Wicked Pleasures by Penny Vincenzi

Author:Penny Vincenzi [VINCENZI, PENNY]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FIC000000, FIC027000, FIC027020, FIC008000
ISBN: 9781468301977
Publisher: Overlook
Published: 2012-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

Georgina, 1984

Georgina had not realized quite how miserable it all made her until she sat in the library with Charlotte and Baby next day, listening to Charlotte’s clear, precise voice as she told him who Tommy Soames-Maxwell was. Charlotte had insisted on talking to Baby about their parentage; she said they needed grownup help. Thinking of Max’s defiant, almost angry face the night before, of Alexander’s, grey with shock, and his retreat into his own, withdrawn world that morning, and of Tommy Soames-Maxwell’s horribly relaxed, over-confident entry into their lives, Georgina had agreed. She hated the thought of telling anyone, even Baby, but Charlotte was right: they couldn’t manage on their own. ‘That man is dangerous,’ Charlotte had said, ‘he could resort to blackmail, anything. I may have to talk to Charles as well.’

Baby was clearly as upset as they had been. He downed three large bourbons very quickly and then sat staring at Charlotte when she had finished with an expression of dreadful sadness on his face.

‘I just don’t get it,’ he said, over and over again, ‘I just don’t get it.’

‘Nor do we,’ said Georgina quietly. She heard her voice wobble.

‘And your father won’t talk about it?’

‘Not beyond that very first day. He just acts like nothing had happened, like we didn’t know.’

Baby was silent, and then he sighed very heavily. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I don’t know what to think, but I do know that your mother was a very special person and in no way some kind of scheming adulteress. There has to be an explanation, we just have to find it.’

‘Yes, well, maybe,’ said Charlotte. She sounded faintly impatient. ‘Meanwhile, Uncle Baby, will you talk to this Soames-Maxwell for us? We’re frightened of what he might do.’

‘Well –’ He looked wary. Then he said, ‘Yes, darling, of course I will. I don’t know how much good it will do, but I’ll try. One thing’s for sure. There’s no great rush; he’s not going to go away. Not now he’s found us.’

Georgina felt tears beginning to well into her eyes again; she brushed them impatiently away. Baby looked at her and opened his arms; she crawled into them as if she had been ten, rather than twenty.

‘Don’t worry, darling,’ he said, and his voice was gentle and almost cheerful, ‘don’t worry. We’ll sort it out. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’

Georgina wished she could believe him.

‘This feels all wrong,’ said Georgina. She was lying in her rather large bed, Kendrick’s head on her naked breasts. ‘I heard your dad saying to mine last night that we were like brother and sister.’

‘It feels great to me,’ said Kendrick. ‘If this is incest, let’s go with it.’

‘Well, I suppose we are only cousins. I think that’s just about legal.’

‘I’m sure it is. You’ve got family relationships on the brain.’

‘So would you have.’ She sighed.

‘I guess so.’

She had told him. He had found her late that afternoon, sitting, fretful and tear-stained, on the back terrace; Max had whisked Tommy up

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