‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’ he suddenly demanded.
‘I didn’t want it to influence you–about
us,
our
future.’
‘I understand. But you didn’t think Pd be upset, did you?’
‘I don’t know what I thought…except that I was happy I had your child inside me, growing…part of you, Gid.’
He smiled at her, the joy bringing sudden laughter to his sparkling eyes, then he tilted her face to his, bent down and kissed her forehead. ‘Pm
thrilled,
Evan. Thrilled and happy, and I feel…so blessed to have you, sweetheart.’ He glanced at Robin. ‘What do you say?’
‘I’m as happy and as thrilled as you, Gideon. It’s wonderful news, and I know your parents are going to be just as excited as I am.’
‘That’s right. They’ll be over the moon, in fact.’ Standing behind Evan, his hands resting on her shoulders again, Gideon gave Robin a very direct look, and asked in a low voice, ‘What about the brakes in the Rover? Evan told me they failed.’
A long sigh escaped Robin, and his face changed, became serious, and Gideon saw the worry suddenly flickering in his blue eyes. ‘Don’t tell me they’d been tampered with?’ Gideon said.
There was a short silence and Robin finally nodded. ‘Yes. The police just told me this morning that the brake pipes had been severed.’
Worriedly, Gideon shook his head. ‘
Unbelievable.
Let’s not go into the whys and wherefores right now, Uncle Robin, but you must be very careful, on your guard. You were the target here.’
‘Oh yes, I realize that. I just told Evan I was going to be very, very wary in future. But let us move on, Gideon my boy. Evan’s parents are due to arrive any moment. For tea.’
Startled yet again, Gideon exclaimed, ‘Well, well, well, that’s going to put the cat amongst the pigeons!’
There had been a change in her, Evan was well aware of that. It was a subtle change but, nonetheless, it was important. It had occurred because of the car crash, and if something good could come out of something bad, then it was this.
The day after the crash she had come to understand how vulnerable she was, how mortal, and she accepted that life as such was not in her control. Life was life. It happened. And you never knew what was going to come at you. Or how you would defend yourself. The only thing she was certain of was herself. And unexpectedly, she knew exactly
who
she was. Not her mother, not her father, not her grandmother Glynnis.
She was herself.
And she
knew
herself. And with this sudden knowledge came the understanding that no one could lead her life for her.
It was her life. And how she lived it was up to her. She knew deep in her bones that she must take charge of herself very firmly, no longer be influenced by her father, her image of him, or by the past. The past was always there, lived inside of you, and it helped to make you who you were. But it had to be placed in its own perspective. The past could not dominate the future.
And so Evan had made her mind up to be open and straightforward with her parents, her father in particular, and that was exactly what she intended to do.
In the same way, she had made up her mind to be absolutely honest with Gideon. The moment he had arrived she had told him about their baby. She hadn’t expected him this afternoon, but she had taken it in her stride, taken a deep breath and plunged, in a way revelling in the truth. What a wonderful relief it was to be truthful.
Pushing herself up before either man could help her, she steadied herself against the table, and then walked across the room, carefully manoeuvring her leg in the cast. It was good to be upright. Her ribcage hurt much less when she was standing. Sitting down wasn’t too bad either. But when she lay down to sleep she felt discomfort, even a little pain. Despite this, she kept telling herself how fortunate she had been on Saturday.
Laughingly, Linnet had said yesterday that she had a guardian angel, and perhaps she did. All she knew was that her baby was safe inside her, and she herself was strong and vital and would soon be back to normal.
Deep inside she was thrilled that Gideon was thrilled. His response to the news had been genuine, and there was no question in her mind that they would now be able to work things out. Especially after today.
Her parents were due at any moment, and she had decided she was going to tell her father the truth about Robin. He would find out one day anyway, and in the not-too-distant future, and so she felt the necessity to explain everything to him in advance. Forewarned was forearmed, wasn’t it?
‘Are you all right, sweetheart?’ Gideon called across the room, interrupting his conversation with Robin.
‘I’m fine and dandy,’ she shot back, smiling at him, ‘I just needed to be upright, to stretch. My ribcage gets a bit…uppity.’
