down whilst he made them both a cup of tea.
'I heard about you and Caspar,' he told her.
'You and the entire population of Haslewich,' Olivia returned with a brave attempt at a normal bantering manner that made Saul's mouth curl in a gently re-proving smile.
'This is me, Livvy,' he reminded her quietly. 'You can take down the defences. What the hell is Caspar thinking about?' he demanded fiercely. 'He's a fool to let you go....'
'I didn't give him much alternative,' Olivia admitted. 'It just wasn't working for us any more, Saul. We were picking fights with one another all the time and for the girls' sake...' She stopped speaking and took a deep breath. Saul was right. She didn't need to put up any defences against him. They were as close as though they were brother and sister and could easily at one time have been even closer...Saul had wanted her and she...
Saul was still an impossibly handsome and sensually appealing man, the kind of man any woman could be forgiven for wanting. He had a very special male strength about him and, right now, Olivia ached to have a man like Saul to lean on, a man like Saul to protect her, cherish her...
But Saul was married to Tullah she reminded herself sharply. Saul loved Tullah and she loved him and she had no right to be thinking what she was thinking, no matter how sorry for herself she might be feeling.
'What's wrong?' Saul asked her gently. 'And don't try telling me "Nothing." If you're having second thoughts about this separation...'
'No, it isn't that,' Olivia told him. She stopped and took a deep breath. The urge to confide in him couldn't be denied.
'Saul. I've done the most dreadful thing,' she told him in a wobbly voice. For a moment she thought he was going to respond with some teasing throw-away comment but then he gave her a penetrating look and instead said quietly, 'Tell me.'
Haltingly she did.
'...and now I don't know what to do,' she admitted.
'I can't bear to think what Jenny must think of me.
My behaviour was so appalling.' Tears burned her voice. 'I feel so ashamed, Saul.'
'Would you like me to have a word with Jenny for you...explain...?' Saul suggested.
Immediately Olivia shook her head.
'No. I want to speak to her myself...to explain to her myself...I have to, I can't hide behind someone else—not even you.'
'I'm sure she'll understand,' Saul comforted her.
'Jenny knows you, Livvy. She loves you and she'll know how you must be feeling.'
'Then if she does, why hasn't she rung me?' Olivia asked him despairingly before shaking her head. 'Oh God, Saul, there I go again, feeling sorry for myself... being selfish. She must be frantic with worry about Maddy. Has there been any news about her yet?'
'Not so far as I know. She's still in hospital. Try not to worry,' Saul counselled her. 'Ring Jenny in the morning. She should have some news about Maddy by then and you can explain everything to her.' He glanced at his watch. 'I'd better go. Tullah will be wondering where the hell I am.'
As Olivia looked at the kitchen clock she couldn't believe that they had been talking for over an hour.
'Thanks,' she told him simply as she walked with him to the door.
'For what?' he demanded.
'For being you,' Olivia told him softly. 'And for understanding me.'
She kissed him quickly on the mouth and then stepped back. She was only feeling the way she was because she was lonely and vulnerable she told herself fiercely as she watched him walk to his car...that was all!
'MR CRIGHTON...'
Max tensed as the nurse came into the small room where he had been waiting to see Maddy ever since he had returned to the hospital to be told that the consultant had given strict instructions that she was not permitted to see anyone.
'Mr Lewis would like to have a word with you. If you'll come this way...'
Fighting to control his feelings Max strode after her down the corridor and into the room he had become so familiar with and which he knew would for ever now be for him a place
'I heard about you and Caspar,' he told her.
'You and the entire population of Haslewich,' Olivia returned with a brave attempt at a normal bantering manner that made Saul's mouth curl in a gently re-proving smile.
'This is me, Livvy,' he reminded her quietly. 'You can take down the defences. What the hell is Caspar thinking about?' he demanded fiercely. 'He's a fool to let you go....'
'I didn't give him much alternative,' Olivia admitted. 'It just wasn't working for us any more, Saul. We were picking fights with one another all the time and for the girls' sake...' She stopped speaking and took a deep breath. Saul was right. She didn't need to put up any defences against him. They were as close as though they were brother and sister and could easily at one time have been even closer...Saul had wanted her and she...
Saul was still an impossibly handsome and sensually appealing man, the kind of man any woman could be forgiven for wanting. He had a very special male strength about him and, right now, Olivia ached to have a man like Saul to lean on, a man like Saul to protect her, cherish her...
But Saul was married to Tullah she reminded herself sharply. Saul loved Tullah and she loved him and she had no right to be thinking what she was thinking, no matter how sorry for herself she might be feeling.
'What's wrong?' Saul asked her gently. 'And don't try telling me "Nothing." If you're having second thoughts about this separation...'
'No, it isn't that,' Olivia told him. She stopped and took a deep breath. The urge to confide in him couldn't be denied.
'Saul. I've done the most dreadful thing,' she told him in a wobbly voice. For a moment she thought he was going to respond with some teasing throw-away comment but then he gave her a penetrating look and instead said quietly, 'Tell me.'
Haltingly she did.
'...and now I don't know what to do,' she admitted.
'I can't bear to think what Jenny must think of me.
My behaviour was so appalling.' Tears burned her voice. 'I feel so ashamed, Saul.'
'Would you like me to have a word with Jenny for you...explain...?' Saul suggested.
Immediately Olivia shook her head.
'No. I want to speak to her myself...to explain to her myself...I have to, I can't hide behind someone else—not even you.'
'I'm sure she'll understand,' Saul comforted her.
'Jenny knows you, Livvy. She loves you and she'll know how you must be feeling.'
'Then if she does, why hasn't she rung me?' Olivia asked him despairingly before shaking her head. 'Oh God, Saul, there I go again, feeling sorry for myself... being selfish. She must be frantic with worry about Maddy. Has there been any news about her yet?'
'Not so far as I know. She's still in hospital. Try not to worry,' Saul counselled her. 'Ring Jenny in the morning. She should have some news about Maddy by then and you can explain everything to her.' He glanced at his watch. 'I'd better go. Tullah will be wondering where the hell I am.'
As Olivia looked at the kitchen clock she couldn't believe that they had been talking for over an hour.
'Thanks,' she told him simply as she walked with him to the door.
'For what?' he demanded.
'For being you,' Olivia told him softly. 'And for understanding me.'
She kissed him quickly on the mouth and then stepped back. She was only feeling the way she was because she was lonely and vulnerable she told herself fiercely as she watched him walk to his car...that was all!
'MR CRIGHTON...'
Max tensed as the nurse came into the small room where he had been waiting to see Maddy ever since he had returned to the hospital to be told that the consultant had given strict instructions that she was not permitted to see anyone.
'Mr Lewis would like to have a word with you. If you'll come this way...'
Fighting to control his feelings Max strode after her down the corridor and into the room he had become so familiar with and which he knew would for ever now be for him a place
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