Page 88 of The Lovers
Rhys let out a slow breath. “You’re Sylvia’s daughter?”
“Yes. I was conceived on the night you all took turns with her.”
“Oh, Quinn, I’m so sorry,” Rhys breathed. “I had no idea she’d had a child. Have you known all along?”
“No, I’ve only known for a few weeks, but I can barely look at you, much less work with you.”
“I’d like to see her.”
“Sylvia?” Quinn gaped at Rhys. Had he taken leave of his senses? What could he possibly have to gain by coming face-to-face with Sylvia now?
“Yes. Quinn, please. I want to apologize, make amends for my part in what happened.”
“You want absolution, is that it?”
“Not absolution, but forgiveness maybe. I will never be absolved, but perhaps I can make amends,” Rhys pleaded. He didn’t look frightened anymore, just desperate.
“There’s something else you can do.”
“Name it.”
“You can help me find my father,” Quinn said, her eyes never leaving Rhys’s. He seemed surprised by her request, but he shrugged in acquiescence.
“That should be easy enough. You know who the other two were.”
“Yes, I know their names, but I want to get to know them without them knowing who I am. I want to take them by surprise and be sure of which one of them fathered me before I say anything.”
“Robert Chatham is the head of Chatham Electronics. I haven’t spoken to him in nearly thirty years, but I have seen articles about him from time to time.”
“And Seth? Sylvia knows nothing about him at all. Just that his name was Seth, and he was American.”
“Yes, Seth Besson, that was his name. He was a friend of Robert’s. I hardly knew him. He was from Louisiana, I believe. I’m afraid I don’t know anything more.”
“Will you help me find out what I need to know?” Quinn asked, challenging Rhys to say no, but he didn’t. He really did seem to want her forgiveness, even if it was only motivated by his sense of self-preservation.
“I will help you with whatever you need. How does Sylvia feel about this quest you’re about to embark on?”
“I haven’t told her yet, but I can’t imagine that she’d disapprove. I have a right to know who my father is, and I need to know where this psychic gift came from.”
“I understand,” Rhys replied. “Quinn, will you ever trust me again?”
“Maybe. In time.”
Quinn felt almost sorry for the man. He looked so crestfallen. She didn’t want to let him off the hook, but she knew that he wasn’t unique in what he’d done. These types of situations happened more than people realized, with girls refusing to report the incident or press charges for fear of not being believed or being treated as if they’d brought it all on themselves. Date rape was common in the past and still was to this day. Perhaps the fact that Sylvia had been assaulted by three men rather than one made this situation worse, but it was certainly not exceptional. And many men who’d taken liberties with young women and crossed the line between being pushy and actually committing the act now had wives and children of their own, many of them fathers to daughters who might be in danger of experiencing the same thing on a college campus or while on a date. Rhys wasn’t a monster; he was just a weak, spineless boy who gave in to peer pressure and did something he’d never planned on doing. At least he had the decency to feel guilty about it. Quinn wondered if the other two men ever gave Sylvia a thought.
SIXTY-SIX
MARCH 1666
Suffolk, England
Elise turned to take one last look at the house before climbing into the carriage that would take them back to London. Already the house looked abandoned and forbidding, just as it had when she first set eyes on it. It would be locked up until another outbreak of the plague or until Edward decided to spend some time in the country, something that Elise didn’t expect to happen anytime soon. The court had returned from Oxford, so there was no longer any excuse to remain in Suffolk, but Elise wished that she could. She had been happy here, with James and her little Charlie.
This house never felt like the prison Asher Hall had become, but now she would be returning to London, and everything would change once again. Edward would hire a wet nurse for Charlie and force a wedge between mother and son. He said he would permit James to return, but on what terms? What would life be like once they were back in the city? Would Edward still neglect his family, or would he now spend more time at home? And would he expect Elise to give him another child? She hoped so since she feared she might be with child again, but it was too soon to know for certain. Her courses had not been regular since Charlie’s birth, and after some light spotting in January, she’d not bled at all in February. If her courses failed to make an appearance later this month, she’d know for sure. The thought made Elise’s stomach clench with fear. Edward would be furious if he found out that she’d lain with James without his express permission, and therealization that they’d gone behind his back would alert him to the truth of their relationship. They should have waited.
Elise had seen James only once since Charlie’s birth, just after the christening in December. He’d sent her a note asking her to meet him at the cottage. Elise had bided her time, awaiting an opportune moment to slip out, but once she had, she ran all the way to the cottage, desperate to see James. James had fallen asleep by the time she got to him, so Elise quickly undressed and slipped into bed next to him, pressing her body to his and burying her face in his neck as she inhaled his familiar smell. She didn’t think she’d ever feel aroused again after the agony of the birth, but natural instinct took over, and she reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his shaft and stroking him lightly.
James woke with a start, his lips lifting at the corners as he smiled at her. He didn’t say a word, just rolled her onto her back and slid inside her, silencing her cry of pleasure with his kiss. Their lovemaking hadn’t lasted long, but the intensity of it took them both by surprise. They weren’t just lovers anymore; they were parents, their son making them a family and bonding them to each other forever. Elise still thought of that day often, reliving the memory of their last meeting when she felt lonely for James. It’d taken her time to get pregnant with Charlie, but it seemed that this time her womb knew exactly what it was for. Elise allowed her hand to stray to her abdomen. What would Edward do to them if he learned the truth? How severe a punishment would he devise? What could she do to avoid discovery?
