“This party is in my honour, I hope,” she said as she entered.

The babble of voices ceased for a brief moment before Flynn and Euan called out in unison, “Maggie!”

Flynn rushed across the room and squeezed his aunt in a bear hug.

“Hello, darling.” She kissed him on the cheek then rubbed at it with her thumb before she put her arm through his and looked back at Euan. “No wonder I haven’t heard from you two. You’ve been entertaining.” She raised one elegant eyebrow and her lips turned up in a mischievous smile.

“Maggie, you should have let us know you were coming,” Euan said.

“I did, brother dear. I’m just a few days early. Aren’t you going to introduce me to this bevy of beautiful women?”

Keely thought Euan almost blushed. His face looked a little rosy as he introduced Dianna to his sister. Once again, he used the words ‘friend from the east’. The two women shook hands then Maggie looked at Kat.

“And you must be the young woman Euan rescued from the hospital.” Maggie held out her hand.

“No, Maggie. This is Katerina,” Flynn said. “She’s Theo’s granddaughter.”

“I see.” Maggie shook Kat’s hand. “Hello.”

Keely steeled herself as Euan nodded in her direction and everyone looked her way. The other three women in the room were all beautifully groomed. Even though Kat had been cooking with Keely all afternoon she was still so tidy. Keely knew her hair needed brushing and she looked down at the pale pink shirt that had patchy wine stains and now extra splodges from her efforts in the kitchen.

“This is our traveller, Keely,” Euan said.

“Hello Keely.” Maggie clasped Keely’s hand in her soft grip. “You must be much better. You look beautiful. My Levallier men have been looking after you properly, I hope.” Her eyes were ice blue like Euan’s and they held an almost mischievous gleam. Keely could see the fine lines in her skin and noted the hint of colouring in her elegantly groomed French roll and the soft fragrance of her perfume.

“Yes…I am…thanks…” she stammered, wondering if Maggie’s eyesight was impaired. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“So, what have I interrupted?” Maggie turned back to her brother. “Were you having a party?”

“No, Maggie.” Euan jumped in quickly. “Dianna has turned up unexpectedly.”

“I hope there’s a bed for me then,” Maggie said. “You know I don’t like that old hut you grandly call a studio.”

Keely saw the glances flying between Euan and Dianna and from Flynn to Euan. This was all getting very complicated.

Euan ran his fingers through his hair. “We might need to do some rearranging—”

“I can go back to River Dynasty,” Kat cut in.

“There’s plenty of room,” Flynn said.