'But we don't always get what we deserve, do we?' he teased.

I looked up at him. 'Will you please stop baiting me?'

'Not until you tell me how you really felt when you thought I was marrying someone else.'

'OK, I was ...' I searched my mind for the right word. 'I was sad,' I said at last. 'Sad and OK a bit jealous.'

His eyes danced. 'Why would you be jealous? You don't love me, do you?'

'Mark I've got something quite serious to tell you. It's about me things I only discovered a few days ago things that might make a difference about how you see me.'

'It all sounds very solemn.'

'It is.' I looked around. 'Could we go somewhere quiet where I could tell you?'

'Of course.' The smile left his face as he beckoned the waiter for the bill. 'You go and get your coat. I'll take you back to the flat.'

'So that's my background, Mark. Not very inspiring, is it?'

We were seated opposite each other in Mark's sunlit living room. It had been painful, pouring out my past to him. It had taken all my courage and strength and he obviously saw that.

He poured a large gla.s.s of wine and put it in my hand. 'It's all so long ago,' he said gently. 'You were still a kid, Lou. It's in the past and what's done can't be undone. Why should it make me see you any other way than I see you now?'

I took a sip of the wine and looked at him. 'Not even the fact that I had a baby at barely fourteen years old?'

He shook his head. 'That was then, Lou. So you made some mistakes who hasn't? It must all have been sheer h.e.l.l for you. It's no wonder your mind refused to retain any of it.'

Suddenly I decided to tell him the truth about Karrie. No one else must know but I felt I owed Mark not just some, but all of the truth. 'My baby daughter was adopted by Susan and Frank,' I said slowly. 'Karen is was my daughter and neither of us has ever been aware of the fact. Susan has asked that it remains a secret and I feel bound to honour that wish, so please, Mark, you are the only other person to know this and it mustn't go beyond these walls.'

He moved to sit beside me. 'I feel flattered that you're prepared to trust me with a secret like that and of course it goes no further.' He slipped an arm round my shoulders. 'Thank you for what you've just confided in me, Lou. It makes no difference to the way I feel about you. You know how much I love you. It's a love that has lasted for years so it's not likely to stop now. I understand so much more about you now and if anything it makes me love you even more.' He searched my eyes. 'Please will you tell me truthfully how you feel, because if your feelings don't match mine this must be goodbye. I couldn't go on, knowing that what I feel will never be returned.'

I put my arms round him and held him close. 'Of course I love you, Mark. I've loved you for years without recognizing the fact. I've been a total b.i.t.c.h to you in the past. I can't understand why you kept on loving me.'

He kissed me. 'Maybe I can make you understand.'

For a long time neither of us spoke and the next time I glanced at the time it was almost five o'clock. I sat up.

'I must go. Di will be home.' I looked at him. 'That's another thing, Mark. It was always Di's flat never mine. I lied about it. G.o.d knows why. I've lied about so many things in the past, but never again. All that ends from today onwards and that's a promise.'

He winced. 'If that's not tempting providence I don't know what is!'

'Well, I believe it anyway.' I looked around the room. 'You asked me once if I would move in. Does that invitation still stand?'

He grinned. 'What do you think?'

I stood up and gathered my coat and bag together. 'Then will you take me to Di's to collect my things, please?'

Chapter Twenty-Six.

As Susan rang the bell of Karen and Simon's house, she caught Ted's hand and gave it a squeeze. He returned it, looking down at her.

'You are sure they invited me too?'

Susan smiled. 'Of course. I want you all to get to know one another and this is the perfect opportunity.'

Karen opened the door. She looked tanned and relaxed from the recent holiday the three of them had just enjoyed.

'Come in, both of you. Simon is just reading Peter a story. He'll be down in a minute and then we can all have a drink.' She led them through to the living room. Turning to Ted she said, 'I'm so glad you could come. I hope you like steak.'

Ted grinned. 'What man doesn't? It's very kind of you to invite me.'

Simon appeared. 'Phew! Getting away from that young man is like tearing off a plaster.' He smiled and held out his hand to Ted. 'Hi! I'm Simon, as I expect you've guessed. What will you have to drink?'

Karen turned towards the door. 'I'll have mine in the kitchen while I put the finishing touches to dinner. We want to have the meal over and done with ready for the big event, don't we?'

Simon inclined his head towards Ted. 'Whisky?' Ted nodded and Simon poured. He glanced at his mother-in-law. 'Don't need to ask you or Karrie. G and T. Ice and a slice right?'

Susan laughed. 'I'll take mine and Karen's into the kitchen and see what I can do to help. I'm sure the two of you are dying to talk football.' She took the gla.s.ses from Simon and he opened the door for her. Outside in the hall, she paused for a moment to listen but she was soon rea.s.sured by the sound of the two men talking. It looked as though they were going to get along. In the kitchen she found Karen tossing new potatoes in parsley and b.u.t.ter. 'I'll put your drink on the worktop, shall I?' she said. 'Now what can I do?'

'You could put the dressing on the salad, Mum.'

As they worked Susan looked at her daughter. 'You enjoyed your holiday, then? You certainly look well.'

Karen nodded. 'Simon and I have come to a compromise. I can do my tutoring as long as Peter doesn't suffer in any way.'

Susan's eyebrows rose. 'Suffer! In what way?'

Karen blushed. 'Well, you know, being pa.s.sed round.'

'Being cared for by me, you mean?'

'Not at all! It's just that it's better for him to be in his own home until he's older.'

'So he's not even going to playgroup?'

Karen shook her head. 'Yes, of course he is but ...'

