Page 59 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

Lots of white pristine surfaces. Expensive art. Furniture that looked as if it had never been touched...

And then a slim, older woman appeared, walking towards them, tall and impossibly elegant, with a cap of silver-grey hair and light eyes. Beautiful but remote. Erin realised this had to be Ajax’s mother.

They greeted each other with air-kisses and Ajax said, ‘Mother, how nice to see you.’

Erin just watched, wide-eyed at this dry exchange. Even Ashling seemed to have been struck dumb.

The woman turned her gaze to Erin and Ashling. Ajax moved closer, and despite everything Erin was glad of the sense of protection.

He said, ‘Mother, I’d like you to meet Erin Murphy and your granddaughter Ashling.’

‘Erin, this is my mother Andromeda.’

A fittingly intimidating name. Erin tried to imagine her smiling and saying,Call me Andi, and almost wanted to giggle, but she knew it was just a little hysteria.

The woman held out her hand. ‘Lovely to meet you, Erin.’

Erin shook her hand. ‘You too.’

The woman’s light blue gaze went to Ashling. She said, ‘So this is the child?’

Ajax’s tone was dry. ‘Yes, Mother. Your granddaughter.’

‘Ashling. Yes, I know. An Irish name. I looked it up.’

Erin tried to hide her surprise.

‘She’s a pretty thing,’ Andromeda said. ‘Very like—’ But she stopped there abruptly.

She’d obviously been about to sayTheo. To Erin’s further surprise, she thought she saw a flicker of something on Andromeda’s face—a flash of emotion. But then it was gone.

She stepped back. ‘Your father is out on the terrace.’

They went out there, with Erin letting out a shaky breath. The tension in the air was almost unbearable.

Ajax’s father was tall and handsome. Dark eyes. He showed no great interest in Erin or Ashling.

Erin felt Ashling starting to squirm and took the opportunity to excuse herself, fearing a meltdown.

Ajax led them away. As one of the staff showed them up to their rooms he said, ‘Well? What do you think?’

Erin had to say, honestly, ‘They’re pretty much as you described them.’

Except she couldn’t forget that little flicker of something on Andromeda’s face when she’d almost mentioned Theo. Surely the woman had some humanity in her somewhere?

Erin was shown into a vast bedroom with an en suite bathroom and dressing room. It also led into a room that had been decorated as a pretty nursery.

‘Did your parents do this especially?’

Ajax said from behind her, ‘No, this was Theo’s room.’

She turned around, immediately concerned. ‘Is this all right?’

But to her surprise, Ajax looked...okay. Sad, but okay. Erin’s heart clenched.

He said, ‘I haven’t actually been back here since he died. All his things are gone—they did that at least.’

‘Ashling can stay in the main room with me. We don’t have to use this.’

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