Kathryn Ross - The Secret Child

Even now, thinking about that moment, she was ashamed to feel the heat of desire rising in her again. How pathetic was that? she wondered angrily. She had allowed herself to hope that Luke had feelings for her, but it had just been sex to him and when it suited him he’d betrayed her.

The farm had been sold, but not to a Mr Delaney, as the family had believed, but to John Davenport, Luke’s father. The deceit hadn’t been discovered until after the contracts were signed and by that time it was too late. Garth’s rage had been profoundly deep. And Alison had been devastated. She had found it hard to believe that Luke had let her down so badly.

As he was returning from the States where he’d been on business, she’d had to wait until the following morning to be able to ask him about it. First thing she’d dialled his apartment in London.

A woman had answered, a woman with a sultry American accent. ‘He’s in the shower,’ she drawled. ‘But I’m his girlfriend. Can I give him a message?’

‘His girlfriend?’

‘Yes, Bianca Summers; who am I speaking to, please?’

Alison was so stunned that she put the phone down.

Her annoyance about the sale of her father’s property faded into insignificance against the greater personal duplicity. Luke had a girlfriend and if she was at his apartment at seven o’clock in the morning it was hardly a platonic relationship! How long had Luke being seeing someone else?

The hurt and pain she felt was almost unbearable. She was in a state of shock.

‘I don’t know why you ever trusted Luke Davenport in the first place,’ Garth growled when she confided in him. ‘God alone knows what Dad would say! Especially as you’ve gone and lost our land to that family!’

‘We didn’t lose it; they paid a very good price for it,’ Alison muttered. But she felt humiliated. And that feeling was compounded a couple of days later by a picture in the local newspaper. It showed Luke arriving at a charity ball in London with a stunningly beautiful woman on his arm. The caption read,

‘There are rumours of wedding bells for Luke Davenport and Bianca Summers. Bianca is the daughter of millionaire Edward Summers, and she is Luke’s counterpart with Millington Hays in New York.’

‘Might have known she’d be the daughter of a millionaire,’ Garth said, reading the article a little while later. ‘Those people always stick together.’

And suddenly it had become abundantly clear why Luke had wanted to go to New York…why he hadn’t thought twice about revealing her secret to his father…why he hadn’t been down to see her in weeks. Their relationship had only ever been a fling to him and now he was settling down.

Alison had felt like a fool. She’d felt cheap and used and so angry. But she’d had too much pride to sit around moping about Luke and she had tried to get on with her life and forget him.

Todd Johnson had helped. He was Garth’s friend and he had also been getting over a broken relationship. His friendship had made things easier…given her strength when she’d had to face Luke for the last time before he went to New York. Her mind skipped over that last painful meeting.

At least she had dealt with Luke and kept her dignity. It was after Luke left for New York that she had discovered she was carrying his child. That and the day ten months later when she had seen pictures of Luke’s wedding had been the worst moments of her life.

But she was on her way up now…things were under control…she was damned if she was going to let Luke ruin her peace of mind now.

Her office door opened and she wasn’t surprised when her younger brothers strolled in accompanied by Garth.

‘What’s this, a family get-together,’ she said lightly, ‘or a lynch mob?’

‘This is no joking matter,’ Garth said as he closed the door with quiet finality. ‘Look, Alison, we are going to have to bite the bullet and work with Davenport…we have no alternative.’

‘You mean I’m going to have to bite the bullet,’ Alison grated angrily. She looked from Garth to her brothers, who looked slightly uncomfortable. But it was Ian, her youngest brother, who stood up for her.

‘I think Alison’s right and she shouldn’t have to see Luke Davenport if she doesn’t want to,’ he said staunchly. ‘We can do without him. If Dad were here he’d be horrified we were even thinking of getting involved with him.’

‘Dad is dead, Ian,’ Garth grated dismissively. ‘And you’re only just eighteen. What would you know about pressure and how difficult it is to start all over again if you lose everything?’

As he spoke Garth held Alison’s gaze. ‘My wife is expecting our first child any day…Michael is just getting engaged and is counting on his job here to pay his mortgage…not to mention the fact that your cottage as well as mine is tied up on this estate, Alison. If the hotel goes under we are all in trouble.’

‘Well, maybe the hotel won’t go under,’ Alison said softly.

‘No, it won’t, not if we except Luke’s offer…’

‘So what is his offer?’ Alison asked tightly.

‘I told you this morning. He’s interested in buying into the hotel; he wants to be an equal partner.’

‘And what does he want in return?’ Alison’s voice was tremulous. ‘Are you really so stupid you are willing to accept Luke Davenport at face value? Have you forgotten how he went behind our backs to buy Dad’s property?’

‘No, of course I haven’t forgotten,’ Garth said dismissively.

‘Was it you who told Luke that Nathan is his child?’

Garth had the grace to flinch.

Alison’s hands tightened into fists as they lay on the desk. ‘You had no right to do that…’

‘Maybe he had a right to know,’ Garth said defensively. ‘And anyway, it’s given him a vested interest to see that our business does well—’

‘You are such a hypocrite, Garth…you hate Luke Davenport.’

‘Well, maybe that should remain in the past, maybe I’m big enough to admit I might have been wrong.’ Garth held her eyes steadily. ‘Ring Luke and ask him to come into the business with us, Alison. Please.’

‘He’s not interested in the business, Garth…can’t you see, he’s just using it as a lever to put pressure on me, because he’s curious about Nathan?’

‘I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt,’ Garth said firmly.

Even as Alison was shaking her head, she was remembering Luke’s ultimatum and wondering what choice she had.

Luke wanted contact with his child and she knew full well he would stop at nothing now to get him. But the question that was really disturbing her was, why?

‘I’ve talked to him at length and I think he’s genuine,’ Garth said again as he met her eyes.

‘And what about his wife?’ Alison asked. ‘How does she feel about Luke’s sudden interest in our business…in my son?’

‘Luke is divorced, Alison,’ Garth told her quietly. ‘He and Bianca have been apart almost a year.’

NATHAN was asleep in his cot and the only sounds in the cottage were the lashing of the rain against the windows and every now and then a fierce growl as thunder tore the sky.

It was the perfect night for the devil to be out on the prowl, Alison thought, her glance moving towards the window as lightning illuminated the shapes of the trees outside the window, the perfect night for Luke’s visit.

She remembered the sound of triumph in his voice as he had answered her telephone call, the smug, self-satisfied note as he told her he would visit with pleasure that evening. ‘Probably around eight,’ he’d repeated smoothly.

She glanced at the clock on the sideboard. It was quarter past now; he was late. Was he late on purpose? she wondered, because it really was a kind of slow torture to wait like this, pacing around the small rooms of the cottage, tension rigid inside her.