‘Both!’
‘Can’t your parents talk to her? It seems to me it isn’t really your problem.’
‘When Dad retired last year he and Mum went to Cornwall; I don’t want to worry them with this.’ She shook her head, loose tendrils of hair about her face.
‘Why not, you’re worried.’ He frowned.
‘I’m the eldest …’
‘How old is that?’ he asked sceptically.
‘Twenty-one. But—–’
‘A baby,’ he derided. ‘And how old is Cheryl?’
‘Nineteen. But—–’
‘Old enough to make her own mistakes—or not, whatever the case may be,’ he dismissed arrogantly.
‘I’m a baby, but she isn’t?’ Danny mocked.
‘Touche,’ he drawled drily. ‘But I still think you should let your sister make the decision without any help from you.’
‘She always makes the wrong one and regrets it afterwards.’ Danny shook her head. ‘Look, I’m sorry I bothered you, this is really not your problem,’ she smiled openly, ‘I’m sure you want to get back to your swim, and I have to get back to my thinking.’
‘But not the lawn-mower, I hope?’
‘No,’ she laughed. ‘Not the lawn-mower. I’m really sorry about that, I just wasn’t thinking.’
‘I thought you were thinking!’
She observed him with her head tilted to one side. ‘I think perhaps you are a Sutherland after all.’
His mouth twisted. ‘I’ll decide whether or not that’s a compliment on my walk back to the pool; you certainly don’t seem to have a very high opinion of the Sutherlands.’
Danny shook her head. ‘I like you.’
‘Thank you,’ he accepted gravely. ‘I hope you can come up with a solution to the Cheryl-Nigel affair.’
‘Oh, it isn’t an affair,’ she quickly defended. ‘At least, Cheryl assured me they aren’t sleeping together.’
‘Does any couple having an affair actually“sleep” together?’ Pierce mocked drily.
‘I wouldn’t know.’ She unconsciously revealed her own innocence, although she wouldn’t have cared if she had realised; she didn’t wear her virginity like a talisman, but neither was she ashamed of it. When the time, and the man, were right, she knew she wouldn’t give two thoughts to her virginity. ‘I wish you hadn’t said that.’ She frowned. ‘Now I’m really worried.’
‘I shouldn’t be,’ he derided. ‘Nigel doesn’t actually seduce innocents.’
‘Cheryl isn’t that innocent.’ Danny grimaced, knowing her sister and Gary had been making love for some time.
‘Oh.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll think of something,’ she assured Pierce. ‘I’ve been getting Cheryl out of one scrape or another all our lives.’
‘Then it’s time you had a rest from it.’
‘I will.’ She nodded. ‘Once she’s safely married to Gary.’
‘I hope you’re successful.’
Danny stood and watched him as he opened the wrought-iron gate that separated her small walled cottage from the main immediate grounds, liking the dark thickness of his hair, his wide shoulders, the play of muscles over his back, his tapered waist and narrowed hips, his legs long and muscled, his whole body deeply tanned. The lines of cynicism she had seen on his face, the thread of silver in his dark hair, had indicated that he was probably nearing his fortieth year, and yet he was as lithe as a twenty-year-old. She found herself liking the look of Pierce Sutherland very much.
Suddenly she didn’t want to let him go, running across the newly cut lawn to open her gate and follow him as he walked towards the lights of the grey-stoned manor house. ‘Hey, Pierce, I—–’
‘For God’s sake!’ His expression was fierce as he turned to see her running lightly after him. ‘Go back,’ he shouted harshly. ‘Danny, go back!’
She came to an abrupt halt, staring at him with stricken eyes. Why had he returned to his initial coldness so suddenly? Minutes ago he had …
‘Danny, go back!’ He began to run back to her as the sound of the dogs barking could be heard, all the time the sound coming closer and closer. ‘Oh God!’ he groaned as the two Alsatians bounded around the corner of the house, still barking as they ran towards them, two of the biggest of their breed Danny had ever seen. ‘Heel!’ Pierce commanded as he turned to face them, pushing Danny behind him. ‘For God’s sake heel!’ He was breathing hard in his effort to stop the howling beasts.
‘Sit, you two.’ Danny stepped in front of Pierce, the two panting dogs obediently sitting down at her feet, looking up at her with adoring eyes as she patted them affectionately on the head. She turned back to Pierce. ‘It’s all right, they won’t hurt you while you’re with me.’ She smiled at him reassuringly, concerned at how pale he was.
‘I—thought—they—might—attack—you!’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Fang and Killer?’ She laughed at the thought of them possibly hurting her.
‘I believe their names are Ferdinand and Kilpatrick.’ He stepped out from behind her, looking down in amazement at the two stupidly drooling dogs that were supposed to be trained killers, Kilpatrick even rolling over on his back now to have his stomach rubbed by one slender, playful hand.
‘Oh, they are.’ Danny nodded. ‘Such silly names for these fearsome creatures.’
‘They don’t look very fearsome at the moment.’ Pierce looked on with disgust as Ferdinand joined his brother by rolling on his back, his big feet waving ridiculously in the air.
‘Oh, you mustn’t mind them.’ Danny straightened, pulling down the ribbed halter-top as it rode up towards her breasts. ‘They know me very well.’
‘They know me, too,’ he derided. ‘But they don’t“roll over” for me!’
She frowned. ‘You seemed frightened of them a moment ago …?’
‘I told you, I thought they were going to attack you,’ he explained impatiently. ‘I had no idea they were aware of your scent.’
‘We’re old friends.’ She absently stroked the two regal heads as the dogs stood as close to her as they could get. ‘Danton introduced me to them their first day here; he thought it best in the circumstances.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed tersely. ‘Speaking of Danton,’ his eyes narrowed as he looked about them, ‘he should have been here with his dogs by now.’
Danny shook her head. ‘He probably thinks they’re taking a run with me, we usually take one together late at night when it isn’t so hot. I just haven’t had the time tonight.’
Grey eyes were disbelieving. ‘You run Danton’s dogs for him?’
‘Of course not,’ she scorned. ‘They just run along with me when I jog five times around the wall perimeter.’
‘Good God, how far is that?’
‘About five miles, I think. Then I—–’
‘Don’t tell me any more!’ He closed his eyes. ‘What on earth do you want to half kill yourself in that way every night for?’
‘I don’t half kill myself.’ She smiled at his horror. ‘I’m keeping myself in shape—my