She closed the box and turned her attention to the photographs, which had been sorted into envelopes. She leafed through them quickly, finding pictures of Gabriel and his mother, and a few snapshots of a man and a woman who must have been Gabriel’s parents. Surprisingly, however, there were no photos of Gabriel’s parents together.
Like Gabriel, his mother had dark hair, but her eyes were dark too, against pale, milky skin. She was fine featured and very beautiful.
In contrast, Gabriel’s father was gray haired with piercing sapphire eyes. He was attractive for an older man, but there was an overall harshness to his expression that Julia didn’t like. In the pictures, he rarely smiled.
At the back of the drawer, underneath a worn teddy bear, was a diary. Julia opened it and looked at the flyleaf.
This is the Property
of
Suzanne Elizabeth Emerson.
On impulse, she opened it to a random page. Her eyes alighted on the sentence written at the very top: I’m pregnant.
Owen wants me to have an abortion.
He gave me money and said that he’d make the appointment.
He said that if I did this for him, he’d find a way for us to be together.
But I don’t think I can do it.
Julia slammed the book shut and hurriedly shoved it to the back of the drawer.
Gabriel could come looking for her at any moment. He’d be incredibly angry at what she’d done.
She already regretted it. Suzanne Emerson’s words flashed before her eyes. If Gabriel were to read them, he’d hate his father even more.
She placed the teddy bear back where she found it, along with the photographs and the jewelry box. She was about to return the train to the drawer when she noticed what was next to it, sitting atop the pile of unopened mail.
It was a letter.
She hadn’t recognized the handwriting, but it didn’t matter. Paulina’s name and address were neatly written in the top left corner of the envelope. Somehow, she’d discovered Gabriel’s address and sent the letter to their home.
Their home. The home Gabriel shared with his wife.
Julia wanted to fling the letter into the fireplace.
She was already beginning to keep secrets—reading his mother’s diary when he wasn’t looking. She couldn’t throw Paulina’s letter away, too.
Holding the envelope away from her body, she walked to the bedroom and handed it to him.
“Thanks, but I’ll go through the mail later.” He moved to toss the envelope on the bed, but she stopped him.
“Look at the return address.”
Gabriel glanced at the letter.
He cursed.
“Why is she writing to me? Not even Carson, my lawyer, hears from her now.”
Julia remained motionless, watching him.
He ripped open the letter, expecting to find a long, handwritten missive. He was surprised to find a single piece of cardstock.
He read the printed words quickly.
“It’s a wedding invitation.” He turned the card over, finding Paulina’s flowing script on the back.
Gabriel,
I would never be gauche enough to invite you to my wedding.
I simply wanted you to know that I’m getting married.
After all these years, I’ll finally be a wife and a mother, to two wonderful girls.
Now that we’re both happy, things are as they should be.
XO,
P.
He handed the invitation to Julia for her perusal.
Julia skimmed it.
“She’s getting married.”
“Yes.”
“How do you feel?” Julia searched his face.
He placed the invitation back in the envelope. Then he tapped it against the open palm of his left hand.
“She expressed it correctly—we’re both happy. She’s found the family she wanted.”
His blue eyes trained on Julia’s.
“She has you to thank.”
“Me?”
“You were the one who persuaded me to let her go. That she’d never find her own happiness while she was dependent on me. You were right.”
Julia shifted her weight at his praise, all too conscious of the fact that she’d been snooping through his personal effects only minutes earlier.
“You were right about Maria, too.” Now his eyes were sad.
Julia went to him, wrapping her arms about his waist.
“I wish I weren’t right about Maria. But sometimes loving someone means that you have to let them go.”
“I’ll never let you go. I’d challenge anyone to try to take you away from me.” He sounded fierce.
Julia pressed her fingertips to his lips. “Remember that when you’re working things out in your own mind. No matter what your troubles are, I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She kissed him again, then she disappeared into the hall.
Gabriel looked at the invitation, his mind wandering into the past.
Chapter Thirty-eight
January 2010
Toronto, Ontario
Paulina Gruscheva entered the lobby of the Manulife Building, her high-heeled boots clicking against the marble floors, her cell phone pressed to her ear. She’d been resident in Toronto for some time, but Gabriel had refused to see her, speak with her, or entertain any communication with her at all.
She’d grown tired of waiting.
When she reached Gabriel’s voice mail, she hung up and dialed his landline. She prayed silently that Julianne wouldn’t answer. It was bad enough that he was sleeping with her. She didn’t have to have their affair thrown back in her face.