This wasnât a nursery, but the master bedroom.
Jacqui turned, her intention to immediately withdraw. And found herself face-to-face with Harry Talbot, standing in front of a chest of drawers, apparently looking for underwear.
Bad enough that sheâd walked into his room without even knocking, but then there was the small fact that heâd just stepped out of the shower and was naked but for a towel slung carelessly about his hips.
As he spun to face her it lost its battle with gravity.
He made no move to retrieve it and, despite opening her mouth with every intention of apologizing for having blundered into his room, she found herself quite unable to speak.
He was beautiful. Lean to the bone, hard, sculptured, his was the kind of body artists loved for their life classes.
Which made the scars lacerating his back, scars which he hadnât moved quickly enough to hide from her, all the more terrible.
Without thinking, she reached out as if to touch him, take the pain into her own body.
JACQUI MOORE peered through the low, swirling cloud, intent on keeping her precious car on the lane snaking between dry-stone walls that were much too close for comfort, and wished, not for the first time that day, that she was better at saying no.
âItâs just a flying nanny job, Jacqui. A piece of cake for someone as experienced as you.â
âIâm not a nanny, flying or otherwise. Not any more.â
âA couple of hours, max,â Vickie Campbell continued, as if she hadnât spoken. âI wouldnât ask but this is an emergency and Selina Talbot is a very special client.â
âSelina Talbot?â
âNow I have your attention,â Vickie said, with satisfaction. âYou know she adopted an orphaned refugee child?â
âYes, Iâve seen her photograph in Celebrityâ¦â
âWe supply all her staff.â
âDo you?â Jacqui jerked herself back from the brink of temptation. âSo why doesnât she have one of your wonderful nannies to take care of her little girl?â
âShe does. At least she will have. Iâve got someone lined up, but sheâs on holidayââ
âHoliday! Now, thereâs a coincidence. You do recall that you asked me to drop by on my way to the airportâ¦â she laid heavy emphasis on the word airport ââ¦since I was passing the door anyway. You had something for me, you said,â she prompted.
âOh, yes.â Vickie opened her desk drawer and handed her a padded envelope. âThe Gilchrists sent it.â
Jacqui took the envelope with its Hong Kong postmark and, heart beating like a drum as she tore it open, tipped out the contents. The supple silver links of the bracelet curled into her palm. A card fluttered to the ground.
With a feeling of dread she picked it up, turned it over and read the message.
âJacqui?â
She shook her head, blinking furiously as she bent over her bag, pushing it out of sight. Unable for a moment to speak.
âWhat is it? Did the Gilchrists send you a keepsake?â
Unable to tell her exactly what the Gilchrists had done, she said, âSomething like that.â
Vickie took it from her. âOh, itâs a charm bracelet and theyâve started your collection with a little heart. How sweet.â Then, âIt seems to be engraved,â she said, holding it closer to the light and squinting to read the tiny words. âI really must get my eyes tested, but I think it saysâ¦ââ¦forget and smileâ¦â.â She frowned. âWhat does that mean?â
âItâs a quotation from Christina Rossetti,â Jacqui said, numbly. ââBetter by far you should forget and smile, Than that you should remember and be sad.ââ
âOh. Yes⦠Well. I see.â Then, gently, âMaybe thatâs good advice.â
âYes,â she said.
âI know how much it hurt to lose her, Jacqui. Sheâll never forget you. Everything you did for her.â
Jacqui knew exactly what sheâd done. That was why she could never take the risk again.
âDo you want me to fasten it for you?â
And because it would have looked odd if sheâd stuffed it away out of sight with the card that had come with it, she allowed Vickie to fasten the chain about her wrist. Then, because she had to get out of there, she cleared her throat and said, âRight, well, if thatâs all, Iâd better be getting on my way.â
âDonât rush off. Your plane doesnât leave for hours.â Vickie smiled. One of those full-blooded, come on, I understand that you were upset, but itâs time to move on, smiles. âAnd, since youâre flying by a no-frills airline from some airport in the back of beyond, you undoubtedly need the money. You havenât worked for months.â
âI havenât worked for you for months,â she corrected. âWhich was quite intentional. But I have been working as a temp in a jolly nice office. Regular hours, no weekends and the money isnât bad, either.â
Vickie rolled her eyes in a give-me-strength look, not fooled for a minute.