‘That’s why he married me,’ said Moira, exchanging a sparkling look with her husband. ‘Now we’ll leave you men to set the world to rights while we do the tea. Will you help me carry the food out, Lowri?’

‘Yes, please!’ She went into the house with Moira, chattering about devilled eggs and the baking she was going to do with Hester.

‘That’s one very happy little girl,’ said Sam, watching, and Robert nodded, his eyes fond as they followed his wife.

‘Moira has the knack of making people happy. I’m a fortunate man.’

How fortunate was soon demonstrated by the quantity of cakes and savoury delicacies covering the table.

‘If you eat like this, how do you stay so fit, sir?’ asked Sam, awed.

‘A steep garden on several different levels takes care of that,’ Robert assured him wryly. ‘Besides, this is a special occasion, not everyday fare.’

The tea party was a great success. And since the adults took pains to include Lowri in the general conversation, her delight in the occasion was a pleasure to see.

‘And now,’ said Hester later, when they’d helped Moira clear away, ‘I’ll take you to see my own private lair, Lowri, but be careful on the steps.’

Lowri followed Hester up the open-tread iron staircase eagerly, her eyes round as they entered the flat. ‘This is so cool! Is it just this one big room?’

‘More or less. There’s a small bathroom through that door at the end.’

‘It’s perfect,’ sighed Lowri rapturously. ‘I’d love a place of my own like this one day. Could I bring Daddy to see it?’

‘Do you think he’d want to?’ said Hester doubtfully, not sure she wanted Connah’s overpoweringly male presence invading her private space.

‘I want him to see what I’d like.’

‘Time we went back to the others,’ said Hester firmly. ‘Careful on the stairs!’

It was late that evening before Lowri said her goodbyes and thanked her hosts very prettily for having her. ‘I’ve had such a lovely time.’

‘So have we. You must come again soon, darling,’ said Moira, and handed Lowri a large box. ‘I’ve put a few cakes in there for your tea tomorrow.’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Lowri reached up spontaneously and kissed Moira’s cheek, at which point Robert demanded a kiss too.

‘Right then, folks,’ said Hester. ‘I’ll give you a ring later in the week. Thank you for this.’

‘My thanks also,’ said Sam. ‘It was an unexpected treat, and much appreciated.’

When they were in the car on the way back into town, Lowri heaved a great sigh. ‘What a darling house. It must be so lovely to live there, Hester.’

‘It is, but actually I’m not there very much. In my kind of job I live in the house where I’m—employed. I don’t get home here nearly as often as I’d like.’

‘You must get very homesick.’

‘I miss my mother, certainly.’

To Hester’s dismay, tears suddenly slid down Lowri’s flushed cheeks. ‘If I had a mummy like yours I would too,’ she said, so forlornly that Hester put an arm round the child and held her close in wordless comfort all the way home.

It was so late by the time they arrived that Lowri was only too happy to go straight to bed. She fell asleep so quickly that Hester turned off the DVD player, left a night light on and went down to the kitchen. If Connah wanted to talk to his daughter tonight he was out of luck. But, as she sat down at the table with the daily paper and a mug of tea, it dawned on Hester that, unlike Lowri, a sandwich and one of her mother’s cakes had been her entire food intake for the day.

Hester toasted two slices of sourdough bread, spread them with butter and marmalade and sat down to enjoy her snack while she caught up on the day’s news. She was making a second pot of tea later when she heard footsteps on the stone stairs leading up from the basement and turned with a smile, expecting Sam. Her heart gave a deafening thump when Connah strolled into the kitchen instead, smudges of fatigue under eyes which lit with such involuntary pleasure at the sight of her that Hester sat, transfixed.

‘Hello,’ she said at last, breaking the spell.

‘Good evening, Hester,’ he said, clearing his throat, and dumped down his briefcase. ‘Sam thought you’d gone to bed.’

‘Not yet. Though Lowri’s asleep,’ she said, getting a grip. She gestured towards the teapot. ‘I’ve just made a fresh pot. Would you like some tea?’

He slung his jacket on the back of a chair and sat down at the table. ‘I had my sights set on a shot or two of whisky, but now you’ve mentioned it I think maybe I would like some tea. First, anyway.’

‘I didn’t realise you were coming back today,’ said Hester, shaken by her delight at his unexpected appearance.

