Zane smiled, slowly and confidently. It crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him look boyish and charming and Lucinda felt an unwanted quickening of her pulses, which added to her annoyance.
‘I’m saying it does,’ announced Zane. ‘Words are easy, Lucinda. It’s body language that counts. And, believe me, I can read your body language any day.’
Lucinda felt like slapping him. ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ she responded haughtily, ‘and I have no wish to continue such a conversation.’
‘Very well,’ he agreed, much to her surprise. ‘The next item on the agenda is dinner. I thought I’d take you out.’
‘Then you thought wrong,’ she snapped. ‘Besides, aren’t I supposed to be looking after Tim?’
‘Mrs Burton can do that tonight,’ he said carelessly. ‘Besides, he very rarely wakes.’
‘The answer’s still no,’ she retorted, fighting a whole host of inflammatory sensations. It had to be no. For ever no! For her own peace of mind!
Zane drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and his height increasing. She had angered him but she didn’t care. Why should he think that he had only to click his fingers and she’d do as he asked? She was her own woman; hadn’t he found that out yet?
‘Maybe you’ll condescend to dine with me here, then?’ he growled.
Lucinda wanted to say no but she didn’t think that she could face any more of Zane’s wrath. So she inclined her head. ‘That would be nice.’
‘And before then? Can I expect the honour of your company?’
His voice was dry and sarcastic and Lucinda shook her head. ‘I still have work to do.’
Zane frowned and glanced at his watch ‘It’s nearly seven.’
‘And I spent much of the day playing with Tim,’ she reminded him. ‘I can’t afford to let my business go.’
Her remark hit home and his eyes shot daggers. ‘Then I’ll see you at eight.’ And with that he whirled on his heel and left the room.
They were halfway through their meal when the phone was brought in to Zane. ‘The hospital,’ said his housekeeper gravely.
Zane listened for a moment or two and then shot up from his chair. ‘I have to go,’ he said apologetically. ‘Helen’s taken a turn for the worse.’
LUCINDA waited on tenterhooks to hear about Helen. Her main thoughts were with Tim. He’d lost both his parents and now it looked as though he might lose his grandmother too. How shocking would that be for him, poor little soul? How upsetting?
It was almost midnight when Zane returned home. Lucinda had waited up for him and she met him in the hallway. He shook his head, his lips clamped tightly together, his eyes sad.
‘She’s gone?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ he answered quietly.
‘How are you going to tell Tim? He idolised her.’
Zane heaved a sigh and nodded. ‘It won’t be easy.’
Nor was it.
The following morning when Tim awoke Zane took him to one side. Lucinda watched from a distance, saw the disbelief on the boy’s face, saw it crumple, and then he ran from the room.
‘I’ll see to him,’ said Lucinda.
She found Tim in his bedroom, curled up in bed, sucking a corner of the cover. He turned away when she went in. Lucinda sat beside him quietly for a few moments, not saying anything, and gradually his hand found hers. ‘Why has Nanna left me?’ he whimpered.
‘Because she was very poorly, sweetheart! Because she was in a lot of pain and couldn’t stand it any longer! She’s gone to your mummy and daddy in the sky.’
‘I want her, though.’
‘I know, my darling.’
‘Who’ll look after me?’
‘Uncle Zane, of course.’ Lucinda mentally crossed her fingers as she said this. It couldn’t be counted on, that was for sure.
‘And you?’ He looked trustingly into her face.
Lucinda felt tears prick the backs of her eyelids too. ‘I don’t know about that, Tim. But I will come and see you often, I promise.’
He turned his face away from her and buried it in the pillow and at that moment Zane entered the room.
They stood there hand in hand and looked down at the little boy. It was a moment of togetherness that was totally different from anything else she had shared with Zane. There weren’t the two of them this time—there were three. And her heart went out to both of them.
‘You will help Tim through this?’ asked Zane that evening after his nephew had been put to bed. It had been a long sad day and, although Timothy had perked up as the day had worn on, they both knew how much damage it could do to him.
He needed constant love now; he needed to know that he still had a home and someone to care for him. At one point, after his parents had died, the authorities had mooted foster parents, but Tim’s Nanna would have none of it and Zane had declared that he felt the same.
‘He is my responsibility now,’ he said firmly. ‘I know I won’t be the best of fathers, but I’ll do what I can. I’ll employ a full-time nanny—unless you—’ He looked questioningly at Lucinda, but she shook her head. It would be wrong to let herself get sucked into a situation that in the end would cause nothing but heartache.
‘I thought not,’ he said, ‘but you will come and see Tim sometimes? He’s really taken to you.’
‘Of course I will,’ she said. Though she wasn’t sure whether even that was a good idea.
The funeral came and went and even then Zane did nothing about finding another nanny. Helen’s wishes had been that he became Tim’s legal guardian and he had agreed to do this, and somehow Lucinda was managing to run her business and look after Tim at the same time. She hated herself for being weak, for letting Zane take advantage of her, and in defiance she refused to share his bed again.
‘I’ve had an idea,’ he said one evening over dinner. ‘It’s not ideal for you, running two offices. Why not set up shop here? Bring Amanda and all the rest of your stuff. You can have another room; you can have as many rooms as you like.’
‘So long as I continue to look after Tim for you?’ asked Lucinda, appalled by his nerve, but congratulating him at the same time. ‘What happened about finding another nanny?’
‘I would have done,’ he apologised, ‘but Tim’s had enough upsets for the time being. And I thought this would be a good compromise.’
Lucinda’s eyes flashed. ‘It’s nothing to do with you wanting me here? It’s just Tim you’re thinking of?’
‘Of course,’ he answered, but Lucinda knew he was lying. She knew that he still wanted her in his bed; she had seen it in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking. And if he had her here permanently…
The trouble was the longer Lucinda lived here the deeper her feelings grew and the less disposed she was to move back to her stepfather’s house. She cursed the day she had ever set eyes on Zane Alexander. There was no other man for her now.
And yet all he wanted was a good time! She was sadly aware of that fact. Marriage was definitely not on Zane’s agenda. Never had been, never would be.
‘I