I nodded.
A few of the villagers who knew me walked by and waved. With raised brows, they paused to smile at Cian, and I think they were taken aback by Caroline Lovechilde’s presence.
“By now, everyone knows, you realise?”
She only had eyes for Cian. Nothing else existed. “Probably.”
“You don’t mind?”
She looked up at me. “It’s happened. And he’s beautiful.” Her voice cracked again.
“Look, Mrs Lovechilde, I can see he’s affected you. I can’t and won’t share him with you.”
She stared at me without blinking. “He’ll have everything and more.”
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t want him to be indulged. And I have my own money. More than enough for me and my son.”
“Did you do this on purpose? Use my son to get pregnant?”
“Does he know you’re here?”
“No. He’s in London. Due back tomorrow.”
“I haven’t even had a paternity test.”
A faint line appeared between her perfectly tweezered brows. “You were sleeping with other men at the same time as my son?”
I nearly laughed at how shocked that concept seemed. It shocked me too. How could anyone sleep around while seeing Ethan?
“We’d broken up at the time.”
“He’s Ethan’s son. I can see that without that test.”
We locked eyes, and neither of us blinked.
Chapter 26
Ethan
IjoinedDeclanashe chatted with a family friend. Everyone who was anyone had been invited to the opening of Elysium. My mother’s dream had finally been realised, and despite Declan’s initial reservation, the resort blended in organically with the natural surroundings. Boasting ocean views, a golf course, a state-of-the-art gym, and fine dining, the hotel would be a magnet for the superrich seeking a quick escape.
Once upon a time, Mirabel would have brought her army of comrades and marched around shouting. I conjured up an image of her carrying a banner protesting about a heritage village building about to be developed. Assaulted by a piston of angry words, I would chuckle as she pointed her finger at me, accusing me of sleeping with the Tories.
Mirabel the firebrand was just as appealing as her mature creative version. She’d mellowed, but not enough to allow me into her life. This time, however, she wasn’t protecting the natural order of things, but her heart. Or so Theadora reminded me after I’d poured out my own heart on more than one occasion since the baby’s birth.
On the night of my son’s birth, a dream told me he’d arrived. I’d been getting around with my head in a cloud since. That was on my good days. On my bad days, I pummelled the punching bad at Reboot, or drank to excess and yelled like someone in need of a counsellor.
I’d had enough. I’d decided to burst Mirabel’s protective bubble and insist on seeing Cian, despite not knowing one hundred per cent if he was mine. The fact that paternity still had to be established made it hard to breathe some days. There were even days when I hated her for shutting me out. Although I’d always considered Mirabel gutsy and respected her independence, my patience with her over-sensitivity had worn thin.
We milled about the shimmering Olympic-sized pool as waiters walked around with trays of canapes and champagne. The turquoise pool with its natural rock pool cascade was a perfect setting for that warm afternoon. Even the wind had stayed away.
I peered through the glass doors of the main entrance, where paintings of nudes frolicking through the forest graced the walls in a nod to that region’s folklore.
“We seem to be doing a lot of this lately,” Declan said, sipping beer.
I took a swig from my bottle and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’m not in the mood, to be honest.”
I’d made a big decision that morning, prompted by my mother, of all people. Normally, I would walk away and shake off whatever demand she’d made, but this time, I sat up and listened.