‘I—Yes.’ She watched as he walked off, still dazed by this lightening visit.
Tony ran after him. ‘D—D—Da—Daddy!’ he called desperately as Jerard didn’t notice him.
Jerard stiffened, slowly turning. ‘Tony …!’ he groaned, sweeping the little boy up against his chest, holding him tightly.
Velvet was very pale, walking over to them on shaky legs. ‘I—I’m sorry,’ she said weakly. ‘I don’t know why he said that. I—He only usually says Mum and Bicki. I can’t understand—’
‘It’s all right, Velvet,’ he dismissed huskily. ‘He probably got it from Vicki yesterday. He’s at an age where he picks things like that up easily.’
Maybe so, but he had never done anything this embarrassing before. She felt like running away and hiding. ‘Yes, but he can’t call you “Daddy",’ she insisted firmly.
‘I don’t mind,’ he shrugged.
‘I do. This can’t continue, Jerard. Our children are becoming confused about the whole situation.’ She took the willing Tony out of his arms, a Tony who had no idea of the awkwardness he had just caused, grinning at them widely.
‘I agree,’ Jerard nodded.
She bit her lip. ‘Then you think we should stop meeting?’ Heavens, what was she saying!
‘It’s a thought,’ he nodded.
‘Oh.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Then tomorrow is off?’
‘I didn’t say that. No, I think tomorrow’s plans should stand. We can sort out other arrangements from there. All right?’
‘All right,’ she nodded, just relieved to have this extra time with him. What on earth was she doing, suggesting they didn’t meet again!
This time Jerard managed to get away without any protest from Tony. Velvet’s face was scarlet as she turned to face Simon and Janice.
‘I liked him,’ Simon told her softly.
‘I did too,’ Janice added.
Velvet could have hugged them both in that moment for ignoring the gaffe Tony had made. Her brother liked to tease her, he always had, but he was sensible enough to realise Jerard Daniels was no longer a teasable subject.
Jerard arrived promptly at ten the next morning, Vicki jumping up and down excitedly at his side. Tony was almost as bad, as the two of them sat in the back of the car together, making for a very noisy drive.
‘Did you bring a costume, Velvet?’ Vicki sat forward to ask.
‘No,’ she frowned. ‘Will I need one?’
‘Daddy and I usually picnic at a lake and then swim later.’
‘Oh.’
‘Not today, Vicki,’ Jerard cut in. ‘I thought we could picnic in a park somewhere. Tony’s still a little young for swimming.’
‘Of course he is,’ she grinned, not at all minding missing this treat if it were for Tony. ‘Will there be swings and things? I could push him on them. Not very hard,’ she added in her most grown-up voice, ‘because he’s still only little.’
‘As if she’s so big herself,’ Jerard mused as his daughter went back to playing with Tony, their contented chuckles soon coming from the back.
‘Talking of bathing costumes,’ Velvet’s mouth quirked, ‘I hope the ones I was modelling in Florida aren’t actually for going in the water?’
He frowned. ‘I believe so.’
‘Then you’re going to get a lot of complaints.’ She explained about her dip in the sea and Paul’s reaction when she came out. ‘It was very embarrassing,’ although she could smile about it now.
‘You mean you and Paul haven’t been lovers?’ he rasped.
‘Certainly not!’ She stiffened indignantly. ‘It’s Paul and Carly who are lovers. They’ve lived together for over a year.’
‘And before that?’
‘Before that I was married to Anthony and expecting Tony!’
‘And before that there was just me.’ His mouth twisted.
‘Yes,’ she choked.
‘No one else since Anthony?’
‘No! Why are you asking me all these questions?’ she cried her anguish.
‘Curiosity,’ he shrugged.
Her eyes flashed. ‘Then take your curiosity somewhere else!’ she snapped. ‘I’m not going to answer any more questions.’
‘I’m not going to ask any,’ he taunted. ‘You’ve told me all I wanted to know.’
‘I’m so glad! Am I allowed to pry into your sex life?’ she whispered fiercely.
‘Go ahead,’ he shrugged.
Trust him to turn the tables on her! She had expected him to tell her to mind her own business, now she had no choice but to pursue the subject, no matter what pain it gave her to find out about the other women in his life.
‘Well?’ she prompted.
‘Well what?’
Her mouth compressed angrily. ‘How many women?’
‘In my lifetime or lately?’
‘In your lifetime!’ She might as well know it all so that she could torture herself with it when she lay awake tonight in her bed thinking of him—as she had every night since their meeting.
‘Now let me see, there was Barbara, and Celia, and—’
‘I don’t want a list of names, just the number!’
‘That I’ve actually slept with, or that I’ve just been out with?’
‘Slept with,’ she said tightly.
‘Maybe twenty or so.’
‘Twenty!’ she gasped. Heavens, it was a harem!
Jerard shrugged. ‘Well, you have to take into account that I was married for ten years, and believe it or not I was faithful to my wife until I met you.’
‘But twenty is so many!’
He gave her a sideways glance. ‘Does it bother you?’
Yes, it bothered her. All those other women—no, not other women, she was probably counted amongst that number. The realisation made her feel sick. How far down the list did she come?
‘Velvet?’
‘Yes?’
‘Good God, girl, I’m thirty-nine, not nineteen,’ he said in exasperation.
‘Are we nearly there?’ Her tone was brittle. ‘I’m sure the children must be getting hungry.’
‘I am,’ Vicki chimed in, breaking the tension that had sprung up between the two adults. ‘I bet Tony is too.’
‘Okay,’ her father laughed. ‘The next pretty spot we come to, hmm?’
As far as he was concerned that highly personal conversation might as well not have taken place. He chased Vicki and Tony as Velvet laid the picnic out on a blanket Jerard’s housekeeper had provided. There were several other people picnicking in this pretty part of Hampshire, and she knew that to them the four of them must look like a typical happy family unit.
Velvet was so miserable she couldn’t raise
