Читать книгу The High Price of Secrets - Yvonne Lindsay - Страница 9

Three

Voices echoed down the wide paneled hallway of the hotel as Tamsyn walked toward the dining room. She still felt a little tired, but last night’s light meal, warm bath and a comfortable night in a good bed, had all gone a long way toward restoring her equilibrium.

Last night she’d all but decided to head to the airport this morning and book a flight back to Auckland. But she’d woken filled with a new sense of purpose—more determined than ever to make the most of her time here. Her mother had to be in the area somewhere. As far as she and Ethan were aware, checks were still being sent to her from their father’s estate—and none of the checks had ever been returned to sender. Last night she’d been too tired and too disheartened to remember that vital detail. Today was another matter entirely and she was thinking far more clearly. A call to Ethan would confirm the address her father’s lawyers used.

First order of the day though, after breakfast, was a trip to Blenheim to purchase some new clothes and luggage. She’d left Adelaide in such an all-fired hurry she’d arrived here in New Zealand with only the clothes she stood in and her handbag. Despite making use of the iron and ironing board stashed in her room’s wardrobe, her clothing was definitely looking the worse for wear.

She couldn’t wait to rid herself of her underwear, either—the pieces so carefully chosen to titillate and entice her then fiancé. Despite the fact she’d had to rinse out, dry and then rewear them twice now, she wouldn’t be happy until she’d seen them thrown into the trash.

They were yet another reminder of how foolishly naive she’d been—and how the people she’d trusted had let her down. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered how eager she’d been to surprise Trent just two nights ago. How she’d planned a romantic dinner and evening for two culminating in the slow and sexy removal of said lingerie. But the surprise had been all hers when she’d discovered him in bed with someone else—her personal assistant, Zac.

Once the hurt had begun to recede she’d felt such a fool. What kind of woman didn’t know her fiancé was gay? Worse, that he’d been prepared to marry her and simply string her along as a mask of respectability so he could continue his steady rise through the ranks of the old-school law firm he worked for.

She’d known that she only had to go home to have her family surrounding her, consoling her—but the thought had failed to comfort her. Her family had lied to her, too, had hidden things from her that she’d had the right to know. Her father, her uncle and aunts—they’d all known that her mother was alive, and they’d kept it from her. Even Ethan had hidden the truth from her once he found out, after their father’s death. Suddenly desperate to get away from the secrets, the evasions and the betrayals, she’d headed to the airport, determined not to return until she found some answers for a change.

So far, it was going dreadfully.

She swallowed against the burning sensation in her throat. Maybe breakfast wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“Here she is,” the voice of her hostess, Penny, greeted her as she reached the doorway of the dining room. Penny rose from a small table set in the bay window that looked out over a delightfully old-fashioned garden. “Good morning, Ms. Masters, I trust you slept well?”

“Oh, call me Tamsyn, please. And yes, my room is very comfortable, thank you.”

Tamsyn’s eyes flicked to the man who sat opposite Penny and who now rose to his feet in welcome. The man from yesterday—and absolutely the last man she had expected to see this morning. Courtesy demanded she acknowledge his presence and she gave him a short nod, just the barest inclination of her head.

He stepped forward and held out his hand in a greeting. “We didn’t get to exchanging names yesterday. Finn Gallagher. Pleased to see you again.”

She gave him a weak smile and briefly shook his hand. The warmth of his broad palm permeated her skin, sending a curl of awareness winding up her arm and through her body. She pulled her hand free.

“Really, Mr. Gallagher? I had the impression yesterday you were only too pleased to see the back of me.”

Amusement lit his cool slate-colored eyes. “Ah, you caught me at a bad time, I’m afraid. I’m here to apologize.”

Tamsyn’s mind scattered in a hundred directions. How had he tracked her down?

“Isn’t that a bit stalkerish?” she said without thinking.

“We’re a close-knit bunch around here,” he explained with an apologetic smile that made Tamsyn’s stomach do a tiny loop-the-loop. “I was concerned after you left. You looked tired, and being unfamiliar with the area...well, let’s just say tourists have a bad habit of wandering off the road here and there. I called around a few places and I was relieved when Penny assured me you’d arrived safely.”

It all sounded plausible, she thought, but it didn’t explain what he was doing here right now. As if he could read her mind, he continued speaking.

“I didn’t want to leave you with the impression that we’re rude around here and thought I’d offer to show you around, if you’d like. Take you on a tour of the district. You will be staying a few days now you’re here, won’t you?”

He said the last few words with subtle emphasis, almost as if he was willing her to stick around.

“Yes, I will,” she admitted, reluctant to tell him that her time here had no specific expiry. “But there’s no need for you to show me around. I can make my own way.” Besides, she wasn’t really here for the sights. She just wanted to find her mother.

“Please, at least allow me to take you to lunch or dinner to make up for my abruptness yesterday.”

An ember of warmth lit deep in her belly. Maybe she was being overly suspicious. He certainly seemed sincere enough. She studied him briefly, taking in the short spiky hair, the clear gray eyes that appeared to be imploring her to give in to his politely put demand. His body language was open, nonthreatening, and dressed as he was in a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting T-shirt, he clearly wasn’t hiding any weapons. Except his charisma. She couldn’t deny he exuded oodles of magnetism, today at least, and there was no doubting that he was one beautifully put-together piece of manhood. What would be the harm in enjoying his company for a few hours? Despite what she’d just been through with Trent, Finn Gallagher was pinging her receptors. And then there was that smile that played around Finn’s lips, the expression on his face that suggested he found her attractive and actually wanted to spend time with her. Something her fiancé had not been so wont to do. The thought was like water on a drought-stricken land.

