The answer came to him immediately, with no conscious thought. ‘I already know what I want,’ he said quietly. ‘I want you.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
Doug paced his living room floor. Where the heck was she? As far as he could remember, this was the only time in his life he’d asked his mother a favour. He was counting on her to at least turn up and hear him out. Not out of love – he’d given up expecting that a long time ago – but out of human decency.
The next ten minutes dragged by as he divided his attention between his watch and the driveway until at last he saw a dark blue Jaguar sweep through the gates. He took a few deep, calming breaths and went to open the door.
‘Douglas.’
There was an awkward pause before the woman on the doorstep turned her cheek towards him.
‘Mother.’ He gave her a dutiful peck. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘I’ve had to lie to your father to be here. I hope whatever you’re going to tell me is worth that.’
For her it wouldn’t be, but Doug had given over a large part of his life protecting her. He wanted some of that life back.
He led her into the living room. ‘Would you like a drink?’
She settled herself into the armchair, crossing her legs. ‘Am I going to need one?’
Choosing to ignore her statement about the drink he sat down on the sofa opposite, taking a moment to study her. With her back ramrod straight and her shoulders square, she looked almost regal. His mother was still a very elegant, attractive woman but now he’d met Abby he knew what was lacking about her. She was cold.
Leaning forward, he rested his hands on his knees and got straight down to business. ‘Your husband, aka my non-biological father, chose to sack my personal assistant a few days ago.’
‘Is this the blonde you brought to the ball?’
He bristled. ‘If you mean the lady with the blonde hair, Abby, then yes. She was filling in for me in a meeting, doing what I’d asked her to do, yet your husband’s contempt for me led him to invent some trumped up charge and ruin her professional future.’
‘What does this have to do with me?’
He caught her eye and held it. ‘The reason he’s able to throw his weight around, treat me and those close to me like dirt knowing I won’t fight back, is because he’s blackmailing me.’
‘That’s ridiculous.’
He smiled at her sadly. ‘Why isn’t it a surprise that you don’t believe me?’
‘But how?’ She frowned, a hint of confusion in her expression. ‘What have you done?’
‘Thanks for your vote of confidence.’
‘Come on, you have to admit this all sounds highly unlikely.’ She re-crossed her legs, waving a dismissive hand at him. ‘Tell me how Charles is supposed to be forcing you to bend to his every whim.’
Staring straight back at her, he clearly and succinctly outlined his father’s threats.
When he’d finished, Doug watched closely for a reaction, but his mother was as good at hiding her thoughts as he was. Something they’d both learnt to do after years of living with a bully.
‘Why are you telling me all this now?’ she asked at length.
It wasn’t quite as good as I’m so sorry he’s put you through this or even thank you so much for looking after me, but it was exactly what he’d expected.
‘I could stand working in a job I hated, for a man I loathed, as long as I was the only person affected. Now he’s started on Abby and I’m not willing to let a woman I care for be trampled on.’
She gave him a puzzled look. ‘You’re referring to this blonde?’
‘I’m referring to Abby, yes. I won’t have her pushed out of a job she’s far better at than I am.’
‘She’s a personal assistant.’
‘She’s a woman with a degree and a flair for the business that puts me to shame.’
His mother pursed her lips, running her fingers absently over the arm of the chair. And people thought he took a long time to answer, he thought grimly.
‘What do you propose to do then?’ she asked eventually.
‘Call his bluff. Tell him to go ahead and inform the world I’m not his son. He may choose to throw you all out of the house, of course. If he does we’ll have to deal with the consequences.’
Her mouth hardened. ‘You mean your sisters and I will need to deal with them.’
He looked her square in the eyes. ‘Yes.’
There was another irritatingly long pause before she spoke again. ‘So you’ve decided to put this woman’s career above your sisters’ welfare? Above mine?’
