Page 13 of The Unforgiven
“Call me Rae, dear.” Mrs. Besson patted the chair next to her. “Come sit down and let me look at you.”
Quinn sat and allowed Rae a moment to study her closely.
“She doesn’t look like you, Seth.”
“No, but DNA doesn’t lie.”
Rae reached out and put her wrinkled hand over Quinn’s, her eyes lighting up. “A granddaughter. Never thought I’d live to know such joy. And so beautiful. I’ll have some words with your father in private later”—she threw Seth a scathing look—“but I can’t say I’m displeased. Never thought I’d have another grandchild, especially one that’s grown.” Rae continued to gaze at Quinn, a happy smile on her face. “Quinn, that’s an odd name. One of them unisex names that are so popular now, is it?”
“Yes, it can be a man’s name. I think my mother was hoping for a boy.”
“And who is your mother, dear?”
“She’s a girl I met in England, Mama,” Seth cut in.
“You never told me you had a girlfriend in England.”
“It didn’t seem important at the time.”
“Not important?” Rae huffed. “You made a child with her. I’d say that’s important.”
“My mother never told him about me,” Quinn supplied. “We only just met this week.”
“Shame Seth missed your childhood. But what a surprise to have a girl,” she mused. “There hasn’t been a Besson girl in centuries. Not a lucky family, the Bessons,” Rae added.
“In what way?”
“In the way that matters. Why, I have dozens of cousins. I come from a big family. Three children was the minimum on my side. My sister had six. But the Bessons could barely squeeze out one baby.”
Quinn bit her tongue before asking why Seth didn’t have any siblings, but Rae anticipated her question. “Oh, we tried, girlie. We tried. I had three miscarriages before Seth and two after. Those babies just wouldn’t take hold. Nowadays, they’d have run tests and figured out the problem, but back then, they just told us to go home and hope for better luck next time. Don’t know why this one lived”—she pointed to Seth—“but he did. My one and only precious boy. I wanted a girl so badly. My sister has five daughters, God bless her, and one son. I always said to her, ‘Let me have one, Jinny. Your husband won’t notice. I’ll take good care of her.’” Rae chuckled. “I would have too. I would have taken one of hers in a heartbeat if she was willing. She was overwhelmed and tired all the time. A baby every year for six years. Imagine that. And then nothing.”
“Did they stop having sex?” Seth asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“No, they didn’t. They just weren’t having it with each other,” Rae replied. She patted Quinn’s hand, her thumb caressing Quinn’s engagement ring. “So, you’re getting married. Where is your young man?”
“He’s at home, in London.”
“He let you come alone?”
“I didn’t ask for his permission,” Quinn replied with a smile.
“No, I don’t suppose you would. Young women are different today. So, do you love him?”
“Yes, very much. Would you like to see a photo?”
“Oh, yes,” Rae said, brightening up. “You got one of those smartphones?”
Quinn pulled out her mobile and found a photograph of Gabe.
“Handsome devil,” Rae said, nodding in approval. “I always did like the dark ones, like Seth’s daddy. I was blond myself, not that you can see that now,” she said, patting her hair. “I was pretty as a picture.”
“I’m sure you were,” Quinn replied. She could see the young woman in Rae’s face. She must have been quite striking in her day.
“And who’s this little princess?” Rae asked, looking at a picture of Emma in her Disney regalia, posing next to Gabe.
“That’s Emma. She’s Gabe’s daughter.”
“So he’s divorced, your man?”
