Chapter 1

"Come with us!" her sister asked her for the third time. "You know that you're not fit for work just yet, and the change will do you good."

"Yes I know." Izzy said reluctantly. "But as I've already said, I really don't fancy the idea of playing third wheel to you and Richard."

"Oh bother that!" Jessie sighed, "Richard's going to be working with his brother Daniel all day; and I'm going to be on my own an awful lot." She smiled in a wheedling fashion, which Izzy knew only too well. "Please, please say that you'll come."

She sighed in exasperation. "Where will we be staying exactly?"

"It's his brother – Daniel's place ... apparently it's a big country house, with huge gardens! You'll love it; it's just your kind of thing." She paused and looked pleadingly at her little sister. "So will you come? Pleeease!"

Izzy gave another sigh and said. "Oh well ... all right then – I'll come."

"Excellent!" Jessie positively smirked with satisfaction. "We're leaving first thing in the morning." She raised her brows in query. "You can be packed and ready by then?"

"I'm not a complete vegetable." Izzy glowered at her older sister, as she flicked back her shoulder length dark blond curls; and her blue eyes wrinkled in offence.

"Great! I'll love you, and leave you to it then..." She jumped up off Izzy's bed. "I'll give you a call a bit later; to let you know exactly what time to expect us in the morning," she promised as she opened the bedroom door.

Izzy was lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling when there was a soft tap on the door. It opened and her mum poked her head around. "I gather she talked you into it then?" she asked as she entered the room.

Izzy groaned. "Yes! She just wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed."

"Perhaps it'll do you some good?" Mrs Parkinson suggested hesitantly.

"Oh well it'll only be for a week or two..." She got up of her bed and started to pull clothes out of her wardrobe, she stopped suddenly to glare down at the small pile of clothing. "What on earth am I supposed to take with me?" she ground out in disgust.

"Well ... jeans and trousers are always a safe bet ... and you know that you're more comfortable in them," her mum suggested. "And maybe something pretty in case you go out at all?"

Izzy laughed bitterly. "Me and pretty just don't go together – I'm afraid..." she looked up at the ceiling and her features took on a slightly tragic look. "Oh joy!" she sighed dramatically; "I always did want to play the green prickly fruit!"

Her mother gave a little laugh before giving a little sigh herself, and looked worriedly at her. "Are you sure you're feeling better?" she asked anxiously. "You're still awfully pale – and thin."

"I'm fine mum – honestly." Izzy smiled tiredly. "The doctor did say it would take me a little while to build up my strength again ... that's why they call it convalescing I guess!"

Her mum's eyes filled with sudden tears. "We were so worried when you got so sick, and when the doctor said pneumonia!" She whispered, her lips trembling. "We thought we were going to lose you!"

Izzy felt her chest tighten, at her mum's distress. "Well I'm all better now." She said cheerfully which changed rapidly into a frown. "I'm afraid that I pretty much ruined Christmas for all of you though!" she said apologetically – for the hundredth time. She gave her mum a kind of pathetic smile as she sank tiredly down on the bed.

"Don't be so daft!" Her mum begged her as she opened the bedroom door. She was just about to leave when she suddenly remembered why she had come up in the first place.

"Oh, by the way," she said taking an envelope out of her cardigan pocket. "This letter came for you not long ago."

"Uh oh." Izzy sighed as she recognised the senders stamp on the envelope.

"What is it?" her mum asked anxiously.

"I've been expecting this." She felt a little twinge of regret as a chapter of her life seemed to be closing on her. "It's work ... or rather it's the sack."

"Oh love no!" her mum seemed to be more upset for her, than Izzy was herself.

"Well I have been off for nearly six weeks now mum, and there's not much sign of me going back any time soon. It's not fair for Sheila to be doing her work – and mine indefinitely."

"But what will you do?"

Izzy gave another little sigh. "I've got quite a bit of money saved what with one thing and another. With this illness going on for so long I've not had a chance to spend anything in ages ... And work will owe me some holiday pay." She gave her mum a smile full of a confidence she didn't actually feel. "Maybe this little break is exactly what I need right now. I'll come back refreshed and I'll go out and get another job. Arthur will give me a reference ... I'm sure of it." She had quickly scanned the letter as she spoke to her mum. "He's asking me to give him a call so that we can sort something out, but I think it best if I just resign."

"Well while you go and give them a ring; I'll dig out that suitcase for you."

Izzy sat talking to Arthur for a little while. He was a good man and she had been an excellent worker for his accounting firm. "We'll all miss you my dear, but we've just had a young woman come in on a government grant and she's very interested in the book keeping side that you and Sheila have been covering."

"I know Arthur and I really appreciate how long you've kept the position open for me. I'm only sorry that it's taken me so long to realise, that I just won't be fit for work any time soon."

"Don't you worry about it my dear, Sheila was adamant that you be given every opportunity to come back to us."

Izzy gave a watery smile as she replaced the receiver. She picked up a notebook and pen and wrote a brief note to Sheila; which she shoved in an envelope and quickly scribbled the address on the front. She stood it up on the shelf; confident that someone would see it and realise that it needed posting.

She was just finishing her packing, when her mum came back into her bedroom, carrying a small tray with a mug of coffee and a plate of sandwiches on it.

"I thought that you might like these," she told her daughter. "And then you must lie down and rest for a bit!"

Izzy leaned across to hug her mum. "You're brilliant!" she told her gratefully. "I just keep on making work for you though, don't I?" she gave a bitter little laugh.

