Connah smiled to himself as he closed the door. Lowri was growing up fast. The thought gave him a sharp pang as he went downstairs. All too soon she would be a teenager, with all the problems that entailed. Problems he would have to deal with single-handed.
As he passed the lower landing window, he caught sight of Hester’s graceful, athletic figure coming into view and stood still, watching her walk towards the house, suddenly aware of how empty it had felt without her for a few hours. He raised a sardonic eyebrow. Empty, with Lowri and Sam in residence? Lacking, then, rather than empty. After only a matter of days, Miss Hester Ward had become a vitally necessary part of life in Albany Square. To him, he admitted, as well as to Lowri. Which was preposterous in such a short time. But a fact, just the same. He wanted more of Hester’s company than just at mealtimes with Lowri, or a few minutes when the child was in bed. With sudden decision he thought of the ideal way to achieve it, then his eyes narrowed as he saw Hester pause at the foot of the steps to speak to a man who’d been following her along the pavement. Connah craned his neck, but the man was just out of view. After a moment or two Hester ran up the steps to ring the bell and he hurried downstairs to intercept her as she made for the kitchen.
‘You’re home early,’ he commented.
She smiled at him. ‘There’s a film on television I missed at the cinema, so I left after supper to walk back in good time. Robert wanted to drive me, but I felt like the exercise—always a good move after one of my mother’s little suppers.’
‘I saw you from the landing window,’ Connah informed her.
‘You were watching for me?’ The dark blue eyes frosted over. ‘Am I late?’
‘Of course not. I happened to be passing the landing window when I noticed a man following you. Was he someone you know?’
‘No. Just someone asking directions to Chester Gardens,’ she said coolly, and went past him into the kitchen.
‘If you’re making coffee, I’d like some too,’ he said, feeling wrong-footed as he made the request. She was in his employ, dammit. He had the right to ask her to make him a cup of coffee. His jaw set as she promptly laid a tray with a solitary cup and saucer. ‘I want your company while you drink it,’ he informed her crisply.
Hester looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. ‘Very well.’
‘Put another cup on the tray and come up to the study with me. Please. I want to talk something over with you.’
Connah took the tray from Hester and waved her ahead of him up the stairs.
‘Is it something about Lowri?’ she asked, then regretted it. What else could it possibly be?
‘Actually, it’s about Sam. Sit down, Hester.’ Connah put the tray down and sat on the sofa opposite to watch her pour. ‘He’s long overdue for a holiday. If he knew Lowri was safe with me, Sam might agree to take a few days off.’
Her face cleared. ‘In which case, I could make sure she didn’t disturb you when you were working, if that’s your problem.’
‘It’s not.’ Connah gave her a searching look. ‘Hester, had you ever seen the man before?’
‘Which man?’
‘The one asking directions just now.’
She tensed as she saw where this was leading. ‘You think it might have been the man in the park?’
‘Do you?’
Hester gave it some thought. ‘I honestly don’t know. I only saw him fleetingly. He was gone by the time I reached Lowri.’
‘Describe the man tonight.’
‘Tallish, slim, well-dressed, about your age, maybe—’ She put her coffee down untouched. ‘He could have been the same man, but I can’t swear to it.’
‘You probably think I’m paranoid on this subject, but I dislike coincidences.’ Connah drained his cup and sat back. ‘Let’s go back to Sam’s time off.’
Hester shook her head. ‘If Sam feels the same about coincidences, he’ll refuse point-blank to take any.’
‘I know, so I won’t bring it up.’ Connah gave her a very direct look as he played his trump card. ‘But if you and I take Lowri on holiday, Hester, we’ll be well away from this mystery man, whoever he is, and Sam could enjoy some R and R with no worries. Lowri would be delighted,’ he added. And her father could spend a great deal more time in Hester’s company than was feasible in Albany Square.
She returned the look steadily, wondering if he realised how much the idea appealed. ‘Do you normally take Lowri away during her summer vacation?’
‘Yes. My mother comes with us.’
‘But I was a complete stranger until a few days ago,’ she pointed out, playing devil’s advocate. ‘Are you sure you want me along? Wouldn’t you prefer to be on your own with Lowri?’
Connah shook his head. ‘Lowri wouldn’t go unless you came too, Hester. You were the main topic of conversation tonight.’
‘How boring for you,’ she said lightly. ‘More coffee?’
‘Thank you.’ Connah sat back with his refilled cup, his eyes on Hester’s face. ‘So will you come?’
Of course she would. Anywhere. ‘Do you have somewhere in mind?’
‘Italy. A friend of mine owns a villa in Chianti country in Tuscany. I’ll have a chat with him and hope by some miracle that the house is free for a couple of weeks. It’s a picturesque place, with terraced gardens and a pool with a view. Lowri would love it.’
Me too, thought Hester. After the South of France fiasco, a holiday in Tuscany with Connah and Lowri was the stuff of dreams. ‘It sounds idyllic.’
‘Then you agree,’ Connah said with satisfaction. ‘You own a current passport?’
‘Of course. Does Lowri know about this?’
He shook his head. ‘I consulted you first. No point in getting her hopes up if you refused to come.’
As if! ‘You engaged me to work for you for six weeks,’ said Hester, smiling, ‘but you didn’t specify where, so I have no right to refuse—even if I wanted to, which I don’t. Thank you. I’d love to come.’
‘Good. That’s settled, then. I’ll talk to Jay.’ Connah got up and went over to the drinks tray. ‘How about a nightcap first?’
Hester got up quickly. ‘I won’t, thanks.’
He swung round to face her. ‘Of course, I forgot. You rushed back to see a film.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘I can still catch most of it.’
Connah walked to the door and opened it for her. ‘Goodnight, Hester. Not a word to Lowri in the morning about the holiday, in case it doesn’t come off. And if it does I’d like to break the glad news to her myself.’
‘Of course. Goodnight.’ Hester went slowly up to her room, wishing she could have stayed talking to Connah for a while. But she was attracted to him so strongly it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact from him. And because he also paid her salary it was necessary to keep to a strictly professional level of employer and employee between them. Not that Connah had the least idea that she thought of their relationship in any other light. And resisting the temptation of a tête-à-tête with him at this time of the night had been one way of making sure he kept thinking that way.
CHAPTER FIVE
LOWRI was so enraptured with the idea of a holiday which included Hester, she talked non-stop over the breakfast her father shared with her at the kitchen table for once to tell her that his friend, Jay Anderson, was happy for them to stay