‘Yes.’ He expected to feel guilt, but it was hard to when he imagined how Abby must have felt when she’d been sacked for doing her job. ‘I have an ace up my sleeve though, so I don’t think it will come to that.’
‘As it’s my future you’re risking, will you tell me what the ace is?’
‘You’ll find out soon enough.’
With a sharp nod of her head she rose to her feet. ‘I guess that’s that then. I don’t suppose I can stop you from doing what you plan.’
‘You can’t.’
Her eyes searched his, as if assessing the strength of his determination. He stared unblinkingly back at her.
‘She’s got to you, this girl, hasn’t she?’
‘Yes.’ She’d done more than got to him. She’d buried herself deep inside him.
‘Then I should probably thank you for warning me of your intention.’
He’d put his life on hold for eight years and she was thanking him for the warning? ‘Will you tell Margaret and Thea? I’d do it myself but as they don’t know I’m a half brother, it might be better coming from you.’
‘Yes.’
He was pretty good at not saying very much, but his mother was a master at it.
When she reached the front door she halted. ‘When will you see Charles?’
‘Tomorrow.’
She nodded and he was about to open the door when she surprised him. ‘You say you hate your job. What would you rather be doing?’
‘Painting.’
Her face showed the hint of a smile. ‘Yes. You always did love art as a child. Your father … your biological father … was an artist, too. Patrick O’Shea. Perhaps you should look him up one day and compare styles.’
Doug grabbed at the door handle as his knees threatened to buckle. It was the first time she’d ever mentioned his real father. ‘Am I allowed to ask why?’ When she looked blank he added. ‘Why did you have an affair?’
Instantly her face shut down. ‘That’s my business.’
‘It is, but as the results of it had a direct impact on my life, I think I’m entitled to know.’
Her jaw tightened, and her hands gripped at her handbag. ‘I married Charles in good faith. Oh I knew he could be bombastic and domineering, and it wasn’t a marriage made in love, but I thought we could make it work. He wanted a pretty wife who could make him look good and provide an heir.’ She dropped her gaze to her hands. ‘I was a cocktail waitress, fed up with being pawed by dirty old men. Fed up with being poor. I wanted security. Money. To be somebody.’
Doug felt his heart start to pound. He’d never heard his mother talk of her past. ‘What went wrong?’
She gave him a thin smile. ‘I expect you can work that out for yourself, having been at the sharp end of his temper.’
‘Did he hit you?’ It was a question he’d asked himself many times since that awful night.
She shook her head. ‘No. His strikes were more emotional than physical, though it’s hard to say which are the more damaging.’
‘And Patrick?’ he asked softly, already guessing the answer.
Briefly her face softened, and a hint of warmth entered her eyes. ‘He was a flirt, a charmer. A man who made me laugh. Who made me feel wanted.’
‘So why not leave Charles?’
She gave him a bitter smile. ‘Because I wanted the status, and the wealth, too much.’ Her eyes darted
away and she gave herself a little shake, as if horrified at the glimpse she’d given of the real woman behind the Lady Faulkner façade. When she turned back to him, she touched her lips briefly against his cheek. ‘Goodbye, Douglas.’
He watched as she stepped elegantly into the Jaguar. From cocktail waitress to lady of the manor. Had it really been worth the price she’d paid?
Abby was sitting with her father in the living room, half-watching an inane soap, when Mandy tiptoed down the stairs to join them.
‘Is he asleep?’ She hoped for her sister’s sake that George had finally given in and closed his eyes.
‘He’s quiet, so I thought I’d risk it. I crept out of the room on my hands and knees. How sad a mother am I?’
‘As sad as your own mother,’ their father answered. ‘She used to do the exact same thing to all of you.’
‘Ah, did she?’
There was silence for a few moments while they all remembered the woman who’d been such an important part of their lives.
‘Not seeing that man of yours tonight, Abby?’ her father asked eventually.
‘No, he’s seeing his mum.’ She stopped there, no doubt leaving them with an image of Doug having a cosy night in with a sweet old lady.
