Will He Ask Her to be His Bride?: The Millionaire's Convenient Bride / The Millionaire's Proposal / Texas Ranger Takes a Bride

They lingered at the table while the sky grew dark and the stars grew brighter. The warm air was fragrant with flowers and new-cut grass and some other scent Connah told Hester came from a herb bed under the kitchen window.

‘Jay Anderson planted it for his wife, and Flavia is only too delighted to make use of it. The scent is a mixture of rosemary, thyme, sage—and basil, of course, and probably a few other things I’ve never heard of.’ Connah leaned back, relaxed. ‘I must tell Jay that if ever he feels like selling the place to think of me first.’

Lowri gazed at him, round-eyed. ‘Would you really buy it, Daddy?’

‘In the unlikely event that Jay and Stella would want to sell, yes. But they won’t part with it, cariad. And who could blame them?’

Jay Anderson had installed a large television and DVD player in the sitting room, but for once Lowri made no protest when Connah said it was late and she must go straight to bed so that Hester could come back downstairs and relax for a while in the warm night air.

‘You can read another chapter of that book you’re devouring,’ said Hester.

The child embraced her father with enthusiasm, but a yawn overtook her as she went inside with Hester. ‘I quite fancy going to bed in that dear little room next to yours,’ she admitted sleepily. ‘I was too excited to sleep much last night.’

Within minutes the face-washing and teeth-brushing routine was over and Lowri was tucked under the snow-white covers on the bed. ‘I’m too tired to read tonight,’ she said, yawning. ‘Will you kiss me goodnight, Hester?’

Touched, Hester bent to kiss the smooth, flushed cheek, brushed a hand over the silky dark hair, then said goodnight and went quietly from the room to go downstairs to Connah.

As always, his requirements had been clearly stated. Otherwise, since this was a different situation, in a different country, Hester would have been uncertain what to do once Lowri was in bed. She felt a frisson of pure pleasure at spending time alone with Connah in these circumstances, as she took a few minutes in her room to brush her hair and touch a lipstick to her mouth. Her thin cotton dress was an old one, but the gentian-blue shade deepened the colour of her eyes and the wide skirt was more holiday-friendly than the clothes she wore in Albany Square. The face that looked back at her from the mirror was flushed from the sun and the swim and the sheer pleasure of the evening. Four weeks, she told it firmly. After that it would nearly be time to leave Connah and Lowri and go on to pastures new in Yorkshire. Where she would miss Lowri badly when she was looking after a newborn baby. She would miss Lowri’s father even more. She took in a deep breath and smiled at her reflection. Instead of anticipating future pain, right now it was time to join Connah—and make the most of present pleasure.

CHAPTER SEVEN

CONNAH was waiting impatiently when Hester joined him on the loggia. ‘At last! Did Lowri con you into reading the book to her, instead?’

‘No, she was too tired.’ She smiled. ‘By the time I’d finished tidying her room she was asleep.’

‘You were a long time coming down,’ he commented, pulling out a chair for her. ‘I thought you might have had second thoughts and gone to bed.’

‘Not without saying goodnight!’

‘Goodnight, Connah,’ he ordered. ‘We’re supposed to be on first name terms, but so far, Hester, I’ve yet to hear mine from you.’

‘I find it difficult,’ she said awkwardly.

‘Why?’

‘For obvious reasons.’

He eyed her challengingly. ‘How did you address your last employers?’

‘As Leo and Julia,’ she admitted, ‘but it was a very informal household.’

‘So is mine. From now on you say Connah, or I shall address you as Miss Ward.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘Loosen up, Hester. This is a holiday. Forget your scruples and enjoy the break from humdrum routine in Albany Square.’

Hester couldn’t help laughing. ‘During my brief but eventful time in Albany Square, life has been anything but humdrum.’

‘That’s better—you should laugh more often,’ he approved. ‘Have a glass of wine.’

Oh, why not? thought Hester. ‘Thank you,’ she said sedately.

After a comfortable silence Connor asked what she would like to do the next day. ‘The local shops will be shut on a Sunday, but we could drive somewhere, if you like.’

‘Speaking in professional nanny mode,’ said Hester, ‘I think a day of doing nothing much at all would be good for Lowri after the journey today. She can swim and sunbathe, maybe watch a DVD or even take a nap when the sun gets hot, and if she gets restless I can take her for a walk later when it’s cooler. Then, maybe, on Monday you could drive us into Greve and drink coffee in the square while Lowri and I look round the shops.’

‘I’ll come shopping with you,’ said Connah, surprising her. ‘And afterwards I’ll take you to lunch somewhere.’

‘Thank you. Lowri would adore that.’ So would Hester. ‘By the way, when you need time to yourself with your laptop, just say the word and I’ll keep Lowri occupied.’

Connah stretched out in his chair with a sigh of pleasure. ‘At the moment the thought of even opening my laptop is too much effort. Maybe I’ll just stick to lotus-eating for a while. God knows, this is the ideal place for it.’

‘You said you’d stayed here before?’

‘Twice. But on both occasions the house was packed with the Anderson family and various friends. Great fun, but definitely not peaceful.’ He turned to look at her. ‘I’ll join you and Lowri to laze the day away tomorrow—including the daily swim.’

Hester liked his programme very much. Even the swim.

‘Tell me,’ he said idly, as though the answer were of no particular importance, ‘why was there such a gap between your last job and the next one, Hester?’

‘It wasn’t planned. When Leo and Julia won the leads in a new television series in LA, I looked for another post right away and sorted the one in Yorkshire quite quickly. But the Herricks were needed in LA weeks sooner than expected and the Rutherford baby isn’t due until early October, so a temporary job seemed the ideal way to fill in the time.’

‘Wouldn’t you have liked a holiday before getting down to work again?’

Hester was silent for a while. ‘I’d been asked to go to the South of France,’ she said at last, gazing out at the starlit garden, ‘but the holiday fell through at the last minute.’

‘So what went wrong?’

‘The friend who invited me cancelled at the eleventh hour.’

‘Why?’

‘He received a sudden job offer and barely had time to apologise before boarding the plane to head west for fame and fortune.’

Connah shot her a searching glance. ‘Were you unhappy about that, Hester?’

She shook her head. ‘Only where the cancelled holiday was concerned.’

‘You mentioned fame and fortune, so I take it the man is an actor. Would I know him?’

She shrugged. ‘You might. He played a psychopath in one of those film noir type thrillers recently. It won him rave reviews, which led to a role as Julia’s wicked brother in the American series she’s starring in with Leo. Though the fact that he really is Julia’s little brother probably helped with that.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Keir McBride.’

Connah shook his head. ‘Never heard of him.’

Hester chuckled. ‘He’d be mortified if he knew.’

‘Is he very pretty?’