shutting the dishwasher. ‘This is the hardest part of my job. It’s so painful to say goodbye to the children I care for.’
He watched her in silence for a while as she moved round the room, putting things away. ‘Have you never thought of having children of your own?’ he asked at last.
She shot him a startled look. ‘Of course, but only in the abstract.’
His eyes glinted. ‘By which I take it you’ve never met someone you consider suitable to father these children?’
Hester’s chin tilted. ‘That’s a very cold way to look at it.’
‘Ah! You mean you’d have to be in love with the prospective father first.’
‘He would have to be someone I cared for, certainly,’ she said stiffly. ‘And vice versa. It makes for security for the child. You should understand that. You’re a very loving father.’
He sobered. ‘The loving part is easy, but I have to function as both parents to Lowri, which is difficult sometimes. So tell me, Hester, do I shape up to the other fathers you’ve met in your line of work?’
‘Admirably.’ Hester gave the counters an unnecessary sponge-down. Something about Connah in his present mood was unsettling.
‘You’ve never asked me about Lowri’s mother.’ Connah’s eyes took on an absent look, as though he was gazing far back into the past. ‘When she died I felt as though half of me had died with her and I never want to feel that way again.’
Hester stared at him, aghast, shocked that he should tell her something so intensely private.
He looked at his watch, suddenly very much back in the present. ‘I’m late. I’ll call in on Sam on the way down to the garage and tell him to shape up for another shopping session with Lowri. He has the Bryn Derwen number if you need to contact me.’
Why couldn’t she be trusted with the number herself? Hester smiled politely. ‘Have a good trip. I hope you find your mother better.’
‘Thank you. By the way, since this holiday is entirely my idea, please use some of the money I gave you for yourself.’
She shook her head. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I already have everything I need.’
‘What an independent soul you are, Hester.’ He gave her a mocking smile. ‘See you tonight.’
Hester went upstairs to Lowri after Connah had gone, her mind still reeling—not only from shock about the revelation itself, but the fact that he’d confided something so personal to her. She wished he hadn’t. The unexpected glimpse into Connah Carey Jones’s private life left her with severe qualms about their next encounter.
Lowri’s mood improved enormously once they were back at the shopping mall, though she was disappointed when Hester refused to buy a new swimsuit.
‘I don’t need one, Lowri. Honestly. Let’s concentrate on you.’
‘And this time,’ said Sam firmly, ‘I come in every last shop with you.’
‘I hope you can keep up, then,’ said Lowri, giving him a cheeky grin.
After a couple of hours of intensive shopping Sam took charge of the bags Lowri and Hester loaded on to him but, instead of taking them up to the car park, stayed with them when they went to look for lunch.
‘Daddy told you to stick to us every minute, I suppose,’ sighed Lowri, as she studied a menu in the café they chose.
‘That’s right,’ agreed Sam cheerfully. ‘Now, what shall we eat?’
‘I’ll order a salad, then pop into the pharmacy over there while you choose yours,’ said Hester. ‘I forgot to buy more sunblock.’
‘We’ll stay put then, Lowri,’ said Sam, and gave Hester a straight look. ‘Don’t be long.’
Leaving her companions wrangling about their choices, Hester walked swiftly across the mall to make her purchases. When she hurried from the shop afterwards she collided with a man who apologised profusely as he picked up the packages she’d dropped.
‘Did I hurt you?’ he demanded.
‘Not in the least,’ she said firmly, taking her parcels.
‘Let me buy you a cup of coffee to make amends.’
‘No, thank you. I have someone waiting for me.’
‘Of course you have,’ he said with regret and, when she pointedly waited for him to go, he gave her a wry little salute and walked away.
Hester gazed after him with narrowed eyes. She wished she could have taken him up on his offer so Sam could vet him. Because she was pretty sure he was the man who’d asked for directions in Albany Square, and therefore possibly the man in the park as well. But she couldn’t risk letting him anywhere near Lowri. She hurried back to the café to find Sam and Lowri making inroads into their lunch.
‘A good thing you ordered a salad,’ said Sam. ‘We wondered where you were.’
‘Sorry, folks. The shop was busy. Is your pizza good, Miss Jones?’
Lowri nodded with enthusiasm. ‘It’s yummy! Sam said it was all right to start or it would get cold.’
‘Of course. I’m ready for mine too.’
When they got back to the house, Hester sent Lowri up to her room with some of the bags and told Sam about the incident, which was assuming alarming proportions in retrospect.
‘I thought something was up when you took so long,’ he said grimly. ‘You’d recognise him again, then?’
‘Yes.’ Hester frowned. ‘Odd thing—there’s something familiar about him.’
‘Bound to be if you saw him last night.’
‘No. Other than that. Yet I’m sure I’ve never met him before.’
‘Could he be the guy in the park?’
‘Possibly. But I wouldn’t swear to it.’ She grimaced. ‘Shall I tell Connah or will you?’
‘Your shout, Hester. You actually saw him, so you can give him a proper description.’
‘Or the entire thing could be a coincidence.’
Sam looked her in the eye. ‘I don’t believe in coincidences.’
‘Neither does Connah,’ she said glumly, and picked up the rest of the shopping. ‘You’ll be glad when we’re safely on our way. Are you going somewhere exciting?’
Sam laughed. ‘My mother used to say that her idea of a holiday was for my dad and me to go away and leave her in peace for a week, and now I see what she means. So when you three go I’ll stay put, Hester, to make sure nothing goes amiss with this place. I’ll have a nice little holiday with nothing to do but answer the door, keep my phone charged and take down any messages.