Connah raked a weary hand through his hair. ‘When I spoke to you this morning it wasn’t on the agenda. But things went better than I expected, so I thought why the hell am I going back to a lonely flat tonight when I can be home with my daughter in a couple of hours?’ He smiled. ‘Of course Lowri’s asleep now, but at least I’ll be with her first thing in the morning.’

‘She’ll be thrilled. Have you had dinner? I could cook you something.’

‘I had a cholesterol-heavy lunch, so thanks for the kind thought but I won’t trouble you to cook tonight, Hester.’ He eyed her expectantly. ‘Maybe you could rustle up a biscuit or two?’

‘Of course.’ She opened the box containing her mother’s cakes. ‘Or perhaps you’d like one or two of these.’ She put a se lection on a plate and put it in front of him. ‘My mother sent them home with Lowri.’

Connah bit into an almond tart with enthusiasm. ‘Delicious,’ he said indistinctly. ‘So how did the tea party go?’

‘Huge success.’ Hester smiled. ‘But I’ll let Lowri tell you all about it tomorrow. I had a job to tear her away—it was late when we left.’

‘I hope your mother wasn’t too exhausted!’

‘She enjoyed it enormously, so did Robert. Sam, too, by the way,’ she added. ‘He was all for depositing us there and collecting us later, but my parents wouldn’t hear of it.’

‘Knowing your mother even as little as I do, I can well believe that.’ He shrugged. ‘I suppose I should have made things clearer for you from the start where Sam is concerned, Hester, but his role in the household is somewhat hard to define.’

‘It’s not a problem because Sam himself is totally clear about it. So he joined us for lunch on the shopping trip, and for tea today, but dines alone—in peace as he puts it—in his own quarters.’ Hester looked at him levelly. ‘I was quite prepared to do the same, until you instructed otherwise.’

He stared. ‘It’s utterly pointless for you to eat alone in here, while Lowri and I dine in solitary splendour in the dining room—which is the only room in the house I dislike, by the way. You might take a look at it tomorrow and tell me where I went wrong.’

Not sure she would dare to do that, Hester sat down with her own tea. ‘Did you use an interior designer?’

‘Originally, yes, but the woman had ideas so bizarrely different from mine we soon parted company. The study, the dining room and the master suite are down to me. Your room too,’ he added, ‘which is why it’s a touch stark.’

‘Not to me. It’s exactly to my taste.’

‘Good. By the way, did you apologise to Lowri for me?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t say you’d ring in case something prevented that.’ She eyed him thoughtfully. ‘She was a bit blue on the way home tonight.’

He frowned. ‘Why?’

‘Seeing me with my mother emphasized the lack of one herself.’ In for a penny, in for a pound, thought Hester. ‘She would like a baby sister. Even a baby brother would do.’

Connah stared, thunderstruck. ‘She told you that?’

‘Oh, yes. She’s madly envious of her friend Owen because he’s acquired a stepmother.’ Hester’s lips twitched. ‘Be warned. She’d like one of those too.’

‘Good God!’ He held out his cup for more tea, looking poleaxed. ‘She’s never said a word to me.’

‘It’s woman to woman stuff. Please don’t let on that I told you.’

‘I won’t, but I’m glad you warned me. I try to give her most things she wants, but in this case she’ll just have to deal with disappointment.’

Influenced by the intimacy of the situation and the lateness of the hour, Hester found herself asking a question so personal she regretted it the moment it was out of her mouth. ‘You have no plans to marry again?’

She held her breath, certain that Connah would tell her it was nothing to do with the woman he was employing to look after his daughter, but, to her immense relief, he merely shook his head.

‘Not even for Lowri will I marry just to provide her with a stepmother, Hester. She’ll have to find something else to wish for.’ His mouth turned down. ‘But at the weekend my mother informed me that Alice is expecting a baby, so in view of what you’ve just told me I suppose I can expect fireworks from Lowri when she hears that piece of news. Apparently Owen doesn’t know yet, but I doubt that a boy of his age will be thrilled.’

‘He might be if Lowri envies him.’

‘True.’ Connah eyed the empty plate in surprise. ‘I seem to have eaten all the cakes.’

‘There’s plenty more in the box. Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to cook you something?’

