Epilogue
Two weeks later
As soon as Darcey was settled in their Brisbane apartment, she rang her aunt.
“So you’re back from that godforsaken place,” Rachael gritted. “I can’t for the life of me think why you went. That Sophie, I expect. I knew she wouldn’t give up.”
“Shall we say one o’clock?” Darcey broke in.
“Well, sorry, one o’clock doesn’t suit.”
Darcey ignored the standoffishness. She was being punished. That was clearly Rachael’s intention. “I’d come to the gallery, only I need to speak to you privately.”
“About what?” Rachael showed her impatience.
“Just family matters.”
There was a moment’s silence. “Are your father and that woman back in town?”
“No. They’re still in London. I nearly dropped the phone when they told me their wonderful news. Anne is pregnant.”
“NO!”
Even down the line Darcey caught the blast. “Great news, I thought,” she continued. “She and Dad are thrilled. Anne was once told she could never conceive a child because of some abnormality, so another Christmas miracle.” She didn’t add she was hoping for one of her own.
“She’s too old,” Rachael said with a hiss of scorn.
“Forty-five. Anne is quite a bit younger than Dad.”
A loud sniff. “I doubt this child will come to term.”
“Her obstetrician has assured Anne it will.”
“And what about you?” Rachael demanded to know. “What about your inheritance? You’ll only get half of what we expected if this baby does actually get born.”
“That’s more than enough for me, Aunt. So are you coming or not?” She wasn’t sure her aunt would. Maybe she shouldn’t have told her about the pregnancy, but she couldn’t resist it.
“Make it three o’clock. I’ll only stay for coffee.”
“I’m at the MacArthur apartment.”
Darcey heard the gasp. “What is all this?”
“I have permission to use it,” Darcey said, as though it were in no way out of the ordinary.
“Good God!” Rachael couldn’t hide her disgust.
“You sound upset.”
“Disappointed, Darcey. I thought you’d cut ties with the MacArthurs forever.”
“Don’t worry,” Darcey replied. “The MacArthurs won’t hurt me. See you at three.” She hung up before her aunt had the chance to deliver another damning word.
* * *
Rachael’s face went white as she read Becky’s letter. When she finished, she curled her fingers into claws, bunching the cheap sheet of paper into a ball. Her dark eyes blazed at her niece. “You got me here to read that piece of garbage? How could you?”
“Because it’s true, though no confession will make up for the loss of two years of my married life. Becky’s conscience got the better of her. You, of course, have none. Why did you do it?”
“You can’t mean this!” Rachael barked a laugh.
“I certainly do. You’re lucky Scott didn’t come with me, but he had meetings he couldn’t get out of.”
“So he’s still in the picture?” Rachael’s brows rose superciliously.
“He was never really out of it. I know you want to ignore me, but you can’t. I have a right to hear why you deliberately set about destroying my marriage. I trusted you. You banked on that. Please try to find the decency to tell me why you did it. Do you hate me?”
Rachael didn’t meet her niece’s eyes. “It wasn’t about you,” she said, sounding almost genuine. “Not strictly. It was about me and my sister. You don’t know the half of it. How she stole your father out from under my nose. She knew how much I loved him. The only man I’ve ever been remotely attracted to.”
“So revenge was at the heart of it? You were avenging yourself on my mother through me?”
“That just about answers it,” Rachael admitted as though to a minor offence. “I went a little crazy when the two of them got married. Ysobel was callous enough to ask me to be chief bridesmaid. I was good looking enough then. Of course I had to refuse her. I didn’t attend the wedding at all. I claimed illness, and it was true. I was ill. Dangerously ill. Imagine how I felt raising you, made in Ysobel’s image.”
“You didn’t exactly raise me, Aunt Rachael. My mother and father did that. Do you realize you’re unbalanced?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Rachael flushed.
“I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t agree if they heard what you did, paying a third party to do your dirty work.”
Rachael bent to snatch up the balled letter.
“That’s okay. I’ve got copies.”
Rachael straightened, trying to regain her composure. “You’ll do no good opening your mouth about this.” The angry flush had faded to ashen.
“I just need you to admit what you did. It was criminal.”
“God knows it was easy enough. You thought I was special. As for that grasping little slut, I’ll go after her. She stole my money.”
“Don’t go any further with that,” Darcey warned. “Rebecca has paid for her part in the whole sordid affair. Hound Rebecca and I’ll come after you.”
“You wouldn’t do it,” Rachael said, contemptuous of Darcey’s resolve.
“Try me. It wouldn’t be just me. Scott and I are remarrying.”
A sick sweat broke out on Rachael’s pale forehead. “No, you’re lying.”
“You wish.” Slowly Darcey removed a white gold ring from her right hand to push it over the knuckle of her fourth finger, left hand. She turned the ring to expose a magnificent diamond-encrusted engagement ring, the central diamond some four flawless D color carats, flanked by diamonds of just under one carat each.
Ferocity slipped from Rachael’s dark eyes to be replaced by shock. “You’re playing with fire when you play with him,” she cried. “Women won’t stop chasing him.”
“No question about it. Only Scott loves me. I notice you haven’t mentioned how many admirers chased me? None of them mattered. There has only been Scott. We’re so, so happy to be back together again.”
Rachael’s breath came in a laboured groan. “I’m not a monster, Darcey, really I’m not. Your mother was responsible for my suffering.”
“Sure it wasn’t you who knocked her off her bike?”
“I probably would have had I been out that day.”
Darcey instantly rose to her feet. “Best you leave now. Your reactions prove you are a monster.”
“And you’re a fool,” Rachael countered. “Don’t ever think of running to me again.”
Darcey walked her aunt to the door. “On the contrary, I never want to see you again. I’m not going to threaten you with disclosure. This remains in the family. But I will never permit you to go after Rebecca.”
“She’s too worthless for me to bother.”
“Good. That Dad was ever in love with you is an image constructed by your imagination. To this day, he doesn’t know how you felt. My mother didn’t know either. I’m certain of that. You’ve always hidden your feelings rather too well. Obsession is a terrible state of mind. I’ve seen it in action. Unlike you, I don’t believe in revenge. I leave that to God. Not all my good memories of you have gone,” she added quietly. Even with full knowledge of her aunt’s betrayal and her hatred of her own sister, Darcey still felt pity. “Goodbye, Aunt. I wish you well. I am so happy with my life now I can say it and mean it.”
There was no response whatever from the frozen-faced Rachael. No attempt at an apology. Rachael made a grab for the doorknob and then let herself out, giving the door a hard solid bang behind her.
Darcey found herself laughing. Well, that was over! It hadn’t been as bad as she had expected. Perhaps that was because she had so much happiness and peace within her. Her aunt was sick in her mind. With the proper help she could save her soul. She had told Rachael that Scott couldn’t be there because he had meetings. Quite true. She didn’t tell her the meetings weren’t at Planet Downs but with the state premier and two of her ministers in town. Scott would be home around five o’clock. They were going out to dinner. She had already made the booking.
Their festive season, the best ever, was far from over! The new year had commenced. Darcey hoped with all her heart, but at that point couldn’t possibly know, that the year ahead would herald in the birth of their son, the excitedly awaited, adored by all, MacArthur heir.