I’m now working on Poppy’s story, which is a stand-alone book. Poppy is the housekeeper’s daughter who had a crush on the employer’s son, Gaetano Leonetti.

Gaetano is a very ambitious banker and not a people person. Poppy is the exact opposite and when her mother is in a situation where she desperately needs help Poppy agrees to act as Gaetano’s fake fiancee in return for his support.

Of course nothing is ever that simple and the engagement becomes a marriage of convenience which is when the rules of behaviour( drawn up with care by Gaetano in advance) get tangled.

Gaetano thinks he’s got a very bad attack of lust and has about as much insight into his own emotions as a rock.

Poppy is too proud to recognise her own feelings. They are both stubborn, hot-tempered and very opinionated and it will take a lot of work to bring these two characters to their happy ending. But so far, the story is rattling along like a train and I’m planning to finish it while I’m on holiday in France next month.

UPDATE (July 2015): Poppy’s story will be titled Leonetti’s Housekeeper Bride.