had not given her the smallest hint that he might be thinking in terms of her being his bed companion.
Oh, grief! Even thinking about it made her go hot all over. By the sound of it Jonah had wearied of the chase, but it had to be faced-he was still one all very virile male. And, while she had no evidence that he even fancied her-and surely she would have picked up some clue somewhere along the line-was she so naive as to believe that this weekend had nothing to do with-bed?
Oh, heavens, she was having kittens just thinking about it, and found that the only way she could cope was by trying to believe that nothing of a sexual nature was going to take place between them that weekend. Jonah had said that, in the absence of him being able to come up with a plan of how she should repay him, they could spend time this weekend probing possible ways in which she could start making repayments.
Well, she couldn't think of anything, and if he wasn't enamored of her nannying night and day in order to repay him she had no idea what his superior business brain might come up with even if this coming weekend should stretch on to Christmas.
Lydie went down to breakfast and found her parents already in the breakfast room. But there was such a strained atmosphere that, coupled with guilt and fear, plus apprehension in case one of her parents should ask a question which might call for an embroidered answer, she just grabbed up a banana and, uttering something about washing her car, left them.
Jonah was on her mind the whole of the time while she washed and wax-polished her car. She should start looking for another job. Jonah didn't want her to do that, not just yet, he had said, when to her mind the sooner she started earning, the sooner she would start to repay him.
She went indoors and decided to ring Donna, her friend and ex-employer. Donna had been nervous of coping without her, but, while Donna had her phone number, Lydie had felt it better to leave it a while before ringing her.
`How is everybody?' Lydie asked when Donna answered.
`We're fine. Though I almost rang you several times."
`I knew you'd cope beautifully,' Lydie said confidently.
`Which is more than I did. But we seem to have settled into something of a routine. How did the wedding go?'
Guiltily Lydie realised that she'd had so much else on her mind she had almost forgotten about Oliver's wedding-was it only two days ago? `It was super,' she told Donna. 'Madeline looked lovely.' Unbidden, the memory winged in of Jonah saying yesterday, `I should have known you wouldn't be bridesmaid. You're much too beautiful' . '...job yet?"
'Sorry?"
'I was asking if you've got any work lined up yet. Only Elvira Sykes is back-you remember her? Well, she's home from Bahrain, and is desperate to have you if you're interested. She's constantly asking me for your phone number, which I keep telling her I've mislaid.'
`I haven't any work plans at the moment,' Lydie hedged.
`I'll tell her you're taking a long vacation and that if she isn't fixed up by the time you get back you'll give her a ring.'
They chatted on comfortably until one of the children started yelling, then said goodbye. Lydie wandered over to her bedroom window and, glancing out, saw that her father was mowing one of the lawns. Her heart went out to him-they had always employed a gardener, but apparently her father had had to let him go.
She saw her mother come out of the house, then spotted her mother's car on the drive; she was obviously off to some coffee morning, good works, or shopping. She got into her car without attracting Wilmot Pearson's attention. Lydie saw none of the affection between them that had been there on Saturday, when her father had taken a hold of her mother's hand.
Lydie consoled her disquieted feelings by musing that they had probably discussed their plans for the morning over breakfast, and, anyway, had her mother called to him her father would
Oh, grief! Even thinking about it made her go hot all over. By the sound of it Jonah had wearied of the chase, but it had to be faced-he was still one all very virile male. And, while she had no evidence that he even fancied her-and surely she would have picked up some clue somewhere along the line-was she so naive as to believe that this weekend had nothing to do with-bed?
Oh, heavens, she was having kittens just thinking about it, and found that the only way she could cope was by trying to believe that nothing of a sexual nature was going to take place between them that weekend. Jonah had said that, in the absence of him being able to come up with a plan of how she should repay him, they could spend time this weekend probing possible ways in which she could start making repayments.
Well, she couldn't think of anything, and if he wasn't enamored of her nannying night and day in order to repay him she had no idea what his superior business brain might come up with even if this coming weekend should stretch on to Christmas.
Lydie went down to breakfast and found her parents already in the breakfast room. But there was such a strained atmosphere that, coupled with guilt and fear, plus apprehension in case one of her parents should ask a question which might call for an embroidered answer, she just grabbed up a banana and, uttering something about washing her car, left them.
Jonah was on her mind the whole of the time while she washed and wax-polished her car. She should start looking for another job. Jonah didn't want her to do that, not just yet, he had said, when to her mind the sooner she started earning, the sooner she would start to repay him.
She went indoors and decided to ring Donna, her friend and ex-employer. Donna had been nervous of coping without her, but, while Donna had her phone number, Lydie had felt it better to leave it a while before ringing her.
`How is everybody?' Lydie asked when Donna answered.
`We're fine. Though I almost rang you several times."
`I knew you'd cope beautifully,' Lydie said confidently.
`Which is more than I did. But we seem to have settled into something of a routine. How did the wedding go?'
Guiltily Lydie realised that she'd had so much else on her mind she had almost forgotten about Oliver's wedding-was it only two days ago? `It was super,' she told Donna. 'Madeline looked lovely.' Unbidden, the memory winged in of Jonah saying yesterday, `I should have known you wouldn't be bridesmaid. You're much too beautiful' . '...job yet?"
'Sorry?"
'I was asking if you've got any work lined up yet. Only Elvira Sykes is back-you remember her? Well, she's home from Bahrain, and is desperate to have you if you're interested. She's constantly asking me for your phone number, which I keep telling her I've mislaid.'
`I haven't any work plans at the moment,' Lydie hedged.
`I'll tell her you're taking a long vacation and that if she isn't fixed up by the time you get back you'll give her a ring.'
They chatted on comfortably until one of the children started yelling, then said goodbye. Lydie wandered over to her bedroom window and, glancing out, saw that her father was mowing one of the lawns. Her heart went out to him-they had always employed a gardener, but apparently her father had had to let him go.
She saw her mother come out of the house, then spotted her mother's car on the drive; she was obviously off to some coffee morning, good works, or shopping. She got into her car without attracting Wilmot Pearson's attention. Lydie saw none of the affection between them that had been there on Saturday, when her father had taken a hold of her mother's hand.
Lydie consoled her disquieted feelings by musing that they had probably discussed their plans for the morning over breakfast, and, anyway, had her mother called to him her father would
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