He laughed with her and turned back to Robin, delved back into their conversation about terrorism. Robin had been talking about the attacks on New York and Washington. As a former Member of Parliament Robin knew what was what, still had a lot of important connections. Gideon always thought of his great-uncle’s knowledge as being fine tuned, very much the truth. Having been an MP for most of his adult life, he certainly knew enough men of power in the government today to get some quick and honest answers.
Evan, standing near the window, watched them talking for a moment or two longer, smiling to herself. Gideon would be a father in seven months and Robin a great-grandfather. Her child was going to be well blessed. She wondered if she were carrying a girl or a boy? She would know the sex when she went for the amniocentesis test.
At this moment she heard a car in the driveway, and walking back to the card table she said, ‘I think Mom and Dad are just arriving, I heard a car pulling up.’
‘Did they drive?’ Gideon asked, sounding surprised.
‘Oh yes, Dad insisted. He said he knew the way. The night we had dinner, when they first arrived in London, he told me he’d been to Yorkshire as a child.’
Robin looked as if he was about to say something, and then obviously changed his mind. Rising, he walked over to the window, stood next to Evan, and putting his arm around her, he said, ‘Let me second-guess you, my dear. You invited me because you’re going to tell him who I am, aren’t you?’
‘Do you think I’ll have to, Robin?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You two look very much alike. Don’t you agree, Gid?’
‘Afraid so,’ he laughed, and joined them; laughing again, he added, ‘And we look like a very formal church welcoming committee, the way we’re standing here looking so serious.’
‘I’m just more comfortable standing at the moment,’ Evan explained, leaning against Robin.
Margaret appeared in the doorway and said, ‘Oh hello, Gideon, I didn’t know you were here.’
‘I just crept in like a little church mouse, Margaret,’ he answered, his manner jovial, ‘like I’ve done all of my life.’
‘Aye, that you have,’ she shot back, and then looking across at Evan she continued, ‘Your parents have arrived, Miss Evan, I’ve shown them to their room. They’ll be down in a moment or two, they’re just freshening up. I told them where the library is. I’m going to bring the tea-tray in straight away. They must be parched. Not to mention famished.’
‘Thank you,’ Evan replied as Margaret disappeared.
‘I’d better move those few things off the coffee table,’ Gideon muttered almost to himself, hurrying over to the fireplace. He removed an ashtray, a bowl of flowers and a book, placed them on a side table, then pulled two chairs closer to the sofa. ‘There, that’s fine, we can now seat five. In a circle.’
Margaret returned with a large wooden tray laden with the tea things. After placing it on the coffee table, she told them, ‘Back in three shakes of a lamb’s tail with the nursery sandwiches, scones and one of my cream sponge cakes.’
‘My mouth’s watering already,’ Gideon told her, offering Margaret a winning smile. ‘And your jam-and-cream sponge is the best in the world. None like it anywhere.’
‘You’ve always been a flatterer, Mr Gideon,’ she muttered and left the library again. Returning a few moments later the housekeeper came back with a second tray of food, which she placed on the desk. ‘Do you want me to stay and pour, Miss Evan? Or can you manage?’
‘I think we’ll be all right, Margaret. Thanks anyway.’
‘I’m a dab hand at pouring tea and passing cake,’ Gideon reassured Margaret, who nodded and was off again, hurrying to the kitchen.
Gideon said, ‘I’m glad I’m here to witness this, Evan. How’re you going to do it?’
‘I’m not sure…play it by ear, I guess.’
‘It’s up to you, my dear,’ Robin ventured. ‘Don’t do it for
me
…’
‘I want to do it for myself, for my child, for Gideon, and for
you,
Robin. The truth matters to us all, don’t you think? Especially under the circumstances with my child on the way.’
‘Indeed it does,’ he responded, looking at Gideon. ‘I’m sure you agree?’
‘I certainly do. Are you going to tell them about the baby, Evan?’
‘Maybe.’
‘In which case, let me just say this…since we’re engaged I am expecting you to marry me, and as soon as possible. Please say yes.’
‘Yes!’
‘Yippee! We’re finally getting married!’
Listening to them both, Robin smiled to himself. They were going to be all right, these two, definitely all right. And very happy together, if he knew anything at all about human nature. They were well suited.
