Forbidden Surrender

‘Another woman?’ Sara put in bitterly.

He ran a hand through his grey-blond hair. ‘It was a stupid thing to do, stupid and childish. Rachel found out soon after—after the twins were born—–’

‘Twins?’ Marie echoed in an astounded voice. ‘Sara and I…?’ she asked dazedly.

‘Yes,’ their father nodded.

Marie turned to Sara with glowing eyes. ‘You really are my sister?’ she said excitedly.

Sara gave a shy smile, not knowing what reaction she had expected from Marie, but it certainly hadn’t been such unreserved pleasure. Resentment had been the more expected emotion.

‘That’s wonderful!’ Marie cried happily. ‘I’ve always wanted a sister, but a twin—–! That’s really fantastic!’

Sara wished she could share her sister’s questionless enthusiasm, but there was too much she still wanted to know, to try and understand. Unable to answer Marie, she simply took her hand in hers, holding on tightly. ‘Go on,’ she told her—father.

He drew a ragged breath, a catch in his throat as he looked at the two of them sitting so close together. ‘When Rachel found out,’ he continued huskily, ‘she ended our marriage right then and there, wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Oh, we continued to live together, a case of her staying with me for the sake of the children. Then Rachel met Richard,’ he swallowed hard. ‘He was over here on business, and they fell in love. Rachel wanted to go back to America with him, taking the twins with her. I wouldn’t allow that, and she—she wouldn’t leave without them. In the end—–’

‘In the end you compromised!’ Sara finished shrilly. ‘You parted Marie and myself, took a child each.’

Her father looked at her pleadingly. ‘Try to understand—–’

‘There’s nothing to understand,’ she told him angrily. ‘You and my mother selfishly parted my twin and myself, because neither of you wanted to miss out! My God, you disgust me!’ Her voice rose to a shout.

‘Sara!’ Dominic warned. ‘Sara, don’t!’

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. ‘I know you mean well,’ she choked. ‘But I can’t ever forget what they did.’ She ran to the door. ‘I’m sorry, Marie, I’ll call you.’

‘Sara!’ Dominic caught hold of her arm. ‘Your father—–’

‘No!’ Her eyes flashed deeply brown. ‘Don’t ever call him that! Richard was my father. He certainly never hurt me as Mr Lindlay has. Now, please, let me go.’

He looked down at her with compassionate eyes. ‘I’ll take you home if you want to go. All right?’ he said softly.

She frowned, unable to think straight. ‘I—No—–’

‘Yes,’ he insisted firmly.

‘Shall I come with you?’ Marie wanted to know.

‘No, stay with your father,’ Dominic advised.

‘Could we please leave now?’ Sara muttered. ‘Before I make an absolute fool of myself and faint.’

‘Sara—–’

‘Not now, Michael,’ Dominic cut him off harshly. ‘Can’t you see what you’ve already done to her?’ he said savagely. ‘For God’s sake don’t say any more. Let’s get out of here,’ he muttered to Sara.

Sara sat miserably hunched up on her side of the Rolls-Royce, too numb to care where he was driving or where he was taking her. To think that her mother, a woman she had always loved and admired, had committed that atrocity! How could two people do that to innocent children, change their lives so completely before they had even begun?

‘I really had no idea,’ Dominic broke the silence. ‘No idea at all,’ he repeated with a shake of his head. ‘It seems incredible to think I’ve known Michael all these years, and all the time he was hiding this secret.’

‘I knew my mother all my life,’ she said bitterly. ‘And I would never have thought her capable of something like this.’

Dominic shrugged. ‘She was very young, only your age—–’

‘You think I could do a thing like that?’ she rounded on him angrily.