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‘I thought so.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Tom didn’t have to answer because Emily arrived back with her mother in tow. All the memories crashed back into Tom’s mind now with vivid colour, texture and sound. Elizabeth Darnell might have been two decades older, but she hadn’t lost her pursed-lip appearance and, as her gaze landed on him, her mouth twisted slightly as though she was tasting something bad.

‘Tom Catchlove, indeed. I do remember you. You haven’t changed much.’

It was clear they weren’t going to invite him to have a seat, so he faced the trio where he stood; Emily slightly behind her parents.

He gave a wry smile. ‘I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment, Mrs Darnell.’

‘No, it’s not. You look identical to your father.’

‘Do I?’

Elizabeth’s stare locked with his and it felt like pistols at dawn. She was challenging him and he wanted to say aloud, I’m up for it. Instead he smiled.

‘Are you talking about Vern Catchlove, or my real father?’

‘Oh, so you know about the other one, do you?’ She sniffed. ‘Well, they were both wastrels.’

‘What does that mean, Mrs Darnell? I can’t imagine you knew either of them well enough to make such a presumption.’

‘Your mother was going to make a good marriage in this city. She could have had any of the eligible bachelors she wanted, but she decided to throw it all away with—’ She pulled herself up abruptly.

‘With whom?’

Elizabeth shrugged and it looked theatrical. ‘I have no idea. All I know is Moira was with child and used goods, as far as Adelaide society went. We all offered to help, didn’t we, Giles?’

Her husband took the cue. ‘Your mother was a dreamer, lad. That’s the kindest I can say about her. It seemed tarnishing her name and threatening this family’s reputation wasn’t enough; she decided to flee to the back of beyond with a shepherd or drover or some such peasant.’

‘Can you two hear yourselves?’ Emily burst in. ‘Heavens! I’m frankly disgusted but rarely surprised by your superiority. A guest comes into our home – family, no less – and you treat him like a leper.’

‘This man is not our family, Emily dear. Just look at him – he’s a mess. He’s probably here to ask for money. Giles, write him a cheque and get him out of here, would you?’

Tom held onto his temper and found the calm he was known for, honed over years to be his place of retreat. ‘No need, Giles,’ he said, his tone so dry he wanted to cough. ‘I don’t need your cheque. You know, Mrs Darnell, if only you were civil, I wouldn’t have to take you to court for my mother’s rightful share of this house.’

If Adelaide had frozen over in that heartbeat, Tom would have believed it because the temperature in the room – which only a moment ago had been hot and heated from their scowls and barbs – dropped dramatically. He heard Elizabeth inhale with a hiss at his words.

‘You bloody bastard, walking in here,’ Giles began.

‘Back off, Giles,’ Tom snapped. ‘This is between me and my aunt. I’ve spoken with Tillet & Associates.’ He gave a mirthless smile. ‘I’m guessing you didn’t think I’d know the family solicitors. My mother told me all about them, had impressed upon me to remember that name since I was old enough to listen. I’ve never forgotten it and decided to have a chat to them a few days back when I had nothing better to do.’

‘Are you threatening me, young man?’

‘I could be,’ Tom said and saw Emily twitch a swift smile that disappeared as quickly as it arrived. He felt encouraged by her amusement. ‘But I choose not to. I know my mother was left a sizeable amount in your father’s will because, although your mother disapproved of her marriage, your father still insisted that she was to benefit. And I know half of this house is hers. I can prove I’m her son – and claim all that belongs to her.’

The Darnell couple couldn’t hide the horror from their expressions, while their daughter could no longer fully hide her enjoyment of their discomfort.

‘And will you?’ Elizabeth demanded.

‘If you cooperate, I shall not press my claim.’

‘Cooperate?’ she repeated with a frown.

But Giles leapt at the opportunity to avoid sharing any money. His tone took a conciliatory note. ‘Now, listen here, we were perhaps a little hasty. We’ve had nothing to do with you over the years—’

‘Because you chose not to, Giles,’ Tom reminded. ‘I didn’t know I had a pretty cousin, for instance.’ He threw a smile Emily’s way. She was far from pretty in the way that Fleur was, but possessed a sort of wan beauty that really rested in her sharply intelligent eyes. Tom would lay money down that Emily would have been a suffragette if she’d been of age back then and would likely relish the chance to get away from her parents’ overbearing manner. ‘But you deliberately kept her away from me all those years ago.’