Page 4 of The Spanish Daughter (The Lost Daughters #5)

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‘I’d say that I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this, but you’ve had a lot on your mind,’ Jessica said.

Rose stared down at the horse figurine. ‘The day I arrived home from being given these things was the day we found out Mum’s final test results,’ she said. ‘I got home, excited to show everything to her and tell her about the meeting, but life fell apart before I had the chance. I put the box in a drawer, and as the days went past, I honestly never thought about it again. There was just too much to deal with.’

Jessica touched her shoulder as she passed, resuming her position in the kitchen. ‘Start at the very beginning. I want to hear it all.’

Rose sat back and told Jessica everything—the letter that had arrived, the meeting at the lawyer’s office, the other women who’d been summoned at the same time as her—and when she finished, Jessica was spooning her creamy chicken and mushroom carbonara into two bowls.

‘So just to get this straight: we’re to presume that your grandmother was born at this Hope’s House for unmarried mothers, but that she possibly had no idea that she was adopted?’ Jessica asked. ‘And then we’re also to presume that your mother had no idea about the adoption, the little box that was left behind, or the letter that just arrived? It was all a complete secret?’

‘I can’t conceive that either of them would have kept anything like this from me. We just weren’t a secret-keeping type of family. I mean, you know what we were like, we didn’t hold much back. We were three women living in one house, and we talked about everything.’

‘Did your grandmother talk about her childhood at all when you were growing up? Did she give any indication that she might have been adopted?’

‘She always said that her parents were very strict and expected a lot from their only daughter, which seemed to me just part and parcel of that generation, but that’s all. I don’t even know if families would have even talked about adoption back then. Wouldn’t they have just pretended they’d had her naturally, given the time?’ Although now she thought about it, there wouldn’t have been many families with only one child at that time, either. Perhaps that was telling in itself?

They sat in silence, eating, and Rose couldn’t help but think of the difference that food could make. There was something about a bowl of home-made, creamy Italian food that made her feel as if someone was wrapping their arms around her in a big hug. It was exactly what she’d needed.

‘I have a feeling that you haven’t decided whether or not to go back to your old job because you’ve been waiting for a sign,’ Jessica said.

Rose sighed. ‘You think this is my sign from the universe?’

‘Maybe,’ Jessica said. ‘I mean, if you wanted an excuse not to go back to your old life, then this is it. We’re both intelligent, educated women and I know that means we should be all about reason and logic, but sometimes we have to believe that there is something else at play, that the universe really is trying to tell us something. You have a choice here, Rose, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.’

Rose twirled the fettucine around her fork before looking up. ‘You think I should go to Argentina and meet with this law firm, don’t you?’

Jessica’s bright blue eyes met hers. ‘I think we should start by doing our research, but if everything adds up, then yes, I think you should go to Argentina. I think it would be crazy not to, given what’s at stake here.’

Rose nodded, turning her attention back to her food even though she’d almost entirely lost her appetite. Suddenly all she could think about was her mum, and how much she wished she was sitting in the kitchen with them, discussing the mystery, her eyes wide at the secret they were uncovering. She would have loved it . If Rose shut her eyes, she could hear her mother’s soft laugh, could imagine her throwing her head back when Jessica entertained them with a hilarious story, or watching her eyes widen as they googled Argentina. The three of them had always had so much fun together.

She opened her eyes when Jessica’s hand found hers, her fingers squeezing Rose’s and bringing her back to the present, her voice soft and full of understanding.

‘You’re going to get through this,’ Jessica whispered, but her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. ‘Every day will get a little bit easier, and eventually you’ll realise just how strong you are.’

‘I know. I just…’ Rose cleared her throat and wiped her tears from her cheeks with her fingertips. She was already so tired of crying all the time. ‘I just wish she was here, that’s all. I wish she was part of this. I wish we’d had longer together.’

‘What do you say we finish eating and snuggle up on the sofa to do some research or watch a film?’ Jessica asked. ‘I’m thinking chocolate or ice cream…’

Rose smiled through her tears. ‘I think that sounds perfect. Although if you stay any longer than three days, I’m not going to be able to fit into my jeans.’

