The Secret Child

‘That’s the hotel further along the headland, isn’t it?’ Luke said cautiously. ‘It’s been up for sale for a long time.’

‘Yes, they want a lot of money for it.’ Alison nodded. ‘But even if I don’t go in with them the boys’ share of the farm should almost cover it with an additional bank loan. I just wish I could keep the farmhouse and the stables. But everything will have to go.’

Luke heard the catch in her voice and saw the disquiet in her eyes. ‘It’s not good to be too attached to things, Alison,’ he said quietly.

‘You don’t feel sentimental about your home?’ she asked.

‘Yes, of course I do, and as I’m the only son I suppose I’ll take over the running of the estate one day.’ Luke shook his head. ‘But at the moment I prefer to look to the future rather than the past. I find it exciting to move on, explore pastures new.’

She experienced an ominous feeling of foreboding at those words. ‘Does that mean you’ve decided to take the posting to New York?’

They reached a bit of path that was uneven and slippery and he took hold of her hand. The thrill of his skin against hers sent goosebumps down her spine and made her remember the wild, heady nights in his arms and suddenly she was very afraid that she would never lie with him like that again.

‘They don’t need an answer for another couple of months,’ he said and she had the distinct impression he didn’t want to talk about it.

‘Well, I guess I’m going to be stuck down here for a while anyway until we get everything sorted out.’ She tried to sound OK about it all, as if she were content to let things lie.

‘Do your brothers want you to run the hotel business with them as well as invest in it?’

‘Well…Garth is pushing for that, but I haven’t committed myself. I’ll have to stay around for Ian for a while anyway so I think I’ll just take it a step at a time.’ She supposed what she was saying to him was that if he wanted her to go to New York with him she wasn’t completely ruling it out for the future.

‘It’s good that you’re around for your family for a while,’ Luke said quietly. ‘But don’t let them put on you too much, Alison. You have your own life to live.’

‘I suppose so… Listen, you won’t tell anyone that we are going to sell the farm?’ she asked suddenly.

‘How the heck will you sell the place if no one knows it’s up for sale?’ Luke asked with amusement.

‘Garth is putting the property in the hands of an agent in London.’

‘Oh, I see…’ Luke’s voice was wry. ‘You mean he’d rather sell the land to the devil incarnate than risk the Davenport family buying it?’

She blushed a deep red. ‘Well, you probably know that your father made an offer for some of our land a while ago and Dad turned him down flat. So out of respect for Dad’s memory we thought it would be better to sell to someone from out of town. You know the situation, Luke…’ she added softly.

‘So your brothers are as steadfast on this old feud as your father was?’ Luke shook his head with impatience.

‘Things are a bit raw at the moment and they just want to do things the way Dad would have wanted,’ Alison said soothingly. ‘So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to your father about any of this.’

When he didn’t answer her immediately she grew anxious. ‘Luke, promise me you won’t say anything!’

He looked down at her and for the first time she saw anger darkening his eyes to midnight-blue.

‘Don’t worry, the precious Trevelyan secret will not be mistreated. Don’t look at me like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘The way you’re looking at me now. All innocent, provocative softness…you know you’re driving me crazy.’

‘Am I?’ She was totally bemused by the sudden turn of the conversation.

‘You know very well what I’m talking about,’ he said, moving closer, and in that heartbeat of a moment as his eyes touched her lips she knew exactly what he was referring to. It was three weeks since they had slept together and the answering ache in her own body was instantaneous as he reached to kiss her.

‘I don’t want to talk about family feuds or sneak around snatching a few moments with you in secret. I want to kiss you, Alison…but you are so damn tied up with the past and so damn young…’

‘I’m not that young,’ she said quietly, lifting her eyes to his.

‘You’re twenty-two and I’m a man of thirty.’

‘So?’ She angled her head to look up at him defiantly. ‘What’s that to do with anything?’

‘Well, for a start I’m your first serious boyfriend.’ He grinned as he watched her discomfiture.