‘You’ve forgiven him for losing you your job, then?’
Even Mandy winced at that. ‘Dad,’ she scolded. ‘That’s a bit harsh.’
‘Is it? Abby does what her boss tells her and she gets the sack? Doesn’t seem right to me.’
‘That’s because you don’t understand the full picture.’ Abby rubbed her father’s arm. ‘I told you before, I know you’re being supportive but I don’t need you wading in with both feet. Doug’s handling it.’
Her father grunted. ‘It’s been two days and I’ve not seen Faulkner senior knocking on our door yet, begging on his hands and knees.’
Mandy giggled. ‘Now that I’d like to see. Lord Faulkner pleading for our Abby to work for him.’
‘And why not?’
Knowing her father was winding up for another of his my daughter’s more than good enough to work for the likes of him rant, she kissed his cheek, hoping to placate him. ‘The situation’s more complicated than you think. Give Doug the time he needs to resolve things.’
His sharp brown eyes studied her. ‘You’re sure about this bloke, Abby? Really, really sure?’
‘Yes.’ She pushed against the tightness in her chest, daring to say the words she’d been thinking for the last few days. ‘I’m falling in love with him.’
Her father blinked, his face going a shade paler. ‘Enough that you might be thinking of leaving home sometime soon?’
Oh God. It was all there in his eyes. His worry for her. His love for her. But also his concern about what this might mean for all of them.
‘Hey, don’t start pushing me out yet. I’ve only just started dating him. We all know how easily relationships can go wrong.’ Especially when the man you’re dating thinks he can’t do them. ‘Besides, I’m quite happy with where I am now.’
‘And how happy were you two nights ago, I wonder,’ Mandy piped up, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. ‘When you stayed over at his.’
‘Mandy!’ Abby could feel herself blushing furiously.
The shrill sound of her phone burst into the moment.
‘Thank God for that,’ her father muttered.
On seeing who it was, Abby dashed upstairs, away from prying ears.
‘Hello.’ And crikey, where had this shy feeling come from?
‘Hello, yourself.’ His soft, deep voice made her almost giddy. ‘Missing me?’
‘Yes.’ Bam. No hesitation. She sank despairingly onto her bed. ‘Well, there’s my chance to play cool blasted into smithereens. Moving quickly on, how did it go with your mum?’
A small pause. ‘Surprisingly well. She recognised she couldn’t stop me calling my father’s bluff, promised she’d warn Thea and Margaret of the potential ramifications and thanked me for telling her.’
‘I … umm, well that’s good.’
Another pause because, unlike her, he thought before he spoke. ‘You’re dying to tell me you told me so, aren’t you? Why are you holding back?’
She settled further onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. ‘I thought I’d try to be more mature.’
‘Don’t.’
‘Don’t what?’
‘Don’t change, Abby,’ he replied quietly. ‘You’re perfect just the way you are.’
And wow, he might not say many words but those he did say were dynamite. ‘I’m not, you know, though I definitely like your thinking.’
There was another pause and she chose to imagine he was smiling. ‘I’ll see my father tomorrow,’ he said eventually. ‘I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to get you your job back, but I’m going to damn well try.’
‘I don’t care about the job. I’ll get another one, though obviously my boss won’t be as good.’
‘Obviously.’
‘The most important thing is for you to get out of your father’s control, away from Crumbs. It’s high time you did what you want to do, not what you’ve been forced to do.’
The silence that followed was so long Abby ended up glancing down at the phone to check if it had run out of battery. ‘Will you still want to go out with a penniless artist?’ he asked finally.
Ah, so that was what he was stewing over. ‘Someone once bragged to me that the so-called penniless artist can sell paintings at ten thousand pounds a pop. And that he’s going to be showing in New York soon.’
‘I revise my question. Will you still want to go out with an arrogant reasonably well-off artist?’
