The food and the atmosphere in the café were as good as Ben remembered. They worked their magic on Sally, who relaxed enough to show him photos of Alice as she grew from a tiny red-faced baby to a laughing dark-haired child who looked like she was always in a hurry. It seemed impossible that he could be responsible for this small person’s existence, but she was physically a Montgomery through and through. The sensible part of him was warning him to be careful, to consider a DNA test at least, but the timing was right and Alice’s resemblance to one of his sisters was too startling to be a coincidence.
She was definitely his.
‘Are you still based in South America?’ Sally asked as they finished their grilled-vegetable-and-goat’s-cheese sandwiches.
‘No, I spent three years in Ecuador, then two at Yale, but I moved back to the family estate in Buckinghamshire a couple of years ago, although I still travel a lot. Business-wise I wanted to expand into Europe so it made sense for me to return to the family estate and run things from there. Besides, although my mother still looks after Askett Hall and the estate, I needed to start taking on some of the responsibility there as well.’
‘What exactly do you do?’
‘I started a company with some fellow students while in Ecuador. At one end it’s an app helping people choose more sustainable options, whether that’s the energy they use or the toiletries they buy. At the other we invest in renewable projects. We’re very interested in working with the Asturian government. How about you? Found Troy yet?’
Sally bit her lip. ‘Not yet. I didn’t actually complete my second year. The year-in-practice requirement seemed impractical with a newborn.’
She’d been so passionate about archaeology, so full of plans and dreams. It seemed unthinkable that she’d just given it up.
‘So what do you do?’
‘I work in my parents’ café. I have the flat upstairs, babysitters on tap and can raise Alice by the sea. I’m very lucky and so is she.’
She pushed her plate away and Ben did the same, aware the fragile truce was at an end.
‘Here’s what happened, Ben. I wrote to you at the Polhallow house—there was no other way to get hold of you. Your mother sent a copy of my letter to you by email and you replied, saying that you had no intention of returning to the UK any time soon, and if I wanted to have the baby, I would have to do it alone. When I said I would go ahead with the pregnancy, you sent money in lieu of maintenance. I didn’t touch it, by the way. It’s been put aside for Alice. Come on, Ben. Are you really going to maintain this charade? What’s the point?’
He exhaled slowly. ‘Sally, I promise you. I never received any email. Last night was the first time I heard of Alice’s existence. Whoever sent that email and money, it wasn’t me. But,’ he added grimly, ‘I have a good idea who it was.’
Log in or create an account to read the next chapter of "Single Mum to Countess"
Every month we select a new title from one of our authors so that you can discover new stories, locations and genres for free.