party?'
'Not if you can't behave yourself like a grown-up. I won't have you fighting Mr Ormond; it would ruin my birthday.'
'Then send him away, not me! Who wants him here, anyway?'
'His mother does—it's her birthday, too, remember!' Her tone softened and she smiled at Colin. 'You like Mrs Ormond, don't you? You don't want to upset her on her birthday.'
James watched the two of them, his teeth grating. Why did she waste her warm, gentle smile on that gangling boy who was far too young to appreciate it?
At that moment Emmy came running back, blithely oblivious of any atmosphere between the adults. 'Aren't you coming in, James? Come on, we're all waiting for you. You didn't notice my new dress. Isn't it pretty?'
He bent to kiss her cheek. 'Very pretty. It suits you.' He meant it, too. Just the sight of her made his heart lift. Her dress was bright pink taffeta and should have clashed horribly with her red hair, but somehow it didn't; she looked adorable, with her wide sash which floated down the back in two streamers over her full skirts.
Obviously he had said the right thing because she beamed, her whole face lighting up. 'It's new. I never wore it before. Listen...' She did a little dance and her skirts flew around her, rustling noisily at every move. 'Isn't that great?'
'Great. I love it, and I love the way you've done your hair.' It had been tied into two curly bunches with matching pink ribbons and her cheeks were pink, too, with excitement.
'Your mother made the dress for her; it was very kind of her to take so much trouble,' Patience said.
'Ruth told me I could have any colour I liked. Patience took me to the shop and I picked pink. I love pink.'
'Huh! You look like a pink blancmange, all fat and wobbly,' Tom insulted, arriving.
Emmy whirled round to rush at Tom and hit out at him with both of her dimpled, screwed up fists. Tom shoved her away effortlessly and she tumbled back into James, who picked her up, frowning sternly at Tom, shaking his head.
'You shouldn't hit girls.' He caught a look of sarcasm in Patience's eyes and flushed slightly, remembering the first time they'd met, when he'd ordered his security men to carry her out of the building. He knew that that was what she was thinking about; her hazel eyes were eloquent.
It was odd, he was beginning to be able to read her mind, but then her small face was so expressive that every thought she had showed in her luminous eyes and the fleeting movements of her full mouth.
'She hit me first,' protested Tom indignantly.
'You were rude about her—what do you expect?' James avoided meeting Patience's gaze, wishing she would stop looking as if everything he said amused her.
'I don't look like a blancmange, do I?' Emmy asked him, and James shook his head.
'Of course not, you look beautiful.' Over her curly head he met Patience's eyes with a cold, forbidding stare. Let her laugh at that! But she didn't; she smiled at him and his chest constricted as if in pain or pleasure so extreme that it made his heart hurt. That wonderful warm smile had been all for him that time, and it was like being handed a rainbow.
He couldn't remember anyone in his life who had had a smile like that. When Fiona smiled it was just a movement of her elegant mouth; it held no real warmth- courtesy sometimes, sensuality at times, yes, mockery quite often, but not warmth. He was only just beginning to realise how little warmth there had ever been in his life and how much he had always needed some without being aware of it.
'It's getting cold out here. Come on, the party food is already laid out; supper is ready,' Patience said to James.
The children ran ahead. Colin sullenly said to Patience, 'What about me?
Can I come or not?'
'First* apologise to Mr Ormond for hitting him.'
Colin growled, 'Oh, forget it! I don't want to come, anyway, if he's going to be here.'
He rushed away down the drive and Patience gave a little sigh. 'Oh, dear.
Now he'll sulk for days.' Looking at
'Not if you can't behave yourself like a grown-up. I won't have you fighting Mr Ormond; it would ruin my birthday.'
'Then send him away, not me! Who wants him here, anyway?'
'His mother does—it's her birthday, too, remember!' Her tone softened and she smiled at Colin. 'You like Mrs Ormond, don't you? You don't want to upset her on her birthday.'
James watched the two of them, his teeth grating. Why did she waste her warm, gentle smile on that gangling boy who was far too young to appreciate it?
At that moment Emmy came running back, blithely oblivious of any atmosphere between the adults. 'Aren't you coming in, James? Come on, we're all waiting for you. You didn't notice my new dress. Isn't it pretty?'
He bent to kiss her cheek. 'Very pretty. It suits you.' He meant it, too. Just the sight of her made his heart lift. Her dress was bright pink taffeta and should have clashed horribly with her red hair, but somehow it didn't; she looked adorable, with her wide sash which floated down the back in two streamers over her full skirts.
Obviously he had said the right thing because she beamed, her whole face lighting up. 'It's new. I never wore it before. Listen...' She did a little dance and her skirts flew around her, rustling noisily at every move. 'Isn't that great?'
'Great. I love it, and I love the way you've done your hair.' It had been tied into two curly bunches with matching pink ribbons and her cheeks were pink, too, with excitement.
'Your mother made the dress for her; it was very kind of her to take so much trouble,' Patience said.
'Ruth told me I could have any colour I liked. Patience took me to the shop and I picked pink. I love pink.'
'Huh! You look like a pink blancmange, all fat and wobbly,' Tom insulted, arriving.
Emmy whirled round to rush at Tom and hit out at him with both of her dimpled, screwed up fists. Tom shoved her away effortlessly and she tumbled back into James, who picked her up, frowning sternly at Tom, shaking his head.
'You shouldn't hit girls.' He caught a look of sarcasm in Patience's eyes and flushed slightly, remembering the first time they'd met, when he'd ordered his security men to carry her out of the building. He knew that that was what she was thinking about; her hazel eyes were eloquent.
It was odd, he was beginning to be able to read her mind, but then her small face was so expressive that every thought she had showed in her luminous eyes and the fleeting movements of her full mouth.
'She hit me first,' protested Tom indignantly.
'You were rude about her—what do you expect?' James avoided meeting Patience's gaze, wishing she would stop looking as if everything he said amused her.
'I don't look like a blancmange, do I?' Emmy asked him, and James shook his head.
'Of course not, you look beautiful.' Over her curly head he met Patience's eyes with a cold, forbidding stare. Let her laugh at that! But she didn't; she smiled at him and his chest constricted as if in pain or pleasure so extreme that it made his heart hurt. That wonderful warm smile had been all for him that time, and it was like being handed a rainbow.
He couldn't remember anyone in his life who had had a smile like that. When Fiona smiled it was just a movement of her elegant mouth; it held no real warmth- courtesy sometimes, sensuality at times, yes, mockery quite often, but not warmth. He was only just beginning to realise how little warmth there had ever been in his life and how much he had always needed some without being aware of it.
'It's getting cold out here. Come on, the party food is already laid out; supper is ready,' Patience said to James.
The children ran ahead. Colin sullenly said to Patience, 'What about me?
Can I come or not?'
'First* apologise to Mr Ormond for hitting him.'
Colin growled, 'Oh, forget it! I don't want to come, anyway, if he's going to be here.'
He rushed away down the drive and Patience gave a little sigh. 'Oh, dear.
Now he'll sulk for days.' Looking at
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