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She wasn’t a prude, by any means—in her career it was best not to be! But Shelley had looked no older than twenty at most—possibly even younger than that—and Ethan Sherbourne, although very attractive in a devilish sort of way, and obviously physically fit, was a man in his early forties. And, from the little Shelley had said before her abrupt departure, the relationship between the two of them had been so fleeting the young girl had been doubtful that Ethan Sherbourne would even remember her!
To Olivia this whole situation seemed just so irresponsible. It was also one that could easily have been avoided. In her opinion, Ethan Sherbourne, with his obvious maturity, should have been the one to avoid it!
Selfish, Olivia instantly decided. Totally lacking in thought for anyone but himself and his own pleasure. He lived here, in sumptuous luxury, with a harem of women at his beck and call, while a young girl like Shelley, obviously not in the same financial bracket at all, by the look of her worn clothing, was left to bring up her child—and Ethan Sherbourne’s!—completely on her own. It was men like him who—
‘She had already disappeared by the time I got downstairs.’ A disgruntled Ethan Sherbourne strode forcefully into the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
‘Why didn’t you just follow her back to her home?’ Olivia reasoned—it was what she had expected him to do, after all.
‘For the simple reason that I have no idea where she lives!’ He scowled darkly at Olivia as she stood up with the baby held in her arms, now minus her blanket, hat and woollen outer suit. The pink Babygro that she wore beneath was slightly too large for her. ‘How old do you think she is?’ Ethan frowned.
Olivia raised blonde brows, already disgusted enough by the fact that he had no idea where Shelley lived without this too! ‘Don’t you know?’ After all, if the relationship had been as fleeting as Shelley had implied it was, then it shouldn’t be too difficult for Ethan Sherbourne to take a guess at his daughter’s age!
‘I would hardly have asked if I already knew, now, would I?’ he snapped, moving to the array of drinks that stood on the side dresser, pouring out a large measure of whisky into one of the glasses and taking a large swallow before holding the decanter up in invitation to Olivia.
‘No, thank you,’ she refused coldly; she didn’t think his getting drunk was going to help the situation at all!
‘Suit yourself.’ He shrugged before downing the rest of the whisky in the glass. ‘At a guess, I would say she’s somewhere between two and four months old,’ he decided.
Perhaps not so fleeting a relationship, after all. Certainly not the one-night-stand that Olivia had been imagining. ‘Her name is Andrea,’ she bit out caustically. ‘And I would agree—she’s about three months old.’
Ethan’s mouth twisted scornfully. ‘In your expert opinion?’
Olivia drew in a sharp breath at his insulting tone. ‘Now, look, Mr Sherbourne—’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, call me Ethan,’ he retorted impatiently. ‘After all, with Shelley’s abrupt departure, we seem to have been left joint custodians of a very young baby!’
‘We most certainly have not!’ Olivia walked determinedly across the room, putting the baby firmly into Ethan’s arms. ‘In her mother’s absence, Andrea is one hundred per cent your responsibility.’ She stepped back pointedly. ‘And, as such, I think you should be aware of the fact that Andrea needs her nappy changed,’ she added with satisfaction. ‘It’s probably the reason she’s so upset,’ she guessed shrewdly.
Ethan raised the tiny baby slightly, his nose wrinkling with distaste at the obvious aroma that came up to greet him.
‘I presume her nappies are in the bag—along with her food.’ Olivia moved to pick up the shoulder-bag Shelley had dropped earlier, unzipping it to find everything in there that baby Andrea would need for an indefinite stay: several changes of clothes, uncountable nappies, and enough formula and bottles to feed her for a week. ‘Here.’ She handed Ethan one of the tiny disposable nappies, wipes, and barrier cream, and was completely unsympathetic as he tried to balance those as well as hold the baby.
Dark brown eyes opened wide. ‘You expect me to change Andrea’s nappy?’ he said with obvious disbelief.
‘I don’t expect you to do anything,’ Olivia assured him lightly. ‘But I think Shelley does!’
Ethan gave up all pretence of holding on to the things she had just handed him, dropping them—but fortunately not the baby!—onto the carpeted floor. ‘Well, let me inform you—and Shelley too, if she were here—’
‘I think that’s probably the appropriate word—if Shelley were here,’ Olivia said sweetly. ‘Which she isn’t. Which only leaves you—’
‘And you,’ he pounced quickly.
