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They decided to go soon after that, but Taryn was disappointed when Luke did not try to persuade them to stay, fully aware that it was not entirely due to his mother’s condition.

Back at the cottage she said very little and Gammy made no attempt to draw her into conversation. Taryn wondered whether her aunt had noticed Helen’s reaction to her observations about Mark or whether she was of the same opinion as Luke in that it was the extra work that had caused his mother’s upset. She had no desire to bring up the topic herself as she was sure Gammy would only declare that she was imagining things. As with Luke, her aunt thought she was making too much of this resemblance between the two men. They would never understand how important it was to her to discover the truth, both with regard to her own feelings and the positive identity of Luke.

She took Dainty out for another ride later on, but even this did not help. Usually a gallop over the moors was the solution to all her problems, but on this occasion, it appeared, it would take more than fresh air and a clear head to put her thoughts into order.

Monday and Tuesday passed with no sign of Luke. Taryn wondered whether he was going to leave her alone for the entire three weeks when on Wednesday morning the doorbell rang as they were having breakfast. She answered the door and met Luke’s rugged smile. Her relief must have been evident, for he laughed. ‘Did you think I’d forgotten you? I've been chasing round trying to fix my mother up with some staff.’

‘How is she?’ asked Taryn at once, knowing that she ought to have gone up to Dale End and inquired, but a reticence to face Luke had held her back. Since Sunday she had built up a mental picture of him as an impostor, but looking at him now, with his open, honest face, and those tawny eyes smiling into her own, she felt her decision wavering. Luke would never lie—he loved her; he wanted to marry her. She smiled back, her fears evaporating beneath the warmth of his regard.

‘She’s fine. Still insists on doing too much, but now that I’ve managed to find a housekeeper she can relax and I can leave her without worrying that she’s going to over-exert herself again.’

Taryn realised that she had kept him standing on the doorstep as though he were a stranger, and she stepped back. ‘Come on in. We’re just having breakfast.’

The door closed behind him, but before they reached the kitchen he pulled her swiftly into his arms. ‘I’ve been waiting to do this,' he said, his kisses devouring her face. ‘I’ve missed you, Taryn. Oh, God, how I’ve missed you! ’

Taryn poised on tiptoe, her arms round his neck, and returned his kisses passionately. Here in his arms all thoughts of the other man fled. She increased the pressure on her hands and pulled his head closer. Her lips parted beneath the urgency of his kiss. She felt the strong beat of his heart increasing in pace with his growing need of her. In that moment there was no doubt in her mind. She loved him completely and irrevocably. Should she give him her answer now or wait until the three weeks were up?

‘Who is it, Taryn?’ Gammy's voice from the kitchen broke into her thoughts. The moment was gone.

Luke pushed her away with a wry grin. ‘We’ll continue later—when we’re unlikely to be disturbed.’

Taryn’s stomach muscles tightened at the thought of such delights and she smiled shyly before smoothing down her hair and leading him into the kitchen.

They spent the day on the moors. Gammy packed a picnic lunch, the sun shone out of a cloudless sky, and altogether Taryn could not have asked for a better day. Luke did not mention marriage again, so Taryn followed suit and concentrated on enjoying his delightful company. He seemed intent on making her happy and by the time they reached home again Taryn had been lulled into a false sense of security, little knowing that in less than an hour her whole new world was to be suddenly disrupted.

Gammy was out and Luke refused her invitation to coffee, expressing a desire to ensure his mother’s comfort. So she made herself a drink and sat in the twilight musing over the day's events. Their tramp across the moors had left her feeling hot and dusty and she intended taking a bath later, but now the door bell shrilled into her silence. Musing whether it was Luke or Gammy, having forgotten her key, she smiled softly to herself as she opened the door. ‘Luke!’ she exclaimed in delight. ‘I guessed it might be you. How is your mother?’

The semi-darkness threw his features into shadow and she could not see his response, but she felt the sudden frown and the tensing of his limbs as he took a step forward. ‘Taryn, are you crazy or something?’

It was as she stepped back into the room that a chilling fear clutched at Taryn’s heart. She snapped on the light and took a closer look at the man who had spoken. At the impeccable silver grey mohair suit, the white silk shirt, relieved only by an emerald tie and matching handkerchief protruding from the breast pocket. At his face—amber eyes regarding her closely, brown hair swept into the familiar wave across his brow, full lips, now compressed.

