Lia took one look at Quinn before grabbing the pitcher on the credenza and pouring water into a paper cup.
“Did you forget to eat breakfast this morning?”she asked Quinn, handing her the water.“I keep telling you to eat more.You’re thin as a wraith.”
“I eat a lot, thank you very much.”Quinn accepted the cup and took a sip from it.“I’ve told you before, it’s my high metabolism.I inherited it from my mother.”
Heath had been watching her and didn’t miss that she kept glancing at his computer screen.
“What do you know about Glenloria?”he asked quietly.
“What?”Lia glanced between him and Quinn and then sat down.“Oh.”
Quinn leaned back in her chair, looking tired.“My bio dad is from there.”
“Well, I can see you’ve been keeping things from us.”Lia settled into her chair, crossing a leg.“Tell us more.”
“It’s ancient history.”
“Must not be too ancient if it’s upsetting you today.”Lia arched her brows.
The expression on Quinn’s face shifted from indecisive to resigned.“You remember my mom is originally from Ireland.Well, she attended Oxford University, and that’s where she met and married him.”
“This guy?”Lia pointed to Heath’s monitor.“Did she know he was a duke?”
“He’s not a duke.”An odd look crossed Quinn’s face.
Heath leaned forward in his chair.She was purposely not telling them something.He was about to ask her about it when she continued.
“All my mother said was that they’d married while they were both at Oxford.His father didn’t approve and put pressure on his son.He divorced her and went home to marry another woman.”
“What a snake.Did he know about you?”Lia asked.
“No.Mom only found she was expecting after he’d gone.Since he’d treated her so badly, she said she hadn’t felt she had any obligation to tell him she was pregnant.And I agree with her.He threw her away like so much trash.”Quinn sat straighter, color returning to her face, her flush an attractive pink that brought out those cute freckles.“Mom remarried when I was two.I didn’t know my dad wasn’t my biological father until I turned sixteen and applied for a passport.When I asked her about the man on my birth certificate, she gave a brief explanation but cried so much that I’ve never wanted to meet him.”
“Wow,” Lia breathed.“Your mother’s such a sweetheart.It really makes me mad to think of how that beast hurt her.”From the pinched look on Quinn’s face, she agreed.
“Hey,” Heath said, trying to draw the conversation away from something about to bring both women to tears.He pointed to his monitor and the registration information.“Is there any chance our receiving a reservation from someone in Glenloria is a coincidence?Could your d—” He barely stopped himself from calling the jerk her dad.“Could your bio father work for this duke?”
“Um, no.”The odd hitch to Quinn’s voice made Heath shift his attention to her again.Her complexion had blanched even more.What wasn’t she telling them?
Lia must not have missed it because she asked, “Is he some kind of criminal?”
Quinn burst out laughing, but it held a touch of hysteria in it.
“If you’re not comfortable sharing with us, we understand.”Heath turned back to his computer like he meant to return to his work, even though he was dying to know more about this mystery father.
“Speak for yourself, brother,” Lia cried indignantly.“We promise discretion, girl, but you can’t stop now.Especially if this guest might have something to do with you.”
Remaining silent, Heath faced Quinn again.
“You’re right.”She let out a long breath, looking wearier than he’d ever seen her.“I obviously can’t tell my mother, and I need to talk to somebody because I don’t know what to do.”
“If he doesn’t know about you, what’s the big deal?”Lia asked.
“Really?”Heath shot his sister a disbelieving glance.“We’ve never heard of Glenloria and suddenly some royal dude wants to visit here—and we discover our Quinn has connections there?Of course he’s found out about her.”
“Right.Do you remember that article inWorld Art News Magazinethree months ago about my mother’s sculptures?”
“And how nice she was to mention your photography…Ahh.”Lia nodded.“He recognized her.”
