Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

‘But you told him eventually, right?’ Cesca asked.

Lucy shook her head. ‘I never told him, he wouldn’t let me. I kept it all inside. I felt as though you’d all hate me. We’d already lost our mum, and our dad was hiding away from us. I couldn’t bear to lose my sisters as well.’

‘Oh sweetie.’ Juliet reached her hand out to the screen, as if to touch her. Lucy lifted her fingers, pressing them against the image of her sister’s hand. ‘It wasn’t your fault. You’ll never lose us.’

‘Does Dad know you know?’ Kitty asked.

‘About the affair?’ Lucy shrugged. ‘I don’t know, and it’s too late to ask now. It was only when he started to become ill that I wondered if he knew something. He started saying some strange things.’

‘Like he did with me,’ Cesca said.

‘Exactly. And I’d have given anything for you not to have found out like that. It must have been horrible.’

Sam squeezed Cesca’s shoulder. ‘It was pretty bad,’ he said. ‘You should tell them,’ he urged her.

‘Now?’ Cesca grimaced. ‘It doesn’t seem very appropriate.’

Sam leaned towards her, running his finger across her soft lips. ‘I can’t think of anything more appropriate. All of you are here together, what better time is there?’

Kitty turned to look at Cesca. ‘What’s he talking about?’

Cesca blinked a couple of times and looked down at her lap. ‘We went to see Dad because Sam wanted to ask him something.’ She shifted in her seat.

‘What?’ Lucy asked, not sure whether to be concerned or not. ‘What did you ask him?’

Finally Cesca brought her gaze back to the laptop. Sam pulled her closer to him, until her body was crushed against his. ‘Sam’s asked me to marry him,’ she told them, a small smile playing at her lips. ‘That’s what he wanted to ask Dad, but then Dad got all upset, thinking I was Mum and I was marrying somebody else.’

‘You’re engaged?’ Kitty’s face exploded into a smile. ‘That’s wonderful.’ She leaned forward, hugging Cesca tight. Lucy could feel her biceps flex, as she wished she were there to hold her sister, too. For a moment their connection exploded with congratulations, as all the sisters talked at once, and none of them listened to anybody.

‘Have you set a date yet?’ Juliet asked, when the others finally quietened down. In the middle of the melee, Sam had sat down on the chair, with Cesca perched on his lap. The two of them looked the picture of happiness.

‘Not yet,’ Cesca told them. ‘We need to talk to some wedding planners. And obviously we want to keep things under wraps as much as we can.’

‘Once the press find out, we’ll have to go into hiding,’ Sam agreed. ‘So we’re keeping things on the down low for now.’ He leaned forward to kiss Cesca’s cheek.

‘Fat chance of that,’ Cesca said. ‘Those guys can sniff out a white dress like a vampire smelling blood.’

‘I’m so happy for you both,’ Lucy said, her heart feeling full. ‘It’s the most wonderful news. Especially after the week you’ve both had.’

‘It is, isn’t it?’ Cesca grinned. ‘And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when I was in London. I wanted to save it until we were all together.’

‘I can hardly tell you off for keeping secrets, can I?’ Lucy smiled. ‘And anyway, it’s the best kind of secret, and one I don’t mind keeping at all.’ She looked at them, her three sisters, her family, feeling an immense surge of pride rushing through her. She’d never really been able to fit into her mother’s shoes after her death, but she’d kept things stable until all three of them were ready to face the world. Maybe she could be proud of herself for that at least. ‘Look at you all, growing up and settling down.’ She licked her lips, to try to take away the dryness. ‘You know if Mum was still alive, she’d be proud of all of you right now.’ And if her dad were still able to focus, he would be too.

‘She’d be proud of you, too,’ Juliet pointed out. ‘And thankful that you took care of us all when she couldn’t.’

‘And when are you planning on settling down, too?’ Kitty asked. ‘Cesca told me you might have been visiting a certain laird in New York last week.’

‘Yeah, well, don’t hold your breath,’ Lucy said, feeling that familiar ache in her chest. ‘I messed that up the way I do everything else.’ God, was she crying again? When did it ever stop?

‘Oh honey, what happened?’ Cesca touched her fingers to the screen. ‘Is everything okay?’

Lucy shook her head, wiping her tears with the heel of her hand. ‘No, it isn’t,’ she answered truthfully. ‘We had a terrible argument before I left, and now it’s over.’ Her sobs got louder. ‘I ruined everything.’

‘Do you love him?’ Kitty asked. Like Cesca, she was touching the screen.

Lucy looked up at them, her eyes shining. ‘Yes, I’m in love with him. But he hates me and there’s nothing I can do.’ She squeezed her lids closed to stem the flow of tears, but they just pooled up and spilled over anyway.

‘Oh sweetie,’ Cesca said, tipping her head to the side in sympathy. ‘Of course there has to be something you can do. Love doesn’t just disappear because you’ve had an argument. Why don’t you tell us what happened, and we can try to figure things out.’