Because You're Mine(33)

Alanna recognized that she’d get no more information out of Hattie. Likely the older woman already regretted saying anything. Would Grady be willing to tell her more? She couldn’t say why it mattered so much to her. Maybe because such cruelty was so far outside her realm of thought. She’d thought she and Barry had the same values.

Now she wondered how well she really knew her new husband. “I’ll be going now.” She rose to her feet. “Thank you for the basket. You are too kind.”

“It was my pleasure.” Hattie followed Alanna to the door.

Alanna stepped outside. The heat and humidity nearly took her breath away. As she walked toward the house, she felt the weight of Hattie’s gaze on her back. If she didn’t know better, she would be thinking she’d seen pity in the woman’s dark eyes.

The scent of flowers reminded her of a wake as she trod the path home, though she didn’t know why the thought entered her head. Insects hummed at her ears, and she caught a whiff of decaying vegetation from the trees bordering the path. Something splashed in the lagoon, and she shuddered and averted her glance as she passed it. The alligator’s eyes sent shivers up her spine.

When Alanna came around the end of the house, she spotted Barry getting out of his Mercedes. He hadn’t been gone long—why? He waved to her. There was a folder in his left hand. Grimness strained his mouth, and she wondered if he knew how his actions with the cat had disconcerted her. Her steps dragged as she approached him.

“We’ve got trouble,” he said before she could say anything. He held up the folder. “Liam’s father has wasted no time. He is suing for custody of your child.”

She clutched her stomach. “Barry, what shall we do? Surely he knows he has no power over me here?”

“You’re not a citizen yet,” he reminded her. “I talked to my friend and he’s going to try to hurry along the paperwork. You’re to appear in Dublin in three weeks to answer the charges. I have another attorney working on delaying that order.”

“What charges? I thought you said he wanted custody. Is there more?”

Barry nodded, his mouth tightening. “Liam’s parents say you’re unfit to raise their grandchild because you’re a prostitute.”

“What?” Alanna touched Barry’s arm to steady herself.

Barry tapped the folder with his finger. “He says you worked in a strip club three years ago and includes a list of your clients, including current ones.”

Did Barry believe it? “It’s a lie.” She dropped her hand from his arm and took a step back.

“Did you work at the Blue Dipper?” he asked, his gaze hooded.

She didn’t want to admit it. “I was a barmaid, but all I ever did for customers was serve them drinks. I quit when the owner tried to pressure me into performing other services.”

She wanted to shudder at the memory of that time, but she kept her gaze on Barry, willing him to believe her. Their gazes locked and the doubt in his eyes stung. “I’m not like that, Barry. You should know better.”

He dropped his gaze. “You’ve never let me in, Alanna. How am I supposed to know all about your past?”

She nodded. “My past is not something I like to talk about.” How would he react to knowing she was a tinker’s daughter? So few people knew her background, and she preferred to keep it that way. Not even Thomas had ferreted it out yet. Barry’s bloodline was as blue as the ocean across the sea grass. She should have disclosed her past to him before he agreed to give her child his name, but she hadn’t deliberately attempted to keep him in the dark. Would he have married her if he knew about her past?

He raised his gaze to study her face. Was he thinking she’d duped him?

“Your word is enough,” he said, breaking a silence that was beginning to grow uncomfortable. He thrust the folder into her hand. “We won’t speak of it again. I’ll take care of this.”

There was something in his eyes she couldn’t tear her gaze from. Was the darkness there a warning, or the passion she knew he felt for her?





Fifteen


Loneliness crept up on Alanna as she walked to the porch the next day. Barry had gone out to look at the summerhouse after announcing that his parents would arrive in the afternoon. She watched for Prince, but the dog stayed hidden. She couldn’t sit around doing nothing but counting the minutes until she had to face Barry’s parents.

Pressing her lips together, she marched up the curving staircase to the second floor. There were too many doors to decide which to peek into. She chose the one just beyond her own room.

The knob turned easily under her hand, and she stepped into a large bedroom. White dust covers draped the bed and other furniture. She walked toward the window and sneezed when dust flew from the floor. The rotted curtains felt greasy in her hand. She couldn’t ask one of her friends to stay in this room.

But if she cleaned it up, got new linens and curtains, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. She went to the closet and opened it. Dresses from the twenties hung inside, and hatboxes were piled high on the shelf over the clothing. Old shoes lined the floor. This had been a woman’s room. Alanna would have to pack all this stuff and take it to the attic.

Barry’s voice came from behind her. “What are you doing?”

She turned with a smile. “Whose room was this, Barry? These things look like they’re from the twenties.”