He made a second call to Windy’s nephew, Cullen, and asked him if he could drive him to the airport in St. John’s where he would fly out on his private jet. He wasn’t due at his office in Montreal until mid-week but he couldn’t face the idea of going home. He needed time to think. Surely there was something he could do to untangle the web of deceits. Not that there was any guarantee that even that action would be enough to make a life with Chloe possible. Because it was hard to know in his case what was more damning - the lies or the truth.
Chapter 5
Chloe dropped Sophia off at her enrichment class in Puffin’s Cove. It was located in a church basement, and each week there was a Friday afternoon program for gifted children in the community. Chloe was relieved that the teachers were expecting Sophia, because she had been unsure whether Sophia was to keep attending now that Chloe was her teacher.
Of course it should have been a simple matter of asking Gaelan, but she hadn’t seen Gaelan since Monday when he’d taken the injured eagle to the vet’s. After that, he apparently decided to go to Montreal for business and would be gone for at least a week.
Chloe was still furious with him. He must have seen how much his daughter needed him at such a time. The poor child had been distraught over the bird. Even when the vet called to say the bird had survived the operation, Sophia had still worried. Unable to sleep, she’d asked Chloe if she could sleep in her bed, and Chloe relented, making room not only for the child but the cat and the teddy bear as well.
Chloe remembered her last glimpse of Gaelan on the headland. He’d been efficient, she had to give him that, and his concern for the bird was obvious, but he could have shown some concern for poor Sophia as well. Even if he didn’t think it was a good idea for Sophia to accompany him to the vet’s, at least he could have provided some comfort or a few kind words. And then to go to Montreal and leave it up to the vet to phone home with the news - she couldn’t think of anything more thoughtless.
In the Jeep she’d been given to drive, Chloe had taken Sophia to the vet’s every day to see the bird. It was going to be okay, and the vet explained it would be released when well enough to fly. The hunter had been caught too, and it was unlikely he would be shooting any more birds as he was now forbidden to own or use a gun.
Chloe parked the Jeep on the steep main street of the town. First she picked up her coat from the drycleaners where she’d taken it after recovering it from the seat of Gaelan’s Rolls. They had been able to remove the bloodstains left behind by the injured bird, and Chloe was grateful for its familiar warmth.
The harbour was still choked with ice, and the boats lined up on the shore were still shrouded in their winter wrappers. A raucous group of gulls fought over the remains of a dead fish, their cries filling the cold air. Most of the town’s cafés and shops were closed until the summer tourist season, but Chloe found a bookshop where she purchased a novel and a history of Newfoundland.
She walked around the harbour, admiring the stark beauty of the weather-beaten greyed shops and houses. It was nice to have this afternoon to herself, especially knowing that Sophia was getting some much-needed time with children her own age. But Chloe was also aware of a melancholy loneliness. She told herself it was natural. She was far from her family, she had no friends here and it seemed no longer in Boston either thanks to Shawn, and she was living in an isolated place. But she knew it was more than that. She found herself thinking of Gaelan, his dark eyes and deep voice finding their way into her dreams both at night and during the day. The sound of a footstep either imagined or real would make her heart beat louder, and she would find herself hoping he was back.
But then she would remember his self-centredness, his arrogance, his lack of affection for Sophia, and her feelings of attraction would be doused by anger. This teeter-totter of emotions had left her nearly exhausted. She wished she could put Gaelan out of her mind. Just think of him as her boss and leave it at that.
The wind off the harbour was icy, and the sky was leaden in colour. By the end of the day, snow or rain would start to fall. Chloe hoped it would hold off until they were home. She hated the thought of driving along the coast road in bad weather. Despite her gloves, Chloe’s hands were cold, and she slipped them into her coat pockets. She turned around and headed back toward the row of shops near the entrance to the harbour. On her way in, she had seen a restaurant with an open sign in the window. She would have a cup of coffee and read her new novel until it was time to pick up Sophia.
The restaurant was bright and cheerful with checked tablecloths and matching café curtains in the windows. A couple with a child about Sophia’s age sat at one of the tables. They seemed happy and comfortable together, and she felt a pang of sadness for Sophia, who she feared would never enjoy the comfort of such a simple family event.
Feeling thoroughly chilled by the cold day, she walked to the back of the restaurant to take a table as far from the door as possible. Then she saw him. Gaelan. He was sitting at the bar reading a newspaper, a bottle of beer at his elbow. She stopped in her tracks, and it seemed to her that her heart stopped too. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in Montreal!
She had taken a hesitant step in his direction when he looked up from his newspaper and turned his head toward her and smiled. She took a faltering step back “I...I’m sorry,” she stammered. The man on the stool was not Gaelan!
