Page 83 of The Lovers
James nodded but didn’t reply. Elise knew what he was thinking. She was something of a dreamer, but James was a realist to the core. He knew all too well that there were countless ways to lose someone, and that one had no control over when or where their loved one might stumble and fall. Elise supposed that James was worried about the birth, but she gave it virtually no thought. What was the point of fearing something she couldn’t control? She would face her fate when the time came and pray that God was merciful enough to spare her and her baby.
SIXTY-TWO
DECEMBER 2013
London, England
Quinn set a cup of tea by the bed and bent down to plant a kiss on Gabe’s cheek. “Wake up, you’ll be late for work.”
Gabe pulled a pillow over his head and growled. “Why must it be Monday already?”
“Because that’s what generally happens between Sunday and Tuesday, but it’s a short week, what with Christmas and all. If you get up now, you’ll have time for breakfast.”
“All right,” Gabe grumbled as he sat up, took a gulp of tea, and reached for his dressing gown. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Fried egg and toast. I’ll even throw in some mushrooms if you behave.”
“There’s nothing in the fridge,” Gabe replied, looking confused.
“I popped out to the shops while you were sleeping. I don’t fancy going hungry,” Quinn replied, arching her brow and making Gabe chuckle. Gabe hardly ever ate breakfast, but Quinn couldn’t start her day properly without having something to eat, even if it was just toast and tea.
“Mm, I like having you around,” Gabe mused as he gave her a sound kiss. “It’s just like staying with my mum.”
Quinn swatted him, but he jumped out of the way and disappeared into the bathroom. She had to admit that she likedspending the night at his flat and enjoying everything that London had to offer. They’d gone out to dinner and seen a foreign film last night instead of staying in, as they would have had they stayed at her place. There wasn’t much of a nightlife in her Surrey village. Quinn smiled as she took out the eggs, mushrooms, butter, and bread. She’d been so lonely the past few months that doing something as mundane as making breakfast for Gabe made her giddy with joy. It was no fun cooking for one.
Gabe came out of the bathroom smelling of soap and aftershave and joined her at the table. His hair was still damp from the shower, and his dark-blue dressing gown matched his eyes. Coincidence? Quinn thought not. Probably a gift from a woman, hopefully his mum. Gabe buttered a piece of toast and tucked into his eggs.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked as he speared a mushroom and popped it into his mouth.
“I have a meeting with Rhys, actually. Gabe, what do I do?” Quinn asked, her tone plaintive. “How do I continue to work with him knowing what I know?”
“And what exactly do you know?” Gabe asked, eyebrow raised. “You know that thirty years ago, Sylvia Wyatt got pregnant and gave birth to you. Several days later, she left you in a church pew. Those are the only indisputable facts. Anything else is conjecture. Confronting Rhys with this—three decades after the fact—can result in nothing but ruffled feathers and harsh words. How do you think he’ll feel if you accuse him of rape?”
“Guilty?”
Gabe shook his head. “Quinn, Sylvia made a choice not to go to the police or confront the men who did that to her. Whether it was because she thought no one would take her seriously or because she didn’t really have a case is anyone’s guess, but this isher fight, not yours. Rhys is not your father, so let sleeping dogs lie, at least with him.”
“Meaning what?” Quinn asked, putting down her teacup.
“Meaning that there are two other men out there who might be your father. My advice to you is to focus on forging a relationship with Sylvia instead of hunting down your other parent, but I know that it will fall on deaf ears because I can already see that glint of refusal in your eyes.”
Quinn couldn’t help but laugh at Gabe’s astute assessment. He was right: She couldn’t simply let this go. Perhaps confronting Rhys was not a good idea, but she’d be damned if she gave up now. A few weeks ago, she had no idea who her biological parents were, but now she had one mother and two possible fathers, with a fifty–fifty chance that one of them was her biological dad. Whatever the consequences, she had to find out.
“All right, Gabe, I won’t say anything to Rhys, for now, nor will I fly off to hunt down the other two men, but when the time is right, I will take this to its logical conclusion.”
“Fair enough,” Gabe said as he took a last bite of toast and got to his feet. “Now, I have to run. I have a meeting at nine. Did I ever tell you that being a department head is a colossal bore?”
“You did, but now I actually believe you.”
“OK, I’ll see you later.”
“See you,” Quinn replied. Gabe might be right about not confronting Rhys, but having to see the man and pretend that she didn’t know about his past was going to be harder than he imagined.
SIXTY-THREE
NOVEMBER 1665
Suffolk, England
