swallowed hard, and tried to smile without success. Her bottom lip quivered slightly.
Power of a Woman / 117
“There’s nothing to cry about, Chloe. Was I too harsh with you, darling? I didn’t mean to be.”
“No, no, you weren’t. Honestly, you weren’t. It’s just me. I’m being silly, I suppose.”
“In what way?”
“I’ve upset my mother about not going to college, and you, too, Grandpa. And I guess I’ve really hurt her feelings, telling her I prefer to work in London.
I didn’t want to cause trouble. I really didn’t, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone either, especially Mom.”
“I know that, Chloe, and I’m quite certain that she does too. Anyway, you did say you would consider going to Oxford first, before embarking on a career, be it at Jardine’s or not. If you tell her this, you will please her, make her feel so much better, I promise you.”
Chloe was silent. After a split second she nodded and then, swiveling her head to Derek, she stared at him, biting her lip nervously. Quite unexpectedly, and much to her mortification, tears welled in her eyes, slowly slid down her cheeks.
“Chloe, Chloe, whatever’s the matter?” Derek asked, staring at her in concern, reaching out once more, taking hold of her hand this time.
When she remained silent, he asked, “Is there something you want to tell me? Do you have some sort of problem?”
Taking a deep breath, Chloe replied, “One of the reasons I wanted to come for a walk with you 118 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
was to ask you something—” She cut herself off and simply stared at him as blankly as before.
Derek nodded. “Go on, then, ask me. I’m not going to bite your head off, you silly goose.”
“It’s…it’s about…about my father.”
“What about him?” Derek asked, although he knew at once what she was going to say.
“Who was he really ?”
Derek sighed heavily. “I don’t know, truly I don’t, Chloe.”
“Would you tell me if you did know?”
“I most certainly would.”
“I don’t think my mother is being fair to me. I’m grown-up now. Anyway, I’ve known about being illegitimate for years. I think I should know about my father, know about his background, who he was, what he was like.”
“I agree, Chloe,” Derek replied, and he meant this.
“Then help me, Gramps, please.”
“How, darling?”
“Talk to Mom. She listens to you. Tell her she should tell me everything about my father.”
“She won’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve no idea.” He shook his head. “She’s always been very secretive about him.”
“You never met him? Never knew him?”
“No, I didn’t, Chloe.”
“And Grandma?”
“She didn’t meet him either. He was always…the mystery man.”
Power of a Woman / 119
“I don’t even know what my father looked like,”
Chloe whispered, her eyes filling.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.”
“Grandpa, please talk to her.”
“First, let’s go and talk to your grandmother.”
9
B LAIR STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SMALL SITTING
room that adjoined their bedroom, staring first at Derek and then at Chloe. She exclaimed, “You’re both looking very conspiratorial! What is it?”
Derek said, “Ask Chloe, my dear,” and walked across the room, where he positioned himself in front of the fire, stood warming his back against the flames.
“Is something wrong, Chloe?” Blair asked, searching her granddaughter’s face intently, frowning as she did so.
“I want to know about my father, everything about him. Mom has never told me a thing. Please, Grandma, you tell me,” Chloe said, getting straight to the heart of the matter. “ Please? ”
Blair was somewhat taken aback and showed it.
Then she sat down heavily in a chair and said, “But I can’t tell you anything, Chloe. For the sim-122 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
ple reason I never knew your father. I never met him, never even spoke to him on the phone.”
“But Mom must have said something about
Power of a Woman / 117
“There’s nothing to cry about, Chloe. Was I too harsh with you, darling? I didn’t mean to be.”
“No, no, you weren’t. Honestly, you weren’t. It’s just me. I’m being silly, I suppose.”
“In what way?”
“I’ve upset my mother about not going to college, and you, too, Grandpa. And I guess I’ve really hurt her feelings, telling her I prefer to work in London.
I didn’t want to cause trouble. I really didn’t, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone either, especially Mom.”
“I know that, Chloe, and I’m quite certain that she does too. Anyway, you did say you would consider going to Oxford first, before embarking on a career, be it at Jardine’s or not. If you tell her this, you will please her, make her feel so much better, I promise you.”
Chloe was silent. After a split second she nodded and then, swiveling her head to Derek, she stared at him, biting her lip nervously. Quite unexpectedly, and much to her mortification, tears welled in her eyes, slowly slid down her cheeks.
“Chloe, Chloe, whatever’s the matter?” Derek asked, staring at her in concern, reaching out once more, taking hold of her hand this time.
When she remained silent, he asked, “Is there something you want to tell me? Do you have some sort of problem?”
Taking a deep breath, Chloe replied, “One of the reasons I wanted to come for a walk with you 118 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
was to ask you something—” She cut herself off and simply stared at him as blankly as before.
Derek nodded. “Go on, then, ask me. I’m not going to bite your head off, you silly goose.”
“It’s…it’s about…about my father.”
“What about him?” Derek asked, although he knew at once what she was going to say.
“Who was he really ?”
Derek sighed heavily. “I don’t know, truly I don’t, Chloe.”
“Would you tell me if you did know?”
“I most certainly would.”
“I don’t think my mother is being fair to me. I’m grown-up now. Anyway, I’ve known about being illegitimate for years. I think I should know about my father, know about his background, who he was, what he was like.”
“I agree, Chloe,” Derek replied, and he meant this.
“Then help me, Gramps, please.”
“How, darling?”
“Talk to Mom. She listens to you. Tell her she should tell me everything about my father.”
“She won’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve no idea.” He shook his head. “She’s always been very secretive about him.”
“You never met him? Never knew him?”
“No, I didn’t, Chloe.”
“And Grandma?”
“She didn’t meet him either. He was always…the mystery man.”
Power of a Woman / 119
“I don’t even know what my father looked like,”
Chloe whispered, her eyes filling.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.”
“Grandpa, please talk to her.”
“First, let’s go and talk to your grandmother.”
9
B LAIR STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SMALL SITTING
room that adjoined their bedroom, staring first at Derek and then at Chloe. She exclaimed, “You’re both looking very conspiratorial! What is it?”
Derek said, “Ask Chloe, my dear,” and walked across the room, where he positioned himself in front of the fire, stood warming his back against the flames.
“Is something wrong, Chloe?” Blair asked, searching her granddaughter’s face intently, frowning as she did so.
“I want to know about my father, everything about him. Mom has never told me a thing. Please, Grandma, you tell me,” Chloe said, getting straight to the heart of the matter. “ Please? ”
Blair was somewhat taken aback and showed it.
Then she sat down heavily in a chair and said, “But I can’t tell you anything, Chloe. For the sim-122 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
ple reason I never knew your father. I never met him, never even spoke to him on the phone.”
“But Mom must have said something about
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