‘I’ll have you know I could have my pick of men,’ she taunted him back. ‘In fact, I’ve been lured to a concert by one next week…Todd Johnson—’

‘Hey,’ Luke cut across her softly. ‘Just remember that you belong to me, Alison Trevelyan.’ He growled the words with seductive, teasing warmth. ‘Who is this interloper?’

‘I’m joking,’ she admitted with a smile. ‘He’s just a friend of Garth’s…I said I’d even up the numbers on an outing—’

‘Well, just make sure that’s all it is,’ he said possessively.

She was to remember that moment so clearly. The mellow warmth of the air and the pounding of the waves on the rocks beneath them, the way he looked at her, the way he reached out and touched her face with such tenderness before drawing her into his arms. As his lips met hers it was almost as if she was at one with the elements…the untamed force of the sea against the rocks echoed the wildness of her response, she tasted the sea spray on his lips, felt the thunder of her blood pounding through her veins as his hands caressed her body. Longing spiralled out of control right there and then. She wanted him so much.

‘How about if I book us into an hotel?’ Luke asked as his lips ground against hers.

‘I can’t, Luke, I’ll be missed at home and…’ She felt his hands caressing her breasts; felt him starting to un-button her white blouse.

‘Maybe I can’t wait for an hotel anyway,’ he murmured seductively against her ear and she had allowed him to take her by the hand and lead her into the corn-field beside them.

She remembered the blue of the sky, the gold circle that surrounded them and the heat of their passion.

Even now, thinking about that moment, she was ashamed to feel the heat of desire rising in her again. How pathetic was that? she wondered angrily. She had allowed herself to hope that Luke had feelings for her, but it had just been sex to him and when it suited him he’d betrayed her.

The farm had been sold, but not to a Mr Delaney, as the family had believed, but to John Davenport, Luke’s father. The deceit hadn’t been discovered until after the contracts were signed and by that time it was too late. Garth’s rage had been profoundly deep. And Alison had been devastated. She had found it hard to believe that Luke had let her down so badly.

As he was returning from the States where he’d been on business, she’d had to wait until the following morning to be able to ask him about it. First thing she’d dialled his apartment in London.

A woman had answered, a woman with a sultry American accent. ‘He’s in the shower,’ she drawled. ‘But I’m his girlfriend. Can I give him a message?’

‘His girlfriend?’

‘Yes, Bianca Summers; who am I speaking to, please?’

Alison was so stunned that she put the phone down.

Her annoyance about the sale of her father’s property faded into insignificance against the greater personal duplicity. Luke had a girlfriend and if she was at his apartment at seven o’clock in the morning it was hardly a platonic relationship! How long had Luke being seeing someone else?

The hurt and pain she felt was almost unbearable. She was in a state of shock.

‘I don’t know why you ever trusted Luke Davenport in the first place,’ Garth growled when she confided in him. ‘God alone knows what Dad would say! Especially as you’ve gone and lost our land to that family!’

‘We didn’t lose it; they paid a very good price for it,’ Alison muttered. But she felt humiliated. And that feeling was compounded a couple of days later by a picture in the local newspaper. It showed Luke arriving at a charity ball in London with a stunningly beautiful woman on his arm. The caption read,

‘There are rumours of wedding bells for Luke Davenport and Bianca Summers. Bianca is the daughter of millionaire Edward Summers, and she is Luke’s counterpart with Millington Hays in New York.’

‘Might have known she’d be the daughter of a millionaire,’ Garth said, reading the article a little while later. ‘Those people always stick together.’

And suddenly it had become abundantly clear why Luke had wanted to go to New York…why he hadn’t thought twice about revealing her secret to his father…why he hadn’t been down to see her in weeks. Their relationship had only ever been a fling to him and now he was settling down.

Alison had felt like a fool. She’d felt cheap and used and so angry. But she’d had too much pride to sit around moping about Luke and she had tried to get on with her life and forget him.

Todd Johnson had helped. He was Garth’s friend and he had also been getting over a broken relationship. His friendship had made things easier…given her strength when she’d had to face Luke for the last time before he went to New York. Her mind skipped over that last painful meeting.

At least she had dealt with Luke and kept her dignity. It was after Luke left for New York that she had discovered she was carrying his child. That and the day ten months later when she had seen pictures of Luke’s wedding had been the worst moments of her life.

