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He leans forward. “Despite what you may think of me, we both know I was never father figure material. You probably know by now that the marriage to your mother wasn’t conventional, but it’s what we both wanted at the time.”
“Why?” The words are simple, but I hate how needy I sound.
“Because your mother didn’t love me and I didn’t love her. She…” He runs a hand through his hair. “Shit, Charlize. Are you sure you’re ready to hear all of this?”
I stare at him, unmoving. “I’ve waited a long time.”
“What did your grandmother tell you about any of it?”
I roll my eyes. “She hated you. All that ever came out of her mouth was garbage where you were concerned. For the first time in my life, I want the truth, Alistair.”
We stare at one another until he finally relents. “Your mother loved somebody else. Someone your grandmother wouldn’t let her be with.”
“Why not?”
He gives me a pointed look. “Your grandmother, being the strict woman that she was, wanted your mother on a pedestal, ever since she was a child. Getting pregnant so young didn’t stack up well for the Prescott family, as you well know. She was a disgrace and brought shame on the family.”
Oh, I know all about rejection. Some may say I’m an expert.
“Yeah, I got that part. What I want to know is who did my mum love?”
He takes another long sip from the flute, and I wait for him to shock me with the details.
Who was he?
If she loved another man, why did she marry Alistair?
What the hell is going on and why don’t I know about it?
“Your mother was in love with another woman.”
My eyes go round as I stare blankly at him. “Another woman?”
“Yes. The only reason we married was so she could get her inheritance, and I could get mine. There was nothing between us because it wasn’t that kind of relationship.”
“A business transaction,” I murmur.
Why did I never hear this information before now? My grandmother never even hinted at such a thing, not that she would’ve been happy about any of it.
“Exactly.”
The waiter suddenly appears and it gives me a few moments to collect myself.
“Are you ready to order?” he asks politely.
Alistair glances over at me as I finally meet his gaze. Clearing my throat, I look down at the menu. Not that I see anything.
“Charlize,” Alistair says. “Would you like a few more minutes?”
I shake my head and order the entree of smoked bass, then the lobster thermidor for main course.
Alistair orders grilled asparagus, and a scotch fillet with truffle sauce for his main, along with a new bottle of wine to compliment the dishes.
Of course, Alistair knows a lot about wine and a lot about everything. Including family secrets that I had no clue about. I wonder what else he knows?
When the waiter leaves, I fiddle with the cutlery on the table and avoid Alistair’s gaze.
I can feel his impenetrable stare and I have nowhere else to look… except right at him.
