Page 44 of Rufus

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Coffee, or something stronger?” Rufus offered Molly hours later when the two of them entered the sitting room in Rufus’s house.

They had spent hours at the police station relating everything they and Linus knew so far. By the time they left, Serena Jenkins had been arrested for the abduction of Emily Wynter, with charges concerning other abducted children pending as they gathered more information. There would also be charges brought for the manslaughter of Elizabeth Wynter.

While Molly was being questioned, Rufus had called Mia and Darius from the police station and filled them in on what was happening. But he had once again refused the couple’s offer to join them. They had baby Lilybeth to care for, and Molly had looked totally shell-shocked by the time they left the station. No doubt partly due to the fact she now knew her whole identity for the past twenty-seven years had been a lie.

“Whisky,” Rufus decided firmly at her silence, taking out two glasses from a cabinet, and a bottle of his best scotch. He half-filled one of them before handing it to Molly and then poured another glass for himself.

“You didn’t tell me whether or not Linus knows who my real parents are,” she reminded after taking a tentative sip.

Because Rufus hadn’t known the answer to that question earlier. But he had also spoken to Linus again while Molly was being questioned. “Your mother’s name is Barbara Sinclair. Your father’s name is William Chan.”

“They weren’t married?”

Rufus shook his head. “The police file Linus found on your disappearance twenty-seven years ago revealed the two had a relationship for their final two years at university. William then returned to live in China, completely unaware that Barbara was pregnant. When William returned to London on business a year later and called to see his previous lover, you were six months old and visibly recognizable as being his daughter. There was also a record of him wanting joint custody, which Barbara fought against, possibly because she was afraid he would immediately take you back to China with him and she would never see you again.”

Rufus knew exactly how devastating having your child ripped away from you could be.

“When you were suddenly taken from the day nursery where Barbara had placed you while she worked as a chemist, she believed that’s exactly what had happened,” he continued. “The UK doesn’t have an extradition agreement with China, and as there was no visible proof of you traveling to or being in China with William, the police were never able to make a reasonable request for him to be sent back to England to settle their inquiries into your disappearance. William has always denied being involved.”

Her throat moved as she swallowed. “Where is my mother now?”

“She lives and works in Devon,” Rufus revealed. “She fought for you, Molly. The records show that she spent five years after your disappearance trying to find you and have you returned from China. With no success, obviously. By the end of the first year of those extensive searches, the Chinese authorities knew exactly who she was and refused to allow her access into China to look for you herself. She’s never married nor had any other children.”

Molly gave an emotional sniff. “And my father?”

“Is still living in China. He married twenty-five years ago and has the permitted one child policy from that era. A boy.”

“My half brother.”

“Yes.”

* * *

To someone who had believed herself to be completely alone for the past twenty-seven years, apart from the woman who had abandoned her when she was ten, it was more than a little strange to suddenly discover that she had a mother, a father, a stepmother, and a half sibling.

“I want to meet my birth mother,” she stated firmly. “She deserves to know that the child she fought so hard to have returned to her is alive and well.”

“I agree.” Rufus nodded.

She swallowed again before asking her next question. “Do I have a name?”

“You do,” he assured. “Your real name is Lily.”

Her eyes widened. “Like Lilybeth?”

“Exactly like Lilybeth.”

“How strange…”

Rufus shook his head. “It’s fate,” he corrected, setting his glass on a side table before sitting beside her on the couch. He took her hands in both of his. “I’m one of those people who believe things happen for a reason. God knows it was the only way I could get through losing Beth and Emily all those years ago,” he said bleakly. “I also believe that your coming back into Mia’s life by working and living at the animal shelter was meant to be. That you and Mia were meant to meet again as adults and become friends. That you and I were meant to be friends too. It’s more than friendship to me, Molly,” he assured as she frowned. “Much more. But I don’t want to take advantage of the situation and assume?—”

“No advantages or assumptions to be made.” Molly's fingers tightened about his. “I’m falling in love with you,” she now felt able to admit.

Rufus drew in a shaky breath. “I’m falling in love with you too. But?—”

“No buts,” Molly told him firmly. “We’re falling in love with each other. Let it remain exactly that for the moment. Right now, after the traumatic day we’ve both had, I would very much like you to take me to bed.”

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