by Anne Mather
‘OK,’ she said. ‘I’ll buy it. What are you worried about?’
Lily regarded her with wary eyes. ‘You sound so harsh, my dear. I suppose I’m to blame for that.’
‘No one’s to blame.’ Cleo wasn’t about to discuss Dominic with his mother. ‘But I am rather tired. It’s been a long day.’
‘And the last thing you expected was to find me at the end of it?’
Cleo pulled a wry face. ‘Frankly, yes.’
‘That’s understandable.’ Lily nodded. Then, glancing towards the kitchen, she said, ‘You know, I think I will have a cup of tea, after all.’
Cleo tamped down her resentment and got to her feet. Whatever was going on here, she wasn’t going to find out until Lily was good and ready.
But what could it be? Had Lily found out about her and Dominic? Was she worried that Cleo might be pregnant? That her son might find himself in the same predicament as his father?
She didn’t make herself a cup of tea. She simply poured a cup, added milk, and carried it across to Lily. ‘Sugar?’ she asked, hoping they had some.
But Lily merely shook her head. ‘This is good,’ she said, taking a sip. ‘The English always make the best tea.’
Cleo was tempted to point out that she wasn’t English. But it was too much trouble to attempt to justify herself to her.
Resuming her seat, she said, ‘Are you going to tell me what all this is about? If you’re afraid I might be planning on coming back to live on the island, you can relax. I shall be staying here.’
‘Will you?’
Lily’s lips twisted, and, although she’d professed herself satisfied with the tea, Cleo noticed she only swallowed a mouthful before setting the cup on the low table at her side.
‘I’m hoping I can change your mind,’ she went on, causing Cleo to stare at her disbelievingly. ‘Oh, yes, my dear. I mean it. For my son’s sanity, I think you have to come.’
‘Dominic!’ His name spilled from Cleo’s lips almost automatically. And, despite all the promises she’d made to herself, she felt her heart skip a beat. She took a breath. ‘Dominic sent you?’
‘Heavens, no! He’d be furious if he knew I was here. Only—only his grandfather knows where I am. Like me, Jacob would do anything for his grandson.’
She pressed her hands together in her lap, breathing rather shallowly. ‘I—I’m so afraid he’s going to do something terrible to himself, Cleo. He’s changed so much since you left. I—I don’t think I know him any more.’
Cleo blinked. That was an exaggeration surely.
‘I don’t understand—’
‘His grandfather’s worried, too, of course. He blames himself for a lot of what happened.’ She paused and then continued with some reluctance, Cleo felt. ‘Dom wanted to come after you, you see, but Jacob made him swear he wouldn’t do anything without his consent. He insisted you wouldn’t want to see him. I think even Jacob thought you’d come round in your own time.’
‘Come round?’ Cleo gazed at her and Lily nodded.
‘You should know,’ she said. ‘Your grandfather equates everything with money. He was sure the knowledge that you were his legitimate heir would persuade you to come back.’
Cleo gasped. ‘I don’t care about his money!’
‘No. I think he realises that now.’ Lily sighed. ‘But I’m not here because of Jacob. I want you to know that my son needs you. I never thought I’d say such a thing, but in the circumstances, I don’t have a lot of choice.’
Cleo shook her head. ‘But what about Sarah?’ Her hands were trembling and she trapped them between her shaking knees.
‘Oh, well…’ Lily was distracted. ‘I suppose I hoped something might come of their relationship.’ She sighed. ‘She’s such a lovely girl. And so suitable—’
She broke off abruptly, as if just realising who she was talking to. Then went on, rather heavily, ‘But Dominic doesn’t love Sarah. According to your grandfather, he loves you…’
She reached for her teacup and managed to raise it to her lips without spilling any, even though her hand was shaking, too.
‘Not that he discussed it with anyone,’ she went on, her voice wobbling. ‘He doesn’t discuss his personal feelings at all.’ She set her cup down again with a noisy clatter. ‘He spends every hour God sends either in that damn plane, flying all over the country, or at the office. We hardly see him. I’m very much afraid he’s working himself to death.’