Luke had been wearing brown slacks and a beige shirt and it seemed unlikely that he would go to the extent of dressing in such a manner at this hour. It could only be one other person. Her hand flew involuntarily to her throat, her mouth felt suddenly dry and when she opened her lips no sound came.

Then he was shaking her gently by the shoulders. ‘Taryn, what’s the matter? I know it must be a surprise me turning up here like this, but '

His voice was fading. Taryn felt suddenly lightheaded, her heart beat at an alarming rate. After that she knew nothing until she opened her eyes to find herself lying on the settee. Mark was kneeling at her side, a glass of water in his hand, imploring her to drink.

He had never been any good in an emergency and Taryn could see that he was shaken by her reaction. She allowed him to slip an arm about her shoulders and lift her sufficiently to sip the welcome liquid. Her mouth still felt parched and her head ached. She lay back and closed her eyes. It was all a dream—when she woke he would be gone.

But he was not.

He stood looking down at her, a worried frown creasing his brow. Taryn realised that since their first greeting she had not spoken. Incredibility had robbed her of speech. But now with the returning of her senses came also the recollection of their last meeting. Surprising strength returned to her body. She swung her legs to the floor and pushed herself up, swaying for a moment before regaining her equilibrium. Mark put out a hand to steady her, but she backed away, eyeing him warily and not a little angrily. 'What are you doing here?’ she rasped. ‘In case you’ve forgotten, I said I never wanted to see you again.'

‘I know,’ he said quietly, his voice controlled and even, despite the tell-tale muscle that jerked spasmodically in his jaw. ‘Things have changed. I wanted to ’

‘I bet they have,’ cut in Taryn harshly. ‘You’ve no need to tell me, I can guess. But if you think you can come crawling back to me, you're mistaken.’ She lifted her arm and pointed. ‘The door’s that way.’

The man shook his head. ‘Please listen. It’s not what you think. I need you, Taryn.’

‘Spare me the sob stuff,’ she said impatiently, turning away and folding her arms in a resigned gesture. ‘How did you find me, anyway? I don’t recall giving you my address.’

‘No, but you’ve mentioned Ferndale so many times it was a matter of simple deduction to track you down. Once I’d found the village I only had to ask.’

Taryn glanced at him sharply. ‘Who told you?’

He shrugged lightly. ‘Does it matter? Some young woman with a pram. Though I must confess she looked at me very strangely. Would it have anything to do with the fact that you called me Luke?’

Janice’s mind must be boggling, decided Taryn with wry amusement—probably the whole village knew by now that Mark had turned up. As far as her own feelings were concerned she still felt too numbed to really grasp the situation. Only one thing stood out above everything else—Luke had been telling her the truth after all. Realising he was still waiting for her answer, she slowly nodded. ‘I’ve met —someone else —who looks like you.’

‘So what? Many people look alike.’

‘Yes, but when I say he looks like you I mean exactly that. He’s your double. In fact when we first met I thought he was you.’

‘As you thought I was him?’ He stroked his chin reflectively. ‘Amazing, though I suppose most people have doubles—it’s just that they never meet.’

‘I don’t see how you can dismiss it so lightly. It’s uncanny, the likeness between you—but I’ll tell you one thing, he would never do the dirty on me. He’s more of a gentleman than you.’

Mark had the graciousness to look abashed. 'I'm sorry,’ he said softly. ‘But it was no use going through with it when I—I’d. met someone else who I loved more.’

‘And what’s happened now?’ sneered Taryn. ‘Have you tired of her as well?'

Mark’s face clouded. He seemed to have difficulty in choosing the right words. His voice when he did speak was barely audible. ‘Maria’s dead! ’

Taryn stared at him, momentarily stunned by this revelation, then she touched his arm. ‘Oh, Mark, I’m so sorry. Why did you let me go on like that?’

He shook his head, apparently fighting an emotion that was stronger than him. Taryn felt a lump in her throat and the prick of tears behind her eyes. It was the first time she had seen a man so near to breaking down. Involuntarily she stepped closer, her only thoughts that somehow she must console him.