She didn’t know how she could tell it wasn’t him, the resemblance was so remarkable. The same thick dark hair, eyes, build, and features, but something was fundamentally different, something that gave him away right away, although for a moment she didn’t know what it was. “I thought you were someone else,” she said but without conviction. Really it was amazing. He smiled again at her, and now she knew what the difference was. The smile! Gaelan would never smile this easily! It would seem frivolous of him. Besides, his intensity would never allow it. He was like the hero in a gothic novel who carried in his very being the dark and stormy night.
“Can I guess who you thought I was?” he asked, still smiling at her, his eyes full of curiosity. His voice too, was different. Lighter, friendlier, but lacking the richness that made Gaelan’s so sexy. She nodded, knowing by his lack of surprise that this had happened before.
“I’m Bowen Byrne, Gaelan Byrne’s twin brother,” he said as he held his hand out to her. She took it, and his grip was warm and firm.
“I’m Chloe Winters,” she said. “I didn’t know Gaelan had a twin.”
“Alas,” he said with an exaggerated Newfoundland accent, “not many people do. My brother and I are not exactly on speaking terms. And you? How do you know my brother?”
Chloe hesitated, absorbing what he said about not being on speaking terms. “I work for him - I’m Sophia’s tutor,” she said.
Again that smile. “How is Sophia? I haven’t seen her since her mother died. She was such a bright little thing.”
“She still is,” Chloe said, hearing the pride in her own voice. Suddenly, she wondered what Bowen could tell her. It’s not just curiosity, she told herself. Although there was lots of that - but it was more important she knew something about Sophia’s mother so as to better understand the situation and help Sophia. Surely the loss of her mother meant something to her, and Gaelan’s refusal to discuss her could only be unhealthy. And Windy was as close-mouthed as Gaelan when it came to the topic. “May I sit down?” she asked.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry. You must think I’m terribly rude.”
Chloe smiled. “Not at all,” she said, taking the stool beside him. Compared to his brother Gaelan, Bowen was extremely polite. Bowen was every bit as good-looking as Gaelan, although a little fairer, she saw that now as the other difference in their looks, but at the same time charming and relaxed. She liked him already.
“May I buy you a drink?” he asked, folding up the newspaper and laying it aside.
“Just coffee,” she said. “I have to pick up Sophia from her enrichment class at three.”
<
br /> “Fine, coffee it is,” he said, signalling the waiter. “How long have you been at Widow’s Cliff?”
“About a week.”
He nodded, and Chloe sensed he was as curious about her as she was about him. “Not long,” he said wryly. “But still probably a record. You and my brother must be getting along famously.”
She smiled nervously. “Not really,” she said, averting her eyes from his, knowing that in those two words her voice had reflected volumes. She blinked rapidly, surprised at the sudden prick of tears at the corners of her eyes. It was as if in that moment all the stress and confusing emotions of the last week caught up to her. She felt the sudden desire to pour out everything that had happened since her arrival, to seek some much needed comfort and kind words. She wasn’t sure Bowen was the right person for that, given she had only just met him, but who else could she turn to?
Bowen placed his hand over hers and gave it a slight squeeze before taking it away again. It was a familiar gesture, and Chloe felt like they could be friends - that he understood a little of what she was going through. “It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “You don’t have to explain. I know my brother probably better than anyone.”
Chloe took a sip of coffee and breathed deeply in order to regain her composure. She knew she was acting inappropriately. She supposed Gaelan’s personal life was none of her business, but on the other hand anything that helped her with Sophia was her business. And it wasn’t like Gaelan had always acted appropriately, she thought, remembering his kisses that first night. “Why aren’t you on speaking terms?” she asked.
“Sophia’s mother,” he said quietly. “Colleen.”
Chloe felt like she was on the brink of a discovery. “Gaelan doesn’t let Sophia talk about her mother. Do you know why?’”
Bowen shrugged. “Guilt, maybe. If Gaelan is capable of such a thing.” He took a sip of his beer. “How much do you want to know?”
Any warning bells still ringing in Chloe’s head about being indiscreet were now entirely drowned out by her overwhelming curiosity to find the truth about Gaelan. The only computer she’d seen in the castle had been in Gaelan’s office, and she worried too much about Gaelan finding out she’d been snooping on the internet. She hadn’t had enough money to keep up the payments on her smartphone and hadn’t had a chance to get a new one yet. So Bowen was her only opportunity to learn about Gaelan. Everything. Tell me everything, she thought to herself, while out loud she said, “Tell me about Sophia’s mother.”
The waitress asked Bowen if he would like another beer. He declined and ordered a coffee instead. “Like you, I’m driving - which reminds me, I parked my car just up the hill, and I should put some money in the parking metre.” He stood up. “Is your car okay? These metres only have an hour on them.”
