When Kelly had gone, Faye took the tea things into the kitchen. Washing them up would give her thoughts time to calm down. Garth had outmanoeuvred her, but that only increased her determination not to yield any more ground. He came in after a moment.

'I'm glad we got that settled,' he said.

'Garth, don't read too much into this,' Faye warned. 'Nothing has really changed.

'If you're coming home, I'd say a lot had changed.'

'I'm not "coming home". I'm changing premises, but only for a while. I still want that divorce, and when I've got it I'm going to marry Kendall.'

'Don't you think living with me will make a divorce rather difficult?'

'Can't you understand? I won't be living with you. We'll be under the same roof but not living as man and wife. We'll have separate rooms and live separate lives.'

His expression hardened. 'And what exactly does "separate lives" mean?'

'It means I'm still engaged to Kendall, and I'll see him when I like.'

'And suppose your husband has other ideas?'

'It won't make any difference.'

'So my wishes count for nothing?' "That's right. You've won a small victory by getting us there, but that's all. I'm not your wife, and I'll do as I please.'

'My God! It's like beating my head against marble,' he said angrily. 'You were never like this before.'

'I've changed, Garth.'

'You sure as hell have!'

'But so have you. You're not the loving man I married, any more than I'm the docile girl you married.' Her lips curved in a faint, elusive smile. 'Watching you taught me a lot about standing on my own feet, and I've learned the lessons well. Just regard me as a housekeeper.'

'I already have one, in Nancy.'

'Well, now you've got two. And, like any housekeeper, I'll live my own life, and my employer won't ask questions.'

'Oh, won't he?'

'Not unless he wants to receive some dusty answers.' Mischievously she echoed his own words, 'I'm glad we got that settled.'

'I haven't-'

'It's settled, Garth. Believe me, it's settled.'

They returned to Elm Ridge to a huge welcome from Nancy, overjoyed, 'to have some life in the place again', as she said to Faye over a coffee in the kitchen.

'He's been like a bear with a sore head since you all left. Not that he was ever exactly sweetness and light.'

'He was, once,' Faye mused, then stopped. She'd promised herself not to start looking back, no matter how much the house affected her.

But he had been different: not sweetness and light, but generous and passionately loving to her. So many nights of physical rapture in the perfect union of their bodies. So many days of sadness as their minds and hearts grew further apart.

Adrian and Cindy eagerly took possession of their old rooms, then introduced Barker to the huge garden, which he tore around as madly as a puppy. This resulted in his first meeting with Fred, who came in two afternoons a week to keep the grounds in order. Fred was a grumpy individual who had his own views on dogs who trampled across his freshly weeded flower beds, and he expressed them loudly. But by then Barker was out of earshot.

Faye was touched to see that Garth had had her room redecorated in her favourite autumnal colours. On the dressing table lay a gift box, containing a set of emerald earrings.

'They're a welcome present,' he said from the doorway. He seemed almost nervous. 'I can show my gratitude, can't I?'

'Garth, they're really beautiful, and it was sweet of you to think of it, but-'

'Just try them on.'

'You don't have anything to be grateful for. You know why I'm here. I don't think I can accept these.' She extended her hand, with the box.

'Look,' he said with almost a touch of desperation, 'it's your birthday next week. Call it an early birthday present. The children will notice if I don't give you something.'

'You can give me something small. I can't take these.'

He was pale. 'Just as you wish.'

For a moment her resolution faltered. There was a look on his face that took her by surprise. Years ago he'd gone without lunch for a week to buy her a special gift, which had broken as soon as it was opened. His expression then had been the same as now, the look of a hurt boy. He controlled it so quickly that Faye wasn't sure she'd seen it, but she spoke her next words gently. 'Garth, I did tell you-'

'Yes, you made your position very plain. I just hadn't expected you to be so-so unyielding.'

'Maybe I was too yielding in the past.'

'Well, you're sure making up for it now,' he said, going to the door. 'And don't worry. I'm still sleeping in the room downstairs.'

Barker might be a daft mutt, as Faye often complained, but he had a sense of self-preservation that made him spend the first week wooing Nancy. In a few days she'd progressed from 'Get your muddy paws out of my kitchen,' to 'Poor doggie, don't they ever feed you?'

During that week Faye saw little of Garth. She was left in peace to settle herself into her old home, and after the first day she found she could cope. She was grateful for Garth's reticence. On the odd occasions when he was around, he gave all his attention to the children and maintained a civil distance from herself.

Cindy and Adrian were so happy, especially with the huge garden, that Faye knew a twinge of guilt. Had she been selfish in taking them away from this lovely setting? But then she thought of Kendall's spacious premises and his collection of rescued animals. The children loved his home. They would be just as happy there when the time came.

Two days before her birthday Garth gave her his present early. It was a computer, identical to his own, that would be a boon for her book-keeping work. But Faye's reaction was divided between pleasure at the gleaming monster and a suspicion that Garth was muscling in on her territory.

'It's another takeover bid, isn't it?' she demanded.

'What was that?'

'It's a show of power. You're saying that I can't even manage my trivial little job without your guiding hand.'

'Well, I'll be-!' he exclaimed angrily. 'Your tortuous mind is something I'll never figure out. You bend my ear about your independence, and how I'm holding you back. Well, I'll tell you what's holding you back: that steam-age machine you're using! You need a better one. / was trying to be nice, for Pete's sake't'

He stormed out, slamming the door. Shocked, Faye realized that he was genuinely upset. She stood for a moment, undecided, before following him into his study.

