And Mother Makes Three by Liz Fielding

Author:Liz Fielding
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-05-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

‘LOOK, Daddy. Mummy’s given me a present.’ Lucy innocently cut through an atmosphere that was suddenly treacle-thick as she lifted the delicate necklace to show it to him.

Fitz let his hands fall from Bron’s shoulders and hunkered down so that he could admire it properly.

‘It’s very pretty—’

‘It belonged to Lucy’s grandmother,’ Bron said, cutting off the inevitable follow-up warning that she would have to take great care of it, be careful not to break it. She had so hated that as a child—the attachment of guilt utterly destroyed the pleasure of the gift. She had never broken things on purpose, she had tried desperately hard not to and she was quite sure Lucy did the same. ‘She would have wanted her to have it.’

‘Belonged?’ He glanced up. Then straightened. ‘I remember that your mother was an invalid—’

Was that the excuse Brooke had given him for not keeping Lucy? That her mother was sick, couldn’t cope? But if Brooke had come home, brought Lucy with her, they would have managed. Somehow they would have managed. But then Brooke would not have been able to leave, to take that wonderful job... ‘She died last week.’

He threw her a startled look. ‘Brooke, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.’ She shook her head. ‘That was why you were at home? I thought it odd—’ He suddenly realised that they had Lucy’s rapt attention. ‘I’ve made the tea, sweetheart. Why don’t you go down and put the cakes on a plate?’

Lucy, still holding Bron’s hand, stood her ground for a moment, but she must have seen something in her father’s face that made her think twice about challenging him. ‘All right, but don’t be long,’ she warned, before bouncing towards the stairs.

‘Slowly, Lucy.’ The words had the resigned quality of those often spoken but rarely heeded and he half turned, listening until he was sure she was safely down. Then he turned back to Bron, ‘To be honest I hadn’t expected to find you in Maybridge—’

‘It must have been your lucky day.’

‘Brooke—’

He seemed perplexed, confused, and she realised that he was going to apologise for behaving the way he had when she was undoubtedly grieving. Well, Brooke wasn’t grieving and Bron would be ashamed to accept his apology on her own account. ‘Fitz, I came to see Lucy.’ She made a move to pass him but he didn’t give way. ‘There isn’t a lot of time,’ she said, just a little desperately. ‘My train leaves at six...’

He fastened his hand about her arm. ‘There’ll be another at seven.’ Had he taken the trouble to check, or was he just guessing? Then, ‘Please, Brooke, you must see that you can’t just waltz into Lucy’s life and out of it again.’

‘Lucy said—’

‘In her letter. I know. But that wasn’t what she meant, you must have known that. We both knew it. Heaven knows I didn’t want you in our lives. I was afraid that once you’d seen her you’d do everything in your power to take her back—well, it seems I was wrong about that.

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