The Marriage K.L. Slater (classic romance novels TXT) 📖

my legs in an instant and I went down. I slipped under the water, gulping in mouthfuls of chlorine and chemicals, gasping and choking as I tried to drag in air.

I felt Tom’s strong arms plunge down and grasp me under my arms, and after that, there was nothing. A deep, dark nothingness.

Fifty-Seven

When I woke up, I was back inside the house, wrapped in a big soft towel and lying on the sofa in the kitchen. Tom crouched down, staring at me.

I sat up. I shivered. Then I remembered Ellis was upstairs. ‘We can’t talk about this now, not with Ellis here and—’

‘It’s OK. I’ve been up to check, and he’s fast asleep,’ Tom said.

‘That lie you told me about going back to the gym … what was all that about?’

‘I went to Coral’s house to get the letter I knew she had that proved my sibling DNA link to Ellis. But Coral wasn’t in.’

‘Were you looking for it in Coral’s bedroom when we picked up Ellis’s things?’ I’d been so certain he’d put something in his pocket despite his assurances that wasn’t the case.

Tom nodded. ‘In the paperwork, I found one of Dad’s counselling appointment cards Coral had obviously saved. I slipped it in my pocket.’

I stared at him. He’d lied so convincingly, seemed affronted I’d accused him of such a thing.

‘I needed the DNA letter to explain everything to you and my mum. To prove it. I didn’t know at the time, but Audrey had a copy – Coral had given it to her to help her get money out of Dad. Audrey gave it to Mum today, although she hadn’t opened it when I went round. She’d asked Audrey to leave because she thought it was going to confirm I was Ellis’s father and she felt she couldn’t handle it.’

‘I thought that’s what you were going to tell me, too,’ I croaked, my throat burning from swallowing chlorinated water. I glanced nervously at the door to check Ellis wasn’t there. ‘In the end, though, the result is the same. Ellis isn’t Jesse’s son. He isn’t my grandson.’

Where there had been warmth inside, there was nothing. I felt completely empty.

‘I’m so sorry, Brid. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before now, but I couldn’t do it to you or Mum. It had to wait until I was a free man again and able to explain and face everyone’s heartbreak. I did actually put it in a letter to you once when I was in the first year of my sentence. I was at a real low point and I convinced myself you should know. When you told me you’d shredded the letters, I was so relieved. Then years later, we fell in love and—’

‘Is your love real, Tom?’

‘What?’

‘Is your love for me real or did you want to be close to your brother?’

‘My love is as real as it comes.’ He perched on the edge of the sofa and grasped my hands. ‘I love you with all my heart, Brid. Please believe that. Can you forgive me for keeping the truth from you?’

It wasn’t Tom’s fault that Coral had slept with Robert. It wasn’t his fault that Jesse wasn’t Ellis’s father. And it wasn’t Ellis’s fault that I wasn’t his blood grandparent.

‘I wish you’d told me before now but I can imagine how difficult that was. You were in a no-win situation, I get that.’

‘And Ellis? How do you feel about him?’

I didn’t have to think about my answer. ‘You don’t need a blood connection to love someone with all your heart. Ellis is my grandson and I’m his nan and nobody can take that away from us.’

‘Can we do it, do you think, Brid?’ Tom said softly, a tear trickling down his cheek. ‘Can we make a little family, the three of us?’

I touched his face. ‘We can try,’ I whispered.

Fifty-Eight Nottinghamshire Police

After Tom Billinghurst’s call, it didn’t take Irma’s team long to locate his father, Robert.

‘He’s at home,’ an officer told her. She called Tyra over and five minutes later, they were leaving the station.

When they arrived, Jill Billinghurst stood at the front of the house, the door wide open.

‘He’s in the office. He only got back about half an hour ago, I’ve been holding in everything I want to say to him because I didn’t want him to realise you were coming,’ she said. ‘I’ll get him for you now.’

The officers waited outside. The usual signs of neighbourly interest started around them. An upstairs curtain twitching next door, someone suddenly deciding to sweep the path over the road.

‘Robert?’ Jill called out in the hallway. ‘Some people here to see you.’

Irma and Tyra stood right by the open door. Close enough to hear Robert Billinghurst’s annoyed response to his wife. ‘I told you I’m busy. What is it?’

Jill turned and walked towards them. Irma stepped inside.

‘Mr Billinghurst, I’m Detective Inspector Irma Barrington …’ He babbled over her, but Irma raised her voice. ‘And this is Detective Sergeant Tyra Barnes.’

‘Jill, what the hell is this? What’s going on?’

‘You’re Ellis McKinty’s father, Robert,’ Jill said smoothly. ‘That’s what’s going on.’

‘Now hang on a minute. That’s not true, I—’

‘Save your breath and tell the detectives at the station.’ Jill turned her back on him. ‘I’ll pack up your things while you’re gone. You won’t be coming back here.’

‘Jill! What’s got into you?’

‘We need you to get into the police car now, please, sir,’ a young officer said from behind the detectives.

‘Jill! I can explain everything. Just give me a chance, I’ll—’

‘Bye, Robert,’ she said. ‘Don’t come back here. Ever.’

Irma looked at Tyra and raised an admiring eyebrow.

In a couple of hours’ time, Robert Billinghurst sat opposite Irma and Tyra in an interview room.

‘Tom killed her,’ he said soon after Tyra had started the video recording. ‘I didn’t want to say in front of his mother but he mowed Coral down and then begged me to take the rap for it.’

Irma regarded him