“You were her friend,” Dad said. “Catherine, tell her how you adored her. I think you told me at one time she was like a daughter to you. She reminded you of someone.”
“Edric, hush. I really think I should talk to Daffy in private.” Mum stood but Dad urged her back down.
“I want to hear this.”
“Me too,” John said.
Mum hesitated, then returned to her chair.
“I came back upstairs to apologize,” Daffy said. “But the queen was on the phone. I started to leave, but then decided to wait until she’d rung off. I heard things. I wrote them down in my diary. Which I thought was lost. Thrown out. A few weeks ago, Mum found it. Put it in a box of old things she left at my flat. My sister Ella saw it, gave the diary to Leslie Ann Parker. Sinclair Posey filled in the details I didn’t know.”
“I don’t understand.” Holland shook her head. “What did you hear?”
“Your Majesty, do you want to take over the story?” Daffy started for the door.
“Stay.” Mum trembled as she pushed up from her chair. “What…whoDaffy is referring to is my daughter… Scottie O’Shay. Her father is Trent O’Shay. An American. I met him at Haxton. I was talking to him the day Daffy overheard. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Her words dropped into the room like rocks cast across a lake, sending ripples over the smooth surface.
“Catherine—” Dad stood, his voice deep and commanding. “You havea daughterwe know nothing about? When? How?”
But Mum disappeared into her room and Dad followed, intent on answers, their voices hushed, then loud, behind the closed door.
“Wait.” John turned toward Daffy. “We have an older sister—and you’ve known for how long?”
“Eighteen years.” Her answer was firm. As if she was resolved to her fate.
“And you never said a word.”
“If your mother didn’t, why would I?”
“But now Leslie Ann Parker is going to tell the entire world?” John paced, a bull seeing red. “We…we haven’t even begun to process this. What of her, this Scottie? Does she know?”
Daffy shrugged. “Leslie Ann will tell us tomorrow night.”
“Gus.” John snapped his fingers. “Can’t we invoke some sort of gag order?”
“Are you kidding? No. Besides, Mum is the champion of the free press.”
“So we’re just to watch her be humiliated? Why would Leslie Ann do this?” John faced Daffy again. “And why would you give her the ammo?”
“John, love,” Holland said. “I don’t think Daffy intended to arm Leslie Ann. Her sister found the diary. She gave it to Leslie Ann.”
“Why did she even write it down?” The more John talked, the more his words fanned his temper.
Daffy pressed her lips together and Gus wanted to hold her, but he was trying to understand everything himself. “I was told writing things down in my journal would keep me from saying them out loud.”
Dad returned, retrieving his phone. “I’m calling the doctor. John… Gus—one of you call your mother’s secretary. And Lord Bellish. He’ll convene her privy council. We’ll need to get ahead of the tsunami.”
“Is she all right?” Holland stood beside John, her hand on his arm.
“Overwhelmed.” Dad looked as if he’d stepped in front of the Northton Express. “Did you know, Gus? Any clue? I can’t take it in. Thirty years of marriage and she never said a word.”
Gus shook his head. “None. Except—” He faced Daffy who’d retreated to the shadows near the main exit. “You weren’t lying, that day on the beach. Mum did have a secret.”
“You were so angry with me… I wanted to fire back. But I couldn’t actually tell you. I’m so, so sorry.”
“This is why you didn’t bring luggage.”
