She cried out as if he’d slapped her. She pushed the door open and ran toward the library, almost stumbling in her haste to get away from him. She made it to the lobby and stood there shaking, grateful that the librarian was away from the desk as she tried to get her composure back. She fumbled a handkerchief out of her purse and wiped her eyes. Blake was right. She was avoiding Sarah Jane because of the pain the child caused her. But knowing the truth didn’t help. It only made things worse that he should be perceptive enough to sense what she was thinking.

She put the handkerchief away and went back to the reading room to pore over volumes on southwestern history. She didn’t know how she was going to get back home. Blake would have gone and she’d just have to call Elissa or Bess.

An hour later, calmer and less flustered, she put the notebook she’d been scribbling in back in her purse, returned the reference books to the shelf and walked outside to find a public telephone.

Blake was there, leaning comfortably against the wall, waiting.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked pleasantly as if nothing at all had happened.

She stared at him. “I thought you’d gone.”

His broad shoulders rose and fell. “It’s Saturday,” he said. “I don’t usually work on Saturday unless I have to.” His eyes narrowed as he searched her face. “Are you all right?” he added quietly.

She nodded, her eyes avoiding him.

“I won’t do that again, Meredith,” he said deeply. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Let’s go.”

She sat rigidly beside him on the ride home, afraid that he might start on her again despite what he’d said. But he didn’t. He turned on the radio and kept it playing until he pulled into Bess’s driveway again.

“You don’t have to worry,” he said before she got out of the car, and there was a resigned expression on his face. “I won’t try to force you into a relationship with Sarah. She’s my responsibility, not yours.”

And that was that. Meredith went back into the house, and after he’d explained to Elissa and Bess that they could call him when Sarah was ready to come home, he drove off.

He didn’t know what he was going to do as he drove away. He hadn’t expected Meredith to react like that to his words. What he’d said had only been a shot in the dark, but he’d scored a hit. Sarah disturbed her. The child reminded her of Blake’s cruelty, and Meredith was going to keep Sarah at a distance no matter what it took.

That was going to be sad for both of them. Meredith had grown cold and self-contained. She could use a child’s magic to bring her back into the sunlight. Sarah likewise would profit from Meredith’s tenderness. But it wasn’t going to happen and he had to face it. He’d hoped that he might reach Meredith again through Sarah, but she wanted no part of him. She hated him.

He went back to the house and locked himself in his study with his paperwork, forcing his mind not to dwell on Meredith’s anger. He had no one to blame but himself. And only time would tell if she could ever forgive him.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Meredith sat with Bess and Elissa and watched the little girls play.

“Isn’t she the image of Blake?” Elissa smiled as she watched Sarah. “I guess it’s hard for him, trying to raise a child on his own.”

“He needs to marry again,” Bess agreed.

“Well, he’s rich enough to attract a wife,” Meredith replied with cool disinterest.

“Another Nina would be the end of him,” Elissa said. “And think of Sarah. She needs to be loved, not pushed aside. She looks as if she’s never really been loved.”

“She won’t be with Blake,” Meredith said. “He isn’t a loving man.”

Elissa looked at her curiously. “Considering his life so far, is that surprising? He’s never been loved, has he? Even his uncle manipulated him, used him for the good of the real estate corporation. Blake has been an outsider looking in. He hasn’t known how to love. Maybe Sarah will teach him. She’s not the little terror she makes out to be. There’s an odd softness about her, especially when she talks to Blake. And have you noticed how unselfish she is?” she added. “She hasn’t fought with Dani or tried to take her toys away or break them. She’s not what she seems.”

“I noticed that, too,” Meredith said reluctantly. She looked at the child who was so much like Blake and so little like her beautiful blond mother. Her heart ached at the sight of the little girl who could have been her own. If only Blake could have loved her. She smiled sadly. Oh, if only.

Sarah seemed to feel that scrutiny, because she got up and went to Meredith, her curious eyes searching the woman’s. “Can you write a book about a little girl and she can have a daddy and mommy to love her?” she asked. “And it could have a pony in it, and lots of dolls like Dani has.”

Meredith touched the small, dark head gently. “I might do that,” she said, smiling involuntarily.

Sarah smiled back. “I like you, Merry.”

She went back to play with Danielle, leaving a hopelessly touched Meredith staring hungrily at her. Tears stung her eyes.

“Merry, could you watch the girls for a bit while Elissa and I run down to the ice cream shop and get some cones for them?” Bess asked with a quickly concealed conspiratorial wink at Elissa.

“Of course,” Meredith agreed.

“We won’t be a minute,” Bess promised. “Do you want a cone?”

“Yes, please. Chocolate.” Meredith grinned.

“I want chocolate, too,” Sarah pleaded. “A big one.”

“I want vanilla,” Danielle said.

“Forty-eight flavors, and we live with purists.” Bess sighed, shaking her head. “Okay, chocolate and vanilla it is. Won’t be a minute!”

Of course it was more than a minute. They were gone for almost an hour, and when they got back, Meredith was sitting in the middle of the carpet with Sarah and Danielle, helping them dress one of Danielle’s dolls. Sarah was sitting as close as she could get to Meredith, and her young face was for once without its customary sulky look. She was laughing, and almost pretty.

The ice cream was passed out and another hour went by before Elissa said reluctantly that she and Danielle would have to go.

“I hate to, but King’s bringing one of his business associates home for supper, and I have to get Danielle’s bath and have her in bed by the time they get home,” Elissa said. “But we’ll have to do this again.”

“Do you have to go?” Sarah asked Danielle sadly. “I wish you could come live with me, and we could be sisters.”

“Me, too,” Danielle said.

“I like your toys. I guess your mommy and daddy like you a lot.”

“Your daddy likes you, too, Sarah,” Meredith said gently, taking the child’s hand in hers. “He just didn’t know that you wanted toys. He’ll buy you some of your own.”

“Will he, truly?” Sarah asked her, all eyes.

“Truly,” she replied, hoping she was right. The Blake she’d known in the past wouldn’t have cared overmuch about a child’s needs. Of course, the man she’d glimpsed today might. She could hardly reconcile what she knew about him with what she was learning about him.

“That’s right,” Bess agreed, smiling down at Sarah. “Your dad’s a pretty nice guy. We all like him, don’t we, Meredith?”

Meredith glared at her. “Oh, we surely do,” she said through her teeth. “He’s a prince.”

Which was what Sarah Jane told her daddy that very night over the supper table. He’d picked her up at Bess’s house, but Meredith’s car was gone. She was avoiding him, he supposed wearily, and he listened halfheartedly to Sarah all the way home. Now she was telling him about the wonderful time she’d had playing dolls with Meredith, and he turned his attention from business problems to stare at her blankly as what she was saying began to register.

“She did what?” he asked.

“She played dolls with me,” she said, “and she says you’re a prince. Does that mean you used to be a frog, Daddy?” Sarah added. “Because the princess kisses the frog and he turns into a prince. Did my mommy kiss you?”