Page 64 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)

FIFTY-FOUR

The next day dawned bright and cold. Quinn pulled on her warmest jumper and a pair of jeans, then made her way to the dining room to meet Rhys for breakfast. There was no reason to rush, since visiting hours at the hospital didn’t start till ten.

Rhys was already seated, a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

“I hope you’re hungry. They do an excellent breakfast,” he said, watching her intently. “Sleep all right?”

Quinn nodded. “I don’t think I can eat.”

“You should. We have at least an hour to kill, and you’re going to feel pretty silly sitting there watching me as I demolish a gargantuan German breakfast.” He was teasing her, but Quinn appreciated his concern.

“All right. I’ll have something light.”

“I don’t think they know the meaning of the word,” Rhys replied, studying the menu with single-minded concentration.

He chuckled when Quinn ordered a boiled egg and some toast. She understood why when her order arrived.

The boiled egg sat in pride of place, surrounded by slices of cheese, salami, ham, cucumber, several olives, and a basket of bread with a dish of butter.

There were also several tiny jars of jam and honey.

“Bon appétit,” Rhys said as his own heaping plate was placed in front of him. “I love this country!”

“I’m starting to like it as well,” Quinn replied, suddenly hungry. She rolled up a slice of salami and popped it into her mouth. “Mm, this is good,” she said.

“Everything is homemade,” Rhys said. “They get all their food from local farmers.”

“How do you know? ”

“I had a chat with the owner last night. It’s no fun drinking alone, so he joined me for a pint. It was a quiet night.”

“Making friends wherever you go?” Quinn joked.

“I know; it’s a curse,” Rhys said with a grin and tucked into his breakfast.

Quinn burst into a fit of giggles when they finally left the hotel after finishing their meal. Rhys’s car was almost entirely buried in a snow drift. Only the top of the yellow roof was visible.

“Stop laughing and start digging,” Rhys growled.

Several shovels were stacked against the hotel’s side door for guests to use.

Quinn grabbed a shovel and began to clear the snow.

It felt good to be out in the fresh air, expending some of her nervous energy.

By the time they finished, her cheeks were numb with cold and she felt better than she had in days.

“I hope this marvel of modern engineering starts,” Rhys muttered as he slid into the driver’s seat.

It did, and they set off for the hospital. It wasn’t a long drive, but it felt like an eternity to Quinn. “Should I bring something?” she asked, suddenly realizing it was rude to show up empty-handed.

“Everything you need is on your mobile,” Rhys replied.

“How so?”

“She has plenty of treats, I saw to that,” Rhys clarified. “She’ll want to see photos.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. Even if she never wants to set eyes on Sylvia and Seth, she’s sure to be curious what they look like. And, of course, there are her brothers, and your own family. Don’t you want to show off your babies?”

“Of course. I don’t want to make her feel bad though,” Quinn said, remembering that Jo seemed to be all alone.

“Quinn, you don’t need to apologize for your life. We all make choices, and if Jo is alone, that’s on her.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right. I’m always right,” Rhys joked as he pulled into the car park at the hospital. “Now, put on a brave face and let’s go meet your sister.”

Rhys and Quinn were intercepted by Dr. Stein when they got off the lift on the appropriate floor.

“Good morning,” she said. Her lab coat was clean and crisp, as was her manner.

“I’m very happy to meet you, Dr. Allenby.

Jo was very excited when she told me her sister was on her way.

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that Jo had brain surgery.

She is doing very well and shows every hope of being able to return home in the near future, but right now, we need to keep her from getting overly worked up. She’s still recovering.”

“I understand,” Quinn replied.

“I realize this will be an emotional moment for you both—Mr. Morgan has explained the situation—but please try to refrain from upsetting her. I understand your brother is, eh…unwell?”

“Yes.”

“If you can avoid telling her that, I’d be grateful. Only good news today.” Dr. Stein smiled widely, revealing perfect teeth. “You look like you’re going to jump out of your skin, so I won’t detain you any longer. Have me paged if you need me.”

“Thank you, Doctor. And thank you for looking after my sister.”

“It’s my pleasure. ”

“It’s the third door on the right,” Rhys said as soon as Dr. Stein walked away.

