Page 67 of The Unseen
“And how did you come up with that wise notion?” Gabe asked.
“Aidan said his parents have date night once a month, and if they don’t have a blazing row during dinner, they usually wind up sha?—”
“Right. I get the picture.”
“She’s right, you know. I could use a night out,” Quinn piped in. “We haven’t had a date since August.”
Gabe stared at her. “Really? Has it been that long?”
“It has. I demand to be taken out for a nice meal, and maybe even a film, but not one about penguins.”
“I’ll call Brenda and see if she’d be open to minding the children for a few hours.”
“If Brenda can’t, then I’ll ask Jill. She’s offered in the past.”
“Why can’t we stay with Grandma Sylvia? I want to see Jude,” Emma said. “I miss him.”
Gabe and Quinn exchanged glances. Sylvia would have enjoyed spending a few hours with the children, but given recent events, it was safer not to try that experiment again. “Maybe next time. Grandma Sylvia has a touch of a cold,” Quinn said.
“Are you lying to me again?” Emma demanded. “I can always tell, you know.”
“Can you?”
“You always pause and take a breath before you tell me something that’s not quite true,” she said, pinning Quinn with her dark blue gaze.
“Do I?”
“Yes, you do. I’m going to go to my room now and let you discuss this amongst yourselves.”
“Do I do that?” Quinn asked Gabe as soon as Emma departed in a huff.
“You sure do.”
“My God, Gabe, she’s only five. How can she be so perceptive?”
“She can’t help it; it’s in her genes.”
“Should we tell her the truth about Sylvia and Jude then?”
“No. She’s too young to understand the complexities of some relationships, and even though she’s astute enough to realize that something is being withheld from her, we, as her parents, will be the ones to decide when and what to tell her, at least for now.”
“How did you get so smart? Have you been talking to Aidan?” Quinn joked.
“No, but I think I will. Maybe I can book weekly sessions.”
They burst out laughing and promptly woke up the baby, who’d dozed off.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Once Emma left the room, Quinn was able to finish telling Gabe about her vision, but saying the words out loud didn’t make what she’d seen any less shocking. “The man was despicable. I would have never foreseen this turn of events.”
“Yes, what he did was diabolical,” Gabe agreed. “He came to their aid, gave them time to grow comfortable and secure in their new life, and then sprang the trap. Did Valentina agree to his terms?”
“I don’t know yet. I can’t bear to find out. Everything inside me is screaming for her to get away from this man, but I suspect she gave in for the sake of her family. Her mother was emotionally fragile and unsuited to any type of work, and her little brother would have no future without a proper education. Tanya was only fifteen at the time, but given the societal norms of the day, her only future security lay in marriage, the prospect of which would also be snatched away should they be reduced to a life of penury. Valentina wouldn’t be the first woman to trade her dignity for security for her family.”
“No, she wouldn’t be, but she would despise the man who orchestrated her downfall.”
“I wouldn’t call it her downfall,” Quinn protested. “We know that Valentina married twice, had two children, and was financially sound for most of her life. Something must have happened to turn things around for her. Rhys would like to arrange an interview with her daughter, Natalia, but I think I’ll hold off a bit longer before speaking to her. I’d like to find out what happened first.”