Thirty minutes later, they’d decided to curl up in Rose’s bed instead of on the sofa, snuggled up in their pyjamas, each with a laptop balanced on their knees. And despite the chocolate being open between them, Rose was too busy trying to stop her jaw from falling open to even consider eating it.

‘Jess,’ she said, nudging her friend with her elbow. ‘It can’t be this place, can it?’

Jessica leaned over, her glasses perched on her nose. ‘ That’s the place you found?’

‘I mean, surely not, right?’ Rose scrolled back through the photos to the place she’d stumbled upon as soon as she’d started her search. The Santiago family featured in plenty of articles that dated back decades, but the one that she was most interested in was an article ranking the most beautiful privately owned properties in Argentina. It appeared that their family residence was number three on the list. ‘It’s breathtaking.’

Jessica took Rose’s laptop from her and held it close to her face, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing either. ‘This is the place? This is the Santiago family estate?’

Rose nodded and took it back from her, scrolling through the photos depicting a large, low-slung Spanish-style house with a red terracotta roof, surrounded by a group of huge stable blocks and endless fields where horses were grazing. If someone had asked her to imagine the most picturesque, stunning property in Argentina, it might well have been this one. It was also as different as it possibly could be from the architecture and landscape she was used to in England.

‘I mean, there could be another Santiago family,’ Rose mused. ‘It might be a common name in Argentina. Perhaps it’s not this one? It’s probably just a modest home with a few stables.’

Jessica shook her head. ‘Even if you were right, how many families with the last name Santiago would own polo estates? I don’t think you’ve made a mistake—this is the property. I mean, it says it has facilities for literally hundreds of horses. It has to be the one.’

Rose chewed on her lip as she kept scrolling. ‘You know, people are fooled by things like this every day. How many times have you received an email saying that if you enter your bank details, you’ll inherit millions? These photos are probably all part of the scam.’

Jessica gave her a withering stare. ‘Rose, this is not a scam email, just like that meeting you went to here in London wasn’t a scam. And if you’re truly not sure, then you can take your own lawyer with you, or at the very least have one write back on your behalf. I’m convinced it’s real.’

Rose hesitated. Her mum had had insurance to cover most of her extra care over the past few months, and she owned her flat, but Rose was still worried about money. Her own savings had started to dwindle and if she didn’t go back to work, she was going to have to be more careful than ever about her finances. But she was a lawyer. She was more than capable of representing herself and dealing with the law firm in Argentina; it was just that with everything that had happened lately, she simply wasn’t sure she was emotionally capable right now. Or that she trusted her own judgement.

‘Rose?’

‘You’re right. I’m too close to this to manage it all on my own, so in the morning, you can call them.’

Jessica laughed. ‘Me? I’m not a lawyer.’

‘No, but you’ve always been great at detecting bullshit.’

At that they both laughed, and when Jessica leaned her head closer to Rose’s, she fought a fresh wave of tears.

‘And if I don’t detect bullshit and the whole thing seems legitimate, I think we should book you a ticket to Buenos Aires.’

Rose’s heart almost stopped. ‘I’m not convinced that’s your best idea.’

Jessica pushed her laptop back a little, angling it so they could both see the screen. ‘Do you see this beautiful property? Do you see how dreamy it is? Not to mention that there are actual horses there. Horses , Rose.’

‘I don’t even know if I like horses!’

Jessica laughed. ‘Trust me, you’ll like horses.’

Rose wasn’t so convinced. She liked animals, but horses just seemed so…huge.

Rose looked around at her childhood bedroom, the place that had been her haven since she’d come back to live with her mum. She wasn’t so sure she could leave it behind, not yet. It all just felt too soon.

‘I’m not so sure,’ she began.

‘You know, you could meet a gorgeous Argentinian man while you’re there who sweeps you off your feet.’

Rose brushed away tears and laughed. Trust Jessica. ‘Luke put me off men for good,’ she said. ‘But I like the sentiment.’

‘So you’ll go then?’ Jessica asked.

