Page 13 of The Forgotten
Gabe took another bite, but his eyelids were already growing heavy, his body desperate for rest. He’d come to bed late last night, and after tossing and turning for several hours was up just after 3 a.m. Quinn had found him lounging on the sofa when she woke up, with some awful horror movie from the 1970s playing on the screen.
Quinn reached over and took the hot cup out of Gabe’s hand just before he nodded off, his half-eaten sandwich forgotten. She hoped that the motion of the car would lull him into a deep sleep; he needed it. Quinn put on her sunglasses and stepped on the gas pedal. The Jaguar purred and sprang into life, chewing up the miles as she sped toward Scotland. It was still early enough that there weren’t too many cars on the road, so Quinn could relax and enjoy the ride. She had to admit that she welcomed a little bit of solitude. Gabe’s news knocked her for a loop, and in her effort to support him as he rode his emotional roller coaster, she’d had virtually no time to analyze her own reaction to the sudden change in their lives.
Quinn stared straight ahead as she mulled over the situation. She wasn’t upset with Gabe for fathering a child. He was a man in his late thirties, and had enjoyed his share of relationships over the past two decades. He’d done nothing wrong, and the only one to blame in this situation was Jenna McAllister, who chose not to tell Gabe that he had a child. Quinn could understand hermotives, but she was angry on Gabe’s behalf, knowing how much he would have cherished time with Emma. He’d missed a crucial part of her childhood, time that he’d never get back. And now he was coming to her a stranger, a man she’d never met rather than a father she loved and could turn to for comfort.
Quinn sighed. She’d indulged in several daydreams over the past two months in which she and Gabe had a baby, but she certainly hadn’t expected that the baby would come before the wedding or would be four years old. Quinn’s heart went out to the little girl who’d just lost her mother and grandmother, but she wouldn’t be honest with herself if she said that she wasn’t just a tiny bit resentful. This was her time to obsess over wedding gowns, choose flowers, and bask in the love of her fiancé; instead, she was about to become a stepmother to a child she’d never met, who would probably completely take over Gabe’s heart and leave her out in the cold.
Quinn knew she was being melodramatic, but truth be told, she was scared that Emma would replace her in Gabe’s affections. What if he decided to call off the wedding and focus on Emma instead? Would Quinn understand or feel hurt and betrayed? She supposed that if Gabe wanted to put their plans on hold, she would support him in his decision, despite her hurt. She wanted to marry him and begin their life together, not spend a year or more in a holding pattern, waiting for Gabe to get to a place where he felt like he could commit to her without disrupting Emma’s life.
Quinn reached for Gabe’s mobile and opened the picture Mrs. Lennox sent her. Looking at her from the screen was an adorable little girl, her dark-blue eyes huge in a heart-shaped face, which was framed by dark waves that reached to her shoulders. She looked heartbreakingly like her father, a female version of the boy he had been. Emma was lovely, and visibly traumatized by the events of the past week and a half. Quinn smiled at the picture ofEmma, angry with herself for being such a shrew. This child needed her, and she would love her as if she were her own daughter. And if Gabe needed time, then she would give him all the time in the world because for the first time in her life, she was truly in love and loved in return, and she would do nothing to jeopardize that.
THIRTEEN
JANUARY 2014
Edinburgh, Scotland
By the time Quinn and Gabe finally got to their destination, a winter twilight settled over the city, casting the skyline in a lovely shade of lavender. It was colder than it had been in London, a dusting of snow blanketing open areas and silvering tree branches. Gabe parked the car and looked up at the light spilling from the first-floor windows. Emma was behind those windows, but they had to attend to business first and see Mr. Lennox in his ground-floor office. Quinn reached out for Gabe’s hand, squeezing it in a gesture of support. His hand was freezing cold. He was nervous.
“Come, let’s get this done,” he said and walked toward the stone steps leading up to the door.
A young woman let them in and asked them to wait while she informed Mr. Lennox that his next appointment was there. Quinn glanced around the office. It was comfortable, somewhat old-fashioned, and completely devoid of any artifice, much like the man himself. When Mr. Lennox came out to greet them, Quinn instantly warmed to him. He was an older man, possibly in his mid-fifties, dressed in a pair of charcoal-gray corduroys paired with a comfortable woolen cardigan over a white shirt. He wore a tie but still looked relaxed and casual. He was of average height, with sandy hair, warm brown eyes, and a friendly smile. Mr. Lennox introduced himself and shook their hands, treating them like old friends.
