Night and Day (Stevens Book 11)

Chapter 12

Alistair sat in silence as Katherine cried on his shoulder. Her sobs had turned to a gentle weeping, and still, Alistair said nothing. When the weeping turned to sniffles, he handed her a handkerchief and waited while she mopped her face. He watched her carefully when she stood and walked toward the mirror to fix her makeup.

Katherine studied her reflection. Her face was familiar, but who was looking back at her? She had always assumed it was pieces of her mother and George, but now it was a stranger. Someone she had never met was her father. Did she look like him? Was he even alive?

"You don't have to figure it out today or even tomorrow, Katherine," Alistair's voice was gentle.

Katherine nodded as she started cleaning her eye makeup off her cheeks.

"I love you, Katherine," Alistair reassured her.

"I know," she replied, her voice soft. At least somebody did.

Katherine finished her makeup and then turned to face Alistair. She had to ask, but she was sure she already knew the answer. He wasn't asking questions, which meant he knew more than she did.

"You met and talked with my mother before she died?" Katherine tried to clear the lump from her throat.

"I did. My last night at the house, after you fell asleep, she and I had a nice visit." Alistair stood and walked toward her, towering over her so that she was forced to tilt her head up to look at him.

He was so close. She could feel his heat and smell him. She had missed him.

"You recommended your father to draw up a new will?"

He nodded. "Dora told me a story and shared a few of her fears. She knew George would do his best to keep anyone outside the family from meeting with her, and she needed help. She knew what she wanted and only needed help to make it happen."

"And you helped her?" Katherine's voice broke. She was pleased that Alistair had helped, but she was also hurt that her mother hadn't let her help.

"She didn't want you involved. She wanted you to be just as surprised as everyone else so your father couldn't use it against you," Alistair explained, reading her thoughts. "Dora was a smart woman."

"She told you about George, didn't she?" Katherine looked at Alistair's shirt buttons, unable to meet his eyes. "Was that the story she told you?"

He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "She did. She admitted to being too scared to tell you. I don't believe that she knew how bad it was between you and your father, and she hoped up until the time of her death that you would never find out the truth. I think that was why she left you everything, hoping he would keep playing the doting father."

Katherine snorted. "He was never that!"

"No, but you never told her that, and neither did your father. The story she told me about your and his relationship was very different from reality. You ended up hurting only yourself in your attempt to spare her feelings." Alistair's words were harsh, even if softly spoken, and Katherine jerked her head away from his grasp.

"So, it was my fault!" She closed her eyes at the pain of it. "Where you ever going to tell me?"

"It wasn't your fault, but a little honesty would have changed events dramatically. She hadn't been happy in her marriage for a very long time, but she stayed because she thought you and your sisters were secure." His words were like knives. "She told me to tell you if I ever thought the time was right."

"She knew I wasn't happy. She knew I wanted out, and she helped me escape!" Katherine denied that her mother thought she was completely happy. "You should have told me!"