Rose took a deep breath.

‘You know, you could come home via New York.’

‘It’s not exactly on the way, but?—’

‘Please,’ Jessica said. ‘Come to New York afterwards and let me look after you. The girls will be so excited, and we can go out for dinners and just spend time together, like this. It’ll be just what you need, I promise.’

‘You’re sure Ryan won’t mind?’

‘You know he won’t, he loves you.’

Rose closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process what she was agreeing to. All she wanted was to curl up and stay at home for the foreseeable future, but Jessica was right. It would do her the world of good to go away and do something that didn’t remind her of what she’d lost, even if it did feel too soon. Besides, she’d spent the last six months at home. It was time to do something for herself and try to live her life again.

‘Okay, I’ll do it,’ she said.

Jessica’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You will?’

Rose groaned, already wanting to change her mind. ‘I will.’

‘Brilliant! Now come on, let’s do more googling. I want to see what the Santiago family looked like,’ Jessica said, pulling her laptop closer again. ‘And I want to see if we can find any clues about the piece of blue silk that you were left.’

Rose leaned into Jessica as she scrolled through photos, trying to see her grandmother in any of the faces on the screen, to see some resemblance that showed her a connection.

‘I wonder if the lawyer will understand what was left behind in the box,’ Rose mused out loud. ‘Wouldn’t he know all about the adoption, if he’s the one charged with contacting my family? Wouldn’t he have the answers?’

‘Maybe. I mean, I would hope so, but perhaps it was all shrouded in secrecy?’

Jessica went silent for a moment, as she clicked on a photo showing a smiling, extremely handsome polo player sitting astride a horse.

‘Is he a Santiago? He’s very handsome.’

‘No, this is Nacho Figueras, the most famous polo player in the world. I just wanted to ogle him for a moment, since he comes up in almost every search for Argentine polo families.’

Rose swatted at her. ‘I asked you a serious question!’

‘Sorry, I did hear you, but no. I don’t think it’ll be that simple.’

‘You don’t?’

‘I think family secrets like that take forever to untangle, and that someone who was used in a professional capacity might not be aware of the more personal details,’ Jessica said, closing the laptop and turning to face her. ‘She might have left her estate to her daughter, or granddaughter in this case, but I’d say there are plenty of things that her lawyer doesn’t know. It sounds to me as if this might have been kept a secret for a very, very long time, which means few people will know the truth.’

‘Rose, look at this,’ Jessica said, pointing to her screen. ‘It’s a death notice for a Valentina Santiago, dated three months ago.’

Jessica leaned over and read the article, her heart heavy as she realised the sad coincidence of two women from two generations of the one family dying in such a short time span.

Valentina Santiago, the daughter of the late Basilio Santiago, one of the most successful landowners and businessmen in Buenos Aires during the 1930s, has passed away peacefully at home. Known for her lifetime of philanthropy towards polo and women in sport, she will be forever remembered for her significant generosity.

‘There’s no mention of any surviving family members,’ Jessica said.

Rose read the article again, finding it hard to believe that she might be related to the woman she was reading about.

‘We can search for more in the morning,’ Jessica said with a yawn. ‘I think the jet lag is finally catching up with me.’

She kissed Rose on the cheek and shut her laptop, and Rose did the same, finishing up and putting her laptop on her bedside table.

But when they eventually turned the lights out, lying side by side in the bed together, Rose found it impossible to sleep. All she could think about was the call Jessica was going to make in the morning, and whether she was being silly to think of flying to Buenos Aires, even if it was only for a few days.

I wish you were here, Mum.

Which was precisely why she knew she had to go and see what this lawyer had to say. If there was family out there in the world waiting to meet her, or a heritage that was ready to be discovered, then she owed it to her mother and her grandmother, in their memory, to find out everything she could.

She glanced at Jessica’s sleeping form in the dark, making out the silhouette of her body, lying on her side, turned away from Rose. Jessica was like the sister she’d never had, and she knew that if all else failed, she could always move to be nearer to her.

But first she needed to see what awaited her in Argentina. She could worry about the rest of her life after that.