to an appropriate charity.’
Amy’s jaw dropped. He didn’t need the money. He didn’t want the house. He was planning to get rid of it and give the money away?
Why not just give the house away?
To them ?
He had pulled his gloves and keys from a pocket of the black coat. He was ready to leave and he only had to step around Amy to reach the door. He began to do just that.
‘W-wait,’ she stammered. She needed to repair the damage she’d just done. To find a way to present their case calmly. To get down on her knees and beg if that was what it would take.
‘What for?’ The disgust in Luke’s tone suggested that nothing Amy could say would be worth listening to.
‘For…for…’ For the children, Amy wanted to cry. For my mother and sister and grandmother. For me . But tears threatened to choke her words and she needed to think. To say something that would stop Luke walking out the door.
And in that tiny gap of time as she hesitated, a cold wind rushed into the room. There was a loud bang as the back door from the scullery to the garden slammed and then…
‘Zoe!’ Amy sucked in her breath at her babysitter’s precipitous entrance.
The girl had obviously been running and now she stood there with her mouth opening and closing but no sound emerging as she tried to catch her breath. The anorak she was wearing had a ripped sleeve.
‘Zoe?’ This time Amy let her concern show. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘No!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Bernie!’
‘Bernie? As in your mum’s boyfriend?’
‘Yeah…’ Zoe managed a deeper breath. ‘’Cept he’s not just a boyfriend any more. He’s a—What do you call it when you’re gonna get married?’
‘Fiancé?’
‘Yeah. He’s gonna move in and he says Monty’s got to go.’
‘What? Why?’
‘He says he’s just a smelly stray and he’s too big and he costs too much to feed and he’s…he’s going to get rid of him!’ Zoe burst into tears.
Amy gathered the girl into her arms. ‘It’s all right, cara ,’ she said, more than once because Zoe was crying too loudly to hear her. ‘We’ll sort it out.’
Turning her head, Amy could see that Luke had moved closer, reluctance and concern warring on his features. This girl was clearly in trouble. Possibly injured. As a doctor he had a duty to help.
As a man, he wanted nothing more than to turn and get out of this house.
Behind Luke, Amy could see the frightened faces of several children.
‘It’s OK,’ she told them. ‘Nothing for you guys to worry about.’
They continued staring.
‘Kyra? It’s time Chantelle was in bed and could you make sure the twins and Summer are OK? Give the boys a kiss for me. They’re probably asleep by now.’
‘But what’s wrong with Zoe?’
Amy felt the girl shudder in her arms and a nose scraped painfully on her collar-bone as Zoe buried her face. No doubt this teenager was embarrassed to be seen like this by the younger children.
‘She’s upset,’ Amy told them. ‘But she’s OK. Don’t worry, I’m going to sort it out. You can help by getting yourselves off to bed.’
‘But—’
‘Come on.’ Robert gave Amy a nod that said he could deal with this. ‘Upstairs, all of you. Do what Amy says.’
‘Thanks, Rob.’
The boy paused in the doorway, uncertainty in his face as he glanced back.
‘We’re OK,’ Amy assured him. ‘Mr Harrington’s still here.’
Oh, God. He was still here. Was he ever going to be able to escape?
Not immediately, that was for sure. He could hardly walk out when this strange-looking girl was obviously in some sort of trouble with a soon-to-be stepfather. And what about that ripped jacket? How heavy handed was this Bernie character? Was it possible the confrontation had become physical? And who the hell was Monty? The girl’s boyfriend? Brother?
She was just a kid. A weird-looking kid dressed completely in black, with jet-black hair that sported an electric pink streak and enough piercings to send
Amy’s jaw dropped. He didn’t need the money. He didn’t want the house. He was planning to get rid of it and give the money away?
Why not just give the house away?
To them ?
He had pulled his gloves and keys from a pocket of the black coat. He was ready to leave and he only had to step around Amy to reach the door. He began to do just that.
‘W-wait,’ she stammered. She needed to repair the damage she’d just done. To find a way to present their case calmly. To get down on her knees and beg if that was what it would take.
‘What for?’ The disgust in Luke’s tone suggested that nothing Amy could say would be worth listening to.
‘For…for…’ For the children, Amy wanted to cry. For my mother and sister and grandmother. For me . But tears threatened to choke her words and she needed to think. To say something that would stop Luke walking out the door.
And in that tiny gap of time as she hesitated, a cold wind rushed into the room. There was a loud bang as the back door from the scullery to the garden slammed and then…
‘Zoe!’ Amy sucked in her breath at her babysitter’s precipitous entrance.
The girl had obviously been running and now she stood there with her mouth opening and closing but no sound emerging as she tried to catch her breath. The anorak she was wearing had a ripped sleeve.
‘Zoe?’ This time Amy let her concern show. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘No!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Bernie!’
‘Bernie? As in your mum’s boyfriend?’
‘Yeah…’ Zoe managed a deeper breath. ‘’Cept he’s not just a boyfriend any more. He’s a—What do you call it when you’re gonna get married?’
‘Fiancé?’
‘Yeah. He’s gonna move in and he says Monty’s got to go.’
‘What? Why?’
‘He says he’s just a smelly stray and he’s too big and he costs too much to feed and he’s…he’s going to get rid of him!’ Zoe burst into tears.
Amy gathered the girl into her arms. ‘It’s all right, cara ,’ she said, more than once because Zoe was crying too loudly to hear her. ‘We’ll sort it out.’
Turning her head, Amy could see that Luke had moved closer, reluctance and concern warring on his features. This girl was clearly in trouble. Possibly injured. As a doctor he had a duty to help.
As a man, he wanted nothing more than to turn and get out of this house.
Behind Luke, Amy could see the frightened faces of several children.
‘It’s OK,’ she told them. ‘Nothing for you guys to worry about.’
They continued staring.
‘Kyra? It’s time Chantelle was in bed and could you make sure the twins and Summer are OK? Give the boys a kiss for me. They’re probably asleep by now.’
‘But what’s wrong with Zoe?’
Amy felt the girl shudder in her arms and a nose scraped painfully on her collar-bone as Zoe buried her face. No doubt this teenager was embarrassed to be seen like this by the younger children.
‘She’s upset,’ Amy told them. ‘But she’s OK. Don’t worry, I’m going to sort it out. You can help by getting yourselves off to bed.’
‘But—’
‘Come on.’ Robert gave Amy a nod that said he could deal with this. ‘Upstairs, all of you. Do what Amy says.’
‘Thanks, Rob.’
The boy paused in the doorway, uncertainty in his face as he glanced back.
‘We’re OK,’ Amy assured him. ‘Mr Harrington’s still here.’
Oh, God. He was still here. Was he ever going to be able to escape?
Not immediately, that was for sure. He could hardly walk out when this strange-looking girl was obviously in some sort of trouble with a soon-to-be stepfather. And what about that ripped jacket? How heavy handed was this Bernie character? Was it possible the confrontation had become physical? And who the hell was Monty? The girl’s boyfriend? Brother?
She was just a kid. A weird-looking kid dressed completely in black, with jet-black hair that sported an electric pink streak and enough piercings to send
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