She paused for a moment to look at the tiny coloured lights and glass baubles, wondering if perhaps she should go to Australia with her mother and stay for a while until she’d decided what she was going to do with the rest of her life. It would be lovely to meet her baby brother and to see her grandparents again, and she couldn’t think why she’d been so reluctant to bow to her mother’s wishes.

‘Pretty, isn’t it?’ The man’s voice was deep and tinged with a soft American accent and Sarah froze, the hairs prickling at the back of her neck. ‘I do love Christmas. Don’t you?’ he continued.

Not daring to turn round in case she was mistaken, Sarah nodded. ‘Yes,’ she replied breathlessly. ‘Though they’ve put up the tree far too early, don’t you think?’

‘It’s never too early, Sarah, and I’d love to spend this Christmas with you.’

She turned and, with her pulse racing, gazed up into his eyes, drinking in the sight of him. ‘I’d like that very much,’ she managed, feeling the electricity between them in that breathless moment of wonder.

He put his arm round her waist and gently pulled her to him before softly kissing her mouth, and Sarah thought she would simply faint from the powerful feelings that were raging through her.

‘Oh, Delaney,’ she whispered. ‘How did you know where to find me?’

‘Peggy Reilly had something to do with it, but I’ll tell you everything later,’ he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose. ‘At this very moment, all I want is to take you somewhere quiet and private so I can kiss you and hold you to my heart’s content and tell you over and over again how much I love you.’

Sarah giggled and blushed. ‘There’s nowhere quiet and private on this island, Delaney. The hotels are full and my family are back at the bungalow.’

‘Ah, well, that’s where you’re wrong, my love. I happen to have booked a room upstairs.’

She looked up at him with a teasing light in her eyes. ‘How very convenient, but don’t you think you’re being a bit presumptuous?’

He grinned back at her. ‘I’m an American, of course I’m presumptuous – but truth to tell, I managed to get the room when I arrived the other day. I had to have somewhere to sleep.’ He reached for her hand. ‘Come on, Sarah, we’re wasting time,’ he said softly, the yearning for her clear in his eyes.

As he led her up the stairs they were so engrossed in each other that they weren’t aware of Elsa watching them from below – a soft smile the only sign that she knew their story and was delighted that they’d found one another at last.

Jane went to answer the telephone and gave a delighted yelp when Elsa told her about Sarah and Delaney. She slammed down the receiver, gave a confused Jeremy a hearty kiss and then hurried to tell her mother.