'I should stop now, dear,' Susan said with a smile. 'You know what they say when you're in a hole, stop digging.' They both laughed and Susan went on, 'Actually it's as well you're not going to be asking me to have him very often. Ted and I are going to be really busy, harvesting all the produce from the allotments and manning our stall at the farmers' market.'

Karen smiled. 'Oh, Mum, I'm so glad you're really back together again.'

'Are you? He is still a married man, you know,' Susan pointed out.

'Yes, but it's only a platonic relationship you have with him, isn't it?'

'Mmm.' Susan bent her head to take a sip of her G and T. 'I can't wait to see Louise in this show,' she said, changing the subject.

'Neither can I,' Karen agreed. 'Since she landed that job she's been a different person. In fact you'd hardly know her these days.'

'Yes, and of course she's finally admitted that she loves that delightful man, Mark. She couldn't have a better partner. He keeps her feet on the ground and she might need that if she's going to be a big hit in this show. I understand that the part she's playing is a pivotal one.'

'Yes, so I believe.' Karen handed her mother the potatoes and salad bowl. 'Take these through, will you, Mum? The steaks are done and we'd better get on if we don't want to miss the programme.'

At eight o'clock the four of them were seated in the living room, their eyes on the TV screen. They watched as the initial captions rolled and then it was the opening scene and Louise was seen in the character of Amy, cooking breakfast in her kitchen.

Susan was surprised to see that she was made up to appear at least ten years older than she actually was and as the scene progressed, she could see for the first time what a good actress her stepdaughter was. The character she was playing was just about as different from her own personality as it was possible to be. Watching the scene she soon lost herself in the story, almost forgetting that she was watching her own stepdaughter.

Ted was watching Susan. Her expressions went from surprise to enjoyment and then to pride in Louise's achievement. She was certainly very good in the part. In fact, he thought he could see something of Susan in Louise's development of the character. He looked again at Susan's face and smiled inwardly. She was such a lovely woman. He told himself daily how lucky he was to have met her. He didn't dare to think too far into the future but it was his dearest hope that one day he would be able to ask her to marry him.

Karen watched her sister's performance with interest. Clearly she had worked hard for this and her work had paid off. She was good; very good indeed. This was what Louise had wanted so badly. It had always been her ambition to land an important part on stage or TV and now here she was, fulfilling her dream. Now she could understand some of the reason for her sister's past recklessness, her spiteful, hard-to-forgive actions. They must have sprung from frustration and although they still rankled with Karen, she felt that now she could put them to one side and wish her sister well.

Simon watched the programme with his tongue firmly in his cheek. He didn't like soap operas anyway and he felt that Louise had always belonged in something tacky. She had found her niche and he wished her well of it. Hopefully it would keep her too busy to come and visit and happy enough not to want to cause any more problems.

Giving the programme more attention, he was suddenly aware of something interesting. Louise's portrayal of the motherly Amy was very much like his mother-in-law, Susan. How like Louise to steal someone else's personality for her own gain. He hoped that Susan wouldn't recognize the fact. Surely she would not see it as a compliment. He glanced around the room. Karen and Susan wore rapt expressions and Ted well, Ted only had eyes for Susan. Good luck to him!

I watched my first episode of King's Reach full of apprehension and self-doubt. Did I really come across as I'd intended? Did I look right sound right? And that wig! I hadn't been too sure about the make-up or costumes that wardrobe had chosen for me, but now, looking at them from the other side of the screen I could see that they were right.

'So proud of yourself, Miss Davies?' Mark handed me a gla.s.s of champagne and I took it from him, wrinkling my nose.

'Not really. Do you think they'll ring tomorrow and say they're terminating my contract?'

He laughed and sat down beside me. 'As if! You're the best thing that's happened to that show in a long time. You bring it to life.'

I leaned across to kiss his cheek. 'I suppose you wouldn't be the teeniest bit prejudiced, would you?'

He looked wounded. 'I hope I'm too honest for that. I'm an actor, remember? And I know good acting when I see it.'

I looked at him. 'What about your career, Mark? Has Patrick come up with anything for you?'

He shook his head. 'To be honest, darling, I'm not that bothered. I was never the actor that you are.' I made to protest but he held up his hand. 'No. I mean it.' He slipped an arm around my shoulders and nestled closer. 'I'm quite happy to bathe in your reflected glory; to chauffeur you hither and thither and be known as the celebrated Mr Louise Davies.'

'Don't say that!'

'I will say it because whether you recognized it or not, my darling, that was my fumbling way of asking you to marry me.'

I put down my gla.s.s and wound my arms around his neck. 'I don't deserve you, Mark Naylor, and you will never ever be Mr Louise Davies.'

'Well, OK, but the question still is, will you be Mrs Mark Naylor?'

I kissed him hard. 'I thought you'd never ask,' I whispered. 'And just for the record, you've got yourself a deal!'

By the same author.

Wives and Mothers.

The Long Way Home.

Oranges and Lemons.

This Year, Next Year.

The Lost Daughters.

Thursday's Child.

Eve's Daughter King's Walk.

Pride of Peac.o.c.ks All That I Am.

The Happy Highways Summer Snow Wishes and Dreams The Wise Child.

You'll Never Know . . .

Should I Forget You.

Falling Star Too Late to Paint the Roses.

True Colours.

Jeanne Whitmee.

First published in Great Britain 2015.

ISBN 978 0 7198 1846 2 (epub).

ISBN 978 0 7198 1847 9 mobi) ISBN 978 0 7198 1848 6 (pdf) ISBN 978 0 7198 1584 3 (print).

Robert Hale Limited.

Clerkenwell House.

Clerkenwell Green.

London EC1R 0HT www.halebooks.com..

The right of Jeanne Whitmee to be identified as author of this work has been a.s.serted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and.

Patents Act 1988.