Marion Lennox - Adopted - Twins!

‘I haven’t done anything,’ Erin said, a trace of trouble in her voice which her friends could hardly miss. ‘It’s Matt who’s transformed them. They follow him like two little shadows.’

‘And that’s a problem?’

‘I think it may be.’

‘Why?’ Wendy probed gently. ‘Maybe Matt’s just what they need.’

‘But it’s a temporary arrangement.’ Erin shook her head and watched the children for a bit longer. ‘I just…worry, I guess. At what will happen when they’re moved on, yet again.’

‘And how about you?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘How about you, Erin Douglas?’ Wendy hadn’t been Erin’s friend for years without being able to read her face like a book, and she didn’t like what she was reading now. ‘How heart-whole and fancy-free are you? When it’s time to move on-will you be able to walk away without a backward glance?’

It was two weeks before Charlotte dropped her bombshell, and those two weeks probably ranked as two of the happiest of the twins’ lives. And Erin’s.

The farm was one huge playground.

Now that Matt had showed his trust in the twins, they repaid him with absolute loyalty. They kept up their allotted duties as Sadie-replacements until Sadie became tired of limping and took her duties back with relish. They obeyed every spoken and unspoken command the wonderful Matt directed at them. Occasionally even Erin was brought up short by the twins’ curt command:

‘Will Matt think this is okay?’

And Matt usually did, because Matt, too, was enjoying himself. The twins and Erin herded his cattle. They helped cut and bale his hay. The climbed his haystacks, they swam in his river, they roamed his farm…

And usually he wasn’t far behind them. If Erin took the twins down to the river for a swim, ten to one he’d arrive within the hour-‘just to check that things are okay’.

‘How can they be anything else?’ Erin would demand. ‘You have the boys hypnotised. Honestly, Matt, they’re starting to love you.’

But he didn’t see the problem. Only Erin saw it, and she worried about it.

And she worried about herself, too. This was only for six months, she told herself firmly. This was only until the Home was rebuilt.

And then she had to walk away from here. And leave Matt to Charlotte.

But it wasn’t to be for six months.

They’d hardly seen Charlotte since Lassendale. Matt had disappeared a couple of times to visit her for dinner, but Erin and the twins were persona non grata with Charlotte-and that was the way they liked it.

So it was with some surprise that they saw her car pull up one morning early after breakfast. Charlotte gave the car door a business-like slam and strode purposefully toward the house.

‘Uh, oh,’ said William, and Erin thought the same. Matt rose to greet his beloved and the three watched with interest. No passionate hugs here, thought Erin. Matt smiled a welcome, but they didn’t even touch.

‘Hi, Charlotte? What brings you here?’

‘Because I’ve been longing to see you.’ That was what she should have said, Erin thought and with a blinding flash of clarity she also thought, that’s what I would have said. Instead, Charlotte said no such thing.

‘Because I have such good news,’ Charlotte told him, not even bothering to greet Erin and the children. ‘Priscilla’s has had a cancellation and the church is free at the same time!’

‘Priscilla’s?’

‘You know Priscilla’s. The great reception house up in the hills behind town. It used to belong to Sir Reginald Chester and his family but they let it go to ruin. The people who’ve restored it have done such a fantastic job. It’s the best, Matthew, and it’s the only thing that’s been holding up our wedding as I refuse to hold our reception anywhere but at the best. Mummy agrees. But now it’s all set. Four weeks from today. Then two weeks’ honeymoon on Norfolk Island and back here as man and wife.’

And she looked at Erin for the first time-and beamed.

Erin flinched.

She couldn’t live with this woman, she thought, even if she was welcome. And the thought of playing third party to a newly-wed Matt and Charlotte made her feel ill.

‘I… That’s great,’ she managed. Her eyes moved to Matt who was looking distinctly uncomfortable. ‘I’ll organise something with Tom. If we can stay for those six weeks, we’ll be out before you’re back from your honeymoon.’

‘You’re welcome to stay,’ Matt started but Charlotte cut in over him.

‘Of course you’ll stay until we get back from our honeymoon,’ she said sweetly. ‘But after that… Matt and I have talked about it. Three adults looking after two children is a bit of overkill-wouldn’t you say, Erin?’

‘Well-’

‘Of course it is. And Matt won’t hear of moving the children out until the orphanage is rebuilt.’ She tucked her arm in his, society hostess approving her slightly eccentric husband’s absurd acts of generosity. ‘So after we return, I’ll play mother to the boys.’ She looked doubtfully at Erin. ‘I suppose the Orphanage can find somewhere for you to stay.’

She’s acting like I’m an orphan myself, Erin thought wildly. Good grief!

‘Erin can stay here,’ Matt growled but Erin and Charlotte ignored him.

‘You’re saying you and Matt wish to be the boys’ foster parents?’ Erin demanded. She felt sick.

Why, though? She had no right to be. The boys weren’t hers.

And if Matt loved them then maybe it’d turn out to be a long-term solution for them. They loved Matt so much, and as long as they stayed out of Charlotte’s way…

Which wasn’t going to happen, she decided, marshalling her thoughts as the twins looked on in confusion. Charlotte had made not the slightest effort to conceal her dislike of the children. How could the twins possibly be expected to ignore that dislike?

They’d cause trouble the minute Erin left.

‘You’d be good for us, wouldn’t you?’ Charlotte asked them, gimlet-eyed. Dear God, Erin thought. Maybe they would, and the thought of subdued twins was almost worse than the thought of naughty ones.

‘I’ll have to talk to Tom before I can agree,’ she managed. ‘Tom’s the director of Bay Beach Orphanage. Arrangements like this are up to him.’

In answer, Charlotte gave her lovely, soft, carefully cultivated laugh.

‘It’s a wonderful offer, Erin. How could Tom refuse?’

How indeed?

‘I’M SORRY that was sprung on you.’

Charlotte hadn’t stuck around for long. ‘With only four weeks to go I have so much to organise. Goodness, Matt, we haven’t even sent out the invitations yet. Mother and I have so much to do.’ And with that she was gone.

The twins, not understanding a word of what had been said-they’d formed the habit of tuning out whenever Charlotte was around-had left to do their allotted morning tasks, and Erin was left facing Matt.

She felt sick. What had he said? She gave herself a mental shake, hauling her thoughts together. ‘I guess you don’t have to be sorry. It’s been very generous of you to offer to have us this long, and we now have another six weeks.’

‘You can all stay for as long as you want,’ he said, more forcibly than he’d intended, and Erin gave him a half hearted smile.

‘Matt, you know that’s not possible. Six weeks will give us time to find…’

‘Erin, I want the twins!’

That startled her. She sat back and looked at him, and for the first time saw the pain and the longing behind his eyes.

Pain? Matt? Matt who’d been so careful for his whole life to keep him existence emotion free? Who was marrying Charlotte as yet another way to keep his world ordered and emotionless.