CATHERINE GEORGE - Will He Ask Her to be His Bride? - The Millionaire's Convenient Bride / The Millionaire's Proposal / Texas Ranger Takes a Bride

‘You can read another chapter of that book you’re devouring,’ said Hester.

The child embraced her father with enthusiasm, but a yawn overtook her as she went inside with Hester. ‘I quite fancy going to bed in that dear little room next to yours,’ she admitted sleepily. ‘I was too excited to sleep much last night.’

Within minutes the face-washing and teeth-brushing routine was over and Lowri was tucked under the snow-white covers on the bed. ‘I’m too tired to read tonight,’ she said, yawning. ‘Will you kiss me goodnight, Hester?’

Touched, Hester bent to kiss the smooth, flushed cheek, brushed a hand over the silky dark hair, then said goodnight and went quietly from the room to go downstairs to Connah.

As always, his requirements had been clearly stated. Otherwise, since this was a different situation, in a different country, Hester would have been uncertain what to do once Lowri was in bed. She felt a frisson of pure pleasure at spending time alone with Connah in these circumstances, as she took a few minutes in her room to brush her hair and touch a lipstick to her mouth. Her thin cotton dress was an old one, but the gentian-blue shade deepened the colour of her eyes and the wide skirt was more holiday-friendly than the clothes she wore in Albany Square. The face that looked back at her from the mirror was flushed from the sun and the swim and the sheer pleasure of the evening. Four weeks, she told it firmly. After that it would nearly be time to leave Connah and Lowri and go on to pastures new in Yorkshire. Where she would miss Lowri badly when she was looking after a newborn baby. She would miss Lowri’s father even more. She took in a deep breath and smiled at her reflection. Instead of anticipating future pain, right now it was time to join Connah—and make the most of present pleasure.

CONNAH was waiting impatiently when Hester joined him on the loggia. ‘At last! Did Lowri con you into reading the book to her, instead?’

‘No, she was too tired.’ She smiled. ‘By the time I’d finished tidying her room she was asleep.’

‘You were a long time coming down,’ he commented, pulling out a chair for her. ‘I thought you might have had second thoughts and gone to bed.’

‘Not without saying goodnight!’

‘Goodnight, Connah,’ he ordered. ‘We’re supposed to be on first name terms, but so far, Hester, I’ve yet to hear mine from you.’

‘I find it difficult,’ she said awkwardly.

‘Why?’

‘For obvious reasons.’

He eyed her challengingly. ‘How did you address your last employers?’

‘As Leo and Julia,’ she admitted, ‘but it was a very informal household.’

‘So is mine. From now on you say Connah, or I shall address you as Miss Ward.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘Loosen up, Hester. This is a holiday. Forget your scruples and enjoy the break from humdrum routine in Albany Square.’

Hester couldn’t help laughing. ‘During my brief but eventful time in Albany Square, life has been anything but humdrum.’

‘That’s better—you should laugh more often,’ he approved. ‘Have a glass of wine.’

Oh, why not? thought Hester. ‘Thank you,’ she said sedately.

After a comfortable silence Connor asked what she would like to do the next day. ‘The local shops will be shut on a Sunday, but we could drive somewhere, if you like.’

‘Speaking in professional nanny mode,’ said Hester, ‘I think a day of doing nothing much at all would be good for Lowri after the journey today. She can swim and sunbathe, maybe watch a DVD or even take a nap when the sun gets hot, and if she gets restless I can take her for a walk later when it’s cooler. Then, maybe, on Monday you could drive us into Greve and drink coffee in the square while Lowri and I look round the shops.’

‘I’ll come shopping with you,’ said Connah, surprising her. ‘And afterwards I’ll take you to lunch somewhere.’

‘Thank you. Lowri would adore that.’ So would Hester. ‘By the way, when you need time to yourself with your laptop, just say the word and I’ll keep Lowri occupied.’

Connah stretched out in his chair with a sigh of pleasure. ‘At the moment the thought of even opening my laptop is too much effort. Maybe I’ll just stick to lotus-eating for a while. God knows, this is the ideal place for it.’

‘You said you’d stayed here before?’

‘Twice. But on both occasions the house was packed with the Anderson family and various friends. Great fun, but definitely not peaceful.’ He turned to look at her. ‘I’ll join you and Lowri to laze the day away tomorrow—including the daily swim.’

Hester liked his programme very much. Even the swim.

‘Tell me,’ he said idly, as though the answer were of no particular importance, ‘why was there such a gap between your last job and the next one, Hester?’

‘It wasn’t planned. When Leo and Julia won the leads in a new television series in LA, I looked for another post right away and sorted the one in Yorkshire quite quickly. But the Herricks were needed in LA weeks sooner than expected and the Rutherford baby isn’t due until early October, so a temporary job seemed the ideal way to fill in the time.’

‘Wouldn’t you have liked a holiday before getting down to work again?’

Hester was silent for a while. ‘I’d been asked to go to the South of France,’ she said at last, gazing out at the starlit garden, ‘but the holiday fell through at the last minute.’

‘So what went wrong?’

‘The friend who invited me cancelled at the eleventh hour.’

‘Why?’

‘He received a sudden job offer and barely had time to apologise before boarding the plane to head west for fame and fortune.’

Connah shot her a searching glance. ‘Were you unhappy about that, Hester?’

She shook her head. ‘Only where the cancelled holiday was concerned.’

‘You mentioned fame and fortune, so I take it the man is an actor. Would I know him?’

She shrugged. ‘You might. He played a psychopath in one of those film noir type thrillers recently. It won him rave reviews, which led to a role as Julia’s wicked brother in the American series she’s starring in with Leo. Though the fact that he really is Julia’s little brother probably helped with that.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Keir McBride.’

Connah shook his head. ‘Never heard of him.’

Hester chuckled. ‘He’d be mortified if he knew.’

‘Is he very pretty?’

‘Very. He’s fair, like Julia, with bright blue eyes and angelic good looks. They made his psychotic performance all the more chilling.’

Connah’s face looked stern in the dim light. ‘Had you known him long?’

‘Off and on for the three years I worked for his sister. But in the period before the Herricks’ big break he was out of a job and came to “rest” for a while at their house. Leo and Julia were out in the evenings, performing in their respective shows, so Keir took to spending time with me most evenings after I put the twins to bed. We got on so well he asked if I fancied a holiday with him in the Herricks’ farmhouse in the Dordogne once Julia and Leo left for LA. But then, out of the blue, he got the offer of a lifetime, so no holiday.’

‘Will you see him again?’ said Connor, seized with a sudden desire to rearrange the actor’s angelic face.

‘I doubt it. If Keir makes a success of his part in the series—which he will because, pretty face or not, he’s a brilliant actor—he’s bound to get more offers over there. If things go well for him, I doubt that he’ll come back to this country any time soon.’ Hester smiled crookedly. ‘Believe me, it was no romance. Keir was out of work, short of funds and I was right there, captive company for him every evening. The bird in the hand.’