Agreement

They left the study together, and at the same moment Molly and Emily came through the front door.

The little girl had flushed cheeks with excitement and beamed at her father, who leaned waiting against the frame of the kitchen door.

"Aunt Molly and Aunt Polly have lots of animals," she told him enthusiastically. “There are sheep and chicks and chickens and even a pony. Aunt Molly said I can ride it if you let me. And as soon as we've got everything ready in the house, I'll have my own rabbit, ”she gushed excitedly.

"Always slowly, young lady, it's not that far yet," Lucian affectionately braked his daughter and crouched down in front of her. "There are a few things that need to be sorted out first."

********

Even though Faith's head was buzzing from everything that had happened, she couldn't help but notice how the jeans tightened around his muscular thighs. Involuntarily she wondered what it would feel like to run her hands over it.

While she stared spellbound at his legs, he pulled Emily into his arms and looked over her shoulder at Faith in silence.

"Faith?" Polly's voice snapped her out of her trance.

Irritated, she looked Lucian in the face, noticed a barely perceptible smile in his gray eyes and had the vague feeling that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"We'll talk tomorrow," she said in a decidedly cool manner. "Good night."

For a brief moment she defiantly held his knowing gaze, then turned away and went up the stairs.

After Lucian Clarke had said goodbye to Polly and Molly Graham, he drove with Emily to St. Albury Manor, the small guest house in the village where he had temporarily rented.

It wasn't long before Emily fell asleep, but he was wide awake himself. He went to the window, looked out into the darkness and tried to sort his thoughts.

When Elliott Havering sold him the house a few weeks ago, he had no idea that Elliott had a daughter, nor that he was seriously ill. They knew each other from various congresses and had worked together on a research project for a short time. When he mentioned at one of those meetings that he intended to turn his back on London, the old doctor offered him his practice.

It hadn't been long before they'd come to an agreement; Elliott had left everything to him for a ridiculous price. Now Lucian had the dull feeling that the hook had popped up on the whole thing - an extremely attractive hook, admittedly.

When he saw her there in the examining room, he recognized her immediately: Faith Havering, actress and the dream of all men between nine and ninety-nine years of age. He knew a couple of her films and had to find out that she looked even more seductive in person than on screen.

What bothered him a lot more, however, was the question of whether she wore stockings or tights under that tight skirt. Ever since she crouched down in front of Emily, he had felt the need to slide his hands up her long, shapely legs and find out.

When she stood in the kitchen and licked her fingers, other things had flashed through his head and he hadn't managed to get rid of these images until now.

Her cool and dismissive demeanor appealed to him very much. He would love to find out if he could melt that block of ice in his arms, if she would still be this frosty once she was in his bed.

"Idiot," he muttered dryly, "you're thirty-two and behaving like a pubescent youth, but God knows you've got enough other problems."

He sighed and shook his head, shaking off the thoughts of the blonde, extremely attractive woman with the emerald green eyes. There was no place in his life for such things. There was Emily to attend to, there was the practice he wanted to set up here, and there was the pain and disappointment he was dealing with.

Women weren't on his to-do list, and it would stay that way.

The lights were still on in the Graham sisters' house. Polly and Molly were sitting in their small, cozy living room, and of course their niece Faith was the subject that moved their hearts.

"She looks pale, I think Elliott's death hurt her more than she wants to admit," said Molly sadly.

“Maybe,” Polly rocked her head slowly, “but there are other things. She gave up her career, and Gabriel Pendergast, too. "

Molly didn't look particularly surprised. "That does not surprise me. She already sounded so strange on the phone, and honestly, I'm glad she got rid of this pompous, arrogant guy. He didn't do her any good, and they didn't go together at all. Faith deserves better than a man who uses her for his ambitious plans. "

“Something better - like Dr. Clarke, for example? ”Polly chuckled.

"Why not?" Smirked Molly. “He looks nice and decent, and he's very handsome. The way she was staring at him earlier, it doesn't seem to have escaped her either. "

“I don't think Dr. Clarke is in the mood for a relationship at the moment. It looks like he has a big problem with Emily, ”Polly said.

“The little one is adorable, and I'm sure that will work out once they've been here for a while. We could maybe help out a bit, "Molly blinked conspiratorially at her sister," and not just with his daughter. "

Polly smiled. "Do you want Dr. Couple Clarke and Faith together? You don't even know if Faith will stay here at all. "

"We'll see, I have a clue," said Molly. "At least she can't send him away, the house is his."

“Faith mustn't find out about that, she already takes it with her enough. He promised me not to say anything and I hope that she will come to an agreement with him without this unsightly detail coming to light. "