The Way to a Woman's Heart Read Online Free PDF

made a stand and taken a life-changing decision.
    Why did everyone seem to think it so wrong for her to have these incredibly strong maternal feelings? Why should she be made to feel as though she’d somehow let down the sisterhood by not striving for a career but simply wanting to spend her life with children: initially other people’s, and then eventually her own? Why was it considered so dreadfully old-fashioned to actually aspire to being a contented homemaker and mother?
    It was not only her family who thought she was throwing away her life on looking after children. Mark thought so too…
    Ella pushed the thoughts of their last angry row out of herhead. She was here now, and Mark was in London, and they had agreed on three months apart to resolve their differences.
    She definitely wasn’t going to think about Mark. Well, not right now anyway.
    George looked across at her again and waved a plastic shovel in the air. Ella smiled at him. He was just so cute…
    Chattering happily, he beckoned her over to the dirt pit.
    ‘Sorry? Ah, right… you’d like me to help you with the digging?’
    George nodded enthusiastically and picked up a second shovel.
    ‘Great.’ Grinning in delight, tucking her hair behind her ears, Ella eased herself up from the swing seat and hurried to join him.

Chapter Five

     
    Poll ushered Ash upstairs to the second floor room he’d be sharing with Roy, and to her relief and delight he was as volubly pleased with his accommodation as Ella had been with hers. Poll wanted to kiss him.
    She beamed. ‘Oh, I’m so pleased you like your room – and I hope Roy approves too, of course. I know it’ll all be a bit strange to start with – but please just make it your home. If there’s anything at all you need, just ask. Oh, here you are – two front door keys – and if you forget them I always leave a spare one hanging in the back porch. I’ll leave you to settle in now, go and sort out lunch, and pop back in a minute. OK?’
    ‘Perfect, thank you.’
    And relieved that so far Ash’s arrival had gone without any problems, Poll hitched up her skirts and practically skipped downstairs.
    Finding no sign of Ella or George anywhere in the house,she hurried through the kitchen, peered into the garden, and chuckled to herself. They were kneeling side by side in the dirt pit, industriously chugging lorries back and forth, lost in their own world.
    Maybe for once she’d made the right decision, Poll thought happily, watching them together. There had been plenty of better qualified applicants for the job of mother’s help, but Ella’s openness and honesty about her lack of formal experience had been endearing, and her overwhelming love of children had outweighed any last doubts. And to be honest, Poll admitted to herself, she’d have been terrified of most of the Career Nannies who’d applied. No, it was far better this way – to have someone who not only loved George but was also, hopefully, going to become a friend.
    ‘Enjoying yourselves?’
    ‘This is the best fun I’ve had for years.’ Ella, now fairly grubby, looked up, shading her eyes from the sun. ‘George and I are building a new motorway. It’s going to have a special lane just for lorries, and one for buses and another for cars, and lots of sweet shops and a funfair, oh, and a swimming pool.’
    Poll laughed. ‘Sounds perfect. You’ll have to submit the idea to the Ministry of Transport. And does this mean you and George are already starting to talk the same language?’
    ‘Absolutely.’ Ella sat back on her heels. ‘I’ve not managed to get all of it yet, but give me time. As it is, we’re communicating OK with the basics.’
    ‘Amazing – and oh, Ella, I’m so sorry for all this confusion and delay because you must be starving.’
    ‘Hungry, yes,’ Ella admitted, ‘but you’re busy and I can wait. Have Ash and Roy moved in now?’
    ‘Ash has. Well, he’s in the process. With a friend called Joe helping