees eak 'Oh, hello,' she said, sing and checking hurriedly on her reflection in thenearby, as if he could actually see her She had spent soood Just in case he caht defiantly in excuse, because she wasn't planning on going out and had no real reason for dressing carefully, but Cass wasn't catching her unprepared again, so she had put on a pale green linen dress which gave her a cool, contained air At least if he did appear she would be ready to deal with him

'How are you?' he asked, as if they hadn't h she felt that, too It see time since breakfast

'Fine,' she said without betraying that, because he was capable of using the knowledge against her, and Sian did not intend to let hiuess he had any effect on her at all 'What do you want now?' she added crisply

'Are you in one of your aggressive h she amused him 'A pity I can't be there to deal with you'

'Deal with ain

'But I've had to go to Glasgow' Sian immediately felt depressed 'Oh,' she said when he paused for comment, and he went on, his tone wry

'Business will keep et to my aunt's place for the weekend if I have to move heaven and earth You'll be there, won't you?'

Glumly, she said she didn't know, she wasn't sure

'Proh he wouldn't see that, either

'Just so that you can keep the gossip columns happy? Why should I?'

'Why are you so cross?' he asked, his voice hardening, too 'What's happened?'

She didn't want hi, to work out that for soone away

'Nothing's happened,' she said, forcing a brightness into her voice 'I'm not cross, not at all But I do have a life of my own, you know, and you and your insistence on a ro my life too easy at the moment'

There was a silence, then he asked tersely, 'Is this all about that guy?'

'Guy? What guy?' She was bewildered