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‘You’vedoneamarvellousjob here, Grace,’ Russell said, looking very handsome but incredibly nervous.
‘Thank you. I’m thrilled you are pleased with it.’
‘Mum would’ve loved it too, wouldn’t she Griff?’
He glanced over her shoulder to his brother who was leaning nonchalantly against a tall bookcase, his arms crossed loosely in front of his broad chest. He stiffened slightly and his arms dropped to his sides, but he simply nodded and didn’t say a word.
Russell let out a long sigh and shook his head. He looked so much like Griff and yet the polar opposite. His blond hair and blue eyes to Griff’s ebony hair and dark eyes.
‘It’s no good,’ Russell said, his expression a mixture of determination and fear. ‘I can’t keep this to myself any longer.’
He was going to say it. Finally, after all these years, Russell Betancourt was going to tell Grace how he felt.
Just when it was the last thing she wanted to hear.
‘I love …’ He glanced towards his brother as though seeking Griff’s approval.
Please don’t give it. Please don’t give it. Grace repeated silently in her head and the disappointment when Griff nodded tore through her like a laser guided missile to her heart.
Griff seemed to be avoiding her eyes.
Russell looked back at her and swallowed hard.
‘I love Hope!’ he blurted out. ‘There I’ve said it.’
Grace stared at him in silence, her mouth open, eyes bulging. She saw Griff push away from the bookcase and move towards them.
‘So that happened,’ he said, his voice calm as if he wasn’t in the least bit surprised by his brother’s revelation.
‘You … you love Hope?’ Grace queried trying to take this news in. ‘Hope? My younger sister? That Hope?’
Russell nodded. ‘Have done for years.’
‘For years? Wh-why haven’t you said anything?’ Stupid question. Grace knew that Russell never told anyone what he was feeling. ‘Although…?’ She shot a look at Griff. ‘Did you know?’
He gave a half shrug. ‘I’m his brother.’
Grace almost expected him to burst out laughing any second. To make fun of her, or to make some sarcastic remark. Instead a line formed between his brows and there was concern in his eyes, not contempt.
‘Are you okay, Grace?’
‘I know it’s a shock,’ Russell said. ‘And I know Hope is very different from me. And younger. But not by much. None of that matters when you’re in love, does it?’ Again he looked at Griff, but Griff was looking at Grace.
‘I’m fine,’ Grace said. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? I’m a little … surprised, but … I think it’s wonderful. I … I don’t know how Hope will feel, of course. And you need to speak to her, Russell, not to me.’
‘I shall. I’ll do that right now. Only Griff said I should say something to you first. I’m not sure why. But … you are okay with this, aren’t you, Grace? The age-thing, I mean. And the fact we’re so different. If Hope says yes, this won’t affect our friendship. Yours and mine. We’ll still be friends just like we are now.’
He rushed off and Grace watched him go, and then she turned to Griff.
‘You knew?’
He met her eyes. ‘About my brother being in love with Hope? Or about you not being in love with him despite telling me several times you were, and believing it yourself?’ He nodded slowly as he moved closer. ‘Yes. I knew how he felt about Hope. Probably before he did, in fact. As for you believing you loved him, as I told you the other day, I’ve always known.’
Grace sucked in a breath. ‘You knew Russell loved my sister but you chose not to tell me? Are you enjoying this? I expect you’ve laughed your head off over this for the last few weeks.’
He shook his head.
‘What did we discuss about you jumping to conclusions, Grace? On the contrary, laughing over this is the last thing I’ve been doing. As for enjoying it, not one bit. Although I am glad it’s finally out in the open. And I didn’t say I knew you loved my brother. I said I knew you thought you did. There’s a difference, Grace. A big difference.’
