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pinging sound as he dropped in on to a metallic surface. ‘Let’s hope she knows of a good plastic surgeon.’
    Plastic surgery! That was glass he’d taken from her hair. Both hands shot to her face at the same time. Patrick chuckled as she gazed with horror through her fingers at him. ‘What’s wrong with it?’
    ‘Nothing. It’s the most flawless face I’ve ever seen.’
    Ellie was unprepared for the warmth of Patrick’s laughter. He didn’t seem in the least annoyed at the moment. Maybe - just maybe - she’d over-reacted to him initially. Interest came into her eyes and her mouth twitched into a grin. ‘How did you know I was faking it?’
    ‘By the reaction of your body when I examined you for broken limbs.’
    ‘Some of the places you examined didn’t have limbs,’ she muttered, coloring at the intimacy of his smile.
    His second chuckle bathed her in warmth. ‘I had to be thorough. Would you mind telling me why you felt you had to go to such lengths?’
    ‘I was scared you’d have a piece of me.’
    ‘ You were scared. Todd nearly had hysterics when you hit that tree. You’re a walking disaster area, Eloise.’
    Ellie took Todd’s hand and kissed it in comfort. Patrick needed no such reassurance. Already his eyes were mirroring impatience. His hand rasped over his day old beard as if it annoyed him as much as she did. Added to his already battered face, the whiskers gave him a disreputable air.
    ‘I’m ... sorry.’ Much as she begrudged the fact, she did owe him an apology.
    ‘Am I such a tartar, Ellie?’
    Of course he was. He’d thrown down the gauntlet in his hostile manner of asking. She itched to remind him of the fact, but prudently avoided provoking another battle.
    ‘Your appearance is a little bit intimidating at the moment.’ Todd edged on to the couch and leaned against her arm. Instinct brought Ellie’s arm around him, her lips to the top of his head in a kiss. He snuggled against her with a grin on his face.
    Patrick’s brown furrowed as his hand rasped over his chin again. ‘I’m hardly in any position to do anything about it.’
    ‘I have some disposable razors,’ she suggested.
    ‘They’re better than nothing, I suppose.’ A grin nudged at his mouth as he rose to his feet. ‘Do you have any aftershave in your kit?’
    ‘I’m afraid not.’ She ignored the mockery in his eyes. ‘There’s cologne in the bathroom cupboard if you want to try that.’
    ‘As long as it’s not one of your concoctions, I was one big itch last night.’
    She colored again when his glance washed over her in suspicion. Trust him to remind her of that. Ellie watched him move, loose-hipped towards the door. He’d recovered hadn’t he? Was it her fault the book didn’t cover the possibility of side effects?
    The book!  Panic gripped her when she realized she’d left it on the coffee table in this very room. Her eyes darted to the table and she froze for a second. Then she saw its cover sticking out from under a cushion and sighed with relief. If Patrick found out his hives were the result of some magical mayhem he’d make her life a misery.
    Misery came in different forms it seemed. No sooner was lunch over than Patrick rose to his feet. ‘Let’s go.’
    ‘Go where?’ Full to the brim with baked beans and toast, Ellie was contemplating how she could remove the mud from her two most expensive outfits without ruining them.
    ‘First we’ll get your car, then we’ll go after my van.’
    ‘Can’t it wait?’
    His eyes darkened. ‘No. All I own is in that van.’
    ‘You can’t own much.’ 
    She hadn’t meant to sound so perverse.
    ‘I used to own much more, before ...’  He seemed to make an effort to control the anger that came into his eyes.
    ‘Before what?’ Intently she gazed back at him. Was this something to do with Todd’s mother?
    ‘Before someone decided to relieve me of what I’ve worked for all my life.’  His bitterness turned into a personal attack.