‘Not to me. When was the last time you took a break from the business?’

‘I don’t need breaks,’ she said firmly.

‘Yes, you do,’ he said just as firmly.

‘Whatever would your friends think if you arrived on their doorstep with a strange woman and child in tow?’

‘I don’t think you are in the least bit strange,’ he said, grinning. ‘Anyway, they know all about you.’

‘They do?’ She didn’t know if that made it better or worse but rather felt it was the latter.

He nodded. ‘They know I’m madly in love with a cold-hearted woman who won’t give me a chance,’ he said solemnly. ‘They feel pretty sorry for me actually.’

She had no idea if he was being serious or not. ‘Well, there you are then. They hate me already.’

‘No one could hate you.’ His voice had changed, becoming soft and husky. ‘They’ll love you like I do.’

‘Alexander—’

He put down his cup and stood up, pulling her to her feet. She shivered as their hands touched but he made no attempt to take her into his arms, merely holding her hands. She was desperately aware of the height and breadth of him, of the clean intoxicating smell coming from him and the overall maleness that seemed to envelop her. She felt as though she was fifteen, sixteen again and meeting a man for the first time. But she wasn’t fifteen; she was a grown woman with a daughter and a past. Oh, yes, and a past.

‘Come to Scotland with me, you and Betsy. You said tonight that you have decided not to live your life worried about what other people think and that you’ll be friends with whomsoever you please. Come to Scotland as my friend, Rose. Please. I know Lawrence is in a bad way and it would make all the difference if I have your support. It would be good for Lawrence and Estelle too, to have a diversion.’

She extricated her hands, turning, and with her back to him, said, ‘Is that what I am? A diversion?’

‘No, no, hell no. I didn’t mean—’

She turned back to face him then and he saw she was smiling. This was madness, absolute madness, but for once in her life she wanted to be mad, to cast all her cares and responsibilities aside and do something stupid. And this was stupid, for him as well as for her. ‘As friends?’ she said softly.

‘I swear it.’

‘I’ll have to see if Amy could come and help Daisy for a few days first.’ She rather thought Amy would jump at the chance to get out of the house. The last miscarriage, just before Christmas, had been particularly traumatic. Amy had gone five months that time and they’d all hoped and prayed that at last there would be a bonny baby at the end of the pregnancy.