“Do come into my office. Would you like a cup of tea? Or perhaps something a wee bit stronger?”
“Tea please,” Gabe replied. It was clear drinking hard liquor before meeting his little girl for the first time would not be the best idea, nor would it give Mr. Lennox a very good impression of him. Mr. Lennox must have anticipated Gabe’s answer because a tea tray appeared moments later, brought in by the assistant who let them in earlier. She poured out three cups and left as quietly as she had come. Gabe didn’t touch his tea, but Quinn added a splash of milk and took a sip. She always found the act of making and drinking tea soothing, and at the moment, the warmth of the teacup in her hands was pleasantly calming. Mr. Lennox, who took his time adding sugar and milk to his tea, drank deeply, then turned back to Gabe, who was waiting patiently for the tea ceremony to end.
“I know you must be very anxious to meet Emma, but we have a few documents to go over and some papers for you to sign. I will need a picture I.D., Dr. Russell. Just a formality, you understand.”
Gabe handed over his passport, which looked well-used and had numerous stamps from all the places Gabe had visited in the last few years. Mr. Lennox studied the photo, then nodded and handed the document back, satisfied. “Now then, I have some documents here pertaining to Emma. Here’s her birth certificate, her passport, and a copy of her medical file. I also took the liberty of including this photo album. I thought you might wish to see it, and Emma will certainly need a keepsake once she’s older. There are several pictures of Jenna and Emma. You might wish to remove them, but I think Emma will want to have pictures of her mother.”
Gabe accepted the album but didn’t look at it, setting it aside instead. Keeping his nervousness in check was hard enoughwithout looking at baby snaps of Emma with her mother. Seeing them together, happy and utterly unaware of what was in store for them both, would probably undo him on the spot. Mr. Lennox clearly expected Gabe’s reaction because he continued without pause, moving on to the next order of business.
“Dr. Russell, I hadn’t mentioned this on the telephone, but there’s something else we need to discuss. After Emma was born, Jenna made a new Will and Testament. Her husband left her very comfortably off, and she had several investments and properties of her own, which she inherited from her father, who was divorced from her mother at the time of his death. Jenna left everything to you.”
“What? Why would she do that? She hardly knew me,” Gabe replied, earning himself a stern look from Mr. Lennox. Jenna clearly knew him well enough to have a child with him, the look said very eloquently, so Gabe’s sentiments were unworthy. They diminished the relationship and made Jenna’s judgment appear less than sound.
“Jenna had no close relatives besides her mother, who is now deceased, and she probably wished for you to keep the legacy in trust for Emma.”
“Did she create a trust?” Gabe asked.
“No. She left it to your discretion. The most valuable asset is Jenna’s house here in Edinburgh. The mortgage is fully paid off, so you needn’t worry about making payments. You can put the house on the market, if you wish, or you can let it to tenants. I can make the arrangements for you, if you are so inclined. There’s no rush to make any decisions. I don’t suppose you’d consider moving to Edinburgh?” Mr. Lennox asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Ah, no. My life is in London, Mr. Lennox.”
“Of course. Just a thought. We have several fine institutions that could benefit from your expertise, and yours, of course, Dr. Allenby.” Mr. Lennox included Quinn in his smile before returning to the documents spread out before him, leafing through the pages.
“Mr. Lennox, if we are finished here…” Gabe muttered.
“Of course, of course. You’re eager to meet Emma. I just need your signature here and here, and we are done.”
“Kelly, if you’ll just close up for the night,” Mr. Lennox called out to his assistant as he locked away the file, handed Gabe his copies, and reached for his briefcase, ready to leave. “It’s just upstairs. Very convenient, having an office so close to home. No commute,” he joked as he led the way.
Gabe and Quinn followed Mr. Lennox up the stairs. A delicious smell wafted from beneath the door. Mr. Lennox inhaled deeply and smiled. “Mari made shepherd’s pie. I do hope you’ll join us for supper. You must be hungry after the long drive.”
“Thank you,” Quinn replied, seeing as Gabe was incapable of speech. His eyes were glued to the door, which opened at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.
“There you are. Come in,” Mari Lennox exclaimed, opening the door wider to let them in. “Emma and I have been waiting for you, haven’t we, pet?”