“I should probably do the same. I’ll come with you.”
“No, wait here where it’s warm.”
“Thanks," she said. “It’s the white Jeep in front of the drugstore.”
She held a dollar coin to him, but he waved it away. “No problem, just don’t let anyone take my stool.”
Chloe ordered another coffee for herself, and Bowen was back just as it arrived. He sat down a little breathlessly. “You wanted to know about Colleen.”
Chloe nodded, hoping she didn’t look as eager as she felt.
Bowen stirred his coffee slowly as if deciding where to begin. “It’s hard to know where to start. Colleen was my girlfriend. I met her in New York. A friend of mine was in a play off Broadway, and I went to see him in it. And there she was.” His voice was full of sadness. “I thought she was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. My friend introduced us, and I’d like to think it was love.”
Chloe could see that it upset him to talk about this. “If this is too hard for you...” Chloe began reluctantly.
“No,” he said firmly. “It was a long time ago. It’s good therapy for me. And you’re a good listener.” He sipped his coffee. “Everything was fine until I introduced her to the family. Gaelan seemed jealous. He’s the older twin, which is why he has Widow’s Cliff. Ours is an old-fashioned family, everything to the oldest child, and I guess Gaelan figured that also meant my girlfriend. Anyway, Gaelan managed to win her away from me. He poured on the charm and, with all his money, he could promise her the world. And I’m afraid she fell for it.
“But after she married him, she discovered what he was really like – cold and jealous. And the isolation of Widow’s Cliff really got to her. She was a model and an actress, and she went near crazy wandering around that creepy castle all by herself. She already felt she was a prisoner there and then she had Sophia.”
He paused, and ran his fingers through his hair. It was a gesture that she had seen Gaelan make, and she was struck again by their similarities - at least in looks and gestures. When it came to personalities, they were miles apart.
“Windy said Colleen didn’t love Sophia,” Chloe said. “Is that true?”
Bowen looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. “Windy’s a good soul but pretty traditional, and I think she’s the only person in the world who believes that Gaelan can do no wrong. I don't think she approved of Colleen wanting another life beyond that of mother and lady of the manor.”
Chloe silently agreed with Bowen’s description of Windy. “So Colleen didn’t keep up her career?”
“How could she? Every time she tried to get to New York for an audition, he’d have an excuse that kept her from going. The weather was too bad to go to the airport… he had something more important… you name it, he came up with it. I think he liked to keep her where he could keep an eye on her.”
“Why?”
“Because she was miserable, and he didn’t want her to get away from him. She was like everything else to him, a possession,” he said bitterly. “To make a long story short, she emailed me. She was terribly depressed. We arranged to meet in St. John’s the next week. I was going to ask her to come back with me to New York, but she never arrived.”
Chloe felt a cold chill. “What happened?”
“She went for a walk along the cliff and never came back.” He swallowed hard. “Her body was never found. The official explanation was that she fell from the cliff and the tide carried out her body.”
“But the fence...”
“I said that was the official explanation. There are gates along the fence. They think she used one of the gates to get closer to the edge and then...”
Chloe paused to let Bowen recover his voice. “You don’t sound convinced,” she said softly. “Do you think she might have committed suicide?”
“Colleen was deathly afraid of heights. She was incapable of going anywhere near the edge of that cliff.”
Chloe absorbed the full meaning of what he was trying to tell her. “You don’t think Gaelan...?” Chloe asked in horror. She knew that Gaelan was cold and arrogant, but a murderer? Bowen must be mistaken!
Bowen shrugged. “Forget it,” he said resignedly. “Maybe it was just an accident,” he said without conviction. “I just think my brother was a little too quick to agree with the accident verdict. He even denied that she was afraid of heights.”
Chloe didn’t know what to say. He seemed reluctant to accuse his brother, but she could tell the doubts were there, eating away at him.
He suddenly straightened and smiled at her. “Don’t listen to me. I’m just a man who had his heart broken. Now let’s talk about something else - I feel bad that our first meeting had to be so heavy.”
Chloe agreed. “But I don’t know that it could have been any different. Given the circumstances.”
“I suppose so,” he said, then brightened. “Do you think I could see you again? I promise to be fun and entertaining.”
Chloe thought for a moment. “I don’t know. What would Gaelan say?”
Bowen laughed bitterly. “Gaelan doesn’t have to know. Don’t forget that you only work for him.”
Chloe felt suddenly defiant.
After all that Bowen had told her, she didn’t think she owed Gaelan any loyalty at all. “How’s Sunday? It’s my day off.”
The Billionaire's Secrets Page 8