Quinn bowed her head, closed her eyes, and took several calming breaths, but the time-tested technique didn’t work. She followed Rhys down the corridor toward Jo’s room, her heart exploding in her chest, her stomach in knots.

“Are you all right?” Rhys asked.

“I’m shaking. I feel like I’m going to faint.”

“You are going to be just fine,” Rhys said in his most soothing tone. “Come, your sister is waiting.”

Quinn approached the open door to the room but paused just short of going in.

Her legs felt as if they’d just turned to water.

She couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs and felt like she might black out.

I’ve survived being locked in a tomb overnight without any hope of rescue , she thought.

Compared to that, this is a walk in the park .

“Quinn, I’m going to go to the cafeteria and get you a cup of tea. By the time I return, I expect to see a tear-jerking display of sisterly love that will choke up even an old cynic like me. Got it?”

“Got it.” She sucked in a deep breath and stepped into the room.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Jo.

Her sister was lying against the pristine white of the hospital pillow, her face crisscrossed by healing lacerations.

Her hand lay on top of the blanket. It looked small and vulnerable, her nails cut short like those of a little girl.

Jo had been looking out the window, but at the sound of footsteps, she turned her head and their eyes met.

Quinn sucked in a shuddering breath. She’d planned to go slow, to give Jo, and herself, a moment to absorb what was happening, but now that they were in the same room, all reserve melted away.

She rushed toward the bed and wrapped Jo in her arms, holding her like she would never let go.

Jo’s arms went around Quinn, and she pulled her even closer, pressing her cheek to Quinn’s.

Quinn’s face was wet with tears, but she wasn’t sure if the tears were hers or Jo’s.

They were both crying and trembling with the overwhelming poignancy of this moment.

At long last, Quinn let go and sat on Jo’s bed. Even a chair seemed too great a distance to put between them. Jo clasped her hand, unwilling to break the contact.

“Quinn,” Jo whispered. “Oh, Quinn. When that explosion went off, my only thought was that I would die without ever meeting you, and I was heartbroken.” Tears were sliding down her pale cheeks, but her eyes shone with wonder. “Tell me everything I’ve missed.”

“I don’t know where to begin,” Quinn confessed through tears. “I’ve imagined this moment so many times, but now that I’m really here, I can’t seem to remember a single thing I meant to say.”

“There’s time to remember,” Jo replied. “We’ve time. We have the rest of our lives.”

That brought on fresh tears. “When you didn’t reply to my letter, I thought you didn’t want to know me.”

“The promise of meeting you was the only thing that kept me going when I woke up in this hospital, scared and alone. Knowing I had a sister waiting for me made me feel less frightened. And then Rhys appeared, like some sort of guardian angel.”

“He’ll adore that description,” Quinn said with a chuckle. “Rhys took a great risk to go to Afghanistan to look for you, and for that, he will always have my undying gratitude.”

“He must really love you,” Jo said wistfully.

“He does. And I love him in a way I never thought possible. ”

“Is he…?”

“Oh, no,” Quinn replied, laughing and shaking her head. “It’s not what you think. Rhys is a friend—a very dear friend, and my boss. I have a family of my own, and then there are the others.”

“Tell me,” Jo said, her eyes huge with anticipation. “Please, tell me.”

“I was adopted shortly after we were born. My parents, Susan and Roger Allenby, are wonderful people, the best parents I could have asked for. But despite that, I always longed to know where I came from. I’m a historian, after all; I needed to know my own story,” Quinn added.

“I met our birth parents only recently. Our mother’s name is Sylvia Wyatt, and our dad’s is Seth Besson. He lives in New Orleans.”

“He’s American?” Jo gasped.

“Yes. He’s a good man, Jo. He never knew about us. He’d never have allowed us to be abandoned or separated if he’d known Sylvia had his children. He’d have looked after us.”

“Why did she do it? Why did she leave me like that?” Jo asked, her voice full of anguish.

“She was seventeen, and she wasn’t sure who the father of her children was. She panicked, especially when she realized you were ill.”

“Have you forgiven her, then?” Jo asked, cocking her head in just the way Quinn had seen Sylvia do.

“Not completely, but I’m working on it. She’s certainly not what I expected.”

“Is Seth what you expected?”

“Lord, no,” Quinn replied, laughing. “He’s the exact opposite, in fact.”

