Sweet Surrender (The Dysarts) by Catherine George

the rest of the staff next week!’
    â€˜He can turn up outside my college any time he likes,’ said Fenny with envy. ‘You don’t need someone as tall as Alasdair, anyway, Kate. He’d suit a beanpole like me much better.’
    â€˜I seriously doubt that,’ jeered Adam. ‘He prefers women with brains.’
    â€˜Hey!’ objected Fenny indignantly, then threw up a hand. ‘OK, OK, I may not be as clever as Kate, but I do have some brains.’
    Kate had changed the subject hastily by asking about the best place for a meal these days, and shortly afterwards Gabriel and Adam had taken their son home, and Kate had been able to go to bed, in urgent need of time to herself.
    Alasdair’s reappearance in her life, she reflected, was nowhere near as welcome as he obviously assumed it was. After their final meeting, when he’d been so angry with her for what he’d called wasting her talents, her resentment had been so fierce she’d done her best to forget she’d ever met him. But, she admitted honestly, Alasdair still held the old physical appeal for her, whether she liked it or not. She’d been a late developer where the opposite sex was concerned, and Alasdair had been the first to arouse any sexual feelings in her. Now he’d matured into a powerfully attractive man he still had the same ability to make her pulse race, but she didn’t need her famous qualifications to recognise it as pure basic chemistry. An inconvenience, but nothingmore than that. Alasdair Drummond would be given no chance to disrupt her life a second time.
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    Because Fenny, as usual, preferred not to drive herself to college, instead of letting her go by train Kate gave her a lift back next day, stayed for a while to drink coffee and chat with some of Fenny’s friends in her room in hall, then drove back to Stavely in time for dinner alone with her parents for the first time.
    â€˜So what do you want to do with the rest of your week?’ asked Frances.
    â€˜As little as possible. I’m going out with Toby tomorrow night, but otherwise I thought I’d just catch up on some sleep, walk the dog, and wheel the baby out in his buggy now and then. But first I quite fancy a trip into Pennington. Are you free to go out to play tomorrow, Mother? I need some clothes.’
    â€˜When is your mother not free to go shopping for clothes?’ said Tom, laughing.
    â€˜Very true,’ agreed his wife with relish. ‘I’d love to, Kate. I’ve got a dentist’s appointment there after lunch, but otherwise I’m yours. What did you have in mind?’
    â€˜Nothing exciting. A new bathing suit for swimming with the school, some underwear—and lots of window shopping.’ Kate smiled. ‘Village post office apart, Foychurch is a bit lacking that way. I yearn to gaze into shop windows full of things I can’t afford.’
    When Alasdair rang, halfway through the meal, Kate excused herself and left the room to speak to him.
    â€˜Have you sorted out somewhere for Thursday, Kate?’
    â€˜I’m told the Forrester’s Arms is the local in-place for food these days. Only five miles away and no need to book. See you about seven, then, Alasdair—’
    â€˜Hold on, what’s the rush?’
    â€˜I’m in the middle of dinner,’ said Kate firmly. ‘See you Thursday.’ And she returned to the meal, wondering why Alasdair Drummond, who hadn’t been in contact for years, now seemed unable to let a day go by without getting in touch.
    Thoroughly enjoying the shopping expedition next day, Kate bought a plain navy swimsuit from a sports shop, some cotton underwear from a chainstore and resisted all her mother’s coaxing on the subject of a new dress for her evening with Alasdair. ‘The one I wore for the christening was a pricey little number, so I might as well get some mileage out of it.’
    And nothing Frances could