on if he should happen to fall in love with her, but she had never even thought of being on her own for the rest of her life, knew that although she had had one disastrous marriage that with another man it could all be perfect. For the moment she preferred things the way they were, knew that although Kim and Andy were well-adjusted children that the fact that their father had chosen not to live with them troubled them at times. But one day they would be old enough to understand, and when that day came she would be ready herself to perhaps find a new love of her own. For the moment she was satisfied with her lot.
And for Caroline to imply she might be interested in Sinclair Thornton was ridiculous! He wasn't her type at all, and she doubted she was his either.
The twins were particularly boisterous when they got home that evening, and it took a good play and their baths to calm them down enough for their evening meal. Not that Robyn had gone to any trouble over the latter, fully expecting that Caroline would be able to convince Sinclair Thornton that dinner at the Hall would be much more comfortable. Not that Caroline had come to tell her of the change of plans, she hadn't seen the other girl all afternoon, but she took it for granted that she and the twins would be eating alone as usual. And if their neighbour did happen, by some remote chance, to come to them for dinner there was enough casserole for all of them. It may not be what he was used to, or what he would have got at the Hall, but it was good food, and well cooked.
‘Is Daddy coming to see us this weekend?’ Andy asked as she helped the two of them to dress upstairs after their bath, as alike as two peas to look at, both having Robyn's bright red hair and warm brown eyes.
‘Not this weekend,’ she dismissed lightly, brushing her daughter's unruly curls into some order before they dried.
'It's ages since he came,’ Andy said moodily.
‘He's busy,’ his sister put in quietly, the younger by five minutes, also the more introvert of the two; Kim tended to follow where Andy led, her brother outspoken as well as outgoing.
‘Yes. But——’
‘Kim's right, Andy,’ Robyn told him brightly. ‘Daddy has to work very hard. And it's only a few weeks since he telephoned you both.’ For a total of five minutes, she thought bitterly. Not once had she tried to deter Brad from seeing the children, or to influence them in any way concerning his long absences, it had all been Brad's decision, although she couldn't help the inner resentment she felt on the twins’ behalf at his lack of interest in them, knew that Kim was as hurt by it as Andy, no matter how much she defended him. Sometimes, when she felt her children's pain the most, she wished Brad would just stay out of their lives completely, let the twins forget him. But life just wasn't that tidy or straightforward. And maybe it was a selfish wish, the twins loved their father however little they saw of him, and perhaps in his own way he loved them too.
She was stopped from making further comment by the ringing of the doorbell, a glance at her watch as Andy leapt to look out of the window showing her it was exactly six o'clock!
‘There's a man outside, Mummy,’ Andy told her excitedly.
She stood up slowly, feeling a moment's panic before she instantly calmed again. Probably Sinclair Thornton had come to apologetically explain that he was going up to the Hall for dinner. Yes, that would be it. ‘Finish dressed, children,’ she told them in a preoccupied voice. ‘I—I'll go and see who it is.’ She hadn't mentioned the possibility of a guest for dinner to them, they were too often let down by their father without a complete stranger doing it too!
She checked her appearance in the mirror in the hallway before going to the door. If anything she looked even younger than she had this morning! She released her hair about her shoulders, wishing she had time to change from the cut-off denims and cream sun-top. But the doorbell ringing for a second time made that impossible.
As she had guessed, her caller was Sinclair Thornton, a bunch of tulips in one hand as his eyes gleamed at her mischievously over the petals. He wore fitted brown trousers and a lemon shirt tonight, but he looked no less ruggedly attractive in this slightly more formal clothing.
‘Hi,’ he greeted softly. ‘I'm not too early, am I?’ he added as she made no move to let him in.
‘Er—no,’ she blinked her surprise. ‘It's just—Caroline—Miss Masters, said something about inviting you up to the Hall tonight.’
‘She did,’ he nodded. ‘But I had to refuse her, after all I had already accepted your invitation.’
‘Oh but——’ She was stopped from further speech by the clatter of small feet down the stairs behind her, turning to see the twins arrive at the bottom together, looking adorably innocent with their newly washed faces and hair, wearing identical blue T-shirts and denims.
Robyn turned back to apologise to their guest for keeping him on the doorstep, her eyes widening as she saw his stunned expression, his incredulity obvious as he stared at the twins. Whatever he and Caroline had discussed after he had refused the other girl's invitation this afternoon he certainly hadn't been told of the twins’ existence!
‘PLEASE, come in,’ she huskily invited the still silent Sinclair Thornton, relieved when he did so, taking him into her small but comfortable lounge. The twins stared back at him, as wide-eyed as he was, and she put a protective hand on either of their shoulders as she looked at Sinclair Thornton with challenging eyes. ‘I don't think we introduced ourselves properly this morning,’ she told him softly. ‘I am Robyn Warner, and these are my two children, Kim and Andy.’
Considering how shocked he had been seconds earlier he was recovering well, the gleam back in his blue eyes as he began to smile. ‘I'm sure it was just an oversight on your part,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘And in that case, these are for you.’ He held out the tulips for her. ‘I'm afraid I forgot the cup, Mrs Warner,’ he added pointedly.
‘My friends call me Robyn,’ she returned much as he had done this morning.
‘Can I?’ he teased.
‘Please,’ she nodded, relieved that he had taken her deception so well.
‘Well, Kim and Andy, you just have to be twins,’ he spoke to them in a pleasantly interested voice, and not down to them as so many adults tended to do. ‘And both as cute as your mother,’ he teased.
Andy giggled at this description being given to his mother. ‘Mummy isn't cute,’ he scorned. ‘She's beautiful.’
Appreciative blue eyes swept over her blushing face. ‘So she is,’ Sinclair Thornton said slowly.
‘I'll just go and put these in water,’ Robyn said awkwardly, instantly annoyed with herself for appearing so gauche. No doubt Caroline would have accepted the compliment with much more aplomb! But then, the younger girl was used to the meaningless charm, she wasn't. ‘Perhaps the children would like to show you some of their toys while I'm gone,’ she added briskly.
It took her only a few minutes to put the tulips in water and check that the dinner was ready, stopping in the lounge doorway when she got back. She should have known Sinclair Thornton was one of those men who found children's toys as fascinating as they did! He was down on the floor with Kim and Andy, with little regard for his clothes, seemingly fascinated by the workings of the dolls’ house and fort the two of them had received recently for their fifth birthdays.
He
