"You deserve more," she said. "You've been an
ideal daughter, both to me and your father. He's very,
very proud of you, Olivia," she said, paused, and then
added, "as proud as he would be were you his own
daughter."
I looked up sharply.
"What?" Surely she's has lost her wits now, I
thought. "I am his own daughter."
She shook her head.
"The day you were born, Winston and I made a
vow. It was more his vow than mine."
"What vow?"
"Never to reveal the truth. He swore he could
live with it. I hadn't fallen in love with him yet, but I
&nb
sp; don't think I ever loved him more than I did at that
moment."
I shook my head.
"What are you telling me, Mother?"
"You know that your father and I were brought
together by his parents and mine. Our lives were more
or less planned by other people. I didn't think I could
live with him, much less love him. There was
someone else, someone not half as desirable in the
eyes of my parents, a young man, a fisherman who
worked for your grandfather and your father. Now,"
she said looking off, "he seems like a dream to me,
nothing more."
I thought my heart had fallen into my stomach.
My chest felt that empty and cold. I shook my head. The room began to spin so I closed my eyes and