He is getting irritated and leaning back in his chair, glaring at me. I shake my head. “Jenny told me what happened to Noah and the other information I discovered myself.” I sigh. “So why did you marry her? You didn’t love her, did you?”
“My grandfather encouraged me to date her.” He leans forward on the table, clasping his hands before him. “As his sole heir he wanted me to be well established in his business, married with a child of my own. He and Laura’s father were close business associates. She was wealthy in her own right and marrying her would ensure the joining of two building magnates.” He takes a breath and blows it out between his teeth. “I’d met Laura in college and made sure I was attending the same functions. To this day I believe that she had been instructed to marry me by her parents. My grandfather told me that no matter who you marry, love would come eventually, and as Laura was a striking woman, I figured it might happen. So we had a short courtship and a very private wedding. She invested all her personal wealth into the business and was given an allowance, which she didn’t appreciate.”
I can’t believe he’s being so candid with me. “Then what happened?”
“She was quite normal until Ava arrived.” Jack drums his fingers on the table. “She had gotten into her head that I didn’t want a girl; that I’d only accept a boy. No matter how many times I tried to convince her, she refused to believe me. It became necessary for me to move into my own bedroom. I took the one the opposite side of the dressing room and spent most of the next few months trying to show her how much I cared for her and Ava. It seemed the moment that she allowed me back into her bed, Noah was on the way. I commissioned the portraitbecause Laura looked so beautiful. Pregnancy agreed with her but she hated me again. You see she’d just regained her figure and didn’t want to have another baby. We had a row and she told a friend she wanted to have an abortion. I know she was angry and just wanted to hurt me. To be honest, I believe Laura regretted marrying me. Once she’d had Ava, she believed she’d fulfilled her part of the bargain. Her threats concerned me, and as I couldn’t watch her every second of the day, I thought it best to restrict her to the house.”
I wipe a hand down my face. “You kept her prisoner in the house?”
“Not really, Sue took her anywhere she needed to go. I just took her car away.” He stares into space as if remembering. “I told her it needed repairing. I lied to her to save my child. She went through the pregnancy without a hitch but had post-natal depression when Noah was born. She became unstable and needed treatment. The medication worked but it took time. When she eventually improved, I planned a party aboard the yacht. She seemed like her old self apart from the weight loss and so we went shopping to buy her what she needed. It was like old times.”
I swallow the bile creeping up my throat. “And then she died. You believe she took her own life, don’t you?”
“Yes.” His sad eyes move over my face. “She did it to spite me.”
I want to shake my head and disagree with him. Most of what he’s told me is the same as what Laura has written in her diary but she didn’t hate Jack enough to take her own life. “That’s why you’ve kept her alive in this house, because you feel guilty.”
“I guess so.” He gives himself a shake. “Let’s not talk about this any longer. Laura was seven years ago and I’d rather be talking about you right now. How was your day?”
If I tell him, he’ll never believe me.
THIRTY-FIVE
SATURDAY
I’m enjoying playing tennis with Ava and Noah. I had no idea the estate had a tennis court. What we’re playing doesn’t resemble tennis in the slightest but we’re having fun. I laugh. “I believe the idea is to hit the ball over the net and not at your brother, Ava.”
“It’s much more fun.” Ava giggles and bounces a ball on her racket. “Maybe I’ve invented a new game?”
“I’m hot and thirsty.” Noah hands me his racket and wipes a hand over his face. “Can we go back now? Sue is baking chocolate chip cookies.”
I look at Ava. “How does that sound to you?”
“It sounds just fine.” She walks beside me, swinging her racket as we exit the court. “Do you think we could go to the beach one day as a family? Daddy is always so busy but I’m sure you’ll be able to convince him to come with us. Every time I ask him, Ruby comes up with something else for him to do.”
I keep one eye on Noah bounding along in front of us, swishing his racket back and forth at the bushes, and smile at her. “It’s Ruby’s job to make sure that your dad doesn’t forget to do important things and sometimes those things run into weekends, I’m afraid. He runs a big company with many employees and needs to keep on top of things even if it meanstaking some time away from us. I asked him the other day to give Ruby weekends off but I imagine if something important comes up she must tell him.”
“So will you ask him?” Ava looks at me, her eyes filled with anticipation.
I smile at her. “Of course I will. Or maybe we can go for a drive tomorrow? My new SUV will be arriving today and we can take it for a spin.”
“I hope not.” Ava looks at me aghast. “I don’t figure I’d enjoy spinning in a car.”
At the house I wait for the children to stow the rackets into a closet and we all head into the kitchen for cookies and milk. I smile at Jack as we walk past his office and he jumps up to join us. “If my car arrives today, can we take the kids out tomorrow? It would be a lovely family outing just the four of us.”
“I’d like that. I rarely have time to go out these days.” He leans over to brush a kiss against my lips. “I’ve forgotten how to enjoy myself.”
“Eww.” Noah pulls a face. “Boys don’t kiss girls. Mrs. Downey said boys must shake hands with girls until they’re twenty-one.”
“Well, we’re both over twenty-one, so I guess it’s okay?” Jack ruffles Noah’s black curls and grins at him.
The kitchen is empty and I take down glasses and then find the freshly baked cookies and place them on the table. I wave the kids to the sink. “Wash your hands.”
While they’re busy, I fill the glasses and pour cookies onto a plate from the cookie jar. The kids sit around the table and I get a warm fuzzy feeling with us all being together. I feel like I belong with these three people. I want this feeling to last. I look at Jack and a surge of love rushes over me.Oh, please don’t let him be a murderer.
“We could go to the beach.” Jack turns to the children. “Can you swim? You know, I’ve never asked Jenny.”
“Doh! Dad, of course we can swim.” Ava rolls her eyes. “Jenny has been taking us into the pool since we could walk. We swim just fine.”
