The Secret Path by Karen Swan (summer beach reads TXT) 📕

‘I was worried you’d feel I’d lied to you – by omission, I mean. We’ve been together four months now and things have moved pretty fast between us. Clearly. I know I should have brought it up before now but I just didn’t . . .’

His eyes narrowed as he watched her. ‘Trust me?’

‘No! Of course I trust you.’

‘So then . . .?’

She sighed. It was always so hard to explain. For all those with not enough – which was almost everyone – they didn’t want to hear that wealth could be a burden. ‘Look, I’ve been raised in a certain way which means not trusting anyone, at first. As kids, my brother and I had to have security because of the kidnap risk.’

‘Kidnap?’ He looked shocked. ‘Jesus, just how rich are you?’

‘I’m not anything. It’s all in trust till I’m thirty. Like I said, I try to live as normally as possible, and just be like everyone else. Which is why I never said anything before. But now that we’re engaged and you’re going to meet my family . . . well, it’s a big thing not to mention. I didn’t want you to meet them unprepared and feel ambushed.’

‘Ambushed,’ he echoed, looking exactly that.

‘Alex, I hate even having to talk about it, making it a thing. I just don’t want it to change things between us.’

He looked at her sharply, offended. ‘Why would it change things between us? You think I’m impressed by money?’

‘Of course not. What I meant was, everything’s been so perfect between us, I just didn’t want to change a single thing.’

‘In case with one turn of the dial we fall apart?’

She shook her head quickly. ‘I don’t want to take any chances of losing you. My family’s rich. So what? Everything goes on just as it has been for us.’

He looked into her eyes, and then away again. ‘But that’s naive, isn’t it? What about your engagement ring? I’m a student, I can’t afford some massive rock.’

‘I don’t want a massive rock! I want you.’

‘But your parents—’

‘Aren’t impressed by material things. Believe me. If there’s one thing they know, it’s the value of people and experiences over things. They only want to see that we love each other. That’s it.’ She picked up his hand from the table and kissed the back of it, staring deep into his eyes. ‘They’re going to love you. As I do.’

He was quiet for several moments, digesting the revelation. ‘Well, not exactly as you do, I hope.’ A glimmer of amusement made his eyes sparkle. ‘That really could be awkward over breakfast.’

She burst out laughing. ‘You’re incorrigible!’

He grinned too and she felt the low-grade tension that had pulled between them for a few moments slacken again. It was done at last. He knew! He knew and he didn’t care.

‘Incorrigible, yes,’ he agreed, lifting his arm up so that, holding his hand, she rose to standing. He pushed his chair back and pulled her towards him. ‘Also indefatigable. And inescapable.’ He pushed his knees between her legs. ‘And, when it comes to you, Twig Tremain,’ he murmured, pulling her down onto his lap so that she was straddling him. ‘I am most definitely . . . insatiable.’

Chapter Four

Tara peered through the crack in the door. A riot of stuff met her eyes – ski medals were hanging on ribbons from hooks and mirrors, a jug-eared silver trophy for eventing was on the bookcase. None of the books had ever been read, or even opened, the spines completely uncreased and as smooth as marble. A small suitcase was open on the floor, half-packed with clothes that had been precision-folded. A wet towel and yesterday’s Calvin Klein boxers were strewn on the floor.

Her little brother Miles was lying on the bed on his stomach, wearing a pair of jeans and a striped shirt wrongly buttoned up. He was watching something on his laptop, the sounds coming from it dubious enough that she felt impelled to give a little cough before entering.

The screen was slammed down and he twisted onto his side as she came in.

‘Ah, so you’re in here,’ she said breezily, seeing it was safe to enter. ‘Why am I not surprised?’

He rested his head in his hand as she came in and jumped on the slouchy sofa opposite, putting her feet up on the arm, legs crossed at the ankles. ‘What’s brought you back so soon?’ he frowned. ‘Weren’t you only here two months ago?’

‘Haha. Nice. Good to see you too.’

‘You really need to send over an up-to-date photo before these visits, so that we can recognize you. Wouldn’t want Tamba thinking you’re an intruder. Those are some sharp incisors she’s got.’

She tossed a scatter cushion at him. ‘All right! Point made. But I have been busy, you know. Medical degrees don’t just earn themselves. And anyway, it’s not like you’ve been around much.’

‘I’ve been back two and a half weeks.’

She was surprised. ‘Really?’ Term dates, once the pin around which her entire life pivoted, had ceased to register the moment she left school.

He shrugged, reaching his arm for a rugby ball that was, randomly, on the pillows. He fell onto his back and began lackadaisically tossing it in the air. What was it about boys and balls, she wondered? They simply couldn’t leave them alone.

‘So, is it all going okay at school?’ she asked.

‘S’pose, if you don’t include my mocks.’

‘Tough, huh?’

He looked across at her. ‘Put it this way – there’s only gonna be one doctor in this family.’

‘Oh good – well, Mum will be pleased.’

He had to chuckle at that. ‘Yeah. I’ll do what you won’t and find me a good man and settle down. Only I don’t think that would please her either!’

They both laughed. Miles had come out a year earlier, although Tara (and her father, she suspected) had always known. ‘Poor Mum,’ she grinned. ‘Having such problem kids.’

‘Have you seen them?’

‘Not yet. Mum’s having her hair done and Dad was on a call when I arrived.’

‘Surprise of the century.’ Miles threw the ball so high into