'I'm sorry,' she said at once. 'I shouldn't have said what I did.'

'You really have got me down as a villain, haven't you?'

'It was unforgivable of me,' she said contritely.

His mouth twisted. 'I never found anything you did unforgivable. But I will if you refuse it.'

She smiled. 'I'm not going to refuse it. I'm going to ask you to show me how to work it.'

'Now you're talking.'

The children were fascinated by the machine, but scandalized to discover what it was for.

'Daddies don't give mummies computers for their birthdays,' Cindy protested.

'You think I should give her something more personal?' Garth mused. 'I'll bear it in mind.'

The next morning Faye was deep in work when the phone rang in Garth's study. Nancy was out shopping and Faye was alone in the house. She hurried in and snatched the receiver up so quickly that she dropped it. The weight pulled the whole machine off the desk, forcing her to scrabble on the floor. By the time she'd retrieved everything the woman on the other end was already talking.

'Couldn't think where you'd got to.' She gave a husky laugh. She sounded young, and there was a note of intimacy in her voice. 'You're usually so punctual that we could set the clock by you.'

'Excuse me?' Faye said.

After a brief pause the woman said, 'I thought I was talking to Mr Clayton. Evidently not.'

'No, I'm-'

'I've called to find out if anything's happened to him. He's usually at work by now.'

'He left at the usual time this morning,' Faye said. 'Perhaps he got stuck in some traffic. By the way, my name's-'

'He's got a client due in a few minutes,' the young woman cut across her. 'It's not like him to miss an appointment.'

'Then I'm sure he'll be there,' Faye replied in a voice that held an edge of annoyance at the woman's rudeness. 'Are you his secretary?'

'Don't be ridiculous,' the young woman said frostily. 'Of course I'm not a secretary. I am Lysandra Bates, the Director of Publicity for Clayton Properties. I can't waste time talking. If Garth calls, I want you to give him a message from me.'

'I'm afraid I'm not a secretary either,' Faye said, feeling bolshie.

'All right, all right, so you're the housekeeper, cleaning woman, whatever,' Lysandra snapped. 'And I suggest you keep a civil tongue in your head, whoever you are. Write this down, and don't waste any more of my time.'

'Actually, I'm Garth's wife,' Faye said, goaded into one of her rare tempers.

She had the satisfaction of knowing that she'd silenced the other woman. After a moment Lysandra Bates said tensely, 'I had no idea- That is, I understood- Mr Clayton, I've been worried about you.' She turned back to the phone. 'He's just arrived. Crisis over.'

'I'm so glad,' Faye said politely.

'Good day to you.'

'And good day to you' Faye murmured, regarding the phone, which had gone dead before she could reply.

Nancy put her head around the door. 'I'm back. Want a coffee?'

'Yes please, and make it strong. I need something after that. Have you come across Lysandra Bates, Nancy?'

'Oh, her,' Nancy said in a voice of deep significance.

'I didn't like her either,' Faye said, following Nancy into the kitchen. 'She thought I was the housekeeper.'

'And she talked as if she had a bad smell under her nose,' Nancy supplied.

'Exactly. She's obviously called before. So how come she didn't realize that I wasn't you? Our voices are quite different.'

'She wouldn't notice that, although goodness knows, she's telephoned often enough. To Miss Bates all underlings are beneath her notice.'

'You say she telephones often?'

'Every time she can find an excuse. Once, she turned up with some papers she said Mr Clayton needed. I thought he looked a bit surprised myself. Oh, she'd like to make herself at home here. But of course,' she added hastily, 'it's all on her side.'

'It's all right, Nancy,' Faye said, amused. 'You know this situation isn't permanent.' She'd taken Nancy into her confidence days ago.

'But he wants you back,' Nancy said, scandalized. 'You know he does.'

'Hmm. Just the same, I wouldn't put it past him to have my replacement lined up to massage his ego, just in case. I don't mind if they get together. I just didn't like her being rude to me, that's all.'

'There's nothing in it,' Nancy said firmly. 'Just because she's got an eye for the boss, it doesn't mean that he's got an eye for her.'

'I've told you, I don't care if he is interested in another woman,' Faye said, a tad more sharply than she'd intended.

Nancy gave her an appraising glance, but had the tact to let the subject drop.

When Garth returned that night Faye told him about the call, not mentioning Lysandra's rudeness but only his mysterious lateness for work. To her surprise he reddened, mumbled something and quickly changed the subject.

'I wanted to talk about your birthday,' he said. 'I'd like us to have a family evening out, rather than have you spend it with Haines.'

'That's fine,' she said. 'I was planning to stay with the children anyway.'

He hesitated. 'And you don't mind if I tag along?'

'The kids will never forgive you if you don't.'

The following day he offered Faye a tiny gold watch, delicate, restrained, and impossible to refuse.

'That's why I was late for work yesterday morning,' he admitted. 'I had to go to three shops to find the right one.' Then, seeing her astonished face, he added hastily, 'But it's just a trifle. Nothing that you can't accept.'

Three shops, she mused. Late for work. Garth?

She wore the watch to the restaurant, where the whole family went to celebrate that night. It was a pleasant time, with Garth at his best, talking to Faye in a general way that didn't create any awkwardness, and listening attentively to his children.

'Are you getting excited about Cornwall?' he asked, and both youngsters grinned with delight at the prospect of the school camping trip to come.

But then Cindy said worriedly, 'Will Barker be all right without us?'

'Don't worry, you can leave everything to me,' Garth said easily. He saw Faye's lips twitching and said defensively, 'I can be good at things if I set my mind to it.'