He shook his head and got up with gratifying reluctance. ‘I’d better take myself off to the study for some of that whisky I mentioned.’ He gave her the smile that had bowled her over when she was seventeen and was doing pretty much the same right now, all the more potent because it was the first time she’d witnessed it at full power since then. ‘You must be desperate to get to bed. Tomorrow I’ll get something sent in for once to give you the evening off. And I’ll put Lowri to bed myself,’ he added, collecting his briefcase. ‘Don’t mention that I’m home when she wakes in the morning. I want to surprise her.’

‘Of course. Goodnight.’

Hester cleared away, then went straight upstairs to check on Lowri. Later, armed with a paperback thriller her mother had given her, she settled down in bed in a glow of well-being which soon faded when she traced it not only to Connah’s return but because he’d seemed as pleased to see her as she was to see him. She sighed. This was something to be nipped in the bud right now. He was a very different man from the mysterious Mr Jones who’d set her teenage pulse fluttering. But, although he still had much the same effect on her ten years on, no way was she getting involved again with someone related to a child in her care.

Lowri was utterly delighted when Connah walked into the kitchen during breakfast next morning.

‘Daddy! I didn’t know you were home,’ she cried, jumping up to hug him.

‘I came late last night and asked Hester not to tell you so I could give you a surprise,’ he said, taking her on his knee. He kissed her and smiled down into the sparkling eyes. ‘You’re getting so big I won’t be able to do this much longer. I won’t have room on my lap.’

She beamed up at him. ‘Did Hester tell you what a great time I had at her house yesterday?’

‘Not yet; she said you’d want to tell me yourself.’

‘Before Lowri starts on her saga,’ said Hester quickly, ‘what would you like for breakfast?’

Connah smiled at her warmly. ‘Oh, just toast and coffee, please.’

While Lowri launched into her account of the tea party, Hester made a pot of coffee, poured orange juice, filled a silver rack with wholemeal toast and put it all on the tray she’d laid ready for the breakfast Sam had told her Connah ate in the study while he caught up with world news and the state of the stock market. Hester took the tray upstairs and left it on the desk, but Connah frowned as he came into the room with Lowri. ‘I could have brought that up myself, but thank you, Hester.’

‘Not at all. It’s my job. Lowri can tell me when you’ve finished.’

‘I was just telling Daddy about your flat, Hester,’ said the child eagerly. ‘I can’t wait for him to see it.’

‘We can’t intrude on Hester’s home, cariad,’ Connah told her, and gave Hester a questioning look.

‘You’re welcome to any time,’ she said casually. ‘Not that there’s much to see.’ She left father and daughter together and went back to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee she could drink in peace on her own. She wondered why Connah had objected when she’s taken his breakfast up to the study. After all, it was what housekeepers did. Or would he have preferred Sam to do it, as presumably he’d done before she arrived on the scene? If the appropriate moment presented itself, she would ask to save further embarrassment. It presented itself sooner than expected when Lowri came to tell her that her father had finished his breakfast.

‘He wouldn’t let me bring the tray down myself,’ she said crossly.

‘Only because he didn’t want you to slip on those stone stairs and hurt yourself,’ said Hester briskly. ‘Now, you think about what you’d like to do today while I fetch it.’

Connah turned from his computer screen as Hester knocked on the study door. ‘Come in. Sit down.’

She took the chair in front of the desk and looked at him warily.

‘Lowri may be unaware of your true role in this house, but I am not,’ said Connah bluntly. ‘Which means I don’t expect you to fetch and carry for me, Hester.’

‘You obviously prefer Sam to do it.’

He frowned. ‘I wouldn’t put it that way exactly; I just think he should. You were engaged to look after Lowri, not wait on me. The fact that you also cook for us is more than enough.’

‘As you wish,’ she said, feeling rebuffed, and got up. ‘But I’ll take the tray since I’m here.’

All through the day, while she was making lunch and walking with Lowri in the park, Hester found herself wondering why Connah’s edict had annoyed her. Any Norland-trained nanny worth her salt should have been glad that he refused to have her wait on him. But she felt hurt that he didn’t want her in and out of his study on a regular basis. The rapport of the night before had obviously been a figment of her imagination.

‘What’s the matter, Hester?’ asked Lowri, eyeing her anxiously.

‘Nothing, why?’

‘You were frowning.’

‘The sun’s strong today.’

‘I know. I’m hot! Can I buy us some ice creams again, please?’

‘Of course.’ Hester fished in her purse for change. ‘Only this time let’s sit down to eat them.’

