Jerard raised his eyebrows at her changed appearance, although he made no comment, standing up with Tony still in his arms. ‘Ready?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘Shall I take Tony now?’
‘He’s fine with me, aren’t you, Buster?’ He strode out of the flat still carrying Tony.
Velvet hurriedly collected up a few toys for Tony to play with, stuffing them into a bag before hurrying after them. Jerard was already seated in a Jaguar, Tony jumping up and down in front of him as he played with the steering-wheel, although he reached over to unlock the back door for her.
He shrugged. ‘It’s the best I can do without a child seat.’
She took Tony into the back with her. ‘Would you rather we followed behind in my car? I could drive myself back later that way.’
‘You’ll drive with me,’ Jerard told her imperiously, starting the car engine. ‘I’ll drive you home later.’
‘Oh, but—’
‘I said I’ll drive you.’ He controlled the car as easily as he controlled the lives of those about him.
‘God, you are bossy today!’
He glanced at her in the driving mirror. ‘He’s a handful, isn’t he?’ he smiled as Tony refused to sit still, clambering about all over her.
‘Did you hear what I said?’ she flashed. ‘I said—’
‘I heard you Velvet. And I’m not going to let you anger me, my mother just wouldn’t understand. What do you do with Tony when you’re working?’ he frowned. ‘Does he interfere with your career at all?’
Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. ‘Don’t you mean does my career interfere with my bringing him up?’ she taunted.
Jerard shook his head. ‘If I’d meant that I would have said it. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t work and be a mother at the same time. It’s no longer compulsory for a woman to stay at home when she has a child, in fact I think it’s better if she doesn’t. A woman doesn’t stop being an individual just because she becomes a mother.’ Once again he glanced at her in the mirror. ‘You didn’t expect that would be my attitude, did you?’ he mused.
‘No,’ she admitted. ‘But then I’m beginning to learn not to expect the expected where you’re concerned.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ he drawled. ‘Although I doubt it was meant as one. So, how do you manage with Tony during the day?’
She shrugged. ‘He mainly comes with me. Most of the time it’s possible to do that. Occasionally I leave him with Simon’s wife, but not very often. I wouldn’t do the job if I felt it would harm Tony.’
‘I know that,’ Jerard said deeply. ‘And at least this way the world hasn’t lost a beautiful woman.’
‘Thank you,’ she accepted huskily, surprised they could hold such a normal conversation, but aware that Jerard was being deliberately friendly to put her at her ease. ‘Your mother—what’s she like?’
‘Sixty-eight years of age, grey hair, blue eyes, a complete darling, but don’t tell her I said so.’
‘She—she sounds—nice.’
Jerard laughed, a huskily attractive sound. ‘She is, don’t worry. Tony will love her, all children do. And she’ll love him too.’ He sobered, his expression suddenly harsh. ‘She’s quite disgusted with the fact that I haven’t provided her with a grandson.’
‘There’s still time,’ Velvet said awkwardly, hating the unknown woman who might one day be his wife and give him a son.
‘No!’ he denied forcefully. ‘I don’t ever intend to marry again. I haven’t loved very wisely in my life so far,’ he added abruptly.
She flushed, knowing that dig had been made at her. He considered that loving her had been an unwise thing to do. He couldn’t have told her any more clearly that loving her in the first place had been a mistake, a mistake that was now rectified.
His mother’s house was on the outskirts of London, one of the older houses set in its own grounds. Velvet was overwhelmed before she even stepped foot inside the gracious old house, the wood-panelled hallway leading up a wide flight of stairs to the second floor.
Jerard had again taken charge of Tony, something her son didn’t seem to mind in the least. ‘It gets worse,’ he mocked at her awed expression. ‘My mother has been collecting this junk for years.’
‘This junk’ turned out to be beautiful antique furniture, and what Velvet was sure were priceless pieces of china. It was a beautiful home, beautiful and gracious, like the woman who stood up as they walked into the drawing-room.
‘Velvet!’ Vicki jumped down from her seat at the table where she had been working on a jigsaw puzzle, diverting Velvet’s attention away from Jerard’s mother as the little girl laughingly threw herself into her arms. ‘Oh, Velvet, I missed you so!’ she choked.
‘I missed you too.’ Velvet stroked Vicki’s hair, holding her for several minutes before putting her away from her. ‘But I’m here now,’ she said brightly. ‘And look who I’ve brought with me!’ She took her son from Jerard’s arms, putting him down on the floor beside Vicki. ‘This is Tony.’
Vicki looked at him silently for a few minutes. ‘He’s small, isn’t he?’ she said.
‘So were you once,’ her father ruffled her hair. ‘Take Tony into the kitchen and get him a biscuit while I introduce Velvet to your grandmother.’
Vicki took the little boy firmly by the hand, pulling him out of the room.
‘They’ll be all right,’ Jerard assured Velvet as she anxiously watched their exit. ‘Molly, my mother’s housekeeper, will take care of them.’ He took a firm hold of her elbow and took her over to his mother. ‘Velvet, my mother, Sarah Daniels. Mother, this is Velvet Dale.’
His mother smiled warmly, a woman almost as tall as Jerard himself, with his strong features and blue eyes, although the latter were kind in this woman, and not cold like Jerard’s. ‘Velvet, you said,’ her voice was warm and kind too. ‘What a pretty name!’
‘Thank you,’ she accepted shyly.
‘Very unusual,’ Mrs Daniels nodded.
‘Very,’ she agreed.
‘Please, sit
