Kathryn Ross - The Secret Child

As Alison made her way through the foyer to her office a low growl of thunder outside heralded the approaching storm. She closed the door behind her and put her briefcase down on her desk, noticing as she did that she had been so tense her nails had dug into the palms of her hands leaving deep gouges.

‘This is as bad as it’s going to get,’ she told herself calmly. ‘Luke Davenport can’t hurt me any more.’ Another rumble of thunder loudly penetrated the room and she transferred her attention to the window, watching the white flashes of light out at sea. The storm was still a long way off, and the air was even hotter and stickier than before.

In her mind she heard Luke’s voice again. ‘I’ll expect to hear from you tonight with an invitation to your house. If I don’t then reasonable negotiations are over.’

The words sent a shiver running through her.

Why had he suggested she speak to Garth?

Suddenly she was remembering Garth’s optimism on the phone this morning, his bright assurance that their troubles might be over because he had found an investor for the hotel.

Even as her mind grappled with the possibility that he had been talking about Luke she was rejecting the idea…it wouldn’t be Luke…it couldn’t be. No member of her family would ever do business with a Davenport. Hadn’t she almost been thrown out of the family once for daring to consort with Luke? And Garth had been one of his chief opponents, had hated him almost as much as her father had.

The phone rang on her desk and she snatched it up.

‘Hi, sis, did Clare pass on my message?’

‘No. Listen, Garth, I’m glad you’ve phoned back. I’ve just had—’

‘I don’t have time to chat, Ali,’ he interrupted hastily. ‘I just wanted to say that Luke Davenport might call by the hotel today. If he does, will you show him around the place?’

‘Show him around?’ Alison’s mouth felt dry inside. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘I know it’s a bit of a strange request coming from me, but just trust me on this and show him around.’

‘He’s been here already and I told him to get lost.’

‘You did what?’ The relaxed and affable tone left Garth’s voice. ‘Why the hell did you do that?’

‘Why the hell do you think? Luke isn’t interested in the hotel. He was here to ask about Nathan.’

‘On the contrary, Luke Davenport is very interested in the hotel; he told me he might be willing to invest in the place. You do realise that your actions this morning could ruin everything? He is our one chance of saving the place… Alison, are you there? Alison?’

Alison put the phone down; she couldn’t speak…she couldn’t even think straight any more. All she knew was that this was worse than any nightmare scenario she might have imagined.

THE office had a strange, darkish green cast to it thrown from the sky outside, but it could easily have been a reflection of her mood, Alison thought grimly as she reached to switch on her desk lamp.

The first thing she’d done after putting the phone down on Garth was phone Jane to tell her that under no circumstances was she to go out with Nathan today and nor was she to open the door to callers.

Jane probably thought she had suddenly turned into a completely neurotic mother, but whatever she thought she wisely kept it to herself.

Realistically speaking, Alison didn’t for one moment think that Luke would go around to her house uninvited. He had issued his ultimatum and if she knew anything about the man she figured he would be sticking by it. But even so she felt better once she’d phoned Jane and played it safe.

Then she sat down in her office chair and tried to think sensibly about the situation. But all she could see were Luke’s eyes as they blazed into hers. And all she could think was how far removed it all was from the way he used to look at her with teasing warmth and deep desire. Of course, she had just been a game as far as he was concerned; there had never been anything meaningful in their relationship…that had all been in her imagination.

The Davenports owned the prestigious estate that neighboured her parents’ farm. Although Luke had grown up next door, so to speak, she hadn’t seen much of him as they moved in separate social circles. And he was eight years older than her and from an early age he was away at a private boarding-school in London. But she had first become aware of him when she was sixteen. It had been a very ordinary incident; she’d dropped a bag of groceries on the way out of the village shop and he had stopped to help her pick things up.

She remembered smiling at him, thinking that she had never met anyone with such gorgeous blue eyes before, and suddenly the ordinary day had turned into something very special.

‘Thank you,’ she had said.

‘That’s OK.’ He grinned at her and then said more seriously, ‘How’s your mother, Alison? I hear she’s been very sick.’

It didn’t surprise Alison that he knew. The village of Penray was tiny and everyone knew each other’s business.

‘She’s in hospital at the moment.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ He patted her shoulder. It was just a brotherly gesture…he was so much older and more sophisticated that he probably didn’t even think twice about it. But Alison did.

‘I’m here for a few weeks before I go back to work in London. Tell your dad if I can be of any assistance I’ll come over.’

Her father, who had been watching from his car, berated her severely once she got into the passenger seat beside him.

‘Don’t ever let me catch you talking to a Davenport again.’ He ground the words out with bitter rancour.

‘He was just being nice and he asked about Mum. Said to tell you if you need anything—’

‘We don’t need anything from the Davenports. Just keep away from them, Alison. They are nothing but trouble. My brother would be alive today if it weren’t for them.’

Alison had heard her father make that statement many times over the years. Her uncle had worked at the Davenport copper mine and there had been an accident resulting in his death. Although an investigation had cleared the mine of any blame and had stated it was just a tragic accident, her father believed the Davenports had used their money and influence to cover up the truth and that really there had been a serious lapse in safety standards.

Even though this had happened over forty years ago and the mine had long since closed, the bitterness in Alison’s family was as strong as if it had happened yesterday.

To Alison’s mind this had nothing to do with Luke Davenport. He couldn’t change or help what had gone on in the past any more than she could. But she knew better than to argue this with her dad. His beloved brother was dead and that was all he could think of where the Davenports were concerned.

Six years after their first proper meeting she met up with Luke again. It was at a birthday party in London, a trendy affair in a wine bar down by the River Thames. Alison was edging towards the door, trying to escape the crush of people and the heat and noise, when she suddenly spotted him across the room. Even though it was several years since she had last seen him, she knew him instantly. There was no mistaking Luke Davenport; he was so attractive, tall and dark with a commanding presence that drew a woman’s attention and held it.

She watched him for a moment, trying to work out who he was with, but there were so many people around him that it was an almost impossible task, so she made her way across to him.

She caught his eye as he turned and for a few seconds she could tell that he recognised her but couldn’t place her.

‘Hello, Luke; you’re a long way from home.’ Alison smiled and quite enjoyed the look of astonished recognition in his eyes as they swept over her.