Page 20 of The Matchmaker Club

“What do you mean?”

He hesitated for a moment, but then came out with it. “My last name is Freeman.”

Freeman. Most likely the great-grandson of Mortimer J. Freeman, Marlena’s first love.

And the man who owned this estate.

I stopped, my feet planted in the gravel and my heart banging in my chest. “So, you know about Mortimer and Marlena?”

“Yes.”

Feeling dizzy, I looked for a place to sit, but all that was available was the grass at the edge of the path. I plopped down onto it. Lucas sat beside me.

Mortimer had died before I was born, but his son, James, had allowed us to remain here as the caretakers, thanks to my grandmother’s convincing. He agreed… so long as everything was kept secret. He had warned us that his son, William, wouldn’t be as obliging.

“Did your grandfather pass away?”

“Yes, a few weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry.” I wrapped my hands around my knees, remembering his visits every few years or so. He had stopped coming about ten years ago. “He was a good man.”

“Thank you.” He ran his hand through the grass. “As you can imagine, this situation is going to be a bit… awkward in how we deal with things.”

“Awkward?”

“It was a bit of a shock to find your great-grandmother’s letters in my grandfather’s safe, along with the deed to this house.”

“Mortimer never cheated on your great-grandmother,” I said. “And you know he isn’t Hattie’s father, right?”

“I know.”

“Is your family taking the house?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

The air buzzed in the thick silence between us. My mind tried to grapple with the realization that this would no longer be our home.

“How long before we have to leave?”

“My father will be over tomorrow to discuss your options.” He raked a hand through his hair. “And, ah, given your family’s… history, we’d like to keep this as quiet as possible.”

Heat swarmed through my gut, and I was instantly on my feet. “What do you mean byhistory?”

I knew exactly what he meant, but I wanted to hear it from his mouth.

He stood up to meet me. “My great-grandfather buying a home for his former lover to live in, a lover who also happened to be a famous stripper in her day, is not the kind of publicity my family needs right now.”

“Oh, sorry my family’shistoryis an inconvenience for you. Meanwhile, my family and I are about to get kicked out of the only home we’ve ever known.”

“It never belonged to you or your family.”

“Do you even know why your great-grandfather bought this estate?”

He tilted his head, a hint of sympathy hanging in his eyes. “I know this is a lot to take in, but I’m sure you knew this day would come eventually. My grandfather was the sentimental type… but my father, not so much.”

“And what about you?”

He turned away, his eyes focused on the slightly overgrown hedges on the other side of the path. “We’re willing to pay you more than enough to find a new home, and we’ll take care of all the moving expenses.” He hesitated. “We can give you that and more in exchange for your family’s discretion in this matter… as well as any letters you may have from my great-grandfather that are addressed to Marlena.”