CHAPTER FIVE

BETHANY watched him as the differing emotions flickered across his face. She had seen the self-doubt, the puzzlement, then the relief as he’d read the card she had given him. And then she saw the self-derision.

She couldn’t in any way blame him for his disbelief. It was universal. Besides, she didn’t think she was here to bring back his belief in Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy—or to convince him of the existence of angels. She wasn’t one hundred per cent sure why she was here yet, but she did know that it concerned this tall, cynical man before her.

‘If you would care to call the telephone number on the card, Mr Rafferty,’ she advised softly, ‘Mrs Heavenly will be only too happy to confirm my presence here.’ It was the usual practice, and seemed to satisfy most people.

Although Nick Rafferty, she acknowledged wryly, wasn’t ‘most people’… But he was distracted at the moment, had so many other things on his mind, and gave the impression that he just wanted to get some normality and order back into his life. And having someone to look after the children for him was sure to help with that.

‘Mrs Heavenly…’ he repeated with some relief. ‘Hence the name Heavenly Angels?’

Not quite, but… ‘Of course,’ Bethany confirmed lightly.

He arched dark brows as he looked down at the card again. ‘And Robert hired you, you say?’ he murmured thoughtfully.

‘Robert Fairfax is the name of the person who required our services, yes,’ she answered with great care. After all, she wasn’t in the business of telling outright lies, only prevaricating with the truth; there had been no formal call from Robert Fairfax, only a heartfelt plea for help. And that was something she was in the business of dealing with—not very successfully to date, she admitted, but maybe this time it would be different… ‘If you would just like to make the call, Mr Rafferty?’

‘Nick,’ he put in abruptly, although he was obviously mellowing a little.

Probably because he could now see the possibility of lightening his own load as well as Robert’s by accepting this unexpected offer of help with the children!

Bethany nodded acceptance of this concession. ‘I’ll just go and check on the children while you make the call.’

She had noticed they seemed to have gone very quiet since going to their bedrooms—and she quickly realised the reason for that as she approached the door, hearing a faint scuffling noise on the other side of it; the children had been listening to her conversation with their father.

It was naughty of them, but she could understand only too well their concern; they were wondering if the ‘angel’ was to stay or to be despatched back to where she had come from. But if that were to happen—and she sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t—then she had no doubt that someone else would be sent in her place. This family needed help.

She hoped it wouldn’t be the case; she wanted to stay herself—she liked the children, felt an affinity with Nick Rafferty that she couldn’t altogether explain. Perhaps it was because she felt that his harsh cynicism hid pain he hadn’t shared with anyone else. Or perhaps it was that she wanted to help him show his love for his children. Or perhaps it was just that she liked Nick Rafferty…

The children were looking very busy by the time Beth managed to locate their bedrooms, their expressions angelically innocent as they turned to look at her. Bethany laughed softly at her own thoughts. These three weren’t angels—but they were innocents. Which was exactly as it should be.

‘Ready?’ she enquired brightly.

‘Is it all settled? Are you staying?’ Jamie, the oldest and more reserved of the three children, looked at her expectantly.

Bethany’s heart went out to him. He was so much like his father to look at, and, being the eldest, the break-up of his parents’ marriage must have affected him the most. ‘I think your father may be sorting out the details with my—superior, right now,’ she answered dismissively. ‘We’ll just wait and see, shall we?’

‘Can we still go and play in the snow?’ Josh frowned, this immediate matter of much more interest to him than any long-range ‘details’.

‘I should think so.’ She ruffled the darkness of his hair playfully, sure that during his telephone call to the ‘agency’ Nick Rafferty would receive all the assurances he needed to allow her to stay on here. ‘Are you all ready?’ They certainly looked it, with their thick coats, bobble hats and gloves. ‘Come on, let’s go and see what your father has to say.’

She didn’t feel she was being unfair to Nick Rafferty by having the children on her side in this way, and really was convinced that Mrs Heavenly would give him all the confidence in her ability that he required.

She only hoped she lived up to Mrs Heavenly’s expectations!

