A Contract for His Runaway Bride

CHAPTER SIX

NINAWASWAITINGfor them in the salon, where bright shafts of sunlight were coming in from the large windows, casting her in a golden, almost ethereal glow. She rose from the sofa and came towards them with both hands outstretched, her expression warm and welcoming.

‘It is so lovely to meet you at last, my dear. Lincoln has told me so much about you.’

Elodie took the older woman’s soft hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. ‘It’s wonderful to meet you too. And lovely of you to have us stay with you for a couple of days.’

Nina kissed Elodie on both cheeks and then, releasing her hands, turned to Lincoln. Her eyes watered, as if she could barely believe he was really standing there in front of her. It touched Elodie to see the love in Nina’s eyes.

‘Lincoln, darling, thank you for bringing your beautiful wife to meet me. I know you’re terribly busy, and I really do appreciate it.’

Lincoln enveloped his biological mother in a gentle hug. It was as if he was worried he might break her. She was indeed a little thin, and had a frail air about her, but her eyes were sparking and clear.

‘It’s always good to see you. How have you been?’

Nina eased out of his hold with a crooked smile. ‘So-so. Some days are better than others. But today is a good day.’ She beamed at Elodie. ‘Shall we have a drink to celebrate your marriage? Alita has made some sangria. We can go out to the terrace and enjoy the view.’

A short time later they were sitting under a large umbrella on the terrace with tall glasses of delicious and refreshing sangria in front of them. Elodie couldn’t take her eyes off the stunning vista in front of her: ancient Roman ruins, including an outdoor theatre, interspersed with lush green hills and the port of Sagunto in the distance.

‘Wow, it’s so lovely...’ She put her glass down before she was tempted to drain it. The last thing she wanted to do was get tipsy in front of Nina. But then, being here with Lincoln, especially with him sitting so close and holding one of her hands, was enough to make her feel drunk.

‘It’s my happy place,’ Nina said, with a smile that encompassed Lincoln as well.

‘Have you lived here long?’ Elodie asked, reaching for one of the marinated olives on the tapas plate on the table.

‘Two years,’ Nina said and, glancing lovingly at Lincoln, added, ‘Lincoln bought the villa for me as a birthday gift soon after we met. So very generous of him.’

Elodie put the pit of her olive on the little dish set on the table for such a purpose. She knew all about his generosity. He had bought her expensive gifts in the past—the missing engagement ring being a case in point. It still irked her that he didn’t believe she had taken it back to his house. But if he hadn’t found it, surely his housekeeper had? It couldn’t have disappeared unless someone had stolen it—someone else who’d come into the house that day. Her new engagement ring was even more expensive, but she realised with a jolt that it was his trust she valued the most. That, to her, was priceless. Would he ever give it to her?

‘I guess he missed a lot of your birthdays, so it was his way of making up for it.’

Nina’s smile faded and she sighed and looked away into the distance. ‘Yes, a lot of birthdays...’

Lincoln released Elodie’s hand and stood, bending down to drop a light kiss to the top of her head. ‘If you will excuse me? I’m going to have a chat to Elonzo about some maintenance that needs doing. I’ll see you at dinner.’

Elodie waited until he had walked down the stairs from the terrace that led into the expansive gardens below before she turned back to look at Nina. ‘It must have been very difficult to give him up all those years ago.’

Nina’s eyes shimmered and her chin gave a distinct wobble. She reached for her glass of sangria but didn’t drink from it. Her fingers moved up and down the frosted glass in a reflective manner.

‘I wanted to keep him so much. It tore my heart out to give him up. But I was young and left reeling after the death of Lincoln’s father. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to see me when I was four months pregnant. I didn’t have my family’s support. They were deeply religious, and I knew bringing a born-out-of-wedlock child into the family would have a negative impact on the child in the long run.’

She glanced at Elodie, her expression pained.

‘I decided to give Lincoln away to give him the best chance in life. I always thought I did the right thing, but when I met him a couple of years ago...’ She gave a long sigh and continued, ‘I could see he wasn’t happy. Oh, he was successful, and wealthy beyond belief, and he’d had a good childhood thanks to his wonderful adoptive parents... But in himself... No. Not happy.’

She looked into Elodie’s eyes.

‘I blamed myself for that. I tortured myself with it. But now he is back with you he will be content at last. I know it in my heart of hearts.’

Elodie painted a smile on her face, feeling her own heart cramping in her chest at the deception she was complicit in. She was surprised Nina couldn’t see through it—but then, didn’t people who wanted something so badly see it even when it wasn’t there? Nina wanted Lincoln’s happiness more than anything else in the world. She believed that happiness and fulfilment could be achieved through being reunited with his runaway bride—her.

‘I’m surprised you’re not angry with me for walking out on our wedding day seven years ago.’

Nina put her glass down and took one of Elodie’s hands, holding her gaze once more. ‘I didn’t know you or Lincoln back then. But I can see you love him now. That’s all that matters, yes?’

Elodie looked down at their joined hands, her emotions in turmoil. How could she blatantly lie to a dying woman? It seemed morally wrong to continue the pretence. She sensed a bond with Nina...a connection that was beyond explanation. Or was it because they both loved Lincoln?

‘The thing is... I’m not sure he loves me the way I love him.’

There was a silence broken only by the rustling of leaves as a breeze passed by and the tweeting of birds in the shrubbery. In the distance, a motor scooter revved and whined as it went up one of the winding hills leading to the ruins of a castle.

Nina gently stroked the back of Elodie’s hand. ‘You’ve always loved him, yes? Even when you called off the wedding seven years ago?’

Elodie met the older woman’s gaze, deciding to be honest not just to Lincoln’s mother but also to herself. ‘I was frightened I was going to lose myself in our relationship back then. Lincoln is so driven and focussed—success is everything to him. And I knew it would be hard to make my own mark on the world while living in his shadow.’