scare her and she could scratch you. OK?’
Robbie nodded gravely. He looked up at Laura, a frown puckering his brow. ‘Me special? Like Lucy?’
Laura smiled tenderly at him. Reaching out, she brushed the cowlick of fair hair back from his forehead, feeling her heart fill with love. Robbie’s handicap was clear to see in his widely spaced, slanting blue eyes and small features. He was bright enough to notice the times when people stared at him or made insensitive remarks. However, Laura had dealt with his bewilderment by explaining to him that he was very special and that was why sometimes people reacted the way they did. Now, as she looked at him, she knew that she no longer grieved for what might have been. He was her child and she loved and accepted him the way he was.
‘Of course you are, darling. You’re very special, just like Lucy.’
‘Right, then, young Robbie. If you want to stay here and play with Lucy then I can show your mum where everything is.’ Mark smiled as he straightened, although it was impossible not to see the compassion in his eyes as he looked from the child to her.
Had he guessed how hard it was at times, dealing with people’s negative reactions, especially since Ian had died and she’d had nobody to share the heartache with? she wondered bemusedly.
The realisation stunned her. She had known this man for a little over eight hours and already he seemed to understand so much about her life that it scared her, made her feel vulnerable. It was an effort to act naturally when he turned to her.
‘Can I interest you in the grand tour? It won’t take long, I promise. The flat is your typical bachelor pad…bedroom, bathroom, sitting-room and what passes for a kitchen.’
She laughed, her fears melting away as she heard the rueful amusement in his voice. She was letting her imagination run away with her, something that happened rarely nowadays. Mark must have seen through his work the difficulties parents of handicapped children often faced and that explained his perception. There was nothing more to it than that!
‘Why not?’ she agreed lightly.
Leaving Robbie sprawled on the floor, she followed Mark into the sitting-room and looked round curiously, immediately liking what she saw. Mark’s home had turned out to be the top floor of an old mansion house which had been divided into flats. In keeping with the proportions of the building, the sitting-room was huge, with a high ceiling and intricate plasterwork. It was rather sparsely furnished but it possessed a certain charm which stemmed from the eclectic mix of styles.
Laura’s curious gaze skimmed over the claw-footed velvet sofa with its richly patterned throw, the brightly coloured floor cushions, the state-of-the-art CD player, and she smiled. Everything looked as though it were there for a purpose rather than just for show, and the room had a welcoming feel because of that.
‘It’s very nice,’ she pronounced when she realised that Mark was waiting for her to say something. ‘Very cosy and inviting.’
‘I like it.’ He grinned, his eyes reflecting genuine pleasure that she liked what she’d seen. ‘I’ve been here for about five months now and I’m slowly buying bits and pieces to turn the place into a home rather than just somewhere to sleep.’
He put his hand to the back of her waist, guiding her back along the hall to the kitchen. It was as tiny as he’d said it was, little more than a narrow galley with cupboards on both sides and appliances neatly built in under the worktops. They both stood in the doorway and Mark laughed as he shot her a quick look.
‘Not the sort of kitchen a dedicated cook would enjoy working in, especially if he or she was claustrophobic! However, as my culinary expertise extends no further than “something” on toast, it suits me fine.’
He gave the room a last, satisfied look then led her to the bathroom, which was very high-tech with its corner Jacuzzi and glass-enclosed shower. Laura made appropriately admiring noises but she could feel a little knot of tension bunching her stomach muscles as they made their way to the last room in the flat, Mark’s bedroom. She paused in the doorway, unable to explain her reluctance to enter his private domain, although that didn’t stop her taking a good look around.
A king-sized bed covered with a navy quilted comforter with navy and white striped sheets proclaimed that the occupant was male. The walls were pristine white with a few, very masculine prints of sailing boats in silver frames scattered here and there. The furniture was heavy, dark oak, from the huge dresser holding a silver-backed hairbrush and a single bottle of aftershave to the enormous wardrobe, the door of which was standing ajar.
Laura caught a glimpse of something light and floral through the opening, maybe a dress or a nightgown, before she hastily averted her eyes. Mark was a hugely attractive and personable man so it couldn’t be surprise she felt to discover that he’d had a woman sharing his bedroom. So what did she feel, then? Disappointment? Regret? Jealousy even?
That last thought made her gasp and she hurriedly turned it into a cough as she saw Mark look at her.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked in concern, bending so that he could study her better.
‘I…um. Yes. Just a tickle in my throat, that’s all,’ she said, quickly turning away. She made her way swiftly back to where Robbie was still playing happily with the cat and stooped down, using the few seconds grace to get herself under control.
What on earth was the matter with her? she wondered sickly, running a trembling hand over the cat’s silky fur. How could she be jealous at the thought of the woman in Mark’s life? He was a colleague, that was all, someone who’d been kind enough to offer her a lift and then take pity on her when she’d needed a bed for the night. That was the only claim she had on him…the only claim she wanted to have!
‘Right, I suppose I’d better rustle up something for us to eat. Or do you want to put Robbie to bed first?’
Laura carefully smoothed her face into a suitable expression as she stood. ‘I think it might be better if I settled him down first. He’s usually in bed by seven and it must be that now.’
‘Almost half past, actually.’ Mark grinned as he saw her surprise. ‘I know. I hadn’t realised how late it was either. It must have taken longer to get here than we thought, thanks to the snow.’
‘Then if you don’t mind I’ll give him his bath.…’ She stopped and grimaced. ‘Drat! I haven’t brought anything for him to sleep in.’
‘How about a T-shirt of mine—would that do?’ Mark immediately offered, bending to ruffle the child’s hair.
‘If you’re sure you don’t mind.…’ she began hesitantly, but he shook his head.
‘Of course not. I’ll fetch one.’
He headed off to the bedroom, leaving Laura to take Robbie into the bathroom and start filling the bath. Robbie was reluctant to leave the cat at first but, once he’d seen the gleaming corner tub, he soon forgot about her. Laura had the bath filled and was swishing a little of the bubble bath she’d found on a nearby shelf into the warm water when Mark appeared carrying a white T-shirt.
‘Will this be OK?’ He dropped the T-shirt onto the cork-topped stool then leant over and pressed a switch on the wall beside the bath. The water immediately began to foam as the Jacuzzi jets clicked into action and Robbie clapped his hands in glee.
‘Me in! Me in!’ he demanded
