Rachel's Child. Jennifer Taylor
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as she slid her key into the lock. Her gaze moved on to the man leaning against the bonnet and she felt the shock run through her so fast that it stole her breath.
For a moment she couldn’t seem to move, her whole body clenched in a spasm of disbelief as she stared at him. The wind suddenly rose, whipping the hood off her head so that her long silver-blonde hair blew across her face, but Rachel just stood there, unmoving, and heard the man give a low laugh which held no trace of amusement.
‘Hello, Rachel. How are you? I hope you haven’t forgotten me. Stephen Hunter...remember?’ He looked at Jamie and his eyes were full of a hard, cold anger when they came back to her. ‘I’m sure you must.’
He knew! Rachel felt the words swell inside her, filling her with fear and stealing her ability to think rationally. All she knew was that she had to get away from the knowledge she saw in Stephen Hunter’s eyes!
Her breath came in tiny frightened spurts as she grasped Jamie’s hand to hurry him inside, but suddenly Stephen was there, big and dangerous-looking as he placed his arm across the door and barred her way.
‘No! You aren’t going anywhere. It’s time we talked, Rachel. In fact, I would say it’s way past time we did that, wouldn’t you?’
The taunting note in Stephen’s voice made Rachel feel sick because she had never heard it before. Unbidden, the memory of that summer flooded back, Stephen’s voice saying her name, so deep and resonant with emotion, as he told her that he loved her...
‘Mummy, you’re hurting me!’
Jamie shook her arm, his small face full of mounting fear. Rachel struggled to regain control as she released his hand and forced herself to smile. ‘Sorry, darling. I...I just wanted to get you inside out of the wind.’
‘I’m not cold. Can’t I play out for a bit before we go to the park?’
Stephen glanced down at the child and his expression softened. ‘Why don’t you go inside for now?’ He looked back at Rachel, and there was no trace of softness as he continued, ‘Mummy and I are...old friends. There are a lot of things we need to catch up on.’
Rachel heard the irony in Stephen’s voice. Her heart lurched but she was powerless to do anything with Jamie standing there. She looked down at her son, feeling love spilling through her as she saw the worry on his face. What was the point in worrying Jamie even more when she might be able to sort this out without the need to tell him who Stephen Hunter was?
‘Yes, go along in, Jamie. I won’t be long.’
Jamie gave them both a considering look then disappeared inside the house. Rachel took a long, slow breath before she turned to face Stephen. In the beginning she had imagined this scene so many times, at her blackest moments half wished that it would happen. But the years had passed and the likelihood of them ever meeting again had become remote—as remote as Stephen himself had become.
She had read about him in the papers, of course, followed his success and taken comfort from the fact that she had been proved right in doing what she had. The only thing she had ever wanted was Stephen’s happiness. Yet, looking at him now, Rachel suddenly wondered if by ensuring that she had paved the way to her own worst nightmare!
‘Why, Rachel? Answer me that. Why did you do it?’
Stephen’s voice was so low that she had to strain to hear it, but it wasn’t an indication of his feelings. Rachel could hear the fury in those deep tones, feel it emanating from him. She shivered convulsively and looked away, afraid that her fear would be all the confirmation he needed. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
Stephen gave a harsh laugh, his fingers hurting as he turned her face back so that he could stare into her eyes. ‘Don’t lie! Damn you, Rachel, don’t you dare do that on top of everything else you’ve done! I only had to look at the boy to know the truth. He’s my son, isn’t he? Isn’t he?’
‘I... No...no! You’re wrong, Stephen.’ Rachel forced a laugh but it sounded empty of conviction even to her. ‘I don’t know where you got that idea from...’
‘The boy has my eyes, Rachel. I looked at him and saw the same reflection I see each day in the mirror. My eyes, your features...our child! Now all I want to know is why you didn’t tell me. Why for all these years you have kept my child, my son, a secret from me.’
Stephen’s fingers tightened on her chin, his eyes glittering wildly. Rachel felt a jolt of real fear. Stephen was almost out of control. Who knew what he was capable of right then, what he might be capable of later?
Stephen Hunter was a powerful man now, with a reputation of always getting what he wanted. What if he decided that he wanted Jamie? What if his anger turned into a desire to take back what she had held from him all these years? That she had done so only to ensure that Stephen might achieve the success he had wanted so desperately would mean nothing to him now.
Losing Jamie was a risk she wouldn’t take!
‘No! You’re wrong. Jamie isn’t...isn’t yours.’ Rachel swallowed hard, aching for the lie she must tell. ‘Jamie just has the Hunter eyes not...not your eyes, Stephen.’
Her voice was low but she felt Stephen tense. She winced from the pressure of his fingers yet he seemed not to notice. He stared back at her, his face set, his eyes so dark that they appeared almost black. ‘Meaning?’
‘Ja—Jamie is Robert’s son, not yours. We...we slept together while you were away in London that time. I never wanted you to know, Stephen. That’s why I left after Robert died and I discovered I was pregnant.’
Rachel stared back at him, willing herself not to betray the agony she felt as she denied everything she and Stephen had once been to each other. ‘Jamie isn’t your child but your cousin’s, and you...you have no claim on him.’
For a moment Stephen didn’t move, his fingers still gripping her chin, his eyes still staring into hers. Rachel could feel the ugliness of the lie spreading. She wanted to scream that it wasn’t true, that she had loved him to the exclusion of anyone else, but the words were held back by the fear of what she could be facing until in the end it was too late.
‘Damn you, Rachel! Damn you to hell!’
Stephen let her go, his eyes blazing down at her for one long moment before he turned and strode to his car.
‘Stephen!’ Rachel’s voice held a desperate plea, but if Stephen heard it he gave no sign. He got into the car and drove off without looking back, leaving Rachel as once she had left him—but her reasons for doing so then had been ones of love; Stephen’s now were born out of hatred.
‘Mum, what’s the matter? Why are you crying? What did that man say to upset you?’
Jamie touched her arm, shades of uncertainty in his voice. Rachel ran a hand over her face, unaware until that moment that she was crying. She glanced down at her son, her heart breaking as she recalled what she had seen just now in another pair of grey eyes...
‘Well, I don’t like him! I hope we never see him again.’
Rachel fought free of her own pain when she saw the mutinous pout of Jamie’s lower lip as he glared after the car. Suddenly she knew that she couldn’t let this happen. She might have denied Stephen his son, but she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed Jamie to hate his father.
‘I haven’t seen Stephen for a long time and I...I told him something he didn’t know which upset him. Stephen didn’t make my cry, Jamie. It’s just the wind making my eyes water. How about if we go straight to the park now? And when we get back we can make some toast by the fire for tea?’
Jamie’s face brightened. ‘Brill! Can I make it, Mummy? I’ll be really careful—promise.’
‘We’ll see.’ Rachel smiled shakily. Taking Jamie’s hand, she closed the front door and started back down the road. She paused when they reached the corner to look back, but the street was empty, Stephen gone. But the memory of