react reasonably. Because she knew she should have told him earlier. He would have every right to go berserk. It beggared belief that she would have kept something so important secret from him for so long. She took her hands away from her face and tried to compose herself. ‘Richard, the thing is, Mum – Sarah … Forget about the diabetes. She was never going to be a good match anyway because she and Dad are not my actual birth parents. They couldn’t have children. I’m adopted.’
Richard just stared.
‘I don’t know why I didn’t tell you before,’ Annabel cried out.
‘Oh, God. Annabel.’
Richard’s face crumpled through confusion to compassion. And back to confusion.
‘Why didn’t you say?’
‘I didn’t want to. I didn’t think I’d ever need to!’
‘You didn’t want to ? What else have you kept from me?’
It was a reasonable question and she could only hope he believed her when she assured him that she had told him everything else. Everything. He was her best friend. There was nothing she hadn’t shared with him. Nothing except the biggest thing of all.
‘Please forgive me,’ she begged him. ‘Please.’
Placing a box of tissues in the middle of her desk, Dr Devon left the room as discreetly as she was able.
‘I was just so ashamed about it!’ Annabel wailed.
‘But why, darling, why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You were a tiny baby. I mean, you were a baby at the time, weren’t you? How did it happen?’
‘I was a baby,’ Annabel confirmed. ‘I was about six weeks old. I think my birth parents were teenagers. They couldn’t cope. Mum and Dad had been trying for a baby for years with no success and when they finally decided to adopt, I came along just a couple of months later. Oh Richard. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it was relevant. Not any more. I didn’t think it would ever be important. I promise I never set out to intentionally deceive you.’
Richard shook his head.
‘But why? Why? I would have understood.’
‘I know you would. But I just didn’t want to have to explain the whole situation. It would have changed things.’
‘How?’
‘I didn’t want you to look at Mum and Dad differently. I didn’t want you to look at me differently. I didn’t want you to think I was anyone other than Annabel Cartwright!’
‘I’d never have guessed,’ said Richard. ‘You looked so much like your dad. The ears. The beard …’
Annabel swatted him. But that one flippant comment let her know that it was OK. All those years she had subconsciously worried that if he knew the truth, Richard would reject her. But now he knew, and here he was, still with her. Still joking. Still the love of her life. He pulled her towards him and rested his forehead on hers. They both started to cry uncontrollably now.
‘Annabel, I don’t care if you’re the secret love child of Saddam Hussein and Cilla Black. You’ll always be my darling and I love you. It’s going to be all right.’
How many times had he had to say that since Izzy took that bloody ecstasy?
‘But you have to get in touch with your biological family,’ said Richard. ‘We have to track them down.’
‘I don’t know how to do it,’ said Annabel through her tears.
‘We’ll hire a detective if we have to.’
‘They might not want to get involved if we do find them.’
‘Maybe not. But Annabel, this is the best chance we have right now. In any case, they’re not just your family. They’re Izzy’s family too. What right do you have to keep them from her?’
‘I’ve got to talk to Mum about it.’
‘Of course, but ultimately you have no choice. They might do it. They might donate. This is good news, my love. It’s good news.’
He was right. Pandora’s Box had to be opened for the tiny grain of hope that might be found inside it.
Sarah was still staying at the Great House, helping Annabel and Richard to keep on top of things while Izzy was in hospital. After they’d brought Dr Devon
Richard just stared.
‘I don’t know why I didn’t tell you before,’ Annabel cried out.
‘Oh, God. Annabel.’
Richard’s face crumpled through confusion to compassion. And back to confusion.
‘Why didn’t you say?’
‘I didn’t want to. I didn’t think I’d ever need to!’
‘You didn’t want to ? What else have you kept from me?’
It was a reasonable question and she could only hope he believed her when she assured him that she had told him everything else. Everything. He was her best friend. There was nothing she hadn’t shared with him. Nothing except the biggest thing of all.
‘Please forgive me,’ she begged him. ‘Please.’
Placing a box of tissues in the middle of her desk, Dr Devon left the room as discreetly as she was able.
‘I was just so ashamed about it!’ Annabel wailed.
‘But why, darling, why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You were a tiny baby. I mean, you were a baby at the time, weren’t you? How did it happen?’
‘I was a baby,’ Annabel confirmed. ‘I was about six weeks old. I think my birth parents were teenagers. They couldn’t cope. Mum and Dad had been trying for a baby for years with no success and when they finally decided to adopt, I came along just a couple of months later. Oh Richard. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it was relevant. Not any more. I didn’t think it would ever be important. I promise I never set out to intentionally deceive you.’
Richard shook his head.
‘But why? Why? I would have understood.’
‘I know you would. But I just didn’t want to have to explain the whole situation. It would have changed things.’
‘How?’
‘I didn’t want you to look at Mum and Dad differently. I didn’t want you to look at me differently. I didn’t want you to think I was anyone other than Annabel Cartwright!’
‘I’d never have guessed,’ said Richard. ‘You looked so much like your dad. The ears. The beard …’
Annabel swatted him. But that one flippant comment let her know that it was OK. All those years she had subconsciously worried that if he knew the truth, Richard would reject her. But now he knew, and here he was, still with her. Still joking. Still the love of her life. He pulled her towards him and rested his forehead on hers. They both started to cry uncontrollably now.
‘Annabel, I don’t care if you’re the secret love child of Saddam Hussein and Cilla Black. You’ll always be my darling and I love you. It’s going to be all right.’
How many times had he had to say that since Izzy took that bloody ecstasy?
‘But you have to get in touch with your biological family,’ said Richard. ‘We have to track them down.’
‘I don’t know how to do it,’ said Annabel through her tears.
‘We’ll hire a detective if we have to.’
‘They might not want to get involved if we do find them.’
‘Maybe not. But Annabel, this is the best chance we have right now. In any case, they’re not just your family. They’re Izzy’s family too. What right do you have to keep them from her?’
‘I’ve got to talk to Mum about it.’
‘Of course, but ultimately you have no choice. They might do it. They might donate. This is good news, my love. It’s good news.’
He was right. Pandora’s Box had to be opened for the tiny grain of hope that might be found inside it.
Sarah was still staying at the Great House, helping Annabel and Richard to keep on top of things while Izzy was in hospital. After they’d brought Dr Devon
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