Evie looked around the room once more. She had a feeling that she’d never be back here, so she wanted to make sure that she didn’t forget anything important. Closing the door to the bedroom that she’d made so many memories in, she felt as if she were closing a chapter of her life that she’d only have in her heart. Bentley was standing in the hall when she turned around.
“My lady? Are you well?” Nodding, she moved to the stairs. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? We don’t even know if they’ll let you stay with them should it prove to be your granddaughter.”
“And we both know that it’s her. But I can’t stay here. Not with…I just can’t.” He nodded, and she knew that he understood. “I will just live close by should this person not want me in his home. But by all accounts, he’s a good man with a good heart. And I’ve known of the Bennetts since…the son is nothing like his parents, and I think if nothing else, he will help me care for her.”
“You know as well as I that the knowledge of some money to be had can change a person. We have seen it a great deal, you and I.”
She knew it. Her son-in-law was a prime example of it. Bentley followed her down the stairs as he continued.
“She might have become her mother, for all you know. I doubt it. One of them was quite enough. But she might not…she might be different now after all these years.”
In a way, Evie was hoping that she was different. Not like her daughter. No, that would never do. But more like her. Someone that would not let anything come between them again. Evie knew that Addie had to run. At the time there was nothing to keep her family from doing just what they wanted with Addie. Nothing would have stopped them from having their way. And it seemed that they’d picked a man to marry their daughter that was as much like them as could be.
But now, after all these years, she was going to see her again. Tears threatened again when she thought of how long it had been. How many years had passed between the day she’d called her from the bank and told her that she had to go? That call from Nick had changed everything for her. Evie felt alive again, and now she needed to see her.
Evie had put the house on the market the week after Joel’s death. It was hard on her to have that hanging over her. She’d never actually seen a person die before. And when Evie had gone to see her daughter and her husband two days later, she had expected…well, she had no idea what she had expected, but nothing like she’d encountered.
“Mother? What on earth are you doing here?” Addison looked at her husband before addressing her again. “To be honest, I thought you’d died some time ago. We both did. I guess that you’re doing well, then?”
“I’m not dead, no. And thank you so much for caring enough to find out.” She sat on the couch that was as ugly as the rug it sat on. “I’ve come to tell you that I’m selling the house and moving away. Not that it will bother you overly much; we didn’t see each other all that often. Why is that, Addison? I’m your mother.”
“You are. But we’ve grown apart. I’m not unhappy with that, and would think that you’re all right with it as well, Mother.” Her daughter looked at her husband, Dalton, then at her again. “We heard about Joel, the poor man. Whatever did you do to him, Mother? We know that you didn’t care for him, but that was no reason to murder him.”
Her accusation bit into her heart like a pin, sharp and full of barbs. Addison had always been a strange child. Standoffish and a little snobbish too. But Evie had hoped that once Addie had been born her daughter would loosen up. Maybe bend that ridiculous backbone of hers and see what she had been missing. But if anything, she’d become colder, more hateful. Just like Dalton was.
“I’m going to see if I can find my granddaughter. Have you even thought of her since she left here?” Addison just huffed at her before looking at Dalton, like she needed permission to talk to her own mother.
“No, we have not. And why should we? She was nothing but a troublesome girl, and I would think that time has not changed that.” Evie had looked at Dalton when he continued. “You’ll not mention her name to us again. As far as we’re concerned, there was never an issue born to us. When she ran out on Joel, the poor man was devastated. He nearly took his own life. I’ll not have a thing like that mentioned in my home again.”