Page 76 of The Forsaken
“I’d like the chance to find out.”
“I hope you’ll get it. It’s so much easier to find someone in this day and age, with computers and such. I’m sure you’ll find her trail.”
Quinn and Hetty talked for a while longer, and then Hetty said her goodbyes and rushed off to meet her sister for lunch at a nearby pub. Quinn found a shady bench and sat down, needing a few minutes to ponder what Hetty had said. The truth of the situation was that Quinn was as far from discovering what had happened to Quentin as she had been a few days ago. She would never seek help from Sylvia, who had never bothered to find out what had happened to her baby. She’d just walked away—from both of them. She didn’t deserve to have her daughters back, and Quinn would keep whatever she discovered to herself. In truth, Sylvia would be of no use anyway, since her name wasn’t listedanywhere as the birth mother, and she had no legal connection to the children she’d abandoned.
Quinn supposed her only option was to visit the hospital where Quentin had been left, but what were the chances that anyone would actually tell her anything? She left the park, purchased a fresh bottle of water, took a few minutes to hydrate, and set off for home. She’d clear forgotten that Logan and Scott would be coming by tonight to take a look at the sword. She’d stop by the shops on the way home and pick up a couple of salmon fillets. Served with jasmine rice and steamed asparagus, they would do very well for an impromptu dinner.
Quinn took her mobile out of her bag and rang her mother. She’d promised to call after the doctor’s appointment. She momentarily considered telling her mum about Quentin but quickly changed her mind. She’d keep that bit of information to herself until she knew more. Perhaps it was unfair of her not to share this monumental news with her parents, but since discovering her psychic gift at a young age, she’d learned to be secretive, more for her parents’ sake than her own. She had no wish to upset them or cause them unnecessary pain, since they were already questioning their place in her life and thinking that somehow they’d never been enough.
FORTY-FIVE
“That looks delicious,” Colin said as he helped himself to a piece of salmon. “And what’s in that sauce?”
“It’s plain yogurt with a bit of dill and lemon juice,” Quinn replied shyly, taken aback by the praise. No one except Gabe ever complimented her cooking.
“Outstanding,” Logan agreed as he popped another forkful of fish into his mouth. He swallowed and gave Quinn a brilliant smile. “So, are we going to acknowledge the five-hundred-pound elephant in the room named Quentin or are we going to talk about fish some more?” he asked playfully.
“I wasn’t sure if you knew,” Quinn replied.
“Oh, I know. Mum has been ranting and raving about your confrontation for days.”
“Logan, did you know about Quentin before?” she asked, watching his face for clues.
Logan shook his head. “I didn’t know about either of you. I love my mum, Quinn, but I don’t pretend to understand her. There are parts of her she keeps to herself and always has done, even while my dad was alive.”
“May I ask you something?” Quinn said, hoping he wouldn’t take offense at her prying.
“I think you’re entitled to some answers,” he said as he continued to eat, unperturbed.
“Did your parents have a happy marriage?” Sylvia rarely mentioned her husband, who’d died of cancer several years before Quinn and Sylvia met. She seemed to mourn him, but not deeply, not the way Susan would mourn Roger Allenby if he passed, or the way Grandma Ruth mourned her Joe. He’d always been there, in her heart, and in everything she did, and she hadn’t feared death,knowing they would be reunited at last. That was the sort of love Quinn strove for and the kind of marriage she aspired to with Gabe. Perhaps Sylvia was someone who wasn’t capable of very deep feelings, but she did seem to adore Jude and felt very protective of him.
Logan didn’t answer immediately. He took a sip of wine and held it in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. “I thought they did, but knowing what I now know, I’m not so sure. Their marriage was very quiet.”
“Meaning?” Colin asked, his eyebrow furrowing in confusion.
“Meaning they just got on with it. They never rowed or disagreed. They kind of just rubbed along, like two coworkers who must share an office space.”
“That’s a good thing, surely,” Colin said, still looking puzzled.
Logan blessed Colin with a brilliant smile, a smile that spoke volumes, and laid his hand over his partner’s. “Would you want us to have a quiet relationship?”
Colin blushed prettily. “No, I suppose not. That kind of relationship doesn’t have much passion, does it?”
“No. When neither person is invested enough to get excited about anything, it’s as good as being dead.”
“Hmm, I never thought of it that way,” Gabe interjected. “My parents went at it hammer and tongs when I was a kid.”
“And I bet they had great make-up sex afterwards,” Logan concluded.
“Well, I can’t attest to that, thankfully, but I can honestly say they loved each other. My mum was devastated when Dad died. She misses him sorely, even the parts of his character she found irritating.”
“Quinn, what about your folks?” Logan asked.
Quinn chuckled and smiled at him. “No, my parents did not have a quiet marriage, but they did get on, and still do. They are not shy about showing affection though, and they feel comfortable to disagree and defend their point of view. It doesn’t undermine their relationship; it makes it stronger.”
“I don’t think my dad knew Mum at all, now that I think of it,” Logan said, shaking his head. “She kept a lot to herself, as we now know. She likes secrets.”
“Will there be more revelations, do you think?” Quinn asked, suddenly worried.
