I stared speechlessly at the phone. Had he just said what I thought he'd said?

'Louise are you there?'

'Yes yes. Are you sure?' I asked, my knees trembling.

He laughed. 'Of course I'm sure. You start rehearsing next week, so if you'd like to come into the office tomorrow and sign the contract ...'

'Oh, yes of course,' I said quickly. 'I'm still trying to take it in. I can't thank you enough, Patrick. What time would you like me there?'

'Ten would be fine,' he said. 'I'm glad you're pleased.'

'Pleased! I'm over the moon,' I told him. 'It couldn't have come at a better time. See you in the morning, then.'

As I unpacked the shopping, my hands shook so much that I kept dropping things. As soon as I'd put the last item away I went straight back out again to the off-licence on the corner to buy a bottle of champagne.

Di was late getting home and I kept looking at the clock. I couldn't wait to tell her my news. She looked tired when she got in. I'd already cooked and dinner was waiting in the oven the champagne chilling in the fridge.

She seemed pleased to see me. 'Hi. How was your home visit?'

'Traumatic,' I told her. 'Peter, my little nephew, was involved in an accident and rushed to hospital.'

'Oh no! Is he OK?'

'He's got a hairline skull fracture but apart from that he's all right. The doctor said that skull fractures in young children are fairly quick to heal.'

Di hung up her coat. 'How did it happen?'

'Seems that Karrie and Simon were having a row about Karrie working. No one was watching Peter. He was playing in the front garden and he got out onto the road and ran in front of a car.'

'They must feel so guilty.'

'I think they do. Maybe they'll realize now that they have to come to some kind of compromise over Karrie's work.'

'So what else happened?'

'Quite a bit. Susan and I had a long talk. But something happened after I got back and I can't wait to tell you that first.'

She smiled. 'I knew there was something. I can feel you fizzing from here!'

'Di I got the part,' I told her. 'The part I auditioned for, in King's Reach.'

Her face lit up and she reached out to hug me. 'Wow! That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you.'

'I've got champagne and I've cooked us a special meal,' I said excitedly. 'Shall I open the bottle now?'

'What do you think?'

The cork popped and we toasted each other. I served the meal I'd cooked and we chatted excitedly. Di wanted to hear all the details. We were having coffee when she asked, 'So what about Susan? Was she able to throw any light on what your mother told you?'

'She knew about it of course said that my dad never accepted that I wasn't his. It was something they didn't talk about.' I put my cup down, suddenly serious as I came down to earth. 'She told me a lot about my childhood, Di. I must have been a nightmare for them. Apparently I went off the rails big-time in my early teens drugs. I ended up in rehab and later I had a bad breakdown.'

'Oh, Lou.'

I didn't tell her I'd given birth to a daughter and that Susan and Frank had adopted her. I'd already decided to keep it to myself in case somehow it got back to Karrie. Di was looking at me aghast.

'I've just had a thought those nightmares!'

'I know. It all makes sense now. It says a lot about the kind of person I became too,' I added. 'Somewhere at the back of my mind I felt I needed to pay someone or something back. G.o.d knows why. Susan and Dad were wonderful to me. I've been so lucky and I've got a h.e.l.l of a lot of making-up to do. One thing I do know, and that is that I wish I'd never tried to get in touch with my mother. If I'd known all this sooner there's no way I would have wanted to know her.'

'My advice is to put it all behind you,' Di said. 'It's in the past and there's nothing you can do about it. Just concentrate on this new challenge and look forward to a fresh start.'

I smiled. 'Yes, I will. I can't wait to begin.'

'And what about Mark surely you want to ring him with your news?'

'I don't think he'll be interested. I'm afraid I've blown it with him.'

'Why do you say that?'

'I think he's finally written me off. Anyway he's getting married.'

'Married! Who to?'

'A girl he used to know.'

'How do you know this?'

'It was when I was working at the bridal shop. His sister came in with her to choose the dress.'

Di looked crestfallen. 'It didn't take him long, did it? Maybe it was on the rebound. But even so, he'll want to hear about the new job, surely?'

I shrugged. 'I doubt it.'

'Well, you should at least try.' Di shook my arm exasperatedly. 'Go on, ring him now. I'll give you some s.p.a.ce while I'm doing the washing-up.'

She disappeared into the kitchen and I took out my phone and sat looking at it. Suddenly, I had cold feet. Maybe he'd be out with his fiancee. He wouldn't be interested in what I was doing any more. It would be nice to tell him my news, yet I dreaded hearing the indifference in his voice as he tried to sound interested. I knew Di wouldn't let me get away with feeble excuses so I quickly clicked on his number, hoping that he'd be out or that the number would be engaged.