Penny interrupted her thoughts. “If you’re worried about Finn, I can vouch for the fact that he’s a complete gentleman. He’s also a much-loved local-born philanthropist. Honestly, you couldn’t be in better hands.”

“I...”

Tamsyn’s eyes dropped to those very hands, eyeing his broad palms and long tapered fingers. The ember flared to a flame and spread, her breasts suddenly feeling full, her nipples tight, as she involuntarily imagined those hands touching her. With a sharply indrawn breath, she dragged her eyes up to his face, where he clearly awaited her response.

“I don’t want to be any trouble,” she said lamely, feeling a flush of color heat her cheeks. “Besides, I have plans to do some shopping today—I came a little underprepared for this trip.”

Underprepared. As if that wasn’t the understatement of the year, she thought scathingly.

“No problem. Why don’t you do your shopping this morning, Penny will be able to direct you to where you need to go, and I’ll pick you up around lunchtime, say one o’clock, back here? Then I can show you around a bit and deliver you back this evening.”

She couldn’t refuse. He’d made the plan sound so reasonable. Penny had given her approval as well, and somehow Tamsyn knew the older woman wouldn’t have been so forthcoming if she hadn’t been certain Tamsyn would be safe with Finn.

“Then, thank you, I’d like that.”

“Excellent. I’ll leave you to your breakfast and I’ll see you later today. Thanks for the coffee, Penny.”

“You’re always welcome, Finn. I’ll see you out. Tamsyn, please help yourself to the breakfast buffet. If there’s anything else you’d like, just ring the bell on the sideboard and one of the kitchen staff will be along to take your order.”

Penny smiled and then preceded Finn from the room. Finn gave Tamsyn a wink before following.

“I’m looking forward to this afternoon,” he said, his voice lowered for her hearing only and sending a shiver of anticipation down Tamsyn’s spine.

She smiled in response, a nervous, almost involuntary action, and then he was gone. Tamsyn stepped over to the chafing dishes on the antique sideboard and lifted the lids. Nerves danced like butterflies in her stomach. What had she let herself in for? she wondered as she took a small serving of scrambled egg with a few fried button mushrooms and half a grilled tomato.

She placed her plate on a table and turned back to the sideboard to pour a cup of coffee from the silver carafe warmed by a single candle in a holder beneath it. Everything here was modern and comfortable yet still exuded old-world charm with these touches of elegance from a bygone era. Much like back at home, at The Masters.

For just an instant she was almost overwhelmed by a wave of homesickness, by the desire to quit this search of hers and go home and pick up where she’d left off. But she couldn’t go back, not yet. Not until she’d gotten some answers. After everything that had happened, she felt so lost, as if she didn’t know who she was anymore. She needed this trip, this quest, to help her find herself again.

Tamsyn forced herself to lift her fork and spear a mushroom, bringing the morsel to her mouth. The burst of flavor on her tongue reminded her that she might be down, but she wasn’t out yet. Not when there were still things in this life to enjoy, to savor. Things that proved life went on as surely as the sun rose each day.

“Ah, excellent, you’ve helped yourself,” Penny said, walking briskly back into the room. “Is everything to your liking? Perhaps there’s something else I can get for you?”

“Everything is lovely, thank you. I’m fine for now.”

“I’m glad,” the other woman said, bustling over to clear the table where she and Finn had been sitting when Tamsyn had come into the dining room. “Finn seems quite taken with you. You can’t go wrong there. He’ll show you a wonderful time.”

Was it Tamsyn’s imagination or was there a hefty dose of double entendre seasoning Penny’s words?

“You didn’t mention you met him yesterday,” Penny probed.

“I’d been given an address to go to. It turned out to be his and not the person I was seeking.”

“Well, if anyone around here can help you find someone local it’ll be Finn,” Penny said with a warm smile. “Come and see me in my office before you head out to the shops and tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll point you in the right direction.”

What she was looking for? Well, there was an opening she couldn’t ignore. Finn himself had said they were a close-knit community. Surely her mother had to be known by someone.

“Actually, now that you mention it, I was wondering...have you ever heard of an Ellen Masters?”

Penny halted midstride and the cups she’d just cleared from the table wobbled a little in their saucers.

“Ellen Masters, you say?” She pulled her mouth down into a small frown for a second before reverting to a bright smile that didn’t feel quite as genuine as it had a moment before. “No, can’t say I’ve ever heard that name. Well, I’ll leave you to your breakfast. Remember to ring if you need anything else.”

Tamsyn watched as Penny left the dining room. She must be getting overly sensitive because for a minute there she thought she’d seen a spark of something on Penny’s face. Tamsyn took another sip of her coffee and shook her head slightly. She was probably just jet-lagged and perhaps a little overtired still. Imagining things that weren’t there simply because she wanted them to be.

Still, she refused to be cowed. Someone in the district had to know where her mother was and as soon as she crossed paths with that someone, she would know, too. A person didn’t just disappear off the grid without leaving a trace somewhere, did they?