All Chapters of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Chapter 51.‘Good job. Okay, now I’m going to take your finger…’ He took his tinyhand in his own and laid the end of his finger over Toby’s. ‘And we’regoing to press that key. Just once. Lightly.’ He tapped the key with Toby’sfinger and a list of files came up. ‘Oh!’‘You liked that? Want to do it again?’After doing it half a dozen times they moved on, and between them theymarked the files and copied them to the CD. It took longer than if he’d doneit on his own, but that didn’t matter. He’d wasted too much time, stayingaway, doing the right thing. This was the right thing…When they’d done he looked up and discovered that both Connie andMira were watching them, apparently transfixed.‘What?’ he said.‘Nothing.’ Mira swallowed. ‘It’s just that…people don’t usually letlittle boys play with thousands of pounds worth of computer hardware.’‘No? Believe me, this was easy. Toby speaks English. It’s a lot harderwhen you’re in some place that the world forgot—or more likely neverkn

Chapter 53.EASY enough to announce that she was answering the wake-up call that fatehad rung so loudly in her ears. It was quite another to look the world in theeye at eight o’clock in the morning—and most of it appeared to be packedinto the underground train with her—and act on it.Miracesca had put in a couple of years at the coal face of marketingbefore she’d met Nate n. It hadn’t exactly been a riveting experience. Whatideas she’d offered had been brushed aside before, as the most juniormember of the team, she’d been despatched for coffee, sandwiches,photocopying. She hadn’t needed too much persuading not to return afterToby was born. None of the wives or partners of Nate n’s business friendshad worked, and it had been easy enough to fall into the round of gymworkouts, lunches and dinner parties. To pretend to herself that she had afull and rewarding life.Easy to pretend that she was happy. Bury the memory of a momentwhen the world had appeared to light up. Nate was

Chapter 55.‘Anyway, that’s not my concern,’ she said briskly, refusing to give in tothem. ‘What’s worrying me is that if you fall asleep in that chair I won’t beable to get into the desk. Did you come in your car?’‘No, I left it at my office yesterday.’‘Good. You’re in no fit state to be behind the wheel.’ She dug around inher bag for her front door key—which she laid on the desk in front of him—and a tissue, which she used to blow her nose. And wondered how muchof his car Nate had owned. Whether she’d be able to use the money toease finances a little. It was a company car so it would be hers. The papersmust be here…‘Should you be here at all?’ he asked, distracting her as he got up, camearound the desk. ‘This would be tough for anyone.’His eyes were full of compassion, concern, and something else that shethought might be despair but was more likely exhaustion. She wanted to layher hand against his cheek. To kiss his brow. To wrap her arms around himand hold him for a

Chapter 57.As he waited, giving her time to clear the room, he realised he shouldhave asked her how her elbow was doing. Unfortunately, the quick flash ofher smooth, golden backside as she’d finally turned and fled had knocked itclean out of his mind.Miracesca didn’t hang around to ask whether Dan was going to continue hisnap or would prefer to go downstairs and have something to eat. She justgrabbed the first clothes that came to hand and bolted. And, havinggathered up the paperwork she’d brought back from the office, she shutherself away in the study.Her jeans were the comfortable baggy fit cut that she’d worn whenNate wasn’t around to grumble that she looked untidy, the top somethingloose and equally figure obscuring. It felt disloyal somehow—even in thelast couple of weeks, when he’d hardly been able to lift his head, he’d stillwanted to see her looking like his ‘princess’—but it was too late to thinkabout changing. Too late to think about obscuring anything, too.D

Chapter 59.THIS would have been the perfect moment to hail a passing black taxi andsay, ‘Follow that car!’Dan couldn’t just drop a bombshell like that and then drive away. Shewanted an explanation. She wanted to know what the devil he thought hewas doing and she wanted to know now!By some miracle—and she was certainly due one—a cruising taxiappeared just when she needed one and she hailed it. The drama of themoment was somewhat spoiled, however, by the fact that women didn’twalk around with wallets in their hip pockets.Dan’s car was long out of sight by the time she’d fetched her bag andshe had to content herself with, ‘The London Eye, please. As quickly as youcan. It’s an emergency.’Even as she said it, she realised how stupid that must sound. What kindof emergency called for a ride on the London Eye? Not that she had anyintention of going on it. But the driver—who’d probably heard everythingin his time—just said, ‘Yes, ma’am’, and set off enthusiastically enough int