‘How did they come to live in the boathouse?’
Hattie smiled properly then, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. ‘As soon as the boathouse was restored, it seemed the obvious thing to do. Gideon had told me about his dream of tending his own land, and Riverbend will be his one day. I offered them a gorgeous cottage in a stunning location, and Gideon his perfect job. I could fill the gaping hole in my heart and form a genuine relationship with my son. I hadn’t anticipated how difficult Agnes would find it, accepting what she considered to be yet more charity from a Langford. It never crossed my mind that she’d be afraid of a villager figuring out that Gideon was the child of someone local. But they were minor drawbacks, all things considered.’
‘So, what are you going to do now?’
Hattie blew out a long sigh. ‘Agnes wouldn’t forgive me if I took her son away from her. It would put Gideon in an impossible situation. I’ve thought about it endlessly over the past few months. Gone round and round in my head. I decided my only option was to write him a letter. Explain everything. If I do die before his mother, then he can decide whether to tell her or not. If she dies before me – and she’s seventy-eight, it’s not impossible – I can figure out what to do then. If I die suddenly, without a chance to give him the letter…’ She paused, looked over at me. ‘Then you’ll have to show it to him. Please.’
‘Where is it?’ I asked, trying not to sound as flustered as that statement made me feel.
‘In my desk drawer.’
I put down my empty mug and extended my hand towards her. ‘Okay. I can do that. For now, let’s go upstairs and get ready, because you have a fabulous Riverbend party waiting for you.’
* * *
The party started out as sparkling as Hattie had hoped. The air was light and fresh, yet still carrying enough warmth from the day that we were comfortable in our party dresses. Hattie had invited various contacts from the art-therapy world, friends from the village and a scant smattering from the company who manufactured her designs, excluding the slimy account manager. Lizzie and her husband, Joss, had accepted an invitation, and I was a mix of nervous and delighted that Ezra and Naomi were also on their way, having found babysitters for their children.
As I descended the staircase, arm in arm with Hattie, Gideon suddenly appeared through the kitchen door. He stopped dead, gazing up at us both, and for a second, I wasn’t sure whether I was holding Hattie up, or her me.
Every man looked different in a suit. Even more so in a dinner jacket with a French navy bow tie that matched his eyes perfectly, the reddish tints in his dark hair glinting in the light from the hallway chandelier.
Seeing him, now knowing who he was, I felt my pulse start cantering for a whole different reason from the pull of attraction.
How Hattie must have felt, looking down on this beautiful, kind, wise man who had no inkling of who she was, I had no idea. I blinked back the ache behind my eyes and tucked Hattie’s arm more firmly against my side.
‘Wow,’ Gideon said, even as the thought flashed through my own mind. ‘I can’t imagine a Riverbend ball has ever been graced with more dazzling hosts.’
I felt Hattie relax as a beaming smile spread across his face, and we both started moving again.
‘Cousin,’ Gideon murmured, kissing her on both cheeks once she’d reached the bottom step. ‘You look captivating.’
Hattie wore the forest-green dress that had caused such a stir the night Verity met Leonard. The one that originally belonged to Riverbend’s first owner, Millicent. She’d hired a dressmaker to remove the ruffles and ribbons and make some tucks to fit her increasingly slender frame. It was also now embroidered with tiny Hattie Hood woodland creatures, including a rabbit randomly poking their nose above the hemline, a dormouse curled around a button and a deer scampering along the waistband. With an emerald clip pinning her grey hair and a matching pendant around her neck, she looked so elegant and radiant, no one would guess that twenty minutes earlier, she’d been bent double in agony.
‘And you look positively gorgeous.’ Hattie squeezed his hand. ‘I want to steal you away to the studio so I can capture it on canvas.’
‘Alternatively, you could take a photo.’ He smiled.
‘Pah. I’m going to walk away and pretend I didn’t hear that.’
Gideon waited for Hattie to head into the garden before turning to me.
‘Wow.’
‘You already said that.’ I looked up at him, grinning like a teenager with her prom date.
‘I can’t seem to think anything else.’
I did feel a tiny bit wow, for the first time in forever. After I’d politely declined Kalani’s offer to take me shopping for a party dress, two days earlier, she’d turned up at the house with an armful of swanky carrier bags, having decided the only thing to do was bring the shopping to me.
Every item she’d brought was gorgeous, but she knew full well that there was only one genuine option. I’d chosen a jumpsuit with flattering, wide-legged trousers and a halter neck that added a hint of sexiness. The sage-green satin was embroidered in tiny roses, with pink and green heels to match. I’d curled my hair into soft waves and attempted a dusting of make-up.
Gideon leant forwards and brushed his lips against mine, and, yep, there it was. That feeling as if I knew this man, deep down in my bones, while thrilled and enchanted at the newness of it all.
I love you.
I clamped my mouth shut, not yet able to speak the words, but sure that they must be clear as day in my eyes, my smile, the way my heart strained to get out of my chest and merge with his.
Up until a couple of hours ago, I’d thought this evening would be the time to tell him, both how I felt and that, because of it, I was planning to stay. But with Hattie’s story still hovering over my shoulder, my confidence wavered. Still, as Gideon took my hand and we went to join Hattie on the terrace, I decided the best thing to do was enjoy the party and take each moment as it came.
