would be the first thing she saw when she opened her green-gold eyes and smile because that one thing made her happy.
But this wasn’t about him. He pulled the cover from beneath her and she rolled into the warm space where he’d been lying, her face in the pillow.
‘Big day tomorrow.’
‘T’day…’
She was right. It was gone midnight. Or did she mean that it had been a big day today? Not just for her.
‘Furs day rest life,’ she mumbled.
He stood for a moment watching every scrap of tension leave her body as she melted into sleep almost before the jumble of words had left her mouth.
Today was the first day of the rest of her life. Or did she mean his?
He looked around at the room that, just hours before, had been sterile and empty. Clothes dropped where she’d left them. The bright red splash of her coat across the chair. A muddle. Untidy. Just like life.
There were no easy solutions, no perfect answers. You did what you had to do and got on with it. He’d been a successful architect, but he’d been raised to this. With no heart in it, he’d expanded the company out of all recognition. What could he do if he stopped looking back, regretting the life he’d lost and instead looked forward? Seized the day? Seized the life he’d been given?
Time to do a little homework. Arrange a meeting with the H &H trustees.
‘Hey, sleepy-head.’
‘Nnng…’ She pushed her face deeper into the pillow. Today was not going to be fun and she was in no hurry for it to start.
There was a touch to her shoulder and, giving up, she opened her eyes, saw the tempting curl of steam rising from a bright red mug standing on the black marble, Nathaniel crouched down beside the bed.
‘Nice mug,’ she said.
‘It matches your toenails.’
‘So it does,’ she said, rolling over onto her side. She was going to have to leave today and she didn’t want to miss a minute of looking at Nathaniel. ‘What time is it?’
‘Nearly eight. I would have left you sleeping but I’ve got a meeting with the company trustees in a few minutes and I’m not sure how long it will take.’
‘Shame,’ she said. ‘I was going to make you porridge for breakfast.’
‘I’ll cancel.’ He made as if to move, but she caught his arm.
‘No, you’re all right. I’ve got until two thousand and fifty-one to convert you to oatmeal.’
‘I warn you, it might take that long.’
For a moment neither of them spoke. She was thinking of forty years spent sharing breakfast with Nathaniel.
He was probably thinking
‘Trustees?’ she prompted.
‘Hastings & Hart is controlled by a family trust. Much of the profit goes to charity.’
‘That explains a lot.’
‘Does it?’
It explained the sense of obligation. Why he couldn’t walk away.
‘I found the picture Pam took of you yesterday, by the way,’ he said after a moment, ‘and I’ve made an ID card for you, Louise Braithwaite.’
‘Mmm… Yes. Sorry about that, but the name Lucy Bright was given to me by the nurses in the hospital, so that’s made up, too.’
‘I was going to talk to you about that. I did a little research on Henshawe last night and I saw the photographs. Are you sure that your mother is a fake?’
‘It’s in the file.’
‘All it says is that it would make a great story if they found her.’
‘And it did. Not a dry eye in the house.’
‘Did you like her?’ he asked. ‘I mean, she did abandon you.’
‘Fifteen years old with a boyfriend who’d done a runner at the word pregnancy. She could have done a lot worse, Nathaniel. I’m here. But not because of her. She’s a fake. Another lie generated by Rupert’s PR company.’
She threw the covers back, swung her legs out of the bed, but he didn’t back off.
‘Okay, I liked her. More than liked.’ It wouldn’t have hurt so much if she’d hated her on sight. Thought her the worst mother on earth and didn’t give a damn. ‘We fit.’ Still he didn’t move. ‘I loved her, okay?’
‘You look like her,’ he said.
‘They weren’t going to pick someone who didn’t, were they?’
‘You’ve got the same hair.’
‘The halo or the Harpo Marx? Hair can be fixed.’
‘And eyes, Lucy. Look at her eyes. You can change their colour with contacts but not their shape. And, honestly, I know that His Frogginess is capable of it, but how could he get away with it? Truly. People know her. Her history. If she was a fake, her story was a lie, don’t you think someone would have sold her out to the media?’
‘Aren’t you going to be late for your meeting?’ she said.
‘Just look, okay?’ Then, letting it go, ‘Your employee ID is in the kitchen with a swipe card to get you through the door between the store and the apartment. There’s also a store account card in the same name so that you can get anything you need. And the keypad number for the door is two five one two.’
‘Two five one two,’ she repeated. ‘Christmas Day? I think I can remember that.’
And she wiggled her toes at him, just to show him that she’d forgiven him for bringing up her mother.
Damn. She was doing it now.
Forgetting the quotes.
‘The lawyer called first thing,’ Nathaniel said. ‘He’s spoken to the police and also issued a short statement to the press to the effect that while you’re sorting out your differences with Henshawe you’re staying with a friend.’
She reached up, touched his cheek. ‘A very good friend.’ Then, ‘Nice tie, by the way.’
He was dressed for work in a crisp white shirt and the uniform pinstripes, but the tie today was candy- red.
‘I’ve decided that it’s my favourite colour.’
‘Good choice.’ But, despite the tie, he looked tired and she said so. ‘Did you get any sleep?’
‘Not much,’ he admitted. ‘I had a lot of thinking to do.’
‘Don’t tell me-I’ve turned your life upside down. It’s a bad habit I have.’
‘No, Lucy. You’ve turned it the right way up. And the time wasn’t wasted. I’ve come up with a fifth option.’
‘What?’ She was wide awake now.
‘I’m going to be late for my meeting.’ He leaned forward, kissed her cheek, headed for the door.
‘Nathaniel!’ She leapt out of bed and went after him. Then paused, suddenly shy. ‘Your tie…’ She reached up to straighten it, pat it into place, keeping her eyes on the knot, but he hooked his thumb under her chin, made her look at him.
‘It’ll be all right. I just need to straighten a few loose ends before I put it to you.’ Then, apparently forgetting all about his meeting, he caught her close, kissed her, sweet and simple, before releasing her. ‘Go back to bed, Lucy.’
‘I will if you’ll come too.’
‘You make it hard for a man to leave.’
She grinned. ‘I noticed.’
‘You don’t really have to be an elf, you know. You can stay here. Housekeeping will come in at about ten but, apart from that, no one will disturb you.’
Too late, she was already disturbed and the condition, she feared, was terminal.
‘Frank is expecting me. I can’t let him down.’
