“I know, I—”
“Did you not think I missed her? That I could’ve done with her when I was recovering?” His voice ached with hurt and she felt an urge to put her arms around him, but he wasn’t a child she could comfort anymore. And, anyway, she was the source of the hurt.
“Daniel, it wasn’t an easy decision. I agonized over it, even after you’d come round.”
“That makes it even worse. You held my future in your hands, tossing it this way and that.”
“No, you misunderstand—”
“At least, if you’d known for a fact she was bad news, it would make it easier to stomach.”
Laura took a deep breath. “Look, I know it’s been hard, and I should’ve been the one to tell you, but . . . well, this isn’t going to be easy to hear. . . .”
He stiffened. “What?”
“Cherry manipulated me out of the way yesterday. She faked a call to my PA, pretending to be ITV, and told me I had to be at a meeting yesterday morning. Meanwhile, she went to the house to drop the bombshell.”
Daniel put his cup down in exasperation. “Mum, she didn’t know I was alive.”
“No, you see, shedid.She’d come to my office the day before.”
“Yes, she told me.”
Laura was surprised. “She did?”
“Said she’d gone for some closure. You hadn’t told heranything about my funeral, or where she could visit my nonexistent grave.”
She tried to ignore his sarcasm. “Is that all she said?”
“What else was there?”
“She threatened me. Told me she knew you were alive, and in revenge for what I’d done, she was going to take everything from me.”
He made a small exhaling noise, incredulous.“What?”
“I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said. “I know you like her, but sheisbad news.”
“‘Revenge’? ‘Take everything’? How’s she going to do that?”
“I don’t know.”
He was staring at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. Hurt was etched across his face, along with something else he was trying to fight.Dislike.
“She came to the house yesterday morning to bring you some memorabilia,” he said. “Photos of our trip to Wales. She thought you might like them.”
Her heart missed a beat. “She’s clever, don’t you see? She’s playing you.”
The buzzer went. Daniel picked up the phone, listened, and held down the door release.
“Expecting someone?” she said apprehensively. She thought she knew who.
His look confirmed it and Laura sat up straight. “What are you going to say to her?” she asked.
There was a rap at the door and Daniel left. Laura could hear quiet murmurings in the hallway. A few seconds later, he came back, followed by Cherry.
“Laura,” she said demurely. “I hope I’m not intruding.”
Laura looked at her. She was as cool as you like, and not a trace of their previous conversation could be read in her face.
