The Secret Father by Kim Lawrence

Author:Kim Lawrence [Lawrence, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1998-06-11T04:00:00+00:00

‘Quit bellyaching,’ Sam advised a fellow actor. ‘We’re all hot and we’re all tired.’ He turned to a technician and said something which appeared to galvanise the small group into action.

Lindy ignored the voices that told her they were shooting and walked straight up to Sam.

‘I want to talk to you.’

‘Cut!’ he snapped, turning to her.

Lindy’s whole attention was focused on him. The fact that he was holding onto the shreds of his temper with difficulty made no impression on her. She felt no embarrassment that people were watching her and Sam, waiting for him to blow up. She didn’t even hear her sister’s anxious voice.

Sam looked at her face and his expression shifted from anger to concern. ‘Are you ill?’

She avoided the hand he stretched out. ‘No,’ she denied. ‘I just need to talk to you—now.’ She walked away, leaving him to follow her.

‘Do you want to tell me what this is all about?’ Sam had only paused long enough to give instructions to the crew.

Lindy watched as he closed the trailer door. She realised for the first time that he was in costume. He was wearing a dinner jacket and black tie. He looked watchful, tense, but there was a strong sense that he could explode any moment. Lindy felt strangely objective as she summed him up.

‘I was talking to Magda…’

‘Is that all?’ He visibly relaxed. A grain of irritation even entered his voice. ‘It’s the last time I let sentiment overrule common sense when I employ someone. I can explain about Magda.’

Lindy made an imperative gesture and cut in impatiently, ‘She told me you have a son.’

‘Did she?’

His expression gave as little away as his words, but Lindy knew no denial meant only one thing. She felt physically sick. The blood was thundering in her ears. Please let him deny it, she prayed. Please!

‘Do you, Sam?’ Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Every small detail of the scene was etching itself on her consciousness.

‘I was going to tell you about him when the time was right.’

‘And when would that have been?’ Her voice was brittle and accusing, but it was the expression in her eyes that checked his intent to touch her. She was looking at him with icy condemnation. He recoiled from the rejection he saw there.

‘From your reaction, I’m not sure it would have made any difference.’ The joy was suddenly gone from the day; she was a stranger. ‘Ben is—’

‘You know his name, then?’ she cut in scornfully.

‘Ben is nearly thirteen.’

‘You can do simple mathematics, Sam, but how many of his birthdays have you seen?’

A flicker of something close to pain passed across his face, but Lindy was too caught up in her own orgy of anguish and disillusionment to notice. How could she have been so stupid? She’d been taken in by his charm, but it was all superficial. He was no different from Paul.

‘There are circumstances which make it impossible…’

‘Sure there are,’ she sneered. ‘There always are. Circumstances like your lack of backbone and decency.

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