‘Good afternoon, Miss Ainsley.’ His fair hair was tousled and the sun shining through the window reflected the colours in his gaily patterned waistcoat, but his smart appearance and good looks were lost on Amber. All she saw was the man who had duped her and forced her into the unfortunate position she found herself in, so she merely glared at him.

‘I was in the area,’ he hurried on, ‘and so I thought I would call and see if you had given any more thought to my suggestion of finding a foster home for the child.’

She could have told him that she’d thought of little else but instead she nodded towards a chair and he quickly sat down. Her first instinct had been to tell him to go to the devil, she would make her own arrangements for the child, but as Mrs Carter had pointed out, surely she would have an easier conscience if she at least knew that the baby was to be placed with people who would love and care for it.

And so taking a deep breath she nodded. ‘Yes I have, an’ yes you can go ahead.’

His face broke into a wide smile and she found herself thinking back to the happy times they had spent together – not that it would cut any ice with her. She had seen both sides of him now and she would never forgive him for what he had done to her.

‘Very well, I shall start to make enquiries immediately.’ He smiled again but when she didn’t respond he asked tentatively, ‘And have you decided what you are going to do when you leave here?’

‘That ain’t none o’ your concern,’ she said sharply, flicking a lock of her shining curls across her shoulder.

‘But I feel that it is,’ he pressed. ‘Surely if you don’t wish to return to Greenacres you will let me find you a suitable position elsewhere?’

‘I’m quite capable o’ lookin’ after meself, you just concentrate on lookin’ after the baby you foisted on me.’

He recoiled but she showed no remorse. As far as she was concerned, she owed him nothing, least of all respect, and the sooner he was gone the better she would feel. She no longer feared for her family’s jobs because she knew that he wouldn’t want her pregnancy to become common knowledge and she now held the power to destroy his marriage and his reputation. He had ruined her life – for what decent man would want her now that she was soiled goods? Even so, she wasn’t seeking revenge, she just wanted this whole sorry episode in her life to be over. ‘So how will I let you know when the baby has arrived? Shall I send word to Greenacres?’