‘What’s that?’ asked Carlotta, squeezing Chris’s hand so tight he thought it might break.
‘It tests the lineage of the bloodlines. I ran it just to be sure. I tested your DNA against Leon’s and Matthew’s. You are not a blood relative of Leon de Santoval.’ She spoke formally but her eyes were wary. It was always hard giving this news and she never knew how people would react.
‘What?’ said Carlotta, so loudly it was almost a scream.
‘You are not Leon’s blood relative,’ said the doctor again to make sure she understood. ‘The lineage shows Spanish blood in Leon and in Matthew, but you have none of this in your DNA.’
Carlotta’s mouth dropped open and she stared at Spencer. ‘Did you know this?’ she asked.
Spencer looked as shocked as she did. ‘I had no idea.’
Carlotta knew he was telling the truth. ‘So who the hell is our father?’ she asked the doctor.
‘I obviously can’t tell you that,’ said the doctor nervously.
‘Jesus, Spencer, what the hell?’ Carlotta looked at him. ‘What the fuck is going on?’
Spencer stood up and took Carlotta by the hand. ‘Come on, it’s time we found your sisters and sorted this all out. You don’t mind if I whisk her away do you?’ he directed to Chris, who was sitting in shock.
He shook his head. ‘Go, go. I’ll deal with Matthew and his lawyers, although he has signed the papers for the transfer of shares to someone. I don’t think it’s Berconi.’
‘Why is everything such a mess?’ asked Carlotta almost to herself.
Spencer put his arms around her. ‘It will all work out, I’m sure of it.’
‘I don’t know anything any more, Spence,’ she said plaintively.
Chris gave her a kiss on the cheek and Spencer looked away. It was obvious there was something going on between the two of them but it wasn’t his place to ask questions, he thought, as he and Carlotta left the building to find her sisters.
Once in the safety of the car, Carlotta rang Violetta and Spencer rang Grace. Carlotta sat in silence in the car, her mind swirling. She felt sick.
‘I think I need to throw up.’
‘It will be OK, Lotty, I promise,’ said Spencer kindly.
‘No really, I need to throw up,’ she said.
Spencer ordered the driver to pull over so Carlotta could get out for a moment to get some air. He sat in the car as Carlotta stood on the sidewalk, gasping for breath. ‘You OK, sweetie?’ he asked as she climbed back in.
‘Yep, I just want to get his over with already.’
At Birdie and Leon’s apartment, Carlotta sat and waited for her sisters to arrive.
Violetta arrived first, looking incandescent. ‘You look amazing,’ said Carlotta. ‘What’s up?’
‘Everything,’ said Violetta mysteriously.
Carlotta felt sick again. Just wait till she told her sisters about what she had been told, no doubt the sparkle would diminish, she thought.
Grace arrived soon after. She also seemed luminous and Carlotta stood and ran to the bathroom as soon as she saw her younger sister.
‘What’s up with her?’ asked Grace to Violetta.
‘I have no idea. What’s going on, Spence? What’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff about meeting here? Is Mom OK? I’m heading out there this afternoon.’
‘Your mom is fine,’ said Spencer. ‘Coffee, water?’ he asked, walking to the kitchen.
The sisters shook their heads. ‘Nothing, thanks,’ said Grace.