‘OK.’ Lowri ran off to the café, but before Hester could find an empty bench she spotted a man speaking to Lowri and raced towards them, pressing the button on her phone for Sam as she went, by which time Lowri was in possession of two ice cream cones and the man was nowhere to be seen.

‘Who was that man, Lowri?’ gasped Hester, her heart in her throat.

‘I don’t know. He wanted to buy me an ice cream.’ Lowri grinned at Hester’s look of outrage as she handed one to her. ‘Don’t worry, I said no, thank you—very politely—and he went away. It’s all right,’ she added soothingly, ‘that kind of thing’s hammered into us in school.’

‘What kind of thing?’ demanded Hester.

‘Never to talk to strangers, and never, ever, let them sell you anything or buy anything for you.’

‘So you know the drill. Good,’ said Hester, fighting for calm. ‘What did the man say?’

‘He asked if you were my mother—wow, Sam’s in a hurry,’ Lowri added as he sprinted to join them.

‘What’s up?’ he demanded, and Hester explained while Lowri demolished her ice cream.

‘Before we go back to the car,’ said Sam, his eyes hard, ‘how about we take a walk through the park, Lowri? If you see the man, point him out to us.’

She shrugged. ‘I didn’t take much notice of him, Sam. But he had smart clothes. He was rather nice.’

‘What’s the matter?’ Hester asked, as Lowri sighed heavily.

‘I suppose you’ll stick to me like glue from now on.’

‘You’d better believe it!’

The child’s mouth drooped. ‘If you tell Daddy, you won’t have to—he won’t even let me come in the park any more.’

Or sack the nanny on the spot.

But Connah was surprisingly calm when Hester reported the incident the minute they got home. ‘Did you know the man?’

‘No.’

‘Would you know him again?’

‘I doubt it. I took one look, and ran to break it up. But he’d disappeared by the time I reached them. I do apologise. I’ll know better another time.’ Hester looked at him squarely. ‘If there’s to be another time. For me, I mean.’

‘Of course there will,’ he said, surprised. ‘My daughter’s become attached to you so quickly there’d be hell to pay if I tried to replace you.’

‘And I to her,’ Hester assured him. ‘In the circumstances, perhaps Sam could take us further afield for our walk tomorrow.’

‘Good idea. Take a picnic lunch.’ Connah’s eyes softened slightly. ‘Relax, Hester. There was no actual harm done.’

She sighed. ‘I suppose not. But in future I’ll be doubly vigilant.’

Connah Carey Jones took so long to get his daughter to bed that night, he felt respect for Hester and for Alice before her, who, like his mother, managed the process so effortlessly. When it became obvious that Lowri was drawing it out to see how far she could go before he lost patience, he kissed her one last time and told her to go to sleep, or else.

‘Or else what, Daddy?’ she said, smiling at him.

‘Try it and find out,’ he growled, and Lowri, knowing she’d pushed the envelope far enough, blew him a kiss and settled down.

Connah smiled to himself as he closed the door. Lowri was growing up fast. The thought gave him a sharp pang as he went downstairs. All too soon she would be a teenager, with all the problems that entailed. Problems he would have to deal with single-handed.

As he passed the lower landing window, he caught sight of Hester’s graceful, athletic figure coming into view and stood still, watching her walk towards the house, suddenly aware of how empty it had felt without her for a few hours. He raised a sardonic eyebrow. Empty, with Lowri and Sam in residence? Lacking, then, rather than empty. After only a matter of days, Miss Hester Ward had become a vitally necessary part of life in Albany Square. To him, he admitted, as well as to Lowri. Which was preposterous in such a short time. But a fact, just the same. He wanted more of Hester’s company than just at mealtimes with Lowri, or a few minutes when the child was in bed. With sudden decision he thought of the ideal way to achieve it, then his eyes narrowed as he saw Hester pause at the foot of the steps to speak to a man who’d been following her along the pavement. Connah craned his neck, but the man was just out of view. After a moment or two Hester ran up the steps to ring the bell and he hurried downstairs to intercept her as she made for the kitchen.

‘You’re home early,’ he commented.

She smiled at him. ‘There’s a film on television I missed at the cinema, so I left after supper to walk back in good time. Robert wanted to drive me, but I felt like the exercise—always a good move after one of my mother’s little suppers.’

‘I saw you from the landing window,’ Connah informed her.

‘You were watching for me?’ The dark blue eyes frosted over. ‘Am I late?’

