Distracted by her Virtue Read Free Page A

her business. Not that she kidded herself for an instant that Jarrett Gaskill would even remember bumping into her and Charlie down by that idyllic little brook.
    For the past three weeks Sophia had visited the weekly farmers’ market in the town centre. There was nothing like buying fruit and vegetables straight from the source, rather than from a soulless and anodyne supermarket, she thought. It was fresher, smelled better, and the taste far surpassed anything you could buy packaged and wrapped up in plastic.
    Drawing her son closer to her side, she accepted the sturdy brown paper bag of apples she’d just bought from a friendly female stallholder and deposited it into her hessian shopping bag, on top of the other fresh produce she’d purchased. Glancing down at the cherubic little face that gazed up at her, she smiled brightly in anticipation of her plans for the afternoon. It was still such a treat to bake pies and cakes without fear of Tom coming home drunk, mocking her efforts and then throwing them against the wall.
    ‘We’ll make an apple pie to have with our tea tonight, Charlie,’ she promised cheerfully.
    ‘You don’t want an extra guest, do you? I’m quite partial to home-made apple pie.’
    The arresting male voice was so richly resonant and well-spoken that Sophia glanced up in surprise at the man who had stepped up beside her. Her startled gaze was instantly magnetised by a pair of twinkling blue eyes so rivetingly intense that for a moment she couldn’t speak. It was
him
… Jarrett Gaskill. The name that had been warily filed away inside her brain presented itself with worrying ease.
    ‘No … I don’t. I’ve not long moved into my house and it’s taking me longer than I expected to get settled. Besides, it’s not likely I’d invite someone into my home that I don’t even know,’ she replied, quickly averting her gaze.
    ‘I told you my name the first time we met, remember?’
    Sophia’s cheeks burned with heat, because she wasn’t able to pretend that she couldn’t recall it. ‘That’s neither here nor there. Knowing a person’s name hardly means that you
know
them.’
    ‘True … but an introduction at least creates the opportunity to
get
to know someone.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Mr Gaskill, but I really must get on.’
    ‘You see?’ Something akin to delight was mirrored in the azure depths of his compelling glance. ‘You
did
remember my name. Perhaps now you’ll do me the honour of telling me yours?’
    ‘I don’t think so.’ Already turning away, Sophia was suddenly eager to leave the busy little market that was set up in the picturesque village square and head for home.
    ‘What a pity. I’ve got to call you something if we bump into each other again, don’t you think?’
    ‘No, you don’t. You can simply ignore me.’
    His strong brow affected an exaggerated frown. ‘I certainly couldn’t. That would be the height of bad manners.’
    ‘You really care about things like good manners?’
    ‘Of course. I’d live in dread of my poor deceased mother haunting me if I didn’t keep her standards up.’
    In spite of her eagerness to extricate herself from this unwanted and surreal conversation, Sophia couldn’t suppress a smile. But almost as soon as she’d succumbed to the gesture she firmed her lips into a much more serious line. ‘I’ve really got to go. I’ve got things to do. Goodbye.’
    Firmly tightening her hold on her son’s small hand, she was about to walk out into the milling throng exploring the market stalls when the man standing beside her spoke clearly.
    ‘Enjoy that apple pie, Ms Markham … perhaps you’ll save me a slice?’
    She spun round, her eyes widening in alarm. ‘Who told you my name?’
    ‘You’ve moved into a village … sooner or later everyone learns the name of a newcomer. They also tend to speculate on where they’ve come from and why they’ve moved here. Human nature, I guess.’
    He shrugged nonchalantly, and Sophia stared. It