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And then there was nothing but the swelling, rolling, pulsing waves of sensation as Florence let Hadley take control.

Chapter Twenty Four

Over breakfast the next morning, Hadley couldn't help but share sly smiles across the table.

She also couldn't help but want more of what she'd already had. Which was unusual for her. Usually she'd be the first to take her money and run. But this, this felt different.

Florence was different.

She couldn't quite put her finger on why, or how, just that there was something there, something that made her want to treat Florence as precious, special.

She sighed and forked up some eggs. The kids were bickering and the day was a cloudy one, the first she could remember for ages.

“Ms. Florence, telephone.” Mrs. Mercier popped her head around the door.

“Thank you,” Florence said, delicately dabbing at her mouth with a napkin before getting up.

Now who could that be? Hadley wondered. The children's father most probably. Florence didn't seem like the kind of person who gave out her employer's phone number.

But then, what did Hadley know? That was the scary and the exciting part. She knew next to nothing about Florence. All she knew was that this connection existed and that she wanted to find out more.

“Charlie, don't touch your food with your fingers,” she said, absently.

He stuck his tongue out and she laughed, was still laughing as Florence came back into the room.

Immediately, she knew that something was wrong. Florence's face was gray, but she took her seat and picked up her fork just like nothing at all had happened.

“Is everything alright?” Hadley asked.

“Fine,” Florence said, flashing a smile that was far too bright to be real. As she spoke, a flash of rain blew against the window, pattering on the glass.

Charlie groaned. “It's raining,” he whined.

“There are lots of things we can do when it's raining,” Florence said, sensibly. “You children have spent weeks outside now, isn't there something you look forward to doing inside?”

“Oooo,” Emily said, her eyes wide. “Daddy bought me a new shop, Charlie and I can play in there.”

“No,” Charlie said grumpily.

“I'll let you be shopkeeper first,” Emily offered.

Charlie grinned. “With the money and everything.”

“Course! You can't be shopkeeper without money.”

“Okay then,” Charlie agreed.

“See?” said Florence. “And what about you, Henry? What would you like to do?”

“Watch TV.”

Hadley could see Florence swallowing down irritation. “You have screen time in the evening, when the twins are in the bath, remember? What about during the day today?”

“I. Want. To. Watch. TV.”

“Henry, if you won't be reasonable, you'll lose all your screen time today,” Florence said calmly.

Hadley watched as Henry stuck his lip out. His outbursts had become less common over the summer weeks. But that didn't mean he was an easy child.