CHAPTER NINE
THENEXTCOUPLEof days passed in a blur of activity. Spending time with Nina was clearly a priority for Lincoln, which only made Elodie love and respect him more, but he also managed to show Elodie some of the tourist spots in the town—including the Roman theatre and the fortress castle.
They walked hand in hand as they explored the sights, and she tried to pretend they were just like any loved-up couple on their honeymoon. There were even times when she caught Lincoln looking at her with an indulgent look on his face, making her wonder if some of his bitterness about their breakup was finally melting away.
Certainly, there was no trace of it in his lovemaking. The passion they shared never ceased to amaze her. It seemed to be getting more intense, and there were moments of tenderness too, that were particularly poignant given their marriage was only temporary.
It was poignant too, to see Lincoln’s relationship with his biological mother growing each day. It touched Elodie to see the care he had for her, the way he made sure she had everything she needed. The villa and its grounds were immaculate, and managed with expertise, and the staff were friendly and supportive.
Elodie couldn’t help comparing the lovely Alita with Morag. How could there be two such different housekeepers? One was so helpful, the other so spiteful. One made her feel welcome, the other made her feel like trailer trash, triggering the emotions of the past, when others had done the same. It made the thought of going back to London daunting—not to mention the prospect of leaving Nina, and wondering if it would be the last time they’d see her.
The morning of their departure, Nina wrapped her arms around Elodie in a warm, motherly hug. ‘Take care of yourself, my dear. Don’t work too hard, will you? And promise to come and see me again soon, yes?’
Elodie blinked back tears, her heart suddenly feeling cramped inside her chest cavity. ‘I promise. Thank you for making me feel so welcome.’ She eased back to look at the older woman, who was also tearing up. ‘I’m so glad you and Lincoln found each other at last.’
Nina’s smile was happy-sad. ‘I waited a long time to make contact. Too long. But I wasn’t sure if he would want to meet me. After all, I gave him up as a week-old baby. Some adoptees find that very hard to understand—why their birth mother gave them away. But I always loved him. I only ever wanted the best for him.’
Elodie stood back as Lincoln hugged Nina and said his own goodbyes. He had better control over his emotions, but she sensed he was also well aware that this could be the last time he saw Nina. She saw it in the set of his jaw, the fixed smile, the shadowed eyes, the aura of sadness that enveloped him.
Once they were in the car, with Elonzo driving, on their way to the airport, Elodie placed her hand on Lincoln’s thigh. ‘I really like Nina. She’s so warm and friendly.’
He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘Yeah, she’s great.’ His voice was sandpaper-rough. ‘I’m glad she liked you.’
Elodie glanced at her wedding and engagement rings, glittering on her hand. ‘Yes, well...it would’ve been a disaster if she hadn’t, given you’ve gone to the trouble of marrying me and all.’
His gaze met hers, his expression inscrutable. ‘Has it been such a trial so far?’
She leaned closer to plant a kiss on his lips. ‘No...’ Her voice came out a little husky. ‘But I can’t say I’m looking forward to living in the same house as Mean Morag. Alita is so lovely and sweet. She falls over herself to help.’
‘I hope you don’t call Morag that to her face?’
‘No, of course not.’
He sighed and ruffled the loose strands of her hair. ‘I’ll have a word with her about reducing her hours. That way you won’t have to run into her so often.’
‘I probably won’t be home during the day much anyway. I have work to do. I’ve got to find a studio—preferably close to the centre of London, which will cost a bomb, but—’
‘I know of a place you could use,’ Lincoln said. ‘It’s around the corner from my office—the one that’s currently being renovated. It has space for a showroom as well.’
A flicker of excitement coursed through her blood. ‘Really? How much will the rent be, do you think?’
‘I’ll have a word with the landlord. He might do mates’ rates or something.’
‘Wow, that would be awesome.’
He brought her hand up to his chest, his eyes meshing with hers. ‘You might not believe this, but I really want you to succeed.’
Elodie didn’t ask for clarification, because she already knew what was behind his motivation for her success. Her career would be all she was left with after their marriage came to an end. It would be her consolation prize.
‘I’ll do my best,’ she said.
***
Within a few of days of coming back to London, Elodie was setting up her studio with Elspeth’s help. Some of the furniture had yet to arrive, and there was a lot more to do in terms of preparing her creative space, but it was like a dream come true to have her own place at last.
‘I’ve got a good feeling about this venture of yours,’ Elspeth said, unloading some fabric swatches from a box. ‘I can’t wait to come in and have some fancy evening wear designed for me by you.’
‘Hey, I thought you didn’t like dressing up?’ Elodie teased. ‘What happened to the shy librarian archivist who only wore brown and beige and flat shoes?’
Elspeth pulled the plastic wrapping off one of the velvet showroom chairs and gave a dreamy smile. ‘I’ve decided it’s much more fun being a butterfly than a moth.’ She bundled the wrapping into a ball and added, ‘You haven’t told me much about your trip to Spain apart from how nice Nina was. How was it?’
‘It was good.’
‘Only “good”?’