CHAPTER ONE

      ‘IS he coming to lunch again?’ Alexandra demanded, seeing the four places set at the table.

      Gail sighed, despairing of her young sister’s manners. ‘If you mean Dominic then say so,’ she said disapprovingly, moving into the kitchen.

      ‘All right. Is Dominic coming to lunch again?’

      ‘Well, as he always comes on a Sunday when he’s at home it’s a natural assumption to make.’ She turned the vegetables down on the cooker. ‘Now if you’ve nothing better to do perhaps you would like to get out the wine glasses. It was your turn to cook lunch today,’ she added sternly. ‘Where did you disappear to so quickly after breakfast?’

      ‘I met Roger.’ Alexandra rubbed the wine glasses to a fine shine before placing them in the appropriate places on the table, a slight smile curving her lips as she thought of the man she loved.

      Her sister frowned. ‘You seem to do little else lately.’

      ‘Well, if you would let me marry him I wouldn’t need to keep going to his parents’ house, we could be together all the time.’

      ‘You’re too young to get married,’ Gail stated emphatically. ‘You’re seventeen years old and you only left school six months ago. You’ve only really known Roger four months.’

      ‘Oh, that isn’t true! We’ve lived in this area for years and I’ve known Roger all of that time.’ Alexandra placed the wine in the refrigerator to chill.

      ‘We’ve lived in this house approximately three years, and two and a half years of that time you were away at boarding-school.’ Gail shook her head at her sister’s obstinacy, knowing that pouting look of old. But in the case of Alexandra marrying she was adamant. Besides, Roger was only twenty himself. They were both much too young to know their own minds.

      ‘But I’ve known Roger for simply ages!’ She had been completely bowled over by his dark rugged good looks as soon as she had seen him at a local dance four months ago, and he appeared to be equally smitten. They had been seeing each other every day since and they were never bored with each other. And Roger’s kisses thrilled her like nothing else she had ever known.

      Gail gave a light smile. ‘I wouldn’t call four months ages.’ She turned back to the preparation of the meal. ‘The men should be arriving soon.’

      Alexandra scowled. ‘Yes, I suppose Dominic could be called that all right. The typical he-man type,’ she sneered, her blue, almost violet eyes flashing her dislike.

      ‘He has a very exciting job,’ Gail defended. ‘There aren’t many men who could take the risks he does.’

      ‘Oh, no, I realise that,’ Alexandra said scornfully. ‘Travelling around the world filming the latest disaster is life and breath to Dominic. It even meant more to him than his marriage did.’

      Now it was Gail’s turn to be angry. ‘You have no right to judge him. How do you know he didn’t take up this sort of life as a means of getting away from his marriage? He and Marianne were never right for each other.’

      ‘You can say that now, now that they’re divorced. But they must have been in love once.’

      ‘I’m not saying they weren’t, all I am saying is that it wasn’t because of the danger of his job that Marianne left him. She was probably too young when they married, which is why he—–’ Gail broke off, biting her bottom lip.

      ‘Yes?’ Alexandra prompted, noting the almost guilty look on her sister’s face. ‘Why he what?’

      ‘Nothing. It isn’t important.’

      ‘It was important enough for you to clam up.’ Her blue eyes narrowed. ‘Come on, Gail, I know that look. You’re holding something back.’

      ‘Don’t be silly. I think I hear a car,’ Gail said desperately.

      ‘Never mind that,’ Alexandra sighed impatiently. ‘Tell me what Dominic did.’

      ‘I told you it wasn’t important.’

      ‘It was something to do with me, wasn’t it? Something he said, something about my being too young to marry. Was that it, Gail?’

      ‘We did talk it over with him, yes. And he said he didn’t think it was a good idea. Now calm down, Alexandra,’ Gail pleaded as she saw the angry sparkle in her sister’s eyes. ‘Trevor and I had already discussed it and come to the same conclusion.’

      ‘But Dominic’s disapproval finally convinced you. Don’t deny it,’ Alexandra commanded fiercely. ‘I know how arrogantly autocratic he can be. You probably asked his permission before you went in for this baby you’re expecting too. Well, he’s gone too far this time, interfered in my life once too often. And I’m