‘No way.’ Olivia shook her head decisively. ‘Shelley obviously believes you are more than capable of caring for Andrea.’ Although in the same circumstances Olivia didn’t believe she would have been so positive! ‘I suggest you start fulfilling that belief by changing the baby’s nappy.’
Those dark brown eyes looked at her suspiciously. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ he finally said slowly.
When it came to the distressing circumstances of Shelley being put in a position where she didn’t know where else to turn to for help—no. But the fact that this arrogant Casanova had finally been given his comeuppance—yes, she was enjoying that!
Ethan Sherbourne was everything Olivia disliked in a man: arrogant, self-satisfied, too good-looking for his own and everyone else’s good. And on today’s evidence—totally amoral.
‘What I happen to think about this situation isn’t important,’ she dismissed. ‘Making the baby comfortable is, however. I’ll just get a towel from the bathroom for you to lie her down on.’ Which she did with no trouble whatsoever—the lay-out to this apartment was exactly the same as her own on the floor below. ‘There.’ She doubled the dark blue towel, placing it on the floor before looking expectantly at Ethan Sherbourne.
His cheeks were flushed as he scowled back at her darkly. ‘I am not—’ The baby began to cry once again. ‘Maybe I am,’ he muttered between clenched teeth, before moving down onto his knees and lying the baby gently down on the towel. ‘How do I get into this thing?’ He pulled ineffectually at the Babygro, turning the baby from side to side in his effort to find an opening.
‘There are usually poppers on the insides of the legs—Oh, for goodness’ sake…!’ Olivia showed her impatience as he lifted the baby’s legs to the left and then the right, almost turning the poor little thing over onto her face in the process. ‘She’s a baby, not a sack of potatoes!’ Olivia bit out as she dropped down onto her knees beside him.
‘Sacks of potatoes only need opening and the contents peeling—not having their nappies changed,’ Ethan muttered with distaste as Olivia easily released the hidden poppers and freed the baby from the lower half of the all-in-one garment before moving out of the way. The pungent aroma was much stronger now. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ he said a few minutes later, the soiled nappy discarded, one of the wipes held gingerly in his hand.
Olivia felt it diplomatic to take the nappy to the kitchen and dispose of it at that moment. Mainly because she didn’t think Ethan Sherbourne would appreciate seeing her bent over in hysterical laughter—at his expense!
He had looked so ridiculous kneeling there on the carpet, wearing what looked to be—and probably was!—a black silk shirt and tailored black trousers, as a happy Andrea blew bubbles up at him, her joyfully kicking legs making it difficult for him to finish what he had started.
If one of his harem could only see him now—if all of them could see him now—they might not be quite so available to him!
That thought had the effect of sobering Olivia, if nothing else. She washed her hands before returning to the sitting room, and came to an abrupt halt as she saw Andrea was still minus her nappy while Ethan Sherbourne lay on the carpet beside her, copying her bubble-blowing antics.
Olivia felt a sudden tightness in her chest. Ethan didn’t look so ridiculous any more. In fact he looked as if he was definitely enjoying himself.
He glanced across at Olivia as he sensed her standing there, his expression softened from playing with the baby. ‘She’s beautiful, isn’t she?’ he said huskily.
Olivia didn’t even glance at the contented baby. ‘All babies are beautiful, Mr Sherbourne,’ she told him hardily.
‘I thought I asked you to call me Ethan,’ he reminded her softly. ‘And you are…?’
‘Olivia,’ she provided stiffly, knowing it would be completely churlish to refuse to give him her first name—as well as non-productive; he only had to ask Mr Pulman for it if he really wanted to know.
‘Olivia Hardy,’ Ethan repeated mockingly as he sat up to look at her with laughing brown eyes. ‘It sounds like one half of a comedy duo!’
Angry colour darkened her cheeks. ‘In the circumstances, what does that make you?’ she returned scathingly. ‘If you’ll excuse me,’ she added abruptly, before he could come out with some clever reply, ‘I have some case notes I need to go over this evening.’ She moved towards the door, anxious to escape now.
‘Of course,’ he agreed, standing up. ‘You’re a lawyer, aren’t you? Exactly what sort of lawyer?’ He followed her over to the door, standing in the doorway as she stood waiting for the lift to arrive.
‘A good one,’ Olivia came back derisively, glancing back at him in surprise as she heard him chuckle.
‘I’ll just bet you are too,’ he replied appreciatively. ‘Olivia—’ He broke off as the sound of the baby whimpering could be heard behind him.