But she was on her way up now…things were under control…she was damned if she was going to let Luke ruin her peace of mind now.

Her office door opened and she wasn’t surprised when her younger brothers strolled in accompanied by Garth.

‘What’s this, a family get-together,’ she said lightly, ‘or a lynch mob?’

‘This is no joking matter,’ Garth said as he closed the door with quiet finality. ‘Look, Alison, we are going to have to bite the bullet and work with Davenport…we have no alternative.’

‘You mean I’m going to have to bite the bullet,’ Alison grated angrily. She looked from Garth to her brothers, who looked slightly uncomfortable. But it was Ian, her youngest brother, who stood up for her.

‘I think Alison’s right and she shouldn’t have to see Luke Davenport if she doesn’t want to,’ he said staunchly. ‘We can do without him. If Dad were here he’d be horrified we were even thinking of getting involved with him.’

‘Dad is dead, Ian,’ Garth grated dismissively. ‘And you’re only just eighteen. What would you know about pressure and how difficult it is to start all over again if you lose everything?’

As he spoke Garth held Alison’s gaze. ‘My wife is expecting our first child any day…Michael is just getting engaged and is counting on his job here to pay his mortgage…not to mention the fact that your cottage as well as mine is tied up on this estate, Alison. If the hotel goes under we are all in trouble.’

‘Well, maybe the hotel won’t go under,’ Alison said softly.

‘No, it won’t, not if we except Luke’s offer…’

‘So what is his offer?’ Alison asked tightly.

‘I told you this morning. He’s interested in buying into the hotel; he wants to be an equal partner.’

‘And what does he want in return?’ Alison’s voice was tremulous. ‘Are you really so stupid you are willing to accept Luke Davenport at face value? Have you forgotten how he went behind our backs to buy Dad’s property?’

‘No, of course I haven’t forgotten,’ Garth said dismissively.

‘Was it you who told Luke that Nathan is his child?’

Garth had the grace to flinch.

Alison’s hands tightened into fists as they lay on the desk. ‘You had no right to do that…’

‘Maybe he had a right to know,’ Garth said defensively. ‘And anyway, it’s given him a vested interest to see that our business does well—’

‘You are such a hypocrite, Garth…you hate Luke Davenport.’

‘Well, maybe that should remain in the past, maybe I’m big enough to admit I might have been wrong.’ Garth held her eyes steadily. ‘Ring Luke and ask him to come into the business with us, Alison. Please.’

‘He’s not interested in the business, Garth…can’t you see, he’s just using it as a lever to put pressure on me, because he’s curious about Nathan?’

‘I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt,’ Garth said firmly.

Even as Alison was shaking her head, she was remembering Luke’s ultimatum and wondering what choice she had.

Luke wanted contact with his child and she knew full well he would stop at nothing now to get him. But the question that was really disturbing her was, why?

‘I’ve talked to him at length and I think he’s genuine,’ Garth said again as he met her eyes.

‘And what about his wife?’ Alison asked. ‘How does she feel about Luke’s sudden interest in our business…in my son?’

‘Luke is divorced, Alison,’ Garth told her quietly. ‘He and Bianca have been apart almost a year.’

CHAPTER THREE

NATHAN was asleep in his cot and the only sounds in the cottage were the lashing of the rain against the windows and every now and then a fierce growl as thunder tore the sky.

It was the perfect night for the devil to be out on the prowl, Alison thought, her glance moving towards the window as lightning illuminated the shapes of the trees outside the window, the perfect night for Luke’s visit.

She remembered the sound of triumph in his voice as he had answered her telephone call, the smug, self-satisfied note as he told her he would visit with pleasure that evening. ‘Probably around eight,’ he’d repeated smoothly.

She glanced at the clock on the sideboard. It was quarter past now; he was late. Was he late on purpose? she wondered, because it really was a kind of slow torture to wait like this, pacing around the small rooms of the cottage, tension rigid inside her.

Alison went across to the sideboard to pour a glass of wine and then changed her mind. She needed all of her faculties to face Luke Davenport. Instead she found herself checking her appearance in the mirror.

