‘And now it’s all concentrated on you?’

‘Something like that.’ He forked up a piece of meat and gave a wry smile. ‘Apparently I’m an object of fascination until I get married.’

‘An eligible bachelor,’ Jenny observed, pouring herself a glass of water.

‘Water?’ Alex mocked her gently, a smile playing around his firm mouth as he reached for the wine he’d uncorked. ‘Don’t you ever drink anything stronger than water?’

She smiled. ‘Of course. But, to be honest, since Daisy was born I’m too exhausted to risk drinking. She wakes up quite often in the night and I need all the sleep I can get.’

He frowned slightly. ‘It must have been very hard for you.’ His voice was gruff. ‘Tell me about Chloe.’

She stiffened slightly. ‘Why do you want to know about Chloe?’

‘Well, for a start because I’m being accused of corrupting her,’ Alex said dryly. ‘I think I at least deserve to know something about her.’

‘I don’t really think that you corrupted her. I do realise that it takes two…’ Jenny pushed the food around her plate and then put her fork down. ‘Chloe was very beautiful.’

‘Describe her.’

Jenny hesitated. ‘She was the sort of girl that made men do stupid things.’ She gave an embarrassed smile. ‘Long blonde hair like a mermaid, a figure with more curves than a country road.’

‘Was she the reason you don’t think you’re attractive?’

Jenny looked at him warily. She’d never had this conversation with anyone before. And here she was having it with a man that she was supposed to loathe.

But the truth was she didn’t loathe him, and he was an amazingly good listener.

‘She was so beautiful that it was hardly surprising that men didn’t pay me much attention when she was around,’ she said lightly, picking up her water and taking a sip. ‘It really didn’t bother me. I loved her.’

‘What was she like? Gentle, like you?’

Alex asked the question in the most direct fashion and she bit her lip.

‘Chloe had a very difficult life. When Mum died she was only twelve, and Dad did everything he could to make it up to her. I think perhaps he overcompensated slightly.’

‘You mean she was spoiled.’

‘No!’ Jenny denied it quickly and then bit her lip. ‘Well, maybe, just a little, but it wasn’t her fault. She was so young when Mum died.’

Alex frowned. ‘You were young too, but he obviously didn’t spoil you.’

‘It was different for me.’

‘Why?’

Jenny hesitated. ‘Chloe was already quite…troubled.’

‘Troubled?’

‘A bit wild. Mixing with the wrong set. It started after Mum died. Dad tried his best but he couldn’t really control her and his heart wasn’t in it. He missed Mum too much. He died two years after she did.’

Alex pulled a face. ‘You poor thing.’

‘I was eighteen and already training to be a nurse but Chloe was living at home and she was hit really badly by it.’ Jenny bit her lip. ‘I switched hospitals so that I could live at home with her but I just couldn’t get through to her. She stopped studying, fell in with a crowd who did nothing but party and after that—’