‘And it was a pretty impressive show,’ Etta admitted later to Steph, even as reluctance twisted her tongue.
The press had adored him, had seemingly accepted their professional status, and had taken Gabe’s assurance that, with his father so unwell, romance was the last thing on his mind. That all he wanted was to ensure the Derwent Manor Christmas Fair was an unparalleled success, so that the Duke of Fairfax could be reassured that all was well. And so he had hired Etta Mason, renowned historian, to help ensure that his Victorian theme was historically accurate.
Only April Fotherington had been a little sceptical, but she had backed down when Gabe had offered her exclusive coverage of the fair.
‘In fact he turned the whole thing into a massive publicity stunt for the Christmas Fair.’
‘Definitely impressive,’ Steph said, with an approving nod of her ash-blond head. ‘And that’s because he’s a pretty impressive guy.’
Her friend grinned in a way that Etta could only categorise as sly.
‘I still don’t fully understand why you didn’t take him up on the girlfriend idea.’
There were still some idiotic seconds when Etta wondered the same thing. ‘Because it would be wrong. On so many levels.’
‘And right on so many others. Honest, hun, I think you are mad! Imagine what fun you could have had. The pictures in the magazines, the fancy dinners, romantic champagne-filled weekends away...’
Steph wiggled her eyebrows and despite herself Etta grinned even as she shook her head.
‘I don’t do romance, Steph. You know that.’ Maybe Tommy had beaten it out of her. Maybe it was a missing gene. Inherited from the birth parents she’d never known.
‘Forget romance—you could have had some fun as his fake girlfriend. You could have even more fun as his real girlfriend. I can tell you fancy him. Why not go for it?’
‘I agree.’
Etta looked up as Cathy and Martha entered the room, laden with suitcases, and dropped them next to Steph and Martha’s bright pink ones by the door.
‘Steph’s right,’ Cathy continued. ‘You should have some fun.’ Cathy’s pretty face grew serious as she came forward and perched on the arm of Etta’s chair. ‘Mum, I know how much you’ve done for me, and I know you missed out on loads of the fun that other teenagers and young women had because you were looking after me. Now’s your chance to make up for it for a while. Have fun. Go to parties. Dress up. Dance the night away.’
‘Cathy, sweetheart...’ Her heart turned over with love for her daughter as she reached up to cup her face. ‘I promise you that I have never once regretted all those nights of “fun” I supposedly missed out on. You are the very best thing that ever happened to me.’
That was the complete truth. Without Cathy, who knew whether she would have found the courage to leave Tommy, to run away in the depths of the night and find refuge on the streets. Without Cathy to care for would she have studied and worked and become the person she was? Probably not, was the answer.
‘I don’t need to dance the night away with anyone. Let alone Gabriel Derwent.’
As if on cue the doorbell rang, and Steph rose to answer it. Minutes later she ushered in Gabriel, followed by the tall, brown-haired Ethan Caversham.
Resolutely Etta kept her gaze on Ethan as she rose to her feet, yet despite herself she felt her skin shiver in response to Gabe’s proximity, her whole body on super-alert.
‘Ethan, this is so kind of you.’ Gabe had asked Ethan to drive Steph, Martha and Cathy to the cruise ship as an added precaution against Tommy. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’
‘It’s no problem. Ruby sends her love and says you have to come round for lunch soon.’ His face softened when he mentioned his wife in exactly the same way Ruby’s did when she mentioned Ethan, and it filled Etta with a strange yearning—the equivalent of a child with her nose pressed against a sweet shop window, knowing she couldn’t have a single sugar-coated mouthful.
‘Sounds great.’
But now it was time to say goodbye, and Etta felt tears prickle at the backs of her eyes as she turned to her daughter. She thanked her lucky stars that whatever genes she was missing she had never once had any inclination to abandon this precious part of her life.
‘Cathy, sweetheart. Have fun, and take care, and listen t
o Steph, and do all your college work, and...’
Cathy hurtled into her arms and wrapped her arms around her waist. ‘Mum, I’ll be fine. You take care—and you look after her,’ she added, turning to glare at Gabe.
‘I will,’ Gabe said, his voice serious, and Cathy gave a small satisfied nod.
Then, minutes later, they were gone.
Pull it together, Etta. This was the right thing to do. Her daughter would be safe. That was all that mattered.