AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mother needs to know, considering Manon’s her granddaughter.”
Declan paced our kitchen, wringing his hands. “Will revealed that Crisp had a connection with our mother when she was around Manon’s age.”
“You don’t think Bethany’s Crisp’s daughter. Do you?” I asked suddenly.
Ethan’s head nearly snapped off as he turned sharply to eyeball his brother.
Declan rubbed his neck, looking understandably frazzled. “Mum dated Crisp when she was eighteen. How old’s Bethany?”
Ethan’s jaw dropped. “Shit. She could be Crisp’s daughter, and here he is hitting on his potential granddaughter.” He grimaced.
Declan returned a pained smile. “Then we must tell him if that’s the case. He obviously doesn’t know. He can’t be that twisted. Can he?”
“Who fucking knows with him. Maybe he’s aware of the kinship and that explains his interest in Manon at the dinner. Maybe he wasn’t hitting on her, after all,” Ethan said.
Declan puffed. “From where I stood, it looked like he was sleazing onto her.”
Silence prevailed, which offered a break from all this mind-boggling speculation.
Chapter 34
Ethan
Ourrelationshipwasnowofficial. I’d moved into our lovely new cottage, which was more like a large house. It felt easy and natural being there. Mirabel plucked away at her guitar and sang to our son, while I lounged back with a beer.
I’d been busy arranging my life so that money kept pouring in. Booked out all year, the spa had proved popular with the wearied rich, and I’d finally included a smaller version that was purely not-for-profit, servicing local women who needed pampering.
The hotel had now gone carbon neutral, and the low-cost housing development, my passion, not-for-profit, project, had been delivered with great results.
Wealth meant I could invest in projects that made a difference in people’s lives. I had more to give. And with Mirabel cheering me on, I’d decided to pursue as many philanthropic ventures as possible to fit into my busy calendar.
I spent at least one night a week in London dealing with the hotel, and even that time away had me pining for my new family. I’d never been more certain of anything in my life. I wanted this.
Cian giggled as I pulled another silly face, and my heart grew each day.
I stared down at my watch. “I’m off to Merivale. This is it.”
Mirabel placed down her guitar and notepad. She’d offered to work in another room, but I insisted she stay there in our favourite room with the windowed wall overlooking a garden I could never tire of looking at.
Had it been a drum kit, saxophone, or even a violin, I might have baulked, but the soothing strains of acoustic guitar were far from offensive. And soon, a piano would arrive. When our son could walk, he would learn to play the piano, we’d both decided. Learning an instrument was good for brain development, and we had our own piano teacher in Theadora.
“The big showdown.” Mirabel chuckled.
“You don’t mind not coming?”
She stood up and stretched her arms. “Your mother’s already struggling to open up. She doesn’t need a stranger around.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and drew her in close. “You’re not a stranger. You’re part of my family now. You know that, don’t you?” I kissed her tenderly.
Wearing her usual half smile, she nodded ever so slightly. It hadn’t been easy to convince Mirabel that she was the only girl I’d ever loved. And yes, Ireally didlove her.
All those lonely, frustrating months when she shut me out had shown me how much I loved her. I just hadn’t uttered it. I’d never uttered it before.
That loaded word felt foreign. Maybe on a deeper level, I thought it might make her run. I sensed Mirabel also foundthatword difficult to say.
My mother sat at the head of the table in the recently painted pink room, situated in the west wing of the house. Considering the dark nature of this meeting, that cheerful space struck me as incongruous. In equally sharp contrast to that bright room was my mother’s remote mood, which came as no surprise. And despite her impeccable appearance, she looked like she hadn’t slept.
Savanah arrived at the same time as me. She’d met someone and had been spending more time in London. When she told me that, I must have shown concern because she quickly added he was nice and one ofus. Not that such information gave me cause for optimism. I’d met lots of seriously rich dickheads in my time.
