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Authors: Anne Baker
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her. ‘She cooks delicious food and seems so efficient.’
He laughed. ‘You will be too, with a little practice. Arthur Knowles was full of praise for the work you did in the lab and you’re coping well with the baby, so perhaps you could find time to do a little more about the house.’
Millie suddenly realised what a gift he was offering. ‘Yes, yes, thank you. You’re giving me a wonderful chance. Where else would I get a job and a home and be able to keep my baby?’ She looked at him suspiciously. ‘Are you sure? It sounds so suited to my needs that it’s almost as though . . . Well, it sounds as though you are trying to help me rather than provide yourself and the girls with a well-run home.’
He jerked to his feet. ‘What if it is? We would miss you if you left us.’
Millie leapt to her feet too, flooding with relief. At last she could see her future beyond the next week or two. ‘Thank you,’ she said, standing on tiptoe to plant a grateful kiss his cheek. ‘From the bottom of my heart, thank you.’
It came as a surprise to feel his arms tighten round her and his lips descend on hers in a passionate kiss. Tingling all over she responded, full of exuberant joy, but just as suddenly he released her and pushed her away from him.
‘I’m sorry.’ His face was the picture of embarrassment. ‘I shouldn’t have done that. It was taking advantage . . .’
‘No, it wasn’t,’ she protested earnestly. ‘You’ve done so much for me that nothing would be taking advantage. I’d do anything for you.’
He stood looking down at her for a moment. ‘It would, Millie, that’s the trouble.’ He shot out of the nursery and she heard him hurrying downstairs to his bedroom on the floor below. He’d forgotten to say goodnight and usually he was punctilious about such pleasantries.
For her part she felt swept away by her feelings. Peter was a lovely, kind person and she felt full of gratitude and relief, but she’d been wrapped up with her baby and so full of her own problems that it had taken that tingling thrill when he kissed her to make her realise what she felt for him.
Of course she’d known he’d liked her. He wouldn’t have done so much to help her if he hadn’t, but that one kiss had changed everything, she was now overwhelmed with joy. She laughed out loud. She had something to thank Ryan McCarthy for after all. She was no longer an innocent young girl. She understood that all men needed love and sought it in this way.
She doubted now that Ryan had ever been truly in love with her. He’d been uncaring and had thought only of himself, but Peter Maynard? His first thoughts had been for her welfare, but in that one unguarded moment he’d betrayed his feelings for her and been mightily embarrassed. She’d seen love in his eyes. Love for her.
She felt warmth spreading through her, she was thrilled. She found it hard to believe that a man in Peter Maynard’s position could fall in love with her, but why else would he go out of his way to be this generous to a girl who used to work in his business?
Now she thought about it, she had sensed that his attitude towards her was changing. He’d told her not to keep calling him Mr Maynard. ‘I can’t do with that sort of formality at home.’ The way she thought of him was changing too, but she was living in his house and they were seeing more of each other, so it was bound to change in one way or another.
Millie picked up her sleeping daughter and went slowly to her bedroom. She’d been delighted, excited even at the thought of being his housekeeper and part of his household. That would have allowed her to keep her dignity and bring Sylvie up in pleasant and happy surroundings, but if she was right, this was a total miracle. She needed to discuss all this quietly with him. Millie could see why he wanted to fight his own feelings; nobody would see her as likely to make him a good wife.
Over the next few days Hattie took up most of her
He laughed. ‘You will be too, with a little practice. Arthur Knowles was full of praise for the work you did in the lab and you’re coping well with the baby, so perhaps you could find time to do a little more about the house.’
Millie suddenly realised what a gift he was offering. ‘Yes, yes, thank you. You’re giving me a wonderful chance. Where else would I get a job and a home and be able to keep my baby?’ She looked at him suspiciously. ‘Are you sure? It sounds so suited to my needs that it’s almost as though . . . Well, it sounds as though you are trying to help me rather than provide yourself and the girls with a well-run home.’
He jerked to his feet. ‘What if it is? We would miss you if you left us.’
Millie leapt to her feet too, flooding with relief. At last she could see her future beyond the next week or two. ‘Thank you,’ she said, standing on tiptoe to plant a grateful kiss his cheek. ‘From the bottom of my heart, thank you.’
It came as a surprise to feel his arms tighten round her and his lips descend on hers in a passionate kiss. Tingling all over she responded, full of exuberant joy, but just as suddenly he released her and pushed her away from him.
‘I’m sorry.’ His face was the picture of embarrassment. ‘I shouldn’t have done that. It was taking advantage . . .’
‘No, it wasn’t,’ she protested earnestly. ‘You’ve done so much for me that nothing would be taking advantage. I’d do anything for you.’
He stood looking down at her for a moment. ‘It would, Millie, that’s the trouble.’ He shot out of the nursery and she heard him hurrying downstairs to his bedroom on the floor below. He’d forgotten to say goodnight and usually he was punctilious about such pleasantries.
For her part she felt swept away by her feelings. Peter was a lovely, kind person and she felt full of gratitude and relief, but she’d been wrapped up with her baby and so full of her own problems that it had taken that tingling thrill when he kissed her to make her realise what she felt for him.
Of course she’d known he’d liked her. He wouldn’t have done so much to help her if he hadn’t, but that one kiss had changed everything, she was now overwhelmed with joy. She laughed out loud. She had something to thank Ryan McCarthy for after all. She was no longer an innocent young girl. She understood that all men needed love and sought it in this way.
She doubted now that Ryan had ever been truly in love with her. He’d been uncaring and had thought only of himself, but Peter Maynard? His first thoughts had been for her welfare, but in that one unguarded moment he’d betrayed his feelings for her and been mightily embarrassed. She’d seen love in his eyes. Love for her.
She felt warmth spreading through her, she was thrilled. She found it hard to believe that a man in Peter Maynard’s position could fall in love with her, but why else would he go out of his way to be this generous to a girl who used to work in his business?
Now she thought about it, she had sensed that his attitude towards her was changing. He’d told her not to keep calling him Mr Maynard. ‘I can’t do with that sort of formality at home.’ The way she thought of him was changing too, but she was living in his house and they were seeing more of each other, so it was bound to change in one way or another.
Millie picked up her sleeping daughter and went slowly to her bedroom. She’d been delighted, excited even at the thought of being his housekeeper and part of his household. That would have allowed her to keep her dignity and bring Sylvie up in pleasant and happy surroundings, but if she was right, this was a total miracle. She needed to discuss all this quietly with him. Millie could see why he wanted to fight his own feelings; nobody would see her as likely to make him a good wife.
Over the next few days Hattie took up most of her
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