‘I’ll always want to go out with you, Doug.’ It was probably too much, too soon, but she’d never been much good at hiding her feelings.
‘I might hold you to that,’ he replied quietly. ‘I guess I’d better let you get back to whatever it was you were doing.’
‘Watching television with Dad and Mandy. I know how to live.’
His answering soft laughter rippled through her and she wished she could see him. See those beautiful eyes shining at her. ‘Can I call round tomorrow evening? Maybe take you out for dinner?’
Jeeze. She’d just told him she’d always want to go out with him. Surely he knew the answer to that question. ‘Well, let me see,’ she teased. ‘There are a number of really good soaps on the telly tomorrow.’
‘The following day then?’
What? Shutting her eyes, she flopped back on the bed. How did this man not realise what he meant to her? ‘I’d love to see you tomorrow,’ she told him firmly. ‘I’d love it even more if instead of a restaurant you’d take me to your house, let me cook you a meal and then …’ The confidence left her all of a sudden. She wasn’t used to being so bold.
He cleared his throat. ‘And then?’
‘And then I’d like you to take me to that big bed of yours.’
He cleared his throat more loudly. ‘And then?’
Laughter whooshed out of her. ‘And then you can decide what to do with me.’
She heard the smile in his voice. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow at my house then. Oh, and Abby, by the way.’ He paused, his next words spoken more softly. ‘I missed you, too.’
Abby held the phone to her chest and smiled dreamily up at the ceiling. She’d told her dad she was falling in love with Doug, but she suspected that wasn’t quite true.
She was pretty certain she was already there.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
After parking in his usual space in the Crumbs car park Doug pulled out his mobile and scanned the screen. He’d had three texts during his drive to work.
He read Abby’s first. Hurry up and get through today. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do to me in your big bed.
Chuckling he scrolled down to Thea’s. Tell Dad to stuff his job. I can’t believe you’ve been doing it all these years for our sake. Thanks for looking after us, bro, but time to look after yoursel
f now.
And finally he read Luke’s. Good luck, mate. This is long overdue. If you need any help grappling the son-of-a-bitch to the ground just shout.
He quickly dashed off a reply to Abby. I hope you won’t be disappointed. Then he read it back and deleted the first two words. You won’t be disappointed. Grinning, he hit send.
A knock on his window made him sit up with a start. ‘Mother? Is everything okay?’
‘Yes.’ She glanced around. ‘I’d like a quick word.’
‘Sure.’ He grabbed his jacket from the passenger seat and climbed out. ‘Shall we go to my office?’
‘No. I don’t want to bump into Charles.’ She pointed to her Jaguar a few places behind his. ‘Let’s sit in my car.’
At her instruction he hopped into the passenger seat. It felt oddly intimate when she sat next to him and closed the door.
She must have felt the awkwardness too, because when she spoke her voice trembled slightly. ‘I wanted to catch you before you spoke to Charles.’ He noticed she didn’t say your father. ‘After I left you last night I went to see Sebastian, Charles’s lawyer. We’re … friends.’
Doug stared at her incredulously. ‘Oh my God, you’ve slept with him too, haven’t you?’ When she didn’t say anything, just stared rigidly ahead, her lips pursed, he started to laugh. ‘Well, well. That’s certainly one way to screw your husband. Sleep with his trusted lawyer.’
‘I didn’t deliberately set out to do it,’ she replied tightly. ‘And Charles has hardly been faithful. He’s dangled three mistresses in front of my face. Goodness knows how many he’s had behind my back.’ For a moment they were both silent, then she spoke again. ‘Living with your father … Charles … hasn’t been easy. Especially after he found out he wasn’t your father.’ She looked directly over at him. ‘He made us both suffer. There were times I felt so lonely.’
He could empathise with that. ‘Perhaps you would have felt less lonely if you’d interacted with your children more.’
He watched her flinch but didn’t feel too much sympathy. She could have left Charles, but she’d chosen a title and wealth over happiness.
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