She followed him through the house as he showed her various rooms: a formal living room and a smaller, cosier TV room; the large dining room where they’d had breakfast; and another less formal room for family meals. A music room, a library, a second kitchen for parties... Lucette started to feel overwhelmed. The house was huge. And Ariston wanted her to be its mistress."What exactly do you want me to do, Ariston ?" she asked as they left the second kitchen.He turned to her with a frown. ‘What do you mean?’I mean, what are my responsibilities? You mentioned that you wanted me to be in charge of your household...I only meant that as a courtesy to you and your position here. I don’t expect you to have duties.’Which made her feel more confused than ever. ‘I don’t understand’Lucette , we’re married. You’re the… ’‘Mistress of the house? The chatelaine? Yes, I understand that.’You can do as much or as little as you like. If you want to consult with Maria about meals, or housekeepin

She spent a surprisingly enjoyable afternoon with both sisters once she’d got used to Iris’s nosiness and Zoe’s bustling, bossy manner. She realised they were both fun to be around, and she could tell they actually cared about her. It almost felt like being part of a family—something she hadn’t experienced since she’d been twelve years old, and even then not so much...They finally all agreed on a dress of deep magenta that brought colour to Lucette ’s face and complemented her dark eyes and hair. Its empire waist and swirling skirt drew attention away from her bump without hiding it completely.Zoe declared in satisfaction, "Understated, elegant, and just a little bit sexy." ‘Perfect' Ariston will love it.’And with a little thrill, Lucette realised she wanted Ariston to love it. She wanted to be beautiful to him again. A dangerous desire, perhaps, but still, caught in the happy glow of their shared afternoon, Lucette didn’t try and suppress it. Ariston was her husband, after al

And yet the evening had started so promisingly. He’d loved seeing Lucette at the party, looking bright and beautiful, as much her old self as ever, reminding him of how interesting and articulate and sophisticated she really was. And when she’d drawn his hand to her bump and he’d felt their child kick... it had been the most intimate thing Ariston had ever experienced.The kiss had felt like a natural extension of that intimacy. He couldn’t have kept himself from it if he’d tried—which he hadn’t.So what had gone wrong? What had spooked Lucette ?Then, with a wince, Ariston remembered the toast he’d given at the party. ‘May you welcome her and come to love her as I do.’ He hadn’t thought of the words before he’d said them; they’d simply flowed out of him, sounding very sincere. But he’d assured Lucette he didn’t love her—just as she didn’t love him. Had his toast frightened her off?Had he meant those words?It was a question he strove to dismiss. Things had become muddied with Lu

He kept staring at her, his gaze searching and yet not seeming to find any answers, for eventually he looked away and resumed his story.Well, understandable or not, Antonios was the favourite. I didn’t accept that, though. I tried so hard, Theos, to make my father love me.Trust me—’He broke off then, and Lucette ached to comfort him. But she didn’t, because everything about Ariston was brittle and tense, and she had a terrible feeling—a fear—that he would shake her off if she tried to hug him as she wanted to.To make a long story short,’ he continued finally, his voice brusque, ‘he never did. He had a heart attack and he sent for Antonios—told him the truth about the business. He’d been involved in dodgy dealings for years, trying to make back the money he’d lost on bad investments. He was a hair’s breadth away from losing everything. He made Antonios swear not to tell anyone...not even me.’‘And did he tell you?’ Lucette asked.Ariston shook his head. "Not for ten years. Ten y

When Lucette awoke, the room was dark, and panic doused her in an icy wave. She struggled upright, one hand going to her middle, curving over the reassuring bump even as the remnants of the nightmare she’d been having clung to her consciousness.‘Ariston —’‘I’m here.’In the darkness, she couldn’t see him, but she felt his hand come and close over hers. Even so, she couldn’t stop shivering.‘I had the most awful dream.’ Her voice was choked and her throat closed. She’d dreamt about Annelise—something she hadn’t done in a very long time. ‘It was so terrible.’‘It was just a dream, Lucette ,’ Ariston said, his voice soft and steady. ‘It wasn’t real. Everything’s all right. The baby’s all right.’She nodded and gulped, wanting and needing to believe him and yet not quite able to do so. The dream had been real once upon a time. She’d relived the worst memory she'd had in her nightmare, and she was afraid of it happening again. But Ariston couldn’t understand that because she hadn’t to