Christmas Eve Marriage. Jessica Hart

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СКАЧАТЬ ‘I bet you anything that they’re friends in no time.’

      Rhys looked as if he wanted to believe her, but couldn’t quite let himself. ‘Clara seems a very nice little girl,’ he said.

      ‘She is,’ said Thea with an affectionate smile. ‘It’s a bit disheartening sometimes to find that your nine-year-old niece is more sensible than you are, but apart from that she’s a star! She’s great company too. It’s easy to forget that she’s only nine sometimes.’

      ‘Is it just the two of you on holiday?’

      ‘Yes. Clara was supposed to be coming with my sister but Nell slipped off some steps at the beach three weeks ago and managed to break a foot and a wrist, which means she’s been effectively immobilised ever since. There was no question of her being able to drive or walk, so she’d have been completely stuck up here, even if she’d been able to get here in the first place.’

      ‘Unfortunate,’ said Rhys. ‘Was she insured?’

      Thea nodded. ‘Oh, yes, Nell’s always very sensible about things like that. I’m sure she would have been able to claim the cost of cancelling the holiday, but Clara would have been so disappointed. She’s been looking forward to this for ages. Her father never takes her on holiday.’

      She scowled, thinking about her sister’s ex-husband. ‘He’s got a new family now, and his new wife doesn’t like Clara very much. I think she’s probably jealous of her.’

      ‘Clara’s parents are divorced?’ Rhys looked surprised. ‘She seems so…happy.’

      ‘She’s fine,’ said Thea. ‘She was very small when Simon left, so she’s always taken the fact that her parents live separately for granted. She sees Simon regularly, and Nell’s been very careful not to expose her to any bitterness.’

      ‘Maybe she and Clara will have something in common after all.’

      Ah. Thea had been wondering about Sophie’s mother. ‘You’re divorced as well?’

      He nodded, his face set. ‘Sophie hasn’t adjusted as well as Clara, though. She wasn’t even two when Lynda left, so she’s not used to us living together either.

      ‘I was working in North Africa at the time,’ he went on. ‘My work took me to the desert a lot and Lynda said it wasn’t a suitable place to bring up a child. I suppose it was difficult for her, but…’

      His mouth twisted slightly at the memory and he made a visible effort to shrug it aside. ‘Anyway, she came home and we divorced. Nobody else was involved, and it was as free of bitterness as a divorce can be. We’re still on good terms.’

      ‘That must make it easier for Sophie, doesn’t it?’

      ‘The trouble is that I’ve seen so little of her.’ Rhys drank his coffee morosely. ‘My job kept me in Morocco for another five years. Whenever I had leave and could get back to the UK, I saw Sophie, of course, but it wasn’t that often, and I guess I am pretty much a stranger to her.’

      ‘That must be hard,’ said Thea carefully.

      His mouth turned down as he nodded. ‘The last time I came home, I realised that I didn’t know my daughter at all, and I didn’t want it to be like that. I want to be a proper father to her, not just someone who turns up with presents every now and then. So I got myself a job in London, where I could live nearby, and I’m trying to see her more regularly now, but…’

      ‘But what?’ she prompted. ‘It sounds to me as if you did exactly the right thing.’

      ‘I’m just afraid I may have left it too late,’ said Rhys reluctantly. ‘I know I only came back a few weeks ago, but it’s as if Sophie is determined not to be won over.’

      ‘It might take a little time,’ said Thea, hearing the hurt in his voice. ‘It’s probably confusing for her too, to suddenly have a full-time father.’

      ‘I suppose so.’ He sighed and raked a hand through his hair in a weary gesture. ‘I was hoping that coming away on holiday together would be a good chance for us to get to know each other properly and get used to each other, but it hasn’t been a great success so far. I imagined us going for long walks together and talking, but Sophie doesn’t like walking and half the time she won’t talk to me either. She says she’s bored.’

      ‘Aren’t there any other children here?’ ‘Yes, there are two boys staying in the other villa.’ Rhys nodded across the pool. ‘Unfortunately, they’re very well behaved. Sophie says they’re boring, too.’

      ‘I’m sure Clara will sort them all out,’ said Thea comfortably as Sophie came back out on to the terrace, looking marginally less sullen.

      She thrust a cup at Thea. ‘Here.’

      ‘Thanks.’ Thea took it with a smile. Clara would have known that her aunt was desperate for coffee, she thought gratefully, but Rhys was frowning at his daughter’s gracelessness.

      ‘What about a saucer?’ he asked, but Sophie was already on her way back to the kitchen.

      ‘Honestly, this is fine,’ said Thea quickly before he followed her. It was all she could do to contain herself as Rhys poured coffee into her cup.

      ‘That smells wonderful.’ She sighed, breathing in deeply. ‘Mmm….’ She took a sip and closed her eyes blissfully. ‘God, that tastes good!’

      Lowering the cup, she smiled at Rhys, a wide, warm smile that lit up her face and left him looking oddly startled for a moment. ‘I’ve been fantasising about this all morning!’

      He raised a brow. ‘Nice to meet a woman whose fantasies are so easily satisfied!’ he said dryly.

      His eyes were an unusual greenish-grey colour, their paleness striking in his brown face. Thea was surprised that she hadn’t noticed them before, and, distracted, it took her a moment to register what he had said.

      A faint flush stained her cheeks when she did, and she made herself look away. ‘Some of them, anyway.’

      There was a pause while Thea drank her coffee and gazed studiously at the view, wishing she could think of something to say.

      The sudden silence was interrupted, much to her relief, by Sophie and Clara, bearing breakfast. Bread and jam were laid carefully on the table, along with some ripe peaches, a pot of Greek yoghurt and some honey.

      ‘This looks wonderful, Sophie,’ said Thea, although she was fairly sure that her practical niece had taken a leading role in procuring the lavish spread. Sophie had that pale, thin look of a child with no interest in food. ‘Thank you so much.’

      Sophie hunched a shoulder in acknowledgment and resumed her slumped posture on the chair, but Thea noticed that, beneath her fringe, her eyes were alert as she watched them tucking into breakfast with relish.

      Rhys watched them too, with quiet amusement. ‘It’s a pleasure to see girls with such healthy appetites,’ he said as Thea poured honey over a bowlful of yoghurt, handing it to Clara before preparing one of her own.

      ‘We’re very hungry,’ she said a little defensively. ‘We haven’t eaten since the meal on the plane, have СКАЧАТЬ