When his arms crushed her relentlessly to him Taryn knew it was not passion that made him act this way, merely a desire to be comforted as she had turned to Gammy in her time of distress. ‘Taryn,’ he murmured brokenly. ‘There was no one else who would understand. I had to come and see you.’

‘I know, I know,' she soothed, pushing her fingers through the thickness of his hair and pulling his head closer to hers. Mark had no family to whom he could turn and she knew he was too proud to let his colleagues see his pain. She was surprised that he had sought her out, but pleased too—so long as he did not think he could carry on where he left off. All that was over now. In one respect this coming of Mark was a blessing, for she now knew without a shadow of doubt that she no longer loved him. No response flared up inside her at his touch. The fires that had burned were finally put out. Luke was the only man for her.

As her thoughts ran along these lines the door opened and over Mark’s shoulder Taryn saw Luke’s smiling face. ‘Surprise, sur ’ he began, stopping abruptly when he saw her in the arms of another man, his face darkening in an angry flush. Without giving her time to speak he disappeared, slamming the door behind him.

Taryn struggled to free herself and fled to the door. ‘Luke,’ she called, ‘please come back, 1 can explain! ’ But he was already striding up the hill and gave no indication that he had heard her plaintive cry.

She was on the point of running after him when Mark appeared at her side, an inquiring lift to his eyebrows. ‘What was that all about?’

Taryn rounded on him crossly. ‘Now look what you’ve done! That was Luke. He thinks that you and I were ’ She ran her fingers wearily through her hair. ‘Oh, hell,’ her voice quieter now, ‘what a mess! ’ It wasn’t Mark’s fault. It was unfair to blame him, but all the same she could not help resenting his presence. From the look on Luke’s face he would never believe that there was a perfectly simple explanation to her actions.

Mark took her arm and led her back inside. ‘Pity he went like that; I should like to have met him.’ He had regained his composure by now and threw himself down on one of the armchairs, studying her harassed face with apparent unconcern. ‘Do you love this man?’

Taryn nodded. ‘He’s asked me to marry him.’

Mark’s brows shot up. ‘Then it looks as though I’ve come just in time.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? You can’t marry him now— it’s me you love, remember? “I’ll love you for ever,” you used to say.’

‘Did I?’ asked Taryn haughtily. ‘Then you have only yourself to blame. If you hadn’t treated me as though I were of no consequence perhaps I should still love you. As it is—I love Luke.’

‘That’s only because he reminds you of me. Once you get used to the idea that I still love you, and want you to become my wife, you’ll realise that it’s me you love after all.’

How conceited he sounded, thought Taryn. How had she ever thought that he and Luke were alike? In looks, maybe, but in temperament—no. ‘Is that your real reason for coming here?’ she blazed. ‘Not for consolation but because you thought I’d be ready to carry on as though nothing had happened?’ What a fool she had been in offering her sympathy. He had known exactly what he was doing and if Luke had not walked in at that moment goodness knows what might have happened.

‘Is it such a bad reason?’ he asked. ‘We got on well together, you and me, I don’t see why we shouldn’t continue that way.’

‘You mean we used to. Don’t you understand—it’s all over now. I want nothing more to do with you.’ She crossed to the window and looked out at the darkening sky, her shoulders stiff with resentment.

Mark came to stand close behind her. ‘You can’t really mean that?’ His voice was low and persuasive. ‘After all that’s gone between us, doesn’t it mean anything to you?’

Taryn took a deep breath. ‘Did it to you, when you married Maria?’ she asked bitterly.

‘Now you’re being unfair. I explained to you how I felt then.’

‘Don’t you think it might work both ways?'

‘You don’t mean that you love Luke more than you do me?’

He sounded incredulous and Taryn stifled a laugh. ‘That’s right—I'm sorry you’ve had a wasted journey. You should have let me know so I could have put you in the picture.’

She heard his swift indrawn breath and the next second his hands were on her shoulders, whipping her round to face him. ‘Give me a chance,’ he said. ‘Don’t turn me away without letting me try to prove that it’s not all over between us.’

His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her upper arms, causing her to wince and try to free herself. ‘What’s the use? You mean nothing to me now, do you hear? Nothing! ’

‘I refuse to give in without a fight. Besides,’ suddenly letting her go, ‘I want to see this twin soul of mine who has succeeded in persuading my girl that she loves him.’