‘Sort of,’ she said. ‘Come in and have something to eat.’

But Justin said, ‘It’s getting late. Mark’s tired and needs to go to bed soon, so I guess we’ll find a hotel, if you’ll tell us where the nearest one is.’

It was a direct challenge, and thoroughly unscrupulous.

‘You know I won’t turn you out at this hour,’ she said.

He gave her a smile that was suddenly charming.

‘But you can’t just put us up without warning. I don’t suppose you have the room, and I don’t want to inconvenience you-’

‘That is not true,’ she said, speaking lightly but with a glitter in her eyes that gave him fair warning. ‘You do not care if you inconvenience me. You don’t care about anything as long as you get your own way. Now shut up and get in there before I stamp hard on your feet.’

The smile changed into a grin. He’d won again.

Mark was also grinning, Evie was glad to notice. For his sake she forgave his father everything.

Well, almost everything.

From the amount of luggage he hauled into the cottage it was clear that he’d come prepared to stay for a while. But it would just be until Andrew arrived, and not a moment longer.

‘It’s not what you’re used to,’ she warned. ‘No luxury. Just basic.’

‘You wouldn’t be trying to put me off?’ he said, regarding her ironically.

‘Would I do that?’

Again he gave that grin. This was Justin Dane in holiday mood. The grin was surprisingly attractive with a blazing quality that could lift a woman’s spirits unless she was on her guard against him. Which she was.

Mark dashed in and looked around at the large downstairs room with its big open fireplace.

‘It’s great!’ he enthused. ‘Just like a picture book.’

‘I didn’t think modern boys read that sort of picture book,’ she said.

‘Not now,’ he agreed, ‘but when I was a kid.’ He looked round and found something else to please him. ‘No central heating,’ he said ecstatically.