Suddenly Owen and Marietta were hovering uncertainly on the threshold of the library, staring into the cavernous room.
‘Mom! Dad! Come in, come in,’ Evan cried, hobbling forward, her face full of smiles. ‘It’s wonderful to see you both.’
Her mother rushed into the room but embraced her gingerly. ‘I know all about broken ribs,’ she whispered against her hair. ‘Oh Evan, thank God you’re all right. I’ve been so worried about you.’
‘I’m great, Mom, really fine.’
A moment later her father was kissing her cheek, grabbing her hand. ‘We’re so glad to see you, honey,’ he said, his bright blue eyes warm and loving as they searched her face. ‘You’re sure you’re all right? No internal injuries?’
‘Don’t be silly, Dad! The doctor wouldn’t have let me come out of the hospital if that were the case.’
Gideon was suddenly by their side, hugging her mother, shaking her father’s hand. ‘It’s good to see you both, Mr and Mrs Hughes. Welcome to Pennistone Royal.’
‘We’re glad to be here,’ Marietta answered, giving him a wide smile. ‘We’re only–’ Marietta stopped speaking as she caught sight of Robin standing near the fireplace. She stared at him, then looked at Owen swiftly.
Not missing a thing, Evan saw her opportunity, took hold of her father’s hand and said, ‘I want you to meet someone, Dad. This is Robin Ainsley, Emma Harte’s son.’
Leading Owen over to Robin, she went on, ‘Grandfather, I want you to meet your son at long last. Dad, I hope this is not too much of a shock but this is your biological father…he and Glynnis were together during the war.’
Robin put out his hand.
Owen took it, staring at Robin, recognizing himself in the older man. For a long moment he was unable to speak.
It was Robin who spoke the first words. Releasing Owen’s hand, he said, ‘We met once before, so long ago I’m sure you’ve forgotten it. Here in this house with my mother, your grandmother, Emma Harte. Glynnis…your mother brought you to see Emma, and I stopped by, quite unexpectedly. Do you remember?’
‘Vaguely,’ Owen replied quietly, staring intently at Robin. ‘We’d come up to Yorkshire because Mom loved it so much. We came here to tea. Yes, I do remember. But I didn’t know…you were my father. I thought Richard Hughes was my father.’
‘And he was, Owen, he was! He brought you up, loved you as his own. He
was
your father and a wonderful one,’ Robin told him in all sincerity. ‘You must understand that.’
Owen simply nodded.
Marietta came forward, edging closer to Owen, and he said quickly, ‘This is my wife, Marietta.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you.’ Robin took her hand in his, smiled at her.
‘My goodness, don’t you look alike,’ Marietta exclaimed after a moment. ‘I always thought Owen resembled Richard. But he’s the spitting image of you.’
She had been remarkable. So remarkable, in fact, she had startled him. And brave…to be as honest as she had been
had
taken bravery. She had spoken out, left nothing to chance, speculation or innuendo, and it had worked. Perhaps because of her genuineness and simplicity. And she had been so straightforward, had not dressed her words up, and that counted too.
Now she lay stretched out on the bed next to him, propped up by pillows for comfort, dozing in the dim light of early evening. She had been so tired all of a sudden, he had helped her upstairs to her bedroom, and stayed with her…because he didn’t want her to be alone, and because he himself had felt so utterly alone of late, so lonely and solitary without her. Their differences had created distance between them…but now, thank God, that distance had closed, and no matter what happened in their life together, he would not let anything come between them ever again.
Gideon propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Evan’s face. Calm in repose, and lovely. How could he have ever doubted her? Through his own stupidity, of course.
He had known when he first met her nine months ago that she was different from the other women he had known, that she was as straight as an arrow, a young woman with moral fibre and ethics, and great intelligence. It had been her ambivalence of late that had put him off. That, and her attitude to her father. But her adoration of Owen was only natural–he felt the same way about his own father, didn’t he?
He moved a strand of hair away from her face, and she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
He stared back at her, a smile playing around his mouth, his clear green eyes filled with love, spilling that love for her.
‘Penny for your thoughts, Gideon Harte.’
‘That’s simple. I was thinking how much I love you.’ He placed his hand on her stomach gently. ‘And how much I love this child of ours growing inside you.’