mentally squirreled the name away. Next time she spoke to Kaye on the phone, she'd find out if this was the same boy.
'It was weird.' Erin didn't mean to go on about it but her lunchtime visit from Stella had put the wind up her. 'She seemed… different. I can't describe the way she was.'
'So don't try. Let's just relax and have fun.' Fergus twirled Erin through from the kitchen and pulled her down with him on to the sofa. 'If Stella knew about us, trust me, we'd know about it. She'd come right out and say it. But she hasn't, so that means she doesn't. And I'm not going to let the thought of my ex-wife spoil our evening. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, did I ever tell you what a difference you're making to my secretary's life?'
'Jeannie? I've never even met her.'
'Ah, but you can still make a difference.' Fergus arranged Erin's legs so they were resting across his lap and ran a hand affectionately over her ankles. 'Thanks to you, I've been in a ridiculously good mood today. When Jeannie double-booked me for meetings with two clients I said, oh well, no problem, I'll just have to squeeze them both in somehow. I'm telling you, she nearly fainted away with the shock. Next I asked for coffee and she brought me tea, and I didn't threaten to sack her. Then I checked a letter I'd dictated for a client and instead of Dear Mr Robertson she'd typed Deaf Mr Robertson. Which could have been tricky, seeing as Mr Robertson is deaf. But I didn't even yell at her.' Fergus shook his head, amazed by his own forbearance. 'I just said she might like to alter the letter before we sent it out.'
Erin didn't believe for a moment that he ever yelled at his secre tary, but she smiled anyway. 'And all because of me?'
'All because of you.'
A thought struck her. 'Does Jeannie know that? Could she have told Stella?'
'Hey, stop it.' Fergus stroked her arm. 'You're getting paranoid now. For a start, Jeannie may have guessed I'm seeing someone, but she has no idea who. And secondly, if she did know, she wouldn't tell Stella. They never did like each other. Ever since the day Stella came into the office and said, "Jeannie, have you ever thought of writing in to one of those transformation TV shows and asking for a makeover?"'
'Ouch.'
'Well, yes. I thought there'd be bloodshed. Anyway, we're back to talking about Stella. Can we please change the subject again? Could we maybe talk about you for a change? I'd much rather—'
Ddddrrrringgg went the doorbell, causing Erin to catapult upright in fear. 'Oh God, it's her!'
'Don't be daft, of course it isn't. It could be anyone.'
'I suppose it might be Tilly.' Erin began to relax. That would be all right, she could invite Tilly in to meet Fergus.
'Could be someone with a collecting tin. You'd better go and see.'
Cautiously Erin peered out of the window overlooking the High Street, but there was no one there. Leaving the living room, she crossed the hall and ventured halfway down the stairs; the fact that her front door led out into a narrow side alleyway was a bonus when it came to enabling Fergus to enter the flat unobserved, but the downside was that it meant she had no way of peering out and seeing who was on the doorstep.
'Hello?' Please, please let her visitor be Tilly.
'Erin? Can you open the door please? It's Stella Welch.'
Chapter 13
OH GOD, OH GOD. Collapsing back on the stair in fright, Erin clutched at the handrail for support. Oh God, Fergus had told her she was being paranoid. It wasn't supposed to actually happen. 'Um… I can't come down at the moment… I'm not dressed…'
'Please, just open the door. I need to see you.'
Erin's heart was banging like a cannon doing a twenty-one-gun salute. 'What about?'
'Well, for a start, the fact that you're refusing to open the door. What's wrong, Erin? What are
'It was weird.' Erin didn't mean to go on about it but her lunchtime visit from Stella had put the wind up her. 'She seemed… different. I can't describe the way she was.'
'So don't try. Let's just relax and have fun.' Fergus twirled Erin through from the kitchen and pulled her down with him on to the sofa. 'If Stella knew about us, trust me, we'd know about it. She'd come right out and say it. But she hasn't, so that means she doesn't. And I'm not going to let the thought of my ex-wife spoil our evening. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, did I ever tell you what a difference you're making to my secretary's life?'
'Jeannie? I've never even met her.'
'Ah, but you can still make a difference.' Fergus arranged Erin's legs so they were resting across his lap and ran a hand affectionately over her ankles. 'Thanks to you, I've been in a ridiculously good mood today. When Jeannie double-booked me for meetings with two clients I said, oh well, no problem, I'll just have to squeeze them both in somehow. I'm telling you, she nearly fainted away with the shock. Next I asked for coffee and she brought me tea, and I didn't threaten to sack her. Then I checked a letter I'd dictated for a client and instead of Dear Mr Robertson she'd typed Deaf Mr Robertson. Which could have been tricky, seeing as Mr Robertson is deaf. But I didn't even yell at her.' Fergus shook his head, amazed by his own forbearance. 'I just said she might like to alter the letter before we sent it out.'
Erin didn't believe for a moment that he ever yelled at his secre tary, but she smiled anyway. 'And all because of me?'
'All because of you.'
A thought struck her. 'Does Jeannie know that? Could she have told Stella?'
'Hey, stop it.' Fergus stroked her arm. 'You're getting paranoid now. For a start, Jeannie may have guessed I'm seeing someone, but she has no idea who. And secondly, if she did know, she wouldn't tell Stella. They never did like each other. Ever since the day Stella came into the office and said, "Jeannie, have you ever thought of writing in to one of those transformation TV shows and asking for a makeover?"'
'Ouch.'
'Well, yes. I thought there'd be bloodshed. Anyway, we're back to talking about Stella. Can we please change the subject again? Could we maybe talk about you for a change? I'd much rather—'
Ddddrrrringgg went the doorbell, causing Erin to catapult upright in fear. 'Oh God, it's her!'
'Don't be daft, of course it isn't. It could be anyone.'
'I suppose it might be Tilly.' Erin began to relax. That would be all right, she could invite Tilly in to meet Fergus.
'Could be someone with a collecting tin. You'd better go and see.'
Cautiously Erin peered out of the window overlooking the High Street, but there was no one there. Leaving the living room, she crossed the hall and ventured halfway down the stairs; the fact that her front door led out into a narrow side alleyway was a bonus when it came to enabling Fergus to enter the flat unobserved, but the downside was that it meant she had no way of peering out and seeing who was on the doorstep.
'Hello?' Please, please let her visitor be Tilly.
'Erin? Can you open the door please? It's Stella Welch.'
Chapter 13
OH GOD, OH GOD. Collapsing back on the stair in fright, Erin clutched at the handrail for support. Oh God, Fergus had told her she was being paranoid. It wasn't supposed to actually happen. 'Um… I can't come down at the moment… I'm not dressed…'
'Please, just open the door. I need to see you.'
Erin's heart was banging like a cannon doing a twenty-one-gun salute. 'What about?'
'Well, for a start, the fact that you're refusing to open the door. What's wrong, Erin? What are
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