bursaries to pupils with genuine potential. I think Laine could be one of them, so fees wouldn’t be a problem.’
He paused. ‘There’s a written test as well as an interview, I believe, but I could easily get hold of some details—if that isn’t too presumptuous?’
‘Not at all.’ Angela smiled at him. ‘I’m just not sure that Laine’s up to it.’
‘Well, I think, along with Dan, that she should be given the benefit of the doubt,’ Simon said firmly.
The next time Laine saw Daniel, at the beginning of the summer holidays, she danced across the hall to him in excitement. ‘I did it—I did it. I’m going to Randalls in September.’
His brows lifted quizzically. ‘So you survived the exam?’
She considered. ‘Well, it wasn’t a real one, with sums and things. I just had to write about a favourite character from a book.’
His face relaxed into a teasing grin. ‘Now, let me guess. How about—Ben Gunn?’
She gasped. ‘How did you know that?’
‘I have a good memory,’ He said. ‘Besides, I knew it wouldn’t be the Lily Maid.
Why write about a wuss?’ He paused. ‘Is your mother pleased?’
‘Yes,’ she said a little doubtfully. Angela had been more astonished than pleased, she thought, and had drawn a sharp breath when the school uniform list arrived. ‘Oh, yes.’ She gave him an uncertain look. ‘Are you pleased, too?’
‘Over the moon.’ He picked her up and swung her round. ‘It’s a good school, and you’ll have a great time.’
From the doorway, a girl’s voice said coolly, ‘Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?’
Laine saw the newcomer over Daniel’s shoulder—a tall, leggy blonde, in tiny shorts and a cut-off top that barely covered her breasts.
She looked, Laine thought with disfavour, like one of the Barbie dolls her former classmates had used to bring to school.
Daniel set Laine down without haste, and turned as the girl came wandering over, tossing back her hair, and allowing a condescending smile to play about her full lips as she studied the slight, childish figure standing in front of her.
‘You’re full of surprises, darling.’ She slid an arm through Daniel’s, pressing herself against him with possessive intimacy. ‘I’d never have figured you as the paternal type. So, who’s the baby?’
A protest rose to Laine’s lips, but she swallowed it back, concealing it behind the poker-face she’d learned to assume when trouble loomed.
Daniel said evenly, ‘She’s Simon’s little sister—as you probably knew already.
So don’t waste your ammunition, Candida, my sweet, because you may well need it later. Now, why don’t you give Si a hand to get his stuff together for the vacation?’
‘Because I’m not anyone’s slave.’ She kissed him lingeringly on the cheek. ‘Even yours. And he sent me to say that, unless you help him repack the boot, there may not be room for it.’
His sideways glance was faintly caustic. ‘On the other hand, you could unload some of your own cases. That would make more space.’
‘Darling.’ Her voice grew throaty. ‘You’d hardly want me to walk round the villa naked for the next three weeks.’ She giggled. ‘Or would you?’
‘My father’s other guests might well object.’ He detached himself gently. ‘Now, behave yourself and wait in the drawing room while Laine tells her mother that we’re here.’
Her task accomplished, Laine went upstairs and found Simon in his room, hurriedly stowing clothes in a travel bag.
‘Come to help, scrap? Pass me those T-shirts, will you?’
She handed them to him. ‘Aren’t you going to be here for the holidays?’
He heard the wistful note in her voice, and his tone was kind. ‘Not this time, honey. Daniel’s father’s bought a place in Tuscany, and we’re driving down there for our last few weeks of freedom before we get trapped in the workplace.’
She was silent for a moment. ‘Is that lady with Daniel?’
‘Candy? Yes, she is.
He paused. ‘There’s a written test as well as an interview, I believe, but I could easily get hold of some details—if that isn’t too presumptuous?’
‘Not at all.’ Angela smiled at him. ‘I’m just not sure that Laine’s up to it.’
‘Well, I think, along with Dan, that she should be given the benefit of the doubt,’ Simon said firmly.
The next time Laine saw Daniel, at the beginning of the summer holidays, she danced across the hall to him in excitement. ‘I did it—I did it. I’m going to Randalls in September.’
His brows lifted quizzically. ‘So you survived the exam?’
She considered. ‘Well, it wasn’t a real one, with sums and things. I just had to write about a favourite character from a book.’
His face relaxed into a teasing grin. ‘Now, let me guess. How about—Ben Gunn?’
She gasped. ‘How did you know that?’
‘I have a good memory,’ He said. ‘Besides, I knew it wouldn’t be the Lily Maid.
Why write about a wuss?’ He paused. ‘Is your mother pleased?’
‘Yes,’ she said a little doubtfully. Angela had been more astonished than pleased, she thought, and had drawn a sharp breath when the school uniform list arrived. ‘Oh, yes.’ She gave him an uncertain look. ‘Are you pleased, too?’
‘Over the moon.’ He picked her up and swung her round. ‘It’s a good school, and you’ll have a great time.’
From the doorway, a girl’s voice said coolly, ‘Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?’
Laine saw the newcomer over Daniel’s shoulder—a tall, leggy blonde, in tiny shorts and a cut-off top that barely covered her breasts.
She looked, Laine thought with disfavour, like one of the Barbie dolls her former classmates had used to bring to school.
Daniel set Laine down without haste, and turned as the girl came wandering over, tossing back her hair, and allowing a condescending smile to play about her full lips as she studied the slight, childish figure standing in front of her.
‘You’re full of surprises, darling.’ She slid an arm through Daniel’s, pressing herself against him with possessive intimacy. ‘I’d never have figured you as the paternal type. So, who’s the baby?’
A protest rose to Laine’s lips, but she swallowed it back, concealing it behind the poker-face she’d learned to assume when trouble loomed.
Daniel said evenly, ‘She’s Simon’s little sister—as you probably knew already.
So don’t waste your ammunition, Candida, my sweet, because you may well need it later. Now, why don’t you give Si a hand to get his stuff together for the vacation?’
‘Because I’m not anyone’s slave.’ She kissed him lingeringly on the cheek. ‘Even yours. And he sent me to say that, unless you help him repack the boot, there may not be room for it.’
His sideways glance was faintly caustic. ‘On the other hand, you could unload some of your own cases. That would make more space.’
‘Darling.’ Her voice grew throaty. ‘You’d hardly want me to walk round the villa naked for the next three weeks.’ She giggled. ‘Or would you?’
‘My father’s other guests might well object.’ He detached himself gently. ‘Now, behave yourself and wait in the drawing room while Laine tells her mother that we’re here.’
Her task accomplished, Laine went upstairs and found Simon in his room, hurriedly stowing clothes in a travel bag.
‘Come to help, scrap? Pass me those T-shirts, will you?’
She handed them to him. ‘Aren’t you going to be here for the holidays?’
He heard the wistful note in her voice, and his tone was kind. ‘Not this time, honey. Daniel’s father’s bought a place in Tuscany, and we’re driving down there for our last few weeks of freedom before we get trapped in the workplace.’
She was silent for a moment. ‘Is that lady with Daniel?’
‘Candy? Yes, she is.
Similar Books
