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He was, Stella now knew, going to break her heart.

As he’d warned her he would.

She had truly thought she could handle it, that the pleasure would be worth the pain, yet right now, she wasn’t so sure.

Right now, she wanted him to walk towards her, to take her in his arms and to dance as people had way back then. Instead, he stood at the French windows and made no move to come over.

‘Sorry about this. Now he wants to get the albums out…’

‘It’s lovely.’ She forced a smile, because it was quite, quite lovely, it was perfect in fact, except for the matter of her heart. ‘He’s wonderful to talk to. I can’t stay long, though.’

* * *

He brought down the albums and as he crossed the terrace realised Stella was already back and smiled to himself at the sounds of laughter and conversation. It really was most unexpected, his grandfather had been so frail and ill, and yet tonight he seemed to have found a second wind.

‘This was my son,’ he told Stella. ‘He was so handsome.’

‘Gosh, yes,’ Stella said, turning the pages. ‘Who’s this lady? She’s stunning.’

‘The Contessa, my very beautiful wife,’ Geo said fondly. ‘Every night we would sit out here, no matter the weather, sometimes we would watch storms.’

‘I love storms,’ Stella sighed. ‘And there would be no better place to watch them than here.’

It was a most unusual night for Gabe. His grandfather’s good mood, sitting sharing memories without tears as he turned the pages on the albums.

‘There is your boss,’ Geo said, pointing to Sir Charles. ‘This is at the May Ball, we used to hold it each year.’

‘Goodness.’ Stella smiled as she looked at the photo—Sir Charles looked so young and his wife, dressed in a pale ball-gown, was truly stunning. They looked so happy, so delightful, of course he must miss Lady Atherton so much. But then she found her gaze on another couple—younger than the others. The woman in a pretty long gown and the gentleman almost the image of Gabe looking incredibly handsome. ‘Your parents?’ She checked for it could almost be him; the only real difference was a shorter haircut and…

She tried to place it.

There was a bright smile on his father’s face, a more relaxed air, laughter lines.

It might have been Gabe, had he been happy.

Eduardo came out to join them and as he and Geo went through an old album, she and Gabe looked through another.

‘Is this before she had you or after?’

‘To be honest, I don’t know…’ He frowned and glanced over at Geo, deciding not to disturb his grandfather with the question as he was going through his old wedding photos and was somehow still not upset.

Or was it because Gabe’s hand was resting on her back, lightly stroking her neck, and all without deep thought, just moving his chair closer.

Gabe really was not one for family photos and such cosiness, but tonight his grandfather was the one who was alight.

‘That was my governess,’ Gabe said. ‘Very strict.’ He turned the page, and then rapidly turned to the next.

Just not quickly enough.

Pictures of Beatrice.

There weren’t many, she’d only been four weeks old when she’d died.

His heart lurched. In that split second of turning the page he glimpsed her blonde curls and tiny hand, and recalled with absolute clarity her fingers curled around his and knowing he must take care of her…

* * *

‘Beatrice, it’s okay.’