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of wine, had left her drowsy; sitting in a quiet, darkened room waiting for a toddler to succumb to sleep had only worsened the effect.
    The rest of the house was just as quiet now. When Faye had taken Hannah to bed a half-hour before, she’d left Simon and his mother washing up the supper dishes, and she wondered where they’d gone.
    Emerging into the living room, she first heard the pleasant crackle of a fire, then saw it glowing in the depths of the stone fireplace as she turned the corner.
    She stopped abruptly, catching sight of Simon settled into the chair by the fireplace, a newspaper draped over his lap and a glass of red wine in his hand. Faye’s first inclination was to turn and slip back into her room before he saw her; an early night didn’t seem like a bad idea after all. But before she could move, his gaze rose to meet hers. A smile played on his lips, forming an appealing crease across his cheek. Faye’s heart thumped heavily.
    He raised his glass in her direction. “Would you care to join me?”

     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    “Join you?” she asked slowly.
    His chin dipped in a curt nod. “Would you like some wine?”
    “We already polished off that bottle of Bordeaux with dinner,” Faye reminded him.
    “’ When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing’.” He tossed a glance at Faye as he headed to the kitchen, one eyebrow lifting roguishly. “That is, according to the Roman poet Ovid, ” he added, fetching the open bottle of wine from the counter and a glass from the cupboard.
    She couldn’t help the smile the touched her lips, her anxiety easing. “If Ovid says so, I suppose one more glass won’t hurt.”
    “This is an Australian shiraz, very rich and plummy, with quite a fragrant nose. I think you’ll like it.” Holding the glass at an angle, Simon tipped the bottle deftly, filling the glass with the burgundy liquid.
    “Jenna didn’t mention you were a wine connoisseur,” she remarked.
    “Probably because she can’t stand the stuff.”
    “True. All the cheap wine we drank in high school spoiled it for her.” Faye chuckled at the memory, before a wave of sadness swept through her, thoughts of Jenna’s uncertain future weighing on her spirits. You should be here instead of me, Jenna. You should be the one dealing with your child’s father, as you ought to have done two years ago.
    She glanced around, expecting to find Mary tucked in a corner with a newspaper or book of her own. “Where’s your mother?”
    “She went to her room to watch TV before bed.” Simon handed Faye the filled glass, his gaze capturing hers. “Are you uncomfortable being alone with me?”
    “No,” she replied, the tenor of her voice making it clear that she wasn’t so certain.
    The corner of his mouth twitched, amusement glimmering in his deep-blue eyes. “Don’t be nervous. I’m not out to seduce you. I was only hoping we could talk.”
    “About what?” Feeling her face burn, she attempted to hide behind her glass, taking a long sip of the smooth, rich wine.
    Simon motioned for her to join him on the sofa. Settling next to him, she crossed her legs and tucked her elbows at her sides, keeping her knee several inches from his. It might not be his intention to seduce her, but all the same, she wasn’t taking any chances.
    “I know it’s difficult to discuss the future with Jenna’s condition being as it is,” he began. “But I want to make my intentions clear. As soon as it’s feasible I’d like to set up a more regular visitation arrangement with Hannah. I’ll have my lawyer draw up something, with your complete involvement, of course—”
    “You’ve made your intentions pretty clear already, Simon,” Faye interrupted. “But couldn’t we hold off on that for now? I’m perfectly willing to let you see Hannah whenever you want to. As for Jenna, I have no idea what her reaction will be. Despite her flawed judgment in how she’s handled this, she’s really