Hidden Chapters by Mary Grand

Author:Mary Grand [Grand, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary Grand
Published: 2016-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Elizabeth left The Dragon House early evening. She felt so full emotion: to think that she had actually met her daughter. They had talked, and got on. Her beautiful daughter who she’d instantly felt a bond with. They’d even laughed at some of the same things. She had never imagined they would have anything in common. But, most of all, she had never expected to feel anything as strongly as this. It was like falling in love. Her emotions were whizzing around. The love hurt her deep down, stabbed at her heart. She hadn’t expected this. She had just agreed to spend tomorrow with Bethan, to take her shopping. Bethan was young, naive, easily impressed; she realised that. But then she had had a sheltered life: look at the way Catrin dressed and behaved. For God’s sake, didn’t the woman have any pride? Bethan deserved to be spoilt, bought nice things. Still, it was all moving so fast. This morning she had had no intention of even speaking to Bethan. But it was too late for regrets. Even if she was to just get in the car and escape to London, she couldn’t undo today, pretend it had never happened.

Elizabeth arrived back at the bungalow. She wanted to get to her room quickly. She didn’t feel like making polite talk. However, Angela was in the kitchen and rushed out to greet her.

‘Hi. Would you like a drink?’

‘No thank you. I think I’ll go and lie down.’

‘I saw you at the service?’ Angela made the statement a rather open-ended question.

‘Mm.’

‘Did you go down to the house as well?’

‘Mmm.’

‘So, do you know the family?’

Elizabeth stared at Angela. The woman looked so normal, so sane. Didn’t she realise the chaos that was going on inside Elizabeth? It was so hard, always trying to look cool and together.

‘I have met them, yes.’

‘I may be completely wrong here, but is it anything to do with Bethan?’

Elizabeth looked at Angela. She nodded. Her throat felt tight with tears. She couldn’t speak.

‘The likeness, you know, is uncanny.’

Elizabeth nodded again. ‘The thing is, you see, well, I am her mother.’ She got the words out, and then she started to cry, huge, heart-wrenching sobs.

‘Hey, come and sit down,’ said Angela, guiding Elizabeth into the living room.

‘I’m so sorry. The thing is we all thought you were, um–’

‘Dead. Yes, you all thought that, didn’t you? That’s what they told everyone: they said I was dead.’ Elizabeth started to cry again.

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘You don’t seem as shocked as everyone else.’

‘To be honest I’ve never trusted my brother-in-law. When Isabel told me what he’d said, I wondered.’

‘So you guessed it was Lloyd telling the lie?’

‘Well, it was, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes.’

‘I thought so. So, how did you meet Aled?’

‘I went over to New York for three months to work in my Dad’s firm. He was an architect, and his firm was associated with Lloyd’s. Aled was there at the same time. We dated a few times. I was a very naive nineteen year old, and very flattered that this handsome older man wanted to date me.

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