“Do they have families?” Jo asked .

“Sylvia is widowed and has two sons, Logan and Jude. Logan is lovely. Jude is a bit—shall we say—troubled. Seth is divorced and has one son, Brett.”

“What’s he like?”

Quinn thought about that for a moment. She’d promised not to upset Jo.

Now wasn’t the time to spring Brett’s heinous crime on her.

“Also troubled,” Quinn finally said. “He’s getting the help he needs.

” Well, that was sort of true, Quinn told herself as she quickly changed the subject.

“I’m married to Gabe and have two wonderful children, Emma and Alex.

” Quinn’s smile spread from ear to ear. “Everyone is so excited to finally meet you.”

“Do you have photos?” Jo asked shyly.

“I certainly do.” Rhys had been right, as usual. Putting faces to names was the best gift Quinn could offer Jo at that moment.

“Start with Gabe and your children. Oh, I can’t wait to meet them. To think I have a niece and nephew. Are there others? Are our brothers married?”

“Logan is engaged. He and Colin plan to get married this summer. They’re a great couple. Jude and Brett are single.”

Quinn took out her mobile and began to show Jo photos. She grinned broadly when she saw Gabe and the children but became more somber once Quinn got to photos of Sylvia and Seth.

“Does Seth know about me?” Jo asked, lifting her gaze away from the screen.

“Of course. I didn’t tell him you were here because he’d have been on the first flight he could get. He can’t wait to meet you.”

Jo stared at a photo of their dad. “He’s handsome, in a very American way. I look like him, don’t I?”

Quinn nodded. “You do.”

“And who is that? ”

“That’s our grandmother Rae. She passed away recently. I wish you could have met her. She was lovely,” Quinn said.

“Brett and I look alike,” Jo said, her voice filled with wonder as she studied a photo of her half-brother. “Dad,” she whispered as she gently touched Seth’s face in the photograph.

“Do you want to speak to him?” Quinn asked.

“What? Now?”

“Why not?”

Jo’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes,” she whispered.

Quinn selected Seth’s number and pressed the call button. Seth’s deep voice came on the line almost immediately.

“Quinn, how are you, sweetheart? Is everything all right?”

“More than all right. Dad, there’s someone here who wants to say hello.”

Quinn heard a sharp intake of breath from Seth as the implication of her words sank in. “Put her on.”

Quinn handed Jo the phone. Jo looked like she was about to faint, but she took the mobile and held it to her ear. “Hi, Dad,” she said softly.

Quinn couldn’t hear what Seth said to her, but she saw Jo’s face break into a huge grin. “Yes, it’s all right with me,” she said. “Yes, of course.”

They spoke for a few more minutes and then Jo handed the phone back to Quinn. She was glowing. “He’s coming, Quinn. He’s coming here. Maybe even as soon as tomorrow. I’m going to meet my dad. ”

“Would you like to speak to Sylvia?” Quinn asked carefully.

“No, not yet.”

“I told her I’d found you. I hope you don’t mind.”

Jo thought about that for a moment. “I have no objection, but I don’t want her here. I’m not ready to face her. I may never be.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Quinn said. “It’s your decision.”

Jo nodded. “Until a few days ago, I was in no rush to go home, but now…”

“I won’t leave until you’re released,” Quinn promised. “I will take you home.”

Jo smiled, and her gaze moved toward Rhys, who’d sidled into the room, carrying two steaming cups. “Rhys, I will never forget what you’ve done for me. I know you need to return to London and your own life, but I hope we can see each other again.”

Rhys’s smile was luminous. “Of course, we can. I will come and see you as soon as you’re settled at home. And I will keep on seeing you until you ask me to stop.”

“I’ll never ask that,” Jo replied.

“Then I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Rhys joked, putting on his best Humphrey Bogart accent.

“Here’s looking at you, kid,” Jo replied.

“I hate to break up this lovely reunion, but Jo needs to rest now,” Dr. Stein said as she briskly entered the room. “You can return in the afternoon, if you like. I think you’re the best medicine,” she added, smiling at Quinn .

“Will you come back?” Jo asked softly, her expression pleading.

“Of course, I’ll come back. We both will,” Quinn replied. She gave Jo a hug, and Rhys kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

“See you later.” Jo was beaming as they took their leave.