Cleo stared at her. Another exaggeration, she thought, even as her stomach clenched at the images Lily was creating. ‘Dominic has more sense than that.’
‘How would you know?’ Lily stared at her with resentful eyes. ‘You’re not his mother. I am.’
Thank goodness for that, thought Cleo, trying desperately to hang on to her own sanity. And that was a thought she’d never have believed she’d have.
‘I still don’t believe Dominic would do anything foolish,’ she said doggedly. ‘Surely Sarah—’
‘Oh, Sarah’s gone away,’ said Lily at once. ‘The Cordys have family in Miami and I’ve heard she’s staying with them at present.’ She hesitated. ‘As a matter of fact, she had left the island, but then she came back the next day, apparently all ready to forgive him. I think someone had told her you’d gone back to England, and she must have thought she might still have a chance with him.’
Cleo’s jaw dropped.
She was remembering that afternoon when she’d been checking in for her flight to London. She’d wondered why Sarah was in the departure hall when she was supposed to be meeting someone.
My God, Cleo thought now, Sarah had found out she was leaving and taken the next flight back to the island. She’d certainly never mentioned anything about Dominic himself.
Though would she? Cleo asked herself honestly. In Sarah’s position, wouldn’t she have kept her mouth shut, too? After all, Sarah had evidently wanted Dominic. Cleo guessed she must have been secretly clapping her hands.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, but predictably Lily showed little sympathy for the other girl.
‘Oh, the Cordys have always coveted Magnolia Hill,’ she said carelessly. ‘And when Michael had no success with Serena, they set their sights on her nephew instead. I doubt if there was any love involved, my dear, on either side. Even if Sarah’s mother and I did encourage people to think there was. I knew, as soon as I saw you and Dominic together, that you were the one.’
Cleo was stunned. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘Why not?’ Lily’s eyes narrowed. ‘You are attracted to my son, are you not? It’s not a one-sided affair?’
‘No.’ Cleo bent her head. ‘But you don’t like me, do you?’
The silence that followed this statement was formidable. Cleo knew she’d gone too far, but for far too long Lily had had it all her own way.
Then, with a little sigh, Lily said, ‘I—resented you, Cleo. I admit it. You remind me so much of Celeste. I loved your mother, you know, and she betrayed me. I didn’t know about that until Jacob told us what Robert—my husband—had done.’
Cleo drew a tremulous breath. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Yes.’ Lily lifted her shoulders. ‘I was devastated when Celeste died, you know, and her mother took the baby away. Robert told me afterwards that it had died, too, and I had no reason to disbelieve him. I knew nothing about the plans he’d made with the Novaks. That he’d arranged for you to be taken to England with them. The first I heard about it was when Jacob dropped his bombshell. And by the time you arrived, I’d already convinced myself that you were as much to blame as Robert himself.’
Cleo hesitated. ‘I’ve been told that my…father…arranged for me to be adopted by the Novaks because he didn’t want to upset you.’
‘To upset me!’ Lily sounded a little bitter now. ‘I fear Robert sent you away to protect himself. Celeste had died, the only witness to his betrayal. He saw a way out of his dilemma that saved him any disgrace and ensured you would always have a comfortable home.’
‘You look a lot like him,’ said Lily at once. ‘He must have seen that immediately. His eyes; his nose; his mouth. Now you even exhibit certain mannerisms he had. He knew I’d have guessed that he was your father and he couldn’t allow that.’
‘But I thought—because you couldn’t have children of your own—’
‘We’d adopted Dominic, hadn’t we? There was no reason why we shouldn’t have adopted you.’ Lily sighed. ‘My dear girl, that was why he told me you’d died. You see, on top of everything else, you were my half-sister’s child.’
Cleo stared. ‘I’m afraid I—’
Lily grimaced. ‘Robert wasn’t the first member of my family to betray his wife, Cleo. Cleopatra Dubois—your grandmother, the person your mother named you after—was my father’s mistress many years ago. It was supposed to be a secret. As children, we weren’t supposed to know about it. But everybody did. On an island like San Clemente, it’s very hard to keep a secret to yourself.’
