Oh-So-Sensible Secretary / Housekeeper's Happy-Ever-After: Oh-So-Sensible Secretary. Jessica Hart

away their entire careers.’

      ‘You don’t think you might be exaggerating just a teeny bit?’ said Phin. ‘Letting your hair down once in a while isn’t the end of the world.’

      It certainly felt like the end of the world to me. I’d never been closer to pulling a sickie. I couldn’t even imagine a time when I would feel better. My forehead stayed where it was, pressing into the desk. ‘If you knew how awful I felt, you wouldn’t say that.’

      ‘You were great fun,’ he offered, but that was no consolation to me then. ‘You were the life and soul of the bar by the time I managed to bundle you into a taxi. It’s one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. I think I’m going to enjoy going out with you.’

      ‘I’m not going out ever again,’ I vowed.

      ‘You’ll have to. How else will everyone know how in love we are?’

      Very cautiously, I turned my head on the desk and squinted up at him. ‘Please tell me last night was all a bad dream.’

      ‘Certainly not!’ said Phin briskly. ‘We had a deal. You drank to it—several times, if I recall. Besides, we’re committed. I met Lex on my way in and asked if I could take you to some drinks party he’s having on Friday.’

      ‘What?’ Horrified, I straightened too suddenly, and yelped as my head jarred.

      ‘Our cunning plan is never going to work if you hide away,’ Phin pointed out, sitting on the edge of my desk and deliberately pushing a pile of squarecut folders aside. I was in such a bad state that I didn’t even straighten them, and he looked at me in concern.

      ‘Jonathan will be there,’ he added, to tempt me, but I was beyond comfort by then.

      ‘Oh, God.’ I collapsed back onto the desk. ‘What did Lex say? He must have been horrified.’

      ‘Not at all. He was surprised, sure, but he said falling for you could be the most sensible thing I’d ever done.’

      ‘I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,’ I moaned.

      ‘Now, come along—you’ll feel better when you’ve had some sugar,’ said Phin, jumping off the desk. ‘I’ll go and make some coffee, and you can have your doughnut early.’

      Oddly enough, I did feel a bit better after something to eat. My head was still thumping, but at least it didn’t feel as if it was about to fall off my neck any more.

      Gingerly, I settled down at my computer and managed a few e-mails, although the clatter of the keyboard made me wince and I had to type very, very slowly, while Phin drip-fed me coffee and tried to rouse me by pretending to put files away in the wrong drawer.

      ‘Don’t torture me,’ I grumbled. ‘I thought you were supposed to be in love with me?’

      ‘That’s true. I should think of a truly romantic gesture to show what you mean to me. I could start putting my books in alphabetical order, or using a square rule to tidy my desk.’

      ‘Why don’t you try leaving my desk alone, for a start?’ I said, swatting his hand aside as he made to pick up my calculator.

      ‘Aha, I see you’re feeling better!’

      ‘I’m not. I’m a sick woman. I can’t take any more.’

      The words were barely out of my mouth before ‘more’ arrived—much more—in the shape of my mother.

      She wafted in the door, beaming. ‘Summer, darling, there you are!’

      ‘Mum!’

      It was Phin’s turn to gape. ‘Mum?’

      I couldn’t blame him for looking staggered. No one ever believes she’s my mother. You’d never think she was in her forties. She’s got long red hair, shining eyes and a clear happy face. There’s something fey, almost childlike, about her. I’ve never seen her in a scrap of make-up, she wears sandals and flowing ethnic skirts, and she always looks wonderful.

      And, while she may be deeply into all things spiritual, she’s not immune to flattery either. The smile she gave Phin was positively flirtatious. ‘I hope I’m not interrupting?’

      ‘Of course not,’ said Phin, leaping forward to shake her hand. ‘I’m Phin Gibson.’

      ‘And I’m Starlight,’ she told him.

      They beamed at each other. I judged it was time to put a stop to their mutual love-in.

      ‘I wasn’t expecting you,’ I said.

      ‘I did tell you I was coming to London,’ she reminded me.

      She had said something, I remembered too late. ‘I didn’t realise it would be so soon.’

      ‘It was an impulse.’

      When had it ever not been an impulse? I thought wearily.

      ‘We were gathered the other evening, channelling, when we were all seized by the same idea. It was the most extraordinary coincidence, so we knew that it had to be meant! Each of us felt our guardian angels were telling us to follow the ley lines into London…and now here we are!’

      ‘What about the shop?’ I asked, my heart sinking. A couple of years ago she had decided that she would open a New Age shop in Taunton. I’d been all for the idea of her settling to a job, so I’d helped with the practicalities of arranging the lease and sorting out a set-up loan. Mum had been full of enthusiasm for a while, but I hadn’t heard much about it recently. Obviously she was into something else now.

      Sure enough, she waved all talk of the shop aside. ‘This is more important, Summer. We’ve been walking between the worlds at the powersites along the ley line. The earth needs it desperately at the moment. Only by channelling the energy and letting the Divine Will flow through us can we help to heal it.’

      ‘Someone told me there’s a ley line running right along the Mall to Buckingham Palace,’ said Phin, sounding interested. ‘Is that right?’

      ‘It is.’ She beamed approvingly at him. ‘And this building sits on the very same line! I’m getting good vibes here.’

      I dropped my head into my hands. My hangover had come back with a vengeance. I wasn’t up to dealing with my mother today. I wished Phin would stop encouraging her.

      Meanwhile my mother had turned her attention back to me. ‘Your aura is looking very murky, Summer. Haven’t you been using the crystals I sent you? If only I had some jade with me. That’s very calming for irritability.’

      ‘I’m not irritable, Mum,’ I said—irritably. ‘I’ve just got a bit of headache.’

      ‘I sense your energy is all out of balance.’ She tutted. ‘You need to realign your chakras.’

      ‘Right, I’ll do that. Look, Mum, it’s lovely to see you, but I have to get on. Where are you staying? We could meet up this evening.’

      Her face fell. ‘Jemima is going to regress tonight. Her spiritual journeys are always so interesting,’ she told Phin. ‘Last time she was reborn as one of Cleopatra’s maids. It was quite an eye-opener.’

      ‘I can imagine,’ he said. ‘You wouldn’t want to miss that, so why don’t I take you both out to lunch?’

      ‘Oh, but—’ I began in dismay, but neither Phin nor my mother were listening.

      ‘I know a vegan restaurant just round the corner,’ he was telling her, having accurately guessed her tastes. ‘They do a great line in nut cutlets.’

      How Phin came to know a vegan restaurant I’ll never know, as I’d had him down squarely as a steak and chips man, but sure enough, tucked away a block or two from the office, there was a little café. Before I knew it, we were tucking into grilled tofu, bean ragout and steamed brown