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not sure how much notice Ross takes of his motherbut I got the impression he is very much his own man. I do hope I’ve not been wrong about him.’
    ‘No, you haven’t,’ Bonny assured her. ‘Ross has always stood on his own feet but, of course, he works in Leo’s firm so, in many ways, he’s kind of tied up with the family even more.’
    Remembering her conversation with her husband and the changes he would like to make in the firm, Valerie wondered if Ross would tolerate the restrictions his father still insisted on. It was an interesting thought. If Ross branched out on his own, he could run the business the way he wanted and loosen the ties with the family. It was worth considering, she thought, but she kept it to herself.
     
    That evening, as they sat down to dinner, Valerie told her husband about her day out with Bonny. ‘We had a great time,’ she said. ‘I really like her, she’s a bundle of fun.’
    ‘Yes, she’s good for Earl,’ he told her. ‘My brother was under my mother’s thumb until Bonny came along. She made a man out of him.’
    ‘What about you, darling? How much of a hold does Gloria have over you?’
    Laughing he said, ‘Not nearly as much as she’d like! My mother loves to control people, but she doesn’t control me and never has.’
    ‘I’m happy to hear it. How did today go in the office?’
    Ross frowned. ‘Fine, I suppose. As far as my clients are concerned I work my own way but the business wants updating. Dad hasn’t moved with the times. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good lawyer but the firm could make much more money, if he would only listen to me.’
    ‘Have you ever thought of moving out and opening your own firm?’ Valerie asked casually.
    He looked at her in surprise. ‘As a matter of fact, I have, ever since I came out of the army. I feel stifled.’
    ‘Then I think you should think seriously about it, Ross. There’s nothing worse than being unhappy in the workplace. It’s unhealthy for one thing!’
    He gazed fondly at her. ‘I do love you. You and I think so much alike and that is so comforting.’
    Valerie, pleased at the compliment, smiled. ‘We should start looking for office space. If you want to branch out on your own, it would be better sooner than later.’
     
    During the weeks that followed, Valerie took herself off on a journey of discovery around the city. She loved the vibrancy of it, the eclectic feel to the place, but she knew that eventually she would have time on her hands and had no idea how she was going to fill her days.
    She wandered into a small café, took off her scarf and gloves then ordered a coffee and sat looking at a guidebook of the city, marking out further places to visit. She decided to sample the cheesecake and ordered.
    A young man sitting at the next table leant over. ‘You are English if I’m not mistaken?’
    She looked up. He was neatly dressed in a grey polo-neck jumper and trousers, with an interesting face and green eyes that twinkled at her. ‘Yes I am. The accent gives me away every time.’
    With a smile he said, ‘Don’t ever lose it. To hear English spoken well by an English person is delightful to listen to. We have a common language, which sadly we Americans crucify!’
    She couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I have noticed, but we are different people in a different country.’
    He looked at the guidebook. ‘Are you just visiting?’
    ‘No. I’ve just moved here to be with my husband. We met in England during the war.’
    ‘So, you are a GI bride?’
    She nodded. ‘That’s right, there are quite a few of us, I’m afraid. I’m just exploring the city, trying to familiarise myself with it.’
    ‘What sort of things interest you?’
    ‘Art galleries, museums, I love to read and discovering all that is different here in New York. Believe me, after the restrictions in my country due to the war, the shops are pure joy to a woman!’
    ‘Have you been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art?’ the stranger