Cleo could only gaze at her in wonder. ‘My father knew this, of course.’
‘Of course.’ Lily sounded resigned. ‘He knew who she was long before she came to live with us. But, after we adopted Dominic, I needed help around the house, someone to look after Dominic when I wasn’t there. Celeste offered to be a kind of au pair and I jumped at the chance. We were friends as well as sisters, however unlikely that sounds.’
Cleo was beginning to understand. So many things were slipping into place.
But Lily wasn’t quite finished.
‘Robert hid his affair with Celeste, as much because she didn’t want to hurt me as for any sense of guilt he might have felt. Your father was an arrogant man in many ways, Cleo, but I loved him. I prefer not to think about what might have happened if both you and Celeste had survived.’
Chapter Sixteen
IT WAS strange to be back on San Clemente soil again.
Climbing down from the small aircraft that her grandfather had sent to meet her in Nassau, Cleo looked about her with an odd sense of homecoming.
Which was ridiculous, really. San Clemente had never been her home. Her father had seen to that. And whether her grandfather was right—that Robert had loved both Celeste and his wife and hadn’t wanted to hurt Lily—or Lily’s story that he was a selfish man who’d been trying to hide his own guilt was the real truth, she would never know.
The fact was, she was beginning to see that she had been an innocent victim of her mother’s desires and her father’s lust.
The sight of a tall figure, standing in the shade of the airport buildings, drove all other thoughts from her head.
‘My God,’ she breathed, barely audibly. It was Dominic. Her grandfather had said he would come to meet her himself. What on earth was Dominic doing here?
‘You OK, Ms Novak?’
Rick Moreno, the young pilot, had followed her down the steps and was now regarding her with some concern. And Cleo realised she had come to a complete halt, standing there in the brilliant glare of the afternoon sun.
‘Oh—er—yes. Yes, I’m fine,’ she stammered, managing to put one foot in front of the other, heading somewhat uncertainly for the shelter of the overhang where Dominic was waiting. ‘Thanks, Mr Moreno. I think the sun must be getting to me.’
‘No problem.’
Rick was carrying the suitcase she’d brought with her, and when he saw Dominic he hailed the other man with a cheerful smile.
‘Hey, Mr Montoya,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you.’ He held up the suitcase. ‘You got a car I can load this into?’
‘Um—Mr Montoya may not have come to meet me,’ said Cleo hurriedly, trying not to stare too obviously at Dominic. She glanced around. ‘Isn’t—isn’t Jacob here?’
‘No.’
Dominic’s response was hardly welcoming, but heavens, Cleo could see why Lily had swallowed her pride and come to find her. If she was to blame for his appearance, she had a lot to answer for.
He looked so gaunt. He’d evidently lost weight, and, although his suit was undoubtedly Armani, the trousers hung loosely from his narrow hips.
‘The Roller’s over there,’ he said, and Rick nodded his understanding. He started in that direction, leaving Cleo and Dominic alone.
Dominic didn’t speak and, feeling obliged to make some kind of contact, Cleo said a little awkwardly, ‘I thought your grandfather was going to meet me.’
‘So did I.’
Once again, Dominic’s reply was daunting.
But, gathering her courage, Cleo persisted. ‘Well, thanks for coming, anyway,’ she murmured. Then, gesturing in Rick’s direction, ‘Shouldn’t we follow him?’
Dominic regarded her without expression. ‘What are you doing here, Cleo?’ he asked at last. His voice was as cold as an Arctic winter. ‘I understood you told the old man that you never wanted to see me again.’
Oh…!
Cleo pulled her lower lip between her teeth. How was she supposed to answer that? She had said as much, but the circumstances had been so different then.
Lifting her shoulders, she said, ‘People change.’
‘Do they?’ Dominic wasn’t convinced. ‘Or isn’t it a fact that people have their minds changed for them? Particularly if someone lays a guilt trip on them.’
‘A guilt trip! No…’ Cleo put out her hand to touch his sleeve, but Dominic shifted out of her reach. ‘You don’t understand.’