"You've left a space?" her mum questioned pointing at a place in the otherwise crammed full suitcase.

Izzy laughed. "You bet!" she said. "I may be playing gooseberry all week, but I fully intend to have plenty of books to hide behind."

"Oh you and your books!" her mum exclaimed. "You should read less and live more."

"Hey I have been ill you know!" Izzy protested.

"Yes you have," her mum allowed. "But you weren't always sick ... and apart from work and family, you hardly ever go out!" Her mum was fretting and Izzy felt another pang of guilt at the worry she seemed to keep causing her parent.

She suddenly felt a shot of relief that she was going away for a bit. She and her mum seriously needed a break from each other!

"I'm just not that sociable mum, you know that I find it difficult talking to people I don't know very well. Give me my books any day they are so much less complicated and lots more fun."

Seven o'clock the next morning and Izzy was crammed into the back of Richard's fancy sports car. He dumped her suitcase in the boot and climbed behind the wheel. "So how is the little invalid today?" he asked mockingly, although he wasn't being unkind.

"Oh I've been better..." Izzy said dryly "But I promise to try and not throw up all over you nice shiny new car."

Richard gave a little shudder. "Yes please do try to control yourself!" he begged dramatically; and Izzy laughed.

Jessie giggled and looked back at her with her eyebrows raised questioningly. "Are you ok?" that look asked worriedly.

Izzy gave a little nod, and a smile to indicate that she really was fine, and her sister sighed with relief.

She sank back and relaxed against the leather seat, with a soft murmur of contentment; the motion and the warmth of the car lulling her into a light doze. She could hear the murmur of the two in front, but she was just so relaxed that she couldn't have spoken, even if she'd tried.

"I think she's asleep," she heard Jessie say softly.

"Are you sure that she'll be alright?" Richard asked.

"She needed to get away from home for a bit, she was in serious danger of vegetating. Have you explained anything to your brother about her?"

Richard gave an abrupt laugh. "He wasn't too happy about her coming in the first place! He didn't like the idea of having his home invaded by all and sundry ... and creating more work for Mrs Coats; without the fact that she's convalescing as well. Besides he'll be working a lot and she'll be resting a lot; so the two of them should barely meet up, it's certainly a big enough house to lose yourself in!"

Izzy felt that she should feel concerned about her lack of welcome in brother Daniel's home, but for the life of her she just couldn't seem to drum up the energy for it.

"Nearly there now." Richard's satisfied voice sometime later, disturbed Izzy from her lethargy. She felt the car turn and crunch down a gravel driveway and then pull to a stop.

"Izzy." Jessie's voice sounded close. "Wake up love, we're here."

The car door was pulled open and Izzy was blasted by the cold air. She peeped up to find Richard grinning down at her. "Come on you," he said good naturedly. "Or do I need to carry you inside?"

Izzy gave him a lazy smile. "Somehow I don't think that brother Daniel would approve," she said sweetly.

Richard winced. "I thought you were asleep!" he said wryly.

"It's amazing how looks can be so deceiving isn't it?" she asked. "I always thought that you looked like a good guy."

Richard laughed and leaned in to help her out. Izzy's feet touched the gravel, and she straightened up with her hand still held by Richard, just as the double front door of this massive house was suddenly thrust open.

"Richard!" the deep gravelly voice sent shivers down Izzy's spine. She looked to her sister briefly, as Richard left her side to join Jessie; and then turned to see the owner of that wonderful voice. "Oh my!" she murmured softly.

The man in the door way fitted this house perfectly, he was huge well over six feet, Izzy thought hazily. His thick dark hair streaked with silver highlights to give him a kind of austere dignity. As he walked towards them, the lines fanned around his eyes, as he squinted slightly in the glare of the winter sun.

Easy strides brought him effortlessly to them and Izzy envied him his obvious strength and energy. Izzy had always thought that Richard at six foot two was on the big size if a little thin.

But Daniel dwarfed his brother in every way possible. Richard's open friendly attitude and bright blue eyes against Daniel's closed guarded expression and dark serious eyes. The brothers were like mirror images – one positive the other in the negative. Both handsome and sure of themselves, both in their mid thirties, but where Richard hinted at sex appeal, Daniel just oozed it. Richard looked like the perfect catalogue model, with his groomed smooth look; whilst Daniel looked weather beaten, and well ... sex on legs! Izzy could feel herself almost drooling and hastily pulled herself together.

"Daniel this is Jessie." Richard was saying as he put his arm around her sister possessively.

Izzy rested her hand on the still open car door as she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

"And this is Jessie's little sister Izzy." She heard Richard as they all turned towards her.

"Welcome to my home ladies, I hope you'll both be comfortable here," Daniel said politely. His cold disinterested gaze ran over her.

"I'm sure we will." Izzy nodded from a pale face.

His eyes narrowed on her and for a moment there was a small questioning look there, but all he did was turn around and stride back to the door.

"Well come on inside then all of you." He said a little impatiently just as he disappeared inside the huge building.

Jessie came and looped her arm through Izzy's to offer her some discrete assistance.

"Dare we face the dragon in his lair?" Izzy asked dramatically and Jessie giggled. "Maybe we can tame him a little." She whispered back.

"I doubt that." Izzy grunted with a little shiver. She squared her shoulders and the sisters marched boldly towards the house. They stalked defiantly through the double doors to come to an abrupt halt just inside.