Three identically angelic faces beneath differing coloured hats looked expectantly at their father once they were in the sitting-room, though Bethany’s expression was much less anxious than the childrens’. She was needed here; she became more sure of it with each passing minute.

‘Well, it seems Robert did indeed ask for you,’ Nick Rafferty reported cheerfully, looking like a man who had just had a great weight lifted off his shoulders. ‘Where did the four of you intend going to play in the snow?’

‘One of the parks should do,’ Bethany replied as she pulled on her own jacket, freeing the fiery length of her hair from her collar.

Nick Rafferty was watching her admiringly; now that the immediate responsibility for the children had been lifted his masculine instincts seemed to have returned to the situation—and from the expression on his face he was seeing her as a rather attractive female!

It wouldn’t do, of course, Bethany ruefully acknowledged. It wasn’t her that Nick Rafferty was supposed to take an interest in. She had a feeling that his interest was to be directed towards the children, and also to adding some purpose to his life. Financial success alone—of which, judging by these sumptuous surroundings, he appeared to have plenty—couldn’t be enough. But she, personally, wouldn’t be the one to enrich his life. That certainly couldn’t be allowed. She was here only temporarily, would be moved on to another assignment once this one was completed satisfactorily.

Why did she suddenly feel so saddened at that prospect…?

‘We can get public transport back, if you could just drop us off?’ Her voice was sharper than normal, and she was inwardly annoyed with herself because of that. She was here to help these people, yes, but she couldn’t become emotionally involved with them—or they with her. That would just make the situation worse, not better!

That brief recognition of her as an attractive woman had gone from Nick Rafferty’s face now, and he began to scowl. ‘What do you mean, drop you off? Can’t you drive?’ He sounded incredulous at the very idea.

She wasn’t sure; she had never tried. But she certainly didn’t have the necessary licence or the appropriate paperwork, that she did know; how could she, when she didn’t exist?

‘Come and play snowballs with us, Daddy Nick.’ Lucy grasped his arm, pulling on it imploringly.

Bethany almost laughed at his dazed expression; obviously throwing snowballs wasn’t on Nick’s list of priorities at the moment. Perhaps it never had been. Maybe Lucy had had a good idea after all…

‘I—’ He broke off as the telephone began to ring,looking relieved at the interruption. ‘I have to get that, Lucy.’ He extricated himself from her clinging fingers, picking up the receiver.

‘Lisa!’ He had instantly recognised his caller. ‘Yes, I—No, I—But—Will you just shut up for a minute and listen, woman?’ His initial placatory tone had quickly turned to anger; he was scowling darkly now. ‘Just hang on a minute, Lisa,’ he coldly instructed the woman on the telephone, putting down the receiver to reach into the pocket of his jacket and pull out a wad of notes.

‘Take a taxi to wherever you want to go,’ he told Bethany distractedly as he handed her several of the twenty-pound notes. ‘And you had better take a key, just so that you can let yourself in if I’m not home when you get back.’ He handed over the key too. ‘Have a good time,’ he added dismissively, returning to his telephone call without giving them a second glance.

Bethany didn’t move, looking at him wordlessly for several seconds, frowning herself now.

Nick continued his conversation, coldly clipped now, until he suddenly became aware of Bethany’s stare, and there was an irritated expression on his face as he put his hand over the receiver. ‘Yes?’

She raised auburn brows at his terseness. ‘Say goodbye to your father, children.’ She took the opportunity to pocket the money and the key as the children took it in turns to kiss their surprised father briefly on the cheek—almost as if it weren’t a regular occurrence, she realised. Maybe it wasn’t?

She noticed that Nick looked even more uncomfortable when it came to Lucy’s kiss, and the little girl threw her arms about his neck to hug him for good measure.

‘Thank you for giving us the angel, Daddy Nick.’ Lucy grinned up at him.

‘You’re welcome,’ he answered shortly, moving abruptly away.

Thankfully the little girl looked completely unperturbed by her father’s distant behaviour, but Bethany was still frowning as they left.

And not, she realised, just because of Nick’s reaction to Lucy’s show of affection. Who was Lisa? And why should she care…?