Darkness Into Light

She quirked light auburn brows at him. ‘Would you like to rephrase that?’

‘Who has the body of Raquel Welch any time of night?’

‘Again,’ she prompted drily.

‘Who has a body like Raquel Welch any time—period?’ he said hopefully.

She gave a light tinkling laugh of enjoyment. ‘You’re learning.’

‘Yes,’ he acknowledged ruefully. ‘How long has your sister known Nigel?’

‘About a month or so; she met him down here when she came home from university for the weekend.’ Danny frowned as she once again dwelled on the problem of her sister and Nigel Patrick. ‘They’ve been meeting in London regularly since then.’

‘And her fiancé?’

‘Lives in Bedmont.’

‘Ah.’

Ah, indeed. Bedmont was the nearest town to the estate, probably about twelve miles away, but almost a hundred from London. Cheryl and Gary only saw each other alternate weekends because of the expense of travelling, the two of them supposed to be saving up to get married next summer when Cheryl finished at university.

‘The problem appears to be distance,’ Pierce agreed thoughtfully. ‘Your sister is obviously pining for male company, and Nigel is happily providing it. Could the fiancé move to London?’

In theory that might have worked—except for one thing. ‘Gary is in the local ambulance service,’ she told him despondently. ‘He can’t get an instant transfer.’

‘Hm.’ Pierce frowned.

‘Cheryl should be ashamed of herself,’ Danny said crossly.

‘Because he’s an ambulanceman, or because she’s thinking of breaking their engagement?’

‘Both!’

‘Can’t your parents talk to her? It seems to me it isn’t really your problem.’

‘When Dad retired last year he and Mum went to Cornwall; I don’t want to worry them with this.’ She shook her head, loose tendrils of hair about her face.

‘Why not, you’re worried.’ He frowned.

‘I’m the eldest …’

‘How old is that?’ he asked sceptically.

‘Twenty-one. But—–’

‘A baby,’ he derided. ‘And how old is Cheryl?’

‘Nineteen. But—–’

‘Old enough to make her own mistakes—or not, whatever the case may be,’ he dismissed arrogantly.

‘I’m a baby, but she isn’t?’ Danny mocked.

‘Touche,’ he drawled drily. ‘But I still think you should let your sister make the decision without any help from you.’

‘She always makes the wrong one and regrets it afterwards.’ Danny shook her head. ‘Look, I’m sorry I bothered you, this is really not your problem,’ she smiled openly, ‘I’m sure you want to get back to your swim, and I have to get back to my thinking.’

‘But not the lawn-mower, I hope?’

‘No,’ she laughed. ‘Not the lawn-mower. I’m really sorry about that, I just wasn’t thinking.’

‘I thought you were thinking!’

She observed him with her head tilted to one side. ‘I think perhaps you are a Sutherland after all.’

His mouth twisted. ‘I’ll decide whether or not that’s a compliment on my walk back to the pool; you certainly don’t seem to have a very high opinion of the Sutherlands.’

Danny shook her head. ‘I like you.’

‘Thank you,’ he accepted gravely. ‘I hope you can come up with a solution to the Cheryl-Nigel affair.’

‘Oh, it isn’t an affair,’ she quickly defended. ‘At least, Cheryl assured me they aren’t sleeping together.’

‘Does any couple having an affair actually“sleep” together?’ Pierce mocked drily.

‘I wouldn’t know.’ She unconsciously revealed her own innocence, although she wouldn’t have cared if she had realised; she didn’t wear her virginity like a talisman, but neither was she ashamed of it. When the time, and the man, were right, she knew she wouldn’t give two thoughts to her virginity. ‘I wish you hadn’t said that.’ She frowned. ‘Now I’m really worried.’

‘I shouldn’t be,’ he derided. ‘Nigel doesn’t actually seduce innocents.’

‘Cheryl isn’t that innocent.’ Danny grimaced, knowing her sister and Gary had been making love for some time.

‘Oh.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll think of something,’ she assured Pierce. ‘I’ve been getting Cheryl out of one scrape or another all our lives.’

‘Then it’s time you had a rest from it.’

‘I will.’ She nodded. ‘Once she’s safely married to Gary.’

‘I hope you’re successful.’

Danny stood and watched him as he opened the wrought-iron gate that separated her small walled cottage from the main immediate grounds, liking the dark thickness of his hair, his wide shoulders, the play of muscles over his back, his tapered waist and narrowed hips, his legs long and muscled, his whole body deeply tanned. The lines of cynicism she had seen on his face, the thread of silver in his dark hair, had indicated that he was probably nearing his fortieth year, and yet he was as lithe as a twenty-year-old. She found herself liking the look of Pierce Sutherland very much.

Suddenly she didn’t want to let him go, running across the newly cut lawn to open her gate and follow him as he walked towards the lights of the grey-stoned manor house. ‘Hey, Pierce, I—–’

‘For God’s sake!’ His expression was fierce as he turned to see her running lightly after him. ‘Go back,’ he shouted harshly. ‘Danny, go back!’

She came to an abrupt halt, staring at him with stricken eyes. Why had he returned to his initial coldness so suddenly? Minutes ago he had …