The Best Of The Year - Modern Romance. Annie West

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СКАЧАТЬ in his eyes when she mentioned what happened sixteen years ago. That he carried baggage from that time was fairly obvious. So did she, after all. But Bastien was lucky. His parents had stayed together. She hadn’t been so lucky. Her mother’s erratic behaviour and bitter rants had worsened after their winter in Verbier because Bastien’s father had returned to his wife.

      His family had survived Lily Duval’s toxic intrusion. He should be celebrating. She and her father hadn’t been so lucky.

      Her phone trilled. She seized on it in relief—until she saw the number.

      Ana contemplated letting it go to voicemail. But her mother would only call back. Lily didn’t like to be ignored.

      ‘Lily.’ Ana had been forbidden from calling her Mother the day she’d turned nine.

      ‘I see you’ve landed herself in a bit of a pickle,’ her mother drawled in carefully cultivated upper-class tones.

      ‘I’m fine. Thank you for asking.’

      Ana had trained herself long ago not to listen for any softening in her mother’s voice but she found herself doing so now, her conversations with Bastien having rubbed at the barrier she’d placed around her heart where her mother was concerned.

      ‘You’re a Duval. Life will knock you down but you have to learn to bounce back,’ Lily snapped.

      Her heart clenched painfully. Again she thought back to her conversation in Bastien’s office and her grip tightened on the phone. Was she being a hypocrite by letting her mother get away with treating her so badly?

      ‘So your less than loving treatment of me all these years was supposed to teach me a lesson?’

      Taut silence greeted her daring question, followed by a haughty, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, dear.’

      Another jagged arrow of pain lanced through her. ‘Did you ever stop to think I might need a shoulder to cry on before I took my next lesson?’

      Her mother laughed. ‘Even if I wanted to offer a shoulder you’d never take it.’

      Ana froze. ‘How would you know, since you’ve never offered it?’

      Again a small pause, before Lily sighed. ‘I may be blind to some things but not to everything, dear. But, be that as it may, I called to offer my advice. If you’re thinking of starting anything with Bastien Heidecker I suggest you think twice.’

      It took a few seconds to arrange her reeling thoughts. ‘Thank you, but the advice isn’t necessary.’

      ‘That picture in the paper suggests otherwise.’

      Ana exhaled sharply at the reminder that her momentary loss of composure was now streaming across the world. ‘I’m not thinking of starting anything with anyone.’

      ‘That’s good. Take it from one who knows: the Heidecker men are ruthless liars. They’ll string you along until they get what they want from you, then leave you high and dry.’ Unmistakeble bitterness coated her words.

      ‘So you take no responsibility for what happened sixteen years ago?’

      Ana had expected a swift denial, and was shocked when her mother made a quickly veiled sound of distress. ‘Believe it or not, I do.’

      Ana halted in surprise. ‘You do?’

      ‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing—so, yes, I wish things had turned out differently. Anyway, the thing to do is look forward.’

      Ana closed her eyes. ‘Well, I can’t just yet. The past is ruining my life.’ She tried for a light-hearted tone despite the vice squeezing her heart.

      ‘Then don’t do as I did. Take the lesson you need from it but don’t hang on to it.’

      This unexpected morsel of advice made Ana’s breath catch. ‘Are you okay?’

      ‘Of course I am. Or I will be as soon as I find another gig. I’ve left the show,’ she added, her attempt at flippancy not quite hitting the mark.

      ‘Why? What happened?’

      ‘The director was a bore. His artistic vision was totally wrong.’

      ‘The truth, Lily. What really happened?’

      Her mother sucked in a shaky breath. ‘He told me he loved me... Of course it turned out to be lies. All lies.’

      Against her will, a lump formed in Ana’s throat. ‘I see.’

      ‘You see? That’s all you have to say?’

      ‘I can’t pretend to be surprised.’

      Her mother gave a shocked gasp. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking...calling you for support—’

      ‘Lily, listen to me. You’re worth so much more than what you let happen to you. Why don’t you take your own advice—?’

      ‘It’s that man, isn’t it? Turning you against me!’

      ‘Bastien has nothing to do with this.’ But his voice echoed at the back of her mind all the same...

      ‘Well, don’t call me when Bastien kicks you to the kerb. Just remember I warned you—all men are bastards.’ The line went dead.

       Not all men... Some men could be gentle when they chose...could make you feel safe...

      A cool mist touched her face. With a start, she realised she’d reached the water jet.

      Turning around, she headed back to the hotel, the joy of her walk gone. Had she silently condoned her mother’s behaviour all this time? Enabled her, even, by continuing to support her just to keep the lines of communication open...the secret hope of a connection?

      Her phone rang again. She stared at the number and breathed a sigh of relief.

      ‘Papá!’ She summoned a smile, her world brightening a little.

      ‘I heard something on the news about you. I’m worried,’ he said after they’d exchanged pleasantries.

      She bit her lip and quickly summarised what had happened to her, knowing that her father didn’t keep up with current affairs on his dig in Colombia but not wanting to risk him finding out anyway.

      ‘How did this happen, Ana?’ he asked in the softly modulated voice that could turn steely when needed.

      ‘I don’t know, but I didn’t do it.’

      ‘Sí, I know that,’ he said impatiently. ‘But you need to find out who wishes you such harm and deal with it.’

      His unequivocal belief in her innocence brought a lump to her throat. Taking a few seconds, she cleared it. ‘I intend to. Um...about the internship...’

      ‘Make things right in your world. I will make things right here.’

      The СКАЧАТЬ