Olivia’s mouth thinned humourlessly. ‘I believe that is your cue to feed her,’ she told him as she stepped inside the lift. ‘Good luck!’
Ethan grimaced. ‘I think Andrea is going to need that more than I am!’
He was probably right, Olivia decided as the lift began its descent. Sorry as she felt for Shelley in her obvious desperation, she couldn’t help thinking that the other woman should have chosen someone with more competence at the task than Ethan Sherbourne obviously had. Even though, as Andrea’s father, a more appropriate minder couldn’t be found!
As she let herself into her own silent apartment she could still hear the baby’s cries, whether real or imagined, so she moved to switch on the television and drown out the noise—instantly turning the volume down as she realised she was probably the one responsible for disturbing the neighbours now! Besides, no matter how loud the television, it didn’t stop Olivia from worrying about the baby.
Would Ethan Sherbourne know how to feed Andrea properly? Did he know how to make up the formula? To use sterilised water and not some straight from the tap? To tell if the milk was the right temperature for Andrea to drink? That he had to wind the baby after every ounce or so to prevent her getting tummy ache?
Olivia switched off the television impatiently, striding through to her bathroom to turn on the shower before going into the adjoining bedroom to undress. A shower might help to relax her. Anything to take her mind off what might be going wrong in the apartment above her.
Except that it didn’t.
She stood under the punishing jet of the power shower for over ten minutes, desperately trying to channel her thoughts into the case she was working on at the moment. And failing miserably. How could she possibly think of work after the disturbing sequence of events earlier this evening?
Finally she came back through to her bedroom, wearing a peach-coloured silk robe, and looked around her appreciatively at the lovely things she had bought to surround and calm her. It was all the best that money could buy: a Mediterranean-style kitchen, antique furniture in every room, brocade drapes at the windows, luxuriously sumptuous carpets on the floors, several original paintings hanging on the cream-coloured walls.
And yet as Olivia looked around her she knew that it wasn’t enough. That it never had been…
She sat down on the side of the bed, knowing exactly what she was going to do now and powerless to stop herself.
The photograph lay in the bottom drawer of her bedside cabinet—the only thing in that particular drawer. Her hand shook slightly as she picked it up, the tears streaming hotly down her cheeks even before she looked down at the picture.
Oh, God, Olivia pleaded emotionally, please, please help me to get through this!
CHAPTER THREE
‘WHAT…?’ Faith moved slightly in an effort to see the subject in the photograph Olivia held, only to be disappointed as Olivia suddenly clasped it against her chest, those tears still falling down the paleness of her cheeks.
Mrs Heavenly straightened, moving a hand gently over the vision and instantly dispersing the images into a wispy cloud. ‘As you can see, Olivia’s prayer is for help to get through Christmas.’ She smiled at Faith. ‘Not too difficult an assignment, I would have thought.’
Faith looked searchingly at her mentor. That wasn’t exactly what Olivia had prayed for…
‘So there you have it, my dear,’ Mrs Heavenly told her brightly, shuffling some papers on her desk. ‘The scene is already set for you to be able to do that quite easily. It’s just a question of continuing to bring Olivia and Ethan together—’
‘Ethan Sherbourne?’ Faith couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘But isn’t he—?’
‘Ethan isn’t exactly what he seems,’ Mrs Heavenly assured her kindly. ‘In fact, he could do with a little divine intervention himself! But I think on this occasion it might be better if… Don’t be too visible, my dear,’ she encouraged Faith. ‘Neither Olivia nor Ethan are…well, shall we say that neither of them is particularly… a believer?’
Was it her imagination, Faith wondered, or did Mrs Heavenly’s gaze no longer quite meet her own…?
Ridiculous, she instantly answered herself. Mrs Heavenly was the most open-hearted of all the—
‘Poor Ethan.’ Mrs Heavenly had opened the vision once again, was shaking her head regretfully as she looked down. ‘Although he does seem to be coping well, in the circumstances,’ she commented admiringly. ‘Perhaps now would be a good time, Faith…?’
‘Of course.’ Faith drew herself out of the speculative trance she had lapsed into. ‘Time I was going,’ she agreed.
‘But remember, Faith!’ Mrs Heavenly called out to her before she disappeared. ‘No matter what other distractions might occur, Olivia is the subject of your assignment.’
‘I’ll remember,’ Faith assured her softly as she floated down to Earth.
