Chapter 1
April 2014
New Orleans, Louisiana
Quinn stepped out onto the wrought-iron balcony of her hotel room and was instantly enveloped in the warm embrace of the Louisiana afternoon. Moisture seemed to permeate the air, making it feel heavy and lush. She’d spent time in hot places before, but this was not the dry, merciless heat of the Middle East or the shimmering haze of the Caribbean. This warmth was fecund and fragrant, and made her feel languid and drowsy. It was hard to believe she’d been wearing a winter coat and scarf only that morning when she’d boarded her flight at Heathrow. She did feel tired. It was around eight o’clock in London, and she’d woken up at an ungodly hour to get to the airport on time. Perhaps she could lie down for a bit.
The cool breath of the room’s air conditioning was a welcome change from the heat outside. Quinn kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the double bed, but her guilty conscience wasn’t about to let her off the hook and allow her to rest. She’d argued with Gabe last night, and the fight weighed heavily on her, making her wish they’d parted on better terms. Gabe had driven her to the airport and helped her with her case, but had been cold and distant, even when he kissed her goodbye, still angry from the night before. He had a right to be cross; Quinn knew that, but she still hoped he’d understand her point of view.
“Quinn, we are getting married next month,” Gabe had fumed, willing her to change her mind about going to New Orleans. “Emma is finally settling into her new routine. Your parents are coming from Spain in just over a fortnight. You have Sylvia and your newfound brothers to deal with, and you’re pregnant. Why must you do this now?” he had demanded. “I promise you, we’ll go together in the summer. I’ll be able to take time off from work and Emma will be on summer holidays, so she can come with us. What’s the bleeding rush?”
But Quinn wouldn’t be deterred. She knew that Gabe’s argument made perfect sense, and he had every right to question her sanity, but she had to do this, and it had to be now. She couldn’t get on with her life and plan her future until she put this last piece of the puzzle in its rightful place. She’d found her birth mother after all these years, and now knew the story of her birth and the reason for her abandonment, but somehow, finding Sylvia generated more questions than answers.
Sylvia wasn’t at all what Quinn had expected, nor was her explanation of what had led her to leave a newborn Quinn in a church pew foolproof, raising the convoluted question of Quinn’s paternity. Perhaps Quinn would never truly know if Sylvia had been raped by three men, as she claimed, or if she had been a willing participant in a drunken Christmas Eve romp that had resulted in Quinn’s birth. There had been a fourth candidate as well, a married man Sylvia had enjoyed a brief fling with just before that fateful evening, but he’d proved to be sterile, and was crossed off the list of possible dads, leaving Quinn with one last candidate, an American — Seth Besson, who had to be responsible for the burden of her strange gift. Quinn’s ability to see into the past and step into the lives of people who were long dead had to come from his family, since it didn’t come from Sylvia. Quinn needed to put her questions and fears to rest before she welcomed her child into the world since her baby might be weighed down with the same ability, if it was genetic.
Quinn sighed and turned onto her side, pulling in her knees and curling into a shrimp-like position. She wished Gabe would call. She couldn’t bear that he was angry with her. He knew how important this was to her, but she couldn’t feel good about pursuing her birth father without his blessing. She reached over to the nightstand and checked her mobile. There was a text from her mother, one from her cousin and best friend Jill, and several from Phoebe Russell, commander-in-chief of the upcoming wedding. Gabe’s mother had embraced her role with relish, planning the ceremony and the reception afterward down to every minor detail. Quinn didn’t mind. The only aspect of the wedding she’d really enjoyed was choosing her dress. It had to be special, and it had to be unique. She’d visited several bridal boutiques but hadn’t found what she was looking for, until she got a call from Jill.
“Quinn, I got it,” Jill had cried into the phone. “It’s perfect. Exactly what you wanted. Come and see.”
Jill’s shop now carried more new and trendy merchandise, since she couldn’t make a living only from vintage stock, but she still kept a large section of the shop devoted only to vintage pieces, and from time to time she came across a real gem. Jill had been right. The gown was exquisite. It was made of ivory silk and embellished with delicate embroidery picked out in gold and silver thread. The pattern circled the waist and crisscrossed in front before tracing the outline of the deep V-neck and coming down the back, crisscrossing once more before rejoining the belt. The silk fell in delicate folds, giving the gown a Grecian feel and conveniently camouflaging Quinn’s tiny belly. The baby would probably be moving by the time Quinn actually got to wear the frock, but for now it was still slumbering peacefully inside her womb, its steady heartbeat on the scan the only proof that it was doing well. Quinn splayed her had on her belly.
“I’m doing this for you,” she whispered. “For both of us.” She hoped that was true. Finding the source of the gift didn’t necessarily mean she could do anything to turn it off. It wasn’t a tap or a light switch, and she wouldn’t know for years to come if her child would be able to see into the past like its mother. Quinn hadn’t known about her ability until she was nearly ten. But she had to try. At the very least, finding out would appease her deep curiosity about the origin of this strange burden. The mobile trilled just as she was beginning to doze off. Gabe.
“Hello,” Quinn said, unsure what his mood was going to be like.
“Sorry I didn’t ring earlier. I was stuck in a meeting. Did you get in all right?” Gabe asked, sounding contrite.
“Yes. It’s so warm here,” Quinn complained. “I should have brought lighter clothes.”
“Hopefully, you won’t be there long enough to need lighter clothes. Quinn, just get this done and come home. I’m really not comfortable with you being there alone.”
“Gabe, we’ve been over this. I’ll meet the man, ask him for a DNA sample, question him about his family history, and leave. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.”
“Right. Nothing to worry about,” Gabe repeated.
“You’re practically oozing sarcasm,” Quinn replied with a smile, relieved that Gabe was no longer angry with her.
“Am I? Well, I’m a bit concerned about you walking into some man’s office, announcing to him that you are his long-lost daughter, demanding physical proof, and then interrogating him about his psychic relatives. There are some who might not take kindly to that.”
“You know, you are becoming a real worrywart, Gabriel Russell. I’ve never known you to be so over-protective.”
“I’ve never loved anyone this much before,” Gabe replied. Quinn could hear the catch in his voice. “I’m just worried about you and the baby.”
“No need to be. How’s Emma? Is she in bed?”
“I just read her a story, tucked her in with Mr. Rabbit, and snuck out before she had a chance to trick me into reading her something the length of the Iliad. You know how she hates going to sleep. She keeps asking when you’ll be back. She misses you.”
“I miss her too. Tell her we’ll go shopping for her dress as soon as I get back.”
“She can’t wait to be a bridesmaid.”
“I have a more important role for her, but I want it to be a surprise.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Daddy, I can’t sleep,” came a wail over the line. “Read me one more story.”
“Sounds like a call to duty,” Quinn said, smiling. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to read Emma a story and then curl up next to Gabe in their bed. She’d put on a brave face for Gabe, but she really was worried about meeting Seth Besson, and she wasn’t entirely sure whose reaction would be more volatile, hers or his.