The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown

Author:Jacquie Underdown [Underdown, Jacquie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781791908454
Published: 2019-01-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Lily-Rose

Lily-Rose finishes a call with her publicist. What was revealed has left her muscles tensing and her blood rushing through her body. She rounds the corner into the kitchen, nostrils flared, breaths heavy.

Pia is sitting at the table by herself.

“I need you to help me with something,” Lily-Rose says with urgency.

Pia doesn’t respond. Her distant gaze conveys distraction, but Lily-Rose doesn’t have time for this. “Pia?”

Pia frowns as she peers at Lily-Rose. “Mum. Hi. What’s going on?”

Lily-Rose shakes her head and makes a disgusted growl. “Bloody women’s magazines are at it again. There is a four-page spread with defamatory accusations.” Her lips are trembling as the agitation explodes into full-blown hatred.

What traitors they are.

Pia sits up straighter, more alert now. “What have they said?”

“There’s some bullshit story by a man here in Tasmania claiming to be my biological father or some such nonsense.” She runs a shaky hand through her hair. “I swear, these lunatics will be the death of me. Do they have no self-respect at all? Seriously, selling their lies to make money. It’s beyond appalling.”

“Oh god, Mum, I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.”

“I need you to come with me to the newsagency to pick up a copy. I need to see it for myself.”

Pia gets to her feet. “Of course. But do you think it would be best to ignore it?”

“No way. I’m suing this time. That weirdo, I’ll sue him for slander or defamation or whatever the hell I can.”

“Do you want that stress along with everything else going on here?”

Her nose wrinkles with distaste. “I’m not going to sit back and take it.”

“It’s your call. Do we want to drive to the newsagency or walk to blow off some steam?”

“Drive. The quicker I can get my hands on this magazine and enforce damage control, the better.”

They pass her mum and Aunt Grace in the rose garden on their way out, but she doesn’t stop to say good morning. She’s on a mission and no one is going to distract her.

When at the newsagency, Lily-Rose waits in the car while Pia quickly runs in and buys three copies of the magazine. She hates to support the publication by giving them sales, but she needs to know exactly what she is dealing with and have proof for her lawyers.

With twitchy hands, she holds the magazines closed on her lap until she arrives home.

She races up the front path towards the house. Mum pauses to examine them as they rush by. “What are you two doing? You look like you’re about to kill someone, Lily-Rose.”

“I may do so yet,” Lily-Rose says, not stopping to explain.

She marches to the living room, Pia trailing behind her. They take a seat side-by-side on the sofa. She hands one magazine to Pia and opens another for herself. Of course, she’s on the front cover … again.

The first time she saw her face on the cover of a magazine was like tiny explosions of bliss had filled her to bursting. She and Hugh jumped up and down in the newsagency after buying a copy.

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