‘But the necklace—’ said Rory. ‘Did our father come?’
‘No,’ said Chloe. ‘He gave this to my mother when I was born. She didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want any of the running around and hiding anymore. They were having a thing forever. Sorry - hard to hear but that’s the truth. She always said she was sorry for doing it because she loved your mum but she was happy because she got me out of it. I’ve never met your father. He’s tried loads of times, but I didn’t want to.’
‘And Lori? We all loved her. Now I understand why she went. I’d love to see her—’ Rory, normally so self-assured, felt wrong-footed in this situation.
‘Mum died,’ said Chloe softly, leading the way into a one-roomed flat where a scrawny black cat stood on the kitchen counter and stared in an accusing way at Rory.
It felt like a blow to hear that Lori was dead. Rory reached out for the only comfort and picked up the cat. It nestled into her, wound its way around her neck, then leapt onto the floor in a neat move.
‘I’m so sorry. I loved her.’
Chloe’s face was not good at hiding things. It softened and she reached out and hugged her sister, making Rory feel like the younger instead of the older. ‘She loved all of you. Told me about you. Said she’d learned how to be a mother by taking care of you when she was in the hotel. My mother was an amazing woman,’ Chloe went on while Rory sobbed.
‘She married an incredible man, Harrison, my father, and he raised me as his own. I have two younger brothers who live with Dad. Do you want to come and meet them? They live in Cobh.’
‘Yes!’ said Rory joyfully, then: ‘Will you come and meet your family too?’
‘Do they want me?’ asked Chloe with a hint of hauteur that reminded Rory utterly of Eden.
‘I have twin sisters and you are SO like one of them, Eden. She’s feisty.’
‘The politician?’ Chloe grinned with pleasure. ‘I’m very like my mother and apparently quite like my birth father too.’
‘You don’t drink or gamble, do you?’ asked Rory warily. ‘Genetics and all that.’
‘Guinness with blackcurrant on high days and holidays and, occasionally, the lottery. My addiction is painting supplies! I plan on graduating top of my class in art college!’
‘My family are going to love you, ‘ Rory promised. ‘But they don’t know anything about you. We’re going to change that,’ Rory added.
Chloe shrugged. ‘Artists need complicated lives,’ she said.
Rory laughed. ‘We can give you complicated,’ she said. ‘We specialise in it.’
Savannah
It was the postman’s fault.
Savannah always chatted to him if he had a package. Today, he had books for Clary and Savannah was downstairs putting on lipstick at the hall mirror when he arrived. Crucially, Calum hadn’t left for the office. Since his protein business had failed, he’d started an investment firm with some old school friends. It meant travel, lots of dinners and many meetings. Savannah never asked how it was going or how the finances were: she wouldn’t dare.
Calum wanted to run her finances but his were off-limits.
Most days, he was gone by half seven, which meant Savannah and Clary could have a leisurely breakfast together and chat. Savannah had known Calum was running late. He hated lateness.
He’d made coffee and toast with a certain coiled anger about him and Savannah felt it swirling like dragon’s breath on the kitchen floor.
Once he’d left the room, she could feel herself breathe again and tune back in to what Clary was talking about.
This morning, it had been the ‘could we get a dog?’ conversation.
‘Just a teeny one and it could sleep with me.’
Clary looked just like her aunt Indy had at the same age: those stunning eyes with the amber centres, the full mouth, the long hair with hints of blond and a bit of strawberry in there too. But while Indy had been a free spirit, Clary was a quiet little figure who watched adults carefully.
‘Let’s talk about the dog later, darling,’ Savannah had said quietly to her daughter, and winced as Clary’s little face fell. There was no way Calum would allow them to get a dog, simply no way.
‘Dogs smell,’ he’d said flatly. He hadn’t grown up with a dog, didn’t understand the comfort animals brought.
Savannah felt it was time she confronted him about this even though she quaked at the thought. But she had to do it, for Clary.