‘Of course not. I happened to be passing the landing window when I noticed a man following you. Was he someone you know?’

‘No. Just someone asking directions to Chester Gardens,’ she said coolly, and went past him into the kitchen.

‘If you’re making coffee, I’d like some too,’ he said, feeling wrong-footed as he made the request. She was in his employ, dammit. He had the right to ask her to make him a cup of coffee. His jaw set as she promptly laid a tray with a solitary cup and saucer. ‘I want your company while you drink it,’ he informed her crisply.

Hester looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. ‘Very well.’

‘Put another cup on the tray and come up to the study with me. Please. I want to talk something over with you.’

Connah took the tray from Hester and waved her ahead of him up the stairs.

‘Is it something about Lowri?’ she asked, then regretted it. What else could it possibly be?

‘Actually, it’s about Sam. Sit down, Hester.’ Connah put the tray down and sat on the sofa opposite to watch her pour. ‘He’s long overdue for a holiday. If he knew Lowri was safe with me, Sam might agree to take a few days off.’

Her face cleared. ‘In which case, I could make sure she didn’t disturb you when you were working, if that’s your problem.’

‘It’s not.’ Connah gave her a searching look. ‘Hester, had you ever seen the man before?’

‘Which man?’

‘The one asking directions just now.’

She tensed as she saw where this was leading. ‘You think it might have been the man in the park?’

‘Do you?’

Hester gave it some thought. ‘I honestly don’t know. I only saw him fleetingly. He was gone by the time I reached Lowri.’

‘Describe the man tonight.’

‘Tallish, slim, well-dressed, about your age, maybe—’ She put her coffee down untouched. ‘He could have been the same man, but I can’t swear to it.’

‘You probably think I’m paranoid on this subject, but I dislike coincidences.’ Connah drained his cup and sat back. ‘Let’s go back to Sam’s time off.’

Hester shook her head. ‘If Sam feels the same about coincidences, he’ll refuse point-blank to take any.’

‘I know, so I won’t bring it up.’ Connah gave her a very direct look as he played his trump card. ‘But if you and I take Lowri on holiday, Hester, we’ll be well away from this mystery man, whoever he is, and Sam could enjoy some R and R with no worries. Lowri would be delighted,’ he added. And her father could spend a great deal more time in Hester’s company than was feasible in Albany Square.

She returned the look steadily, wondering if he realised how much the idea appealed. ‘Do you normally take Lowri away during her summer vacation?’

‘Yes. My mother comes with us.’

‘But I was a complete stranger until a few days ago,’ she pointed out, playing devil’s advocate. ‘Are you sure you want me along? Wouldn’t you prefer to be on your own with Lowri?’

Connah shook his head. ‘Lowri wouldn’t go unless you came too, Hester. You were the main topic of conversation tonight.’

‘How boring for you,’ she said lightly. ‘More coffee?’

‘Thank you.’ Connah sat back with his refilled cup, his eyes on Hester’s face. ‘So will you come?’

Of course she would. Anywhere. ‘Do you have somewhere in mind?’

‘Italy. A friend of mine owns a villa in Chianti country in Tuscany. I’ll have a chat with him and hope by some miracle that the house is free for a couple of weeks. It’s a picturesque place, with terraced gardens and a pool with a view. Lowri would love it.’

Me too, thought Hester. After the South of France fiasco, a holiday in Tuscany with Connah and Lowri was the stuff of dreams. ‘It sounds idyllic.’

‘Then you agree,’ Connah said with satisfaction. ‘You own a current passport?’

‘Of course. Does Lowri know about this?’

He shook his head. ‘I consulted you first. No point in getting her hopes up if you refused to come.’

As if! ‘You engaged me to work for you for six weeks,’ said Hester, smiling, ‘but you didn’t specify where, so I have no right to refuse—even if I wanted to, which I don’t. Thank you. I’d love to come.’

‘Good. That’s settled, then. I’ll talk to Jay.’ Connah got up and went over to the drinks tray. ‘How about a nightcap first?’

Hester got up quickly. ‘I won’t, thanks.’

He swung round to face her. ‘Of course, I forgot. You rushed back to see a film.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘I can still catch most of it.’

Connah walked to the door and opened it for her. ‘Goodnight, Hester. Not a word to Lowri in the morning about the holiday, in case it doesn’t come off. And if it does I’d like to break the glad news to her myself.’

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