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Callum wasn’t bothered by the results. He knew what they’d be. But perhaps it was better to be armed with the results when he told Thea the truth, because it occurred to him that she might not believe him when he did.
‘So, it’s decided then,’ said Mabel.
‘What’s decided?’ said Thea, walking in on them.
‘Oh, I thought you were seeing your sister?’
Thea looked at her watch. ‘I went along to the hospital, but I’ve got to go back in about an hour because they hadn’t done the discharge paperwork.’ She looked at Ray. ‘Oh, hi there. I’m Thea.’
‘I’m Ray. We were just talking about my job heir-hunting. Mabel and Callum want to do a DNA test.’
Callum heaved a huge sigh, and turned wide-eyed to look at Ray. Why had he said that?
Thea looked at them. ‘Why do you want to take a DNA test?’
‘I’m just in it for the fun of it,’ Callum lied, wincing.
Mabel frowned at him. She turned to Thea. ‘For my part, I think you and I are related.’
‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’
‘Your father, Henry, might be my biological brother.’ Mabel proceeded to tell her about her childhood at the bookshop, and the evacuee. ‘Show her the newspaper clipping, Callum.’
Thea turned to him. ‘I remember Lexi mentioned you’d been researching the bookshop.’ Thea smiled at him, breaking his heart. Very soon, he’d never see her smile at him again.
Chapter 54
‘Are you nervous?’ Jack whispered in his ear.
He turned to look at his best friend and grimaced. ‘What doyouthink?’
‘The shop looks amazing though, doesn’t it?’ He looked at his watch. ‘Not long to go. I hear the famous writer is on her way. What was her name?’
‘Margot Dorey.’
‘I saw the queues building up already when I walked in this afternoon.’
‘How did I get myself into this mess?’
‘You’re doing the right thing.’
‘Am I?’
‘Yes, it’s strange the way it came about, but perhaps it’s for the best that the truth is revealed by a DNA test.’
‘I’m not going to show her the result until after the grand opening.’
‘Suit yourself, but you’re only prolonging the inevitable.’
‘I know.’ Callum didn’t actually have the result yet, but that didn’t matter. He knew what it would be anyway; he’d just been railroaded into taking the test.
‘Is that when you’re going to tell her about her father? About Henry?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you decided what’s happening about the bookshop?’
‘Even if I give the girls the bookshop, do you know how it’s going to make them feel when they find out their father had another child, and left it to me rather than them?’