And she would remember. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try and be of some help to Shelley and Andrea while she was about it. Possibly even to Ethan Sherbourne too…
The photograph was back in its drawer and Olivia was wearing grey silk pyjamas. Her dinner of smoked salmon and salad was on the glass-topped dining table with a glass of white wine at exactly the right temperature for drinking, when a loud knocking on the door interrupted the calm enjoyment of her meal.
Who on earth—?
The wailing of a distressed baby penetrated the thickness of the door to her apartment, the tranquillity she had so determinedly made for herself instantly shattered.
Ethan Sherbourne and his—and baby Andrea, Olivia instantly realised. What could possible have gone wrong now?
Whatever it was, she knew she couldn’t just ignore that cry; Ethan Sherbourne could stew in his own juice, as far as she was concerned, but the baby was another matter entirely.
‘What have you done to her now?’ Olivia demanded as she wrenched the door open—only to find herself staring into an empty hallway!
But how—? What—? She had been so sure…
She had to have been mistaken; there was no way Ethan could have knocked at her apartment and then disappeared back into the lift before she opened the door. Besides, what would be the point of him doing such a thing?
Olivia shook her head dazedly, closing the door to walk slowly back into her dining room.
She barely had time to sit back down and take a sip of her wine before that knock sounded on the door a second time. The crying of the baby was slightly fainter this time, but still audible to Olivia’s acute hearing nonetheless.
She stood, striding angrily over to the door this time. This evening had already been traumatic enough; she was decidedly not in the mood to play childish games with Ethan Sherbourne!
‘What on earth do you think you’re playing at…?’ Olivia’s angry tirade trailed off abruptly as she opened the door and found the corridor empty again, a glance up and down the hallway showing her that there really was no one there.
Well, she wasn’t going to give Ethan Sherbourne the chance to play this childish prank on her a third time. It wasn’t in the least funny, and she intended telling Ethan Sherbourne so!
It took her exactly two minutes to throw off her silk pyjamas, pull on designer denims and a loose black shirt and slip her bare feet into a pair of loafers, before marching determinedly out of her apartment. She got into the lift, pressing the button for the next floor and stepping out to stride forcefully down the corridor and put her finger on Ethan Sherbourne’s doorbell. And kept it on. Two could play at this game!
Ethan opened the door and barely had time to raise surprised brows before Olivia pushed him firmly to one side and strode into his apartment.
She looked anxiously around the sitting room, finally turning a blazing grey gaze on Ethan Sherbourne as he stood just inside the room, curiously returning her gaze. ‘What have you done to her?’ Olivia demanded coldly. ‘And don’t tell me nothing,’ she added impatiently, before he had time to answer, ‘because I could hear her crying all the way downstairs!’
‘I doubt that very much,’ Ethan drawled as he walked further into the room. ‘The only reason I bought this apartment was because I was assured by the agent that the building is completely soundproof.’
Olivia snorted softly to herself. No doubt he had been thinking of his harem at the time!
‘I don’t care what you were assured,’ she returned. ‘I definitely heard her crying.’
‘I presume by “her” that you mean Andrea?’ He derisively turned the tables on her after her earlier comment to him. ‘And exactly what do you think I’ve done to her?’ He folded his arms across his chest as he faced Olivia, his expression deceptively calm as he looked at her with mild curiosity.
Grey eyes flashed warningly as Olivia glared back at him. ‘How should I know?’ she replied shortly. ‘Judging from previous evidence of your ability to know the needs of a young baby, you’ve probably tried to feed her steak or something equally unsuitable!’ She looked around the room for a second time. ‘Where is she?’
‘Changed. Fed. Played with. Fast asleep.’ He continued to look at Olivia, now with amusement.
‘But I heard her,’ Olivia said restlessly. ‘I definitely heard her crying.’ Although she equally definitely couldn’t hear the baby crying now…
Ethan slowly shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Then where is she?’ Olivia was low on patience at the best of times—at the moment it was non-existent!
He sighed, dropping his arms down to his sides. ‘If you promise to be quiet, I’ll show you.’ He raised dark, questioning brows.
Her cheeks flushed fiery-red. ‘Of course I’ll be quiet,’ she clipped. ‘What—?’
‘If you’ll excuse my saying so, you haven’t shown much sign of it in the last few minutes,’ Ethan observed.
Olivia had been about to question him sharply again, but at these words her lips clamped together. Although she couldn’t resist another glare in Ethan’s direction.