'h.e.l.lo, Mark Naylor.'

My heart missed a beat. 'Oh Mark. It's Louise.'

'Lou! I've been trying to come to terms with the fact that you'd had enough of me. I'd even deleted your name from my phone. How are you?'

'I'm fine you?'

'Yes, fine. Cathy and the kids moved out a couple of days ago and I'm getting used to having the place to myself again.'

'Oh. You must miss them.'

'I do, but in a good way. You can have too much of being woken up by two little monsters jumping all over you at seven in the morning.' There was a pause and then he said, 'Is everything all right, Lou? You sound a bit odd.'

'Do I?'

'A bit. Do you have a special reason for ringing me?'

'Do I need one?'

'Well you tell me.'

'Actually I'm ringing because I've got some news,' I told him. 'Quite a lot of news in fact. I've-'

'No!' he broke in. 'Don't tell me now. Let's meet. Are you doing anything tomorrow?'

'I have to go to Patrick Jason's office in the morning. He's my new agent.'

'Right what time?'

'Ten o'clock.'

'OK if I pick you up from there say ten thirty?'

'That sounds fine.'

'OK, see you then. And Lou ...'

'Yes?'

'I've missed you.'

I swallowed hard. 'Me too.'

Patrick had the contract all ready for me to sign the following morning. Putting my name to it felt good. The first really important contract I'd signed in my whole career and when I saw the salary Patrick had negotiated for me, my heart gave a leap. It was more money than I'd ever earned.

Patrick looked down at my signature. 'You've signed, Louise Davies.'

'Yes. That's my real name and it's how I want to be known from now on,' I told him. 'Louise Delmar is dead and buried.'

He laughed. 'Right. I'll make a note of it.'

It was all over and done with by a quarter past ten and I sat in reception waiting for Mark to arrive.

When he walked in, I was surprised at the receptionist's reaction. She looked up with a smile. 'Mark! What brings you out of the woodwork so early in the morning?'

He leant across her desk to give her ear a tweak. 'Less of your cheek, young Sharon. I'm here to escort a lovely lady to lunch.' He turned to me. 'It's terrible the disrespectful way these receptionist treat you nowadays, isn't it?' he quipped. 'You can't get the staff, you know.'

On the way downstairs I asked him how he knew Patrick Jason's receptionist. And he grinned.

'He's my agent too,' he said.

It suddenly occurred to me that he hadn't sounded surprised when I said I had to see Patrick this morning. 'He's yours but ...' I looked at him with narrowed eyes. 'I suppose his contacting me wouldn't have had anything to do with you, would it?'

He frowned. 'Come to think about it, I suppose I might just have mentioned you in pa.s.sing.'

'Then it wasn't down to the article in the Sunday Sphere!'

'Oh, that!' He laughed. 'I had a good laugh at that. Good on you!'

'I didn't do it for a laugh,' I told him. 'I did it because I needed the money. You didn't have to put in a word for me with Patrick, but thanks all the same.'

'Well, it seems to have worked out. Has he come up with anything for you?'

'He has as a matter of fact. That was what I was going to tell you last night. I auditioned for a part in a BBC soap last week.'

He looked at me. 'And...?'

'And I got the part.'

'Great!' He slipped an arm through mine. 'So we've got something to celebrate. What are we waiting for?'

We had lunch at a small, intimate restaurant quite close to the Savoy, overlooking the Thames. As we were having coffee, Mark looked at me.

'You said you had a lot of news,' he reminded me. 'What else has happened?'

I came down to earth. After the excitement of signing the contract the memory of Susan's revelations had been pushed to the back of my mind. 'The rest of it is a bit more serious.' I looked at him. 'But before I tell you, I think you have some news for me.'

He looked bemused. 'Me? No, nothing springs to mind.'

'Not the little matter of your forthcoming nuptials?'

He burst out laughing. 'That'll be the day! Where did you get that idea from?'

'I did a short stint working in a bridal boutique,' I told him. 'Your sister came in with your fiancee.'

He shook his head. 'My what?'

Slightly irritated I went on. 'Come off it, Mark. The name Franny ring any bells?'

His face cleared. 'Oh! Franny! Francesca Barratt. She's an old school friend of Cathy's. She's getting married next month and Cathy has been helping her with the preparations.'

'Oh.' I bit my lip, feeling slightly foolish. Mark laughed softly.

'You didn't actually think it was me, getting married, did you?'

'Well, I ...'

'And were you at all upset by the news?' I shook my head and he leaned towards me. 'What, not even a little bit?'

'It was an easy mistake to make,' I bl.u.s.tered. 'Was I upset? Not really, no. You deserve to be happy.'