Page 74 of The Vow We Made
“That’s right.”
“I had no idea and now I feel terrible for asking.” Her hand cups my jaw. “And you were so little. I can’t bear to think about it.”
“Hey, I was a resilient little lad. After Mum passed and my father went to pieces, I had to fend for myself. I was used to it. I cooked, cleaned and took care of my dad instead of the other way around. After he died, I found out how he’d carefully laid out his will and included the instructions for my adoption. It was all there in black and white and that’s why I’m convinced he planned it.”
Victoria’s tear-filled eyes are the reason I decide to focus on the positive. If I were to tell her how my safe and happy world crumbled the day I became an orphan or how my twelve-year-old brain couldn’t work out how I’d survive without them, she’d feel worse about asking.
“Victoria, don’t get upset,” I say, wiping her tear aside with my thumb. “I didn’t miss out on anything growing up. Simon and Esther made sure of it. They’ve always treated me like their own son and did everything they could to make sure I never forgot my roots. It was down to them I managed to keep in touch with Luke and Georgie.”
“Of course. I remember you telling me how you were friends with Luke when you were little.”
I nod. “He’s a Dorset lad too. I met him at primary school and our parents were friends. Luke’s father helped my adoptive parents with legal custody. He’s a fantastic lawyer.” Victoria smiles, taking it all in as I continue, “Then once Luke finished uni and got the travelling bug out of his system, he came to London and got a job in banking. A few years later, Georgie did the same. Now you know why Will, Luke and Georgie are so important to me. They’re the only real family I have.” I notice more of her tears and she sniffs as I pass her a tissue.
Choking out a giggle while wiping away a rogue tear she says, “I didn’t think too much about why you and Will were so different. It just didn’t occur to me you weren’t actually related. You must feel lucky to have him as your brother.”
I grin. “Yeah, not all clouds have a silver lining.”
She slaps her hand against my chest. “You love him really and he loves you.”
“I suppose we rub along together pretty well.” I smile. “He’s always taken care of me, but there isn’t much common ground between us. He watches football, I prefer rugby. He drinks lager, whereas I’m more of a Guinness man. The list goes on, but at the end of the day, he’s my best mate and we’ve helped each other through the worst times.”
I begin to play with her hair and the mood changes when I place a kiss on her forehead.
“Thank you for telling me about your family. It can’t have been easy.”
“I wanted you to know Vick. It’s important to me. And so are you.”
She blushes, tilting her head before coming back to rest against my chest. “You’re important to me too Aiden.” Her arms slide around to my back, holding me as tight and as close as she can. I do the same, holding her firm and kissing the top of her head while I contemplate if I can turn this conversation around. I’m hoping she’ll open up and maybe talk about her husband. So far, she’s never mentioned him at all and I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.
“So come on, now it’s your turn,” I tell her playfully, but inside I’m bracing myself for her possible tears.
“For what?” she asks innocently.
“Tell me something about you. Obviously, your parents are around or those two people giving me the evil eye lately need some kind of restraining order.”
“Give over.” She laughs. “What do you want to know?”
“Let’s start with what they do. You said your mum is a housekeeper and your dad a gardener. Do they work together?”
“Every single day.”
“And how does that go?” I ask smirking but Victoria’s answer is completely sincere.
“After thirty-three years of marriage, you’d think they’d be sick of the other but they’re not. I admire how they live, work and love one another so deeply. It goes beyond a partnership; they’re soul mates in every real sense and that’s exactly what I want.” She lets out a deep sigh while her eyes glass over. Noticing me staring, she blushes, a little flustered and grinning from ear to ear. “What I meant was, they have what everyone strives for in a relationship.”
“Huh ha.” I wink and she turns away, still grinning.
“And what are their employers like? They must be loaded if they can afford staff.”
“They’re old money.”
“As in ‘royalty’ old money?”
“Now that would be telling.” Her tongue runs over her smirking lips, so I poke her in the side. “Come on. Spit it out. Who are they?”
“What?” she asks, her mouth lifting at each corner.
“Miss West, if you didn’t have your leg in a cast, you’d be in serious trouble right now.”
