Page 5 of Separated from My Love
She practically danced in place as she asked, “How do youknowthis?”
A movement at the door caught his eye. He turned as Regina entered the room, platinum blonde hair falling down her back in waves. She was heavily pregnant with her first child. She glanced back and forth between them. “What are youdoing?”
“Brie has a keen interest in your niece and her husband.” Trenton jerked his hand towardAubriella.
“Niece?” Aubriella’s head turned toward Regina. “Lady Elizabeth Kendall is relatedtoyou?”
“In a roundabout way,” Regina said as she rubbed her belly. “I suppose she’s related to Bradford several timesremoved.”
Trenton could use their discussion as a way to escape, but it wouldn’t work for long. Regina wouldn’t allow it. She’d come drag him back down to the study and make him work. With her so close to delivering the baby, he didn’t want to stress her out and did whatever she said. If he didn’t, her husband, Bradford mightmurderhim.
“I’m so confused,” Aubriella said. “Can we start at thebeginning?”
“You’re slowing me down,” Trenton scoffed. “I thought you wantedtohelp.”
The tale of how Regina’s sister, Alys, travelled in time to fall in love with Bradford’s ancestor would take forever. Then to get to Regina’s parents, and her nieces and nephews… They didn’t have that kind of time. Not if he wanted to findGenevieve.
“My parents adopted Alys when they thought they couldn’t have children. I was a surprise blessing. So technically, yes, Elizabeth is my niece as she is my sister’s daughter.” Regina bit her lip. “I know it is all rather confusing. Alys travelled through time in a similar manner as Genevieve. Trenton’s been studying it for quite awhilenow.”
Aubriella’s mouth fell open. “So you all believe time travel is for real? I thought that this entire time Trenton had lost his mind. I honestly came here to humor him and help him accept reality. Genevieve wouldn’t want him tosuffer.”
“I deserve it,” Trenton said adamantly. “I failed her, and until I make that right it isn’t fair for me to have anyhappiness.”
What he wouldn’t give to go back and do things differently. He’d solved his father’s embezzling problem but had lost the love of his life in the process. If second chances were possible he hoped one found a way to give himGenevieveback.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Regina said. “I think Aubriella is right. Torturing yourself is not the answer, and you can’t tell me that is what Genevieve would have wantedforyou.”
“She wouldn’t.” Aubriella nodded. “She loved—loves you. If she is truly lost in time, that wouldn’t have changed.” She tilted her head a moment and then reached for the journal in Trenton’s hand. “Give that to me. Something I read makes me think I know how the mirrorworks.”
Trenton handed it over reluctantly. She flipped through it and was scanning the pages. She glanced up at Regina and said, “This doesn’t make sense to me. You told me that Alys traveled to the nineteenth century. What does that have to do with the pirate duke? Are you certain it’s thesameman?”
“My mother confirmed it,” Regina said. “When she saw his portrait in the gallery. They met when he and his pirate crew plundered a ship she wassailingon.”
Aubriella closed the book and looked at Regina. Her mouth fell open. “Does everyone in your family travelthroughtime?”
“Well, no,” she said sheepishly. “Well, almost all of them. I’m the one hold out. I’m happy where I am. My father found my mother in 1722 and brought her back to his time. Alys—well, you knowabouther.”
“And your niece has the ability too,” Aubriella said. “And herhusband?”
“It’s all convoluted, isn’t it?” Trenton said. “I’ve had a lot of time to study it all, and it still amazes me.” He turned to Regina. “I forgot to tell you. Captain Jack is actually youruncle.”
“What?” She groaned. “Maybe this time traveling stuff is in our blood. How is he myuncle?”
That was the part he’d found fascinating. At first, he’d jumped to that conclusion too. If it was in their blood, that would explain a lot, but Alys was adopted, so that couldn’t be the determining factor. “He’s your mother’s half-brother. A by-blow from their father’s indiscretions—and one he never claimed. Elizabeth put it in detail in herjournal.”
“I think I know how to do it,” Aubriella saidexcitedly.
“You do?” Trenton turned to her as amazement filled him. He hadn’t really believed she’d be able to figure it out when he’d handed her the journal. What were the chances she’d actually discovered something he hadn’t? Maybe he should have had her come sooner. Why hadn’t he? He made so many damnmistakes… “How?”
“The person in control of the mirror has to have some kind of psychic ability. Eve is a telepath if the person is receptive to it,” Aubriella said. “I have empathic abilities. I wonder if that isenough.”
“Eve’s a telepath?” Trenton said. How had he notknownthat?
“Yes,” Regina said. “She used to talktome.”
Trenton spun on his heels and faced Regina. He couldn’t have heard her right. How could Genevieve have talked to her, and when exactly had she? “Explain,” hedemanded.
The muscles in his cheek twitched as he fought the urge to scream at her. What he really wanted to do was wrap his hands around her arms and shake her until she explained in detail everything he wanted to know. Why hadn’t she told him about these supposed conversations with Eve? Was that the reason she’d been so ready to forgive him and aid in his search? Did her altruism hide some ulterior motives he didn’t fullyunderstand?
