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wasn't in it, she thought wryly. She stared blindly at the paper and thought about the mess she was in. She'd burnt her bridges with Brenda, her father was positively frosty — could things possibly get worse? Draining her cup, she took her paper and went back out on to the street. As she marched home she was conscious of stares and whispers but she held her head up high. To hell with them all, she thought, but was relieved to reach the sanctuary of her little cottage. The first thing that she saw when she got inside was a red envelope on the mat. 'Post on a Saturday,' she murmured, reaching down to pick it up. She tore it open and stared at the single white page with one typewritten sentence.
    YOU'RE NOT WELCOME AROUND HERE.
    Celine put it with the others in a drawer of Dermot's desk. She didn't know why she was keeping them. Tomorrow she'd be gone and the anonymous writer would have to find a new target. Celine threw all her energies into packing up the last of her belongings. Anything personal that she was leaving behind was now stacked in Dermot's study and the estate agent was under strict instructions that his room was off limits to the new tenants.
     
    Two hours later, she stood at her father's hall door. She was determined to work things out with him before she left.
    'Oh, it's you,' he said.
    'Hi.' Celine smiled nervously and followed him into the lounge. 'Did you have a good game?'
    'Not particularly.' He sat down in his chair and closed the novel he'd been reading.
    'Oh, Daddy.' Celine perched on the sofa opposite him. 'Don't be like this.'
    'Like what?'
    'Angry.'
    He shook his head. 'I'm not angry any more. Confused, yes, disappointed, yes, but angry, no. I'm just relieved your mother wasn't here to see this.'
    'Oh, for God's sake, Daddy! Don't be silly.'
    'Silly? I think you're the one who's been silly. You've thrown away the most precious thing you possess, your good name, for an asshole like Gilligan.'
    'He hasn't taken advantage of me, if that's what you think, Daddy.'
    'Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you went after him? I'm going to make some tea.'
    He went out to the kitchen and Celine flopped back in the sofa. She'd always loved this room and even with her father's rather sensible approach to decorating, it was still cosy. Frank had painted the whole place white but the golden glow of the maple floors, the old pine dresser and the faded floral patterns in the curtains and sofas softened the effect. Celine got reluctantly to her feet and followed him out to the kitchen. 'I wasn't saying that I went after Kevin, Daddy,' she explained as he handed her a mug. 'Just that he didn't take advantage of me. I went into this with my eyes open.'
    Frank looked at her with sad eyes. 'But why? You're a beautiful girl, you could have anyone you want. Why settle for a married man and why hurt his family?'
    'I didn't plan to hurt anyone. I wasn't asking Kevin to leave Eileen, Daddy. What we had was just—' She hesitated.
    'Sex,' he concluded.
    'Yes.' She felt her cheeks grow hot. There was never a right time to discuss such intimate topics with your father.
    Frank shook his head. 'And that explains everything?'
    'It's what we both wanted. It was uncomplicated.'
    'Until Eileen found out. The woman must be devastated.'
    'I wouldn't waste too much pity on her,' Celine told him. 'Once Kevin buys her an expensive piece of jewellery she'll forgive him. She always has before.'
    'Then it's a bloody strange marriage.'
    Celine smiled slightly. 'Well, we agree on that at least.'
    'You won't see him again.' It was a statement rather than a question.
    Celine shuffled uncomfortably. 'I won't be here.'
    'What?' He put down his mug and looked at her.
    'I've got a job in Hopefield.'
    'But you've got a job here.'
    Celine grimaced. 'I was fired.'
    Frank sighed. 'So what are you going to do?'
    'I've got a job running a boutique and there's a flat over the shop.'
    'You don't have to move, surely?' he protested.
    'It would be too