‘No, I freaking don’t,’ he agreed harshly. ‘But I want you to know that anything my mother has told you is just so much hot air! I don’t want you here, Cleo. I don’t need you. And if I’m the reason you’ve swallowed that stubborn pride of yours, then forget it! As far as I’m concerned, you can turn right around and go back where you came from.’
Cleo winced. He’d meant his words to hurt her and they had. But something—the conviction that Lily hadn’t been lying, or perhaps the haunted expression in his eyes that, try as he might, he couldn’t quite disguise—made her say,
‘This is where I came from, Dominic. Don’t you remember? You told me that.’
Dominic’s jaw clamped. ‘Do you think I care what I said to get you here? My grandfather was dying—he is dying—and I’d have said anything to get you on that plane. But this…’ He made an impatient gesture. ‘This is different. If you’re here now, it’s not because of anything I’ve said.’
Cleo pressed her lips together for a moment. This was going to be so much harder than she’d ever imagined. If she didn’t know better, she’d have said he hated her. Perhaps he did hate her. After all, hatred was akin to love.
With a supreme effort, she pasted a smile on her lips. ‘Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?’ she said, in much the same tone as she’d have used to a child. ‘Shall we get going?’
‘Don’t patronise me, Cleo.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ she said pleasantly. She turned to the young pilot who had deposited his load and was now approaching. ‘Thanks again, Mr Moreno. You’re a star.’
Rick grinned at her, but then, seeing his employer’s glowering expression, he quickly sobered. ‘No problem, Ms Novak,’ he said. He nodded politely at Dominic. ‘I’ll be flying out later tonight, Mr Montoya. Will you be needing me tomorrow?’
‘I’ll let you know.’
Dominic was abrupt and he immediately despised himself for taking his ill humour out on the other man. During the past few weeks, he and Rick had flown together many times, and the young pilot was always good-tempered and polite.
‘Yes, sir.’
Rick executed a salute and then disappeared through the door that led into the terminal building to register his arrival. And, because she guessed their behaviour was being monitored by the airport staff, Cleo headed determinedly towards where the ancient Rolls-Royce convertible that her grandfather was so proud of was waiting.
Rick had stowed her suitcase in the boot. And after tossing her hand lugg
age into the back seat, Cleo pulled open the passenger door and tucked herself inside.
Dominic walked round the vehicle to the driver’s side, yanking open the door and coiling his length behind the wheel. The sleeve of his jacket brushed her bare arm as he did so, and she wondered how he could bear to wear a suit on a day like this.
A faint smell of soap invaded the car at his entrance, and she noticed that the ends of dark hair that brushed his collar at the back were wet. He’d evidently had a shower, either at the house or at his office. Though, judging by the growth of stubble on his chin, he hadn’t stopped to shave.
Even so, she felt a warm feeling inside her at the thought that he’d made an effort on her behalf. It sort of contradicted his assertion that he wanted her to leave. At once.
Or was she just clutching at straws?
She still hadn’t the first idea how she was going to handle this. Was she even capable of doing so? Lily might have confidence in her abilities, but she had no confidence at all.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced his way. She had to get a conversation going, she thought as he drove out of the terminal parking area. She had to try and get him talking before they reached Magnolia Hill and he could abandon her without another word.
Clearing her throat, she said, ‘Aren’t you too hot? I mean, I assume you’ve been to the office, but do you really need your jacket on?’
‘Do you really think it’s any of your business?’ he countered, checking the traffic. Then, with a mocking twist to his mouth, ‘I bet you got the shock of your life when my mother turned up at your door.’
‘How do you—?’
Cleo broke off, realising what she was admitting to, and Dominic’s expression hardened at the obvious slip.
‘How do I know she came to see you?’ he remarked at last, taking pity on her. ‘She told me herself. I think she hoped I’d be impressed.’
‘And, of course, you weren’t,’ said Cleo tersely, resenting his superiority. ‘Anyway, she was worried about you,’ she added. ‘Apparently she never sees you these days.’
‘Well, she must have been worried to have got in touch with you,’ he said, and Cleo caught her breath at the callousness of his words.