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  ‘I never wanted that,’ Daisy said, and stroked his concerned face. ‘If I’m absolutely frank, I didn’t want another mother. It was just the unravelling, the mystery that appealed to me. What a mystery too.’ She sighed. ‘And what do I do with that book now?’

  ‘Sit on it for a few years,’ he said with a grin. ‘It’s a ripping story in so many ways, it could make a fortune for you. But I guess you’ll have to think what Ellen would have wanted you to do with it. Do you think you know her well enough now to judge?’

  ‘She’d want it burned,’ Daisy said firmly. ‘She wouldn’t want all that let loose on a sensation-seeking public.’

  ‘What if it would buy us a nice house like this one?’ he asked, reaching out and caressing her neck.

  ‘Get thee behind me, Satan!’ she laughed. ‘Besides, it looks as though I might get a few bob when the estate’s wound up anyway.’

  All at once she realized she didn’t want to discuss Josie or her book any more. Her troubled soul was laid to rest, that had to be the end of it.

  She glanced at Joel, and wondered if he felt the same, for he was just standing leaning against the wall watching her make the gravy with a distant look in his eyes.

  ‘What is it?’ she said.

  ‘Father’s still unknown,’ he said suddenly. ‘Any thoughts about searching him out?’

  She knew he was probably joking. A joke in bad taste under the circumstances, but she guessed he’d only made it to try to lighten the mood.

  ‘No,’ she said, and stamped loudly on the floor. ‘I know I’m still pretty dizzy, but not crazy. Knowing that being able to do acrobatics came from him is quite enough. I don’t want to know anything more.’

  ‘You disappoint me,’ he said in mock seriousness. ‘I always thought you were the most curious girl I’d ever met.’

  ‘I’m cured,’ she said. ‘I’ve been reborn totally lacking in curiosity.’

  ‘I thought you might say that,’ he said with a grin. ‘So you don’t want to know what I’ve got in my pocket then?’ He patted his hip temptingly.

  ‘No,’ she said, but her eyes were glinting. ‘I will not be tempted to ask.’

  She went over to him and began kissing him until his arms went round her tightly. Slowly, without him noticing, she lowered her hand to his pocket and she could tell by the hard lump with a curve to the top that it was a small jewellery box. She slid her hand in, grabbed it and pulled it out, breaking away from him and running into the sitting-room.

  Joel chased after her. ‘Stop thief!’ he yelled at the top of his voice.

  Giggling, Daisy opened the box. As she half expected, it was an engagement ring, a single diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires. ‘Oh, Joel,’ she gasped. ‘How wonderfully old-fashioned and romantic. But you shouldn’t have! We should save our money for getting married.’

  Joel took the ring from her and slipped it on to her finger. It fitted perfectly. ‘See what a good detective I’d make,’ he said smugly. ‘Even found out your ring size without you knowing! And I can’t boast you are going to marry me, not without some evidence of intent on your finger.’

  ‘How did you find out my ring size?’ she asked.

  ‘You said you’d been reborn without curiosity.’ She heard the sound of her father’s car outside in the street.

  ‘I lied,’ she laughed. ‘But that still doesn’t mean I want to dig out my trapeze-swinging father. The only dad I want or need is just coming in for his lunch.’

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Father Unknown

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five