Her red-gold hair was pulled severely back from her face, and she wore jeans and a plain white T-shirt. There was no way she wanted Luke to think she had made any kind of an effort to look good for him, but now she wondered if that was a mistake. Maybe she needed some feminine wiles to keep a step ahead of whatever game it was he was playing. She felt sure Luke wasn’t really interested in the hotel…no matter what Garth said so heatedly to the contrary.

She thought again about the news that Luke was divorced. From what Garth had said, she calculated the marriage had lasted less than eight short months. What had happened? she wondered. Was it a case of once a womaniser, always a womaniser?

The doorbell rang and she felt her heart pumping nervously as she moved across the room to answer it.

Luke was standing in the porch. He was wearing a long, dark raincoat over a suit, but she couldn’t see his face properly because it was in shadow.

‘You’re late,’ she said tersely.

A flash of lightning lit the sky, illuminating his features for just a second; they looked harsh and ruthless somehow. ‘About two years too late, I would say,’ he said quietly. ‘But you know the old saying…better late than never.’

He brushed past her into the house and took off the sodden raincoat to hand it to her.

‘I’m glad you reconsidered.’

‘I haven’t reconsidered anything,’ she said quickly. ‘I just thought…that we should talk.’

‘Yeah, I just bet you did.’ His voice was dry. ‘Or rather the family did. Garth can be quite persuasive, can’t he, when he puts his mind to it…a bit like your old man?’

‘Just leave my family out of this, Luke. This is between you and me.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Luke grated the words sardonically. ‘I know from experience that you can’t just deal with one Trevelyan, you have to take them all on collectively.’

‘I mean it, Luke; your argument is with me, not them. And I know very well you have no more interest in our hotel than in the star-wars project. So I want you to stop filling Garth’s head with rubbish and I want you to stay away from my brothers.’

‘Still the same over-protective mother hen, I see.’ His eyes moved over her as they had this morning in the library, taking in her shapely body as if he was weighing her up in some way. ‘Just how far would you go to keep your siblings happy, I wonder?’

Something about the way he asked that question made her deeply uneasy, but she didn’t back down and she didn’t break her eye contact with him. ‘I’d go as far as it takes, Luke,’ she assured him with a cool confidence she was in reality far from feeling.

Instead of being rattled in any way Luke seemed to find her show of defiance amusing, and that made her more nervous. She turned away from him to hang his coat up behind the door; she had the horrible feeling that she had just said too much.

‘Nice place you have here.’ Luke moved away from her into the lounge, his gaze moving over the chintz furniture and the log fire that blazed in the stone grate.

Alison followed him into the room. Never had she felt so tense, so on edge; her every instinct was telling her that if she didn’t tread very carefully she was going to be in deep, deep trouble. ‘Would you like a drink?’ She forced herself to be polite.

He turned from where he stood by the fire and looked directly at her. ‘No. I’d like to see my son.’

She didn’t answer him. Now that she knew Garth had told him the truth, was there any point continuing to deny that Nathan was his? The question had plagued her all day. She knew Luke well enough to know that he wouldn’t let this drop…if she continued to fight he would insist on blood tests and that would achieve nothing except to confirm what Garth had already told him. Maybe if she just admitted the truth it would take the fire out of the situation and before long he’d get bored and leave.

‘Where is he, Alison?’

Alison felt as if a great lump had stuck in her throat. She couldn’t find her voice.

‘Alison?’

‘He’s asleep upstairs.’ Her voice was a fierce whisper.

As Luke moved towards the staircase Alison was suddenly galvanised into action, running to the base of the staircase ahead of him. ‘I don’t want you to wake him…it took him ages to get to sleep tonight and—’

‘I’m surprised that you know how long it took him to get to sleep,’ Luke interrupted drily. ‘From what I’ve heard he spends most of his time with a child-minder, because you are busy playing at hotels.’ He brushed past her.

‘How dare you?’ Alison was breathless with rage and it was a moment before she realised that he was striding ahead of her, up the stairs. ‘I happen to be busy making a living, not that it’s any of your business.’

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