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“No, you’re trying to be kind, but you’re wrong. My mother must have been a whore and I doubt she could have told you my father’s name. Either she died, or just found me in the way and left me, but I’ve always believed I was better off not knowing anything about her.”
“No,” Eden insisted stubbornly. “I think you’re probably the son of some wealthy Spanish couple whose ship was lost on a voyage to the Caribbean. You might have been the sole survivor, and too young to explain who you were to the people who found you.”
“That’s a nice story, but it’s not true, Eden.”
“You can’t prove that it isn’t.”
“And you can’t prove that it is. I don’t even know how old I am. Alex was the one who thought I looked about eight. He picked my birthday too. November tenth was just a convenient day to celebrate.”
“What can you remember before the time you worked in The Blue Parrot?”
“Nothing. It’s almost as if my life began when I went to work there.”
“That’s odd, don’t you think? If your life was as awful as you imagine, I’d think you’d have plenty of memories, even if they were all bad.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Undoubtedly because you nearly died in the shipwreck too. It’s no wonder you forgot your name and all the other details of your past.”
Raven began to laugh now. “I don’t blame you, Eden. I don’t like to think of myself as a whore’s son either.”
“While I do not believe that for a minute, even if it were true, it would be the very least of the things you are, Raven. Besides, I fell in love with you, not your parents.”
“It certainly helped that I was Lord Clairbourne though, didn’t it?”
A slow smile spread across Eden’s face as she shook her head. “No, it wasn’t that at all. You have your own brand of charm, Raven Blade, and I would have fallen in love with you even if you had not been an earl.”
The baby began to cry then, but she stopped as soon as Raven handed her to her mother. “She has Alex’s blue eyes and I’ll never ask you to tell another lie about who her father is. What do you want to name her?” he asked.
“Alexandra. If that’s all right with you.”
“I think it’s the perfect name.”
“Good.” Eden leaned down to kiss the baby’s cheek. “Cliff says she’s healthy. I’ve been so afraid the baby wouldn’t be.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“There was nothing you could have done.”
“Well, you could have at least given me the chance to try.”
Eden nodded, “I’m sorry.” Now that they were alone there was something else she wanted to say. “Since we are being so honest with each other, there’s something I didn’t tell you about last night.”
“No, we needn’t talk about it ever again. We’ll simply say Yadira left our employ. Her body will never be found so that story won’t be questioned. It was clearly self-defense anyway, but I would have sworn I killed her rather than allow you to take the blame.”
“Raven…”
Eden described the last few seconds before she had lost consciousness. “It was Alex who killed her when I couldn’t. I felt his hand on mine. I really did.”
While that was one of the most bizarre stories Raven had ever heard, he did not find it impossible to believe. “That explains a lot. Cliff told me he didn’t understand how a woman your size could have caused Yadira’s death, especially after what you had suffered. Whether it was his spirit, or merely your memories of his love, I’m certain Alex helped you.”
“You believe me?”
“Yes, I believe you, but I think we better keep that story to ourselves, as not everyone believes in guardian angels the way we do.”
“I do love you, Raven.”
“I love you too, but doesn’t it bother you that I’m not the man you thought I was?”
