Page 26 of The Unseen (Echoes from the Past #5)
TWENTY-ONE
London, England
“Tell me what you see when you hold the necklace,” Gabe asked as he paced the bedroom, Alex in his arms. The baby had been fussing all evening, kicking his legs and crying pitifully.
He’d quieted down when Gabe finally picked him up and began to walk, lulling the baby into drowsiness that had yet to translate into sleep.
“The sound of your voice will help him sleep. Tell him a story.”
“I don’t think he wants to hear about the Russian Revolution,” Quinn replied. She was tired after hours of trying to comfort the fretting child and had no desire to revisit what she’d seen. “It doesn’t have a happy ending.”
“Go on. Try.”
Quinn pitched her voice low and began to speak, filling Gabe in on everything she’d seen to date. She described Valentina’s dreams of her wedding to Alexei and the preparations for a hasty departure despite them.
“So she was open to leaving?” Gabe continued to walk from one end of the room to the other, rocking Alex gently.
“I think she finally began to see the sense of being prepared. Alexei frightened her enough to reconsider.”
“But her parents wouldn’t listen?”
“No, of course not. When do people ever listen? They wanted to believe life would return to normal if they waited long enough, and clung to their way of doing things. ”
“Did Valentina not chafe against an arranged marriage?” Gabe asked. “Seems rather archaic.”
“I don’t think their future was ever set in stone. There was no formal contract, more a hope that the children’s friendship would grow into love. Had either one of them wished to marry someone else, they would have been permitted to do so. But they did love each other fiercely.”
“How do you know there was no formal arrangement?”
“It was never mentioned, and there didn’t seem to be one in place for Valentina’s sister Tatiana, or for her little brother.”
“So, if Alexei instructed Valentina to go to France, how did she end up here in London? And who was the man found in the tub? Could it have been Alexei?” Gabe asked.
Alex grew quiet, his cheek pressed against Gabe’s shoulder.
Gabe tenderly kissed the baby’s head but didn’t attempt to put him down just yet.
“I’ve no idea. I believe Valentina was connected to him somehow, but I have no way of finding out who he was or why he died. At least not yet. I will need to provide Rhys with some sort of feasible story for the episode. He needs enough near-facts to be able to weave them into a narrative.”
“Perhaps you should speak to Monty.”
“Monty Ashworth?”
“Imperial Russia is a passion of his. He’s written several books on the subject. I doubt he’s sold more than a hundred copies, but he is very knowledgeable. He might be able to help put things in perspective.”
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea. What days is he at the institute?”
“He lectures on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.”
“I’ll ring him tomorrow, if Alex is feeling better. I think he has a tummy ache. ”
“He’s asleep,” Gabe whispered as he lowered the baby from his shoulder and cradled him in his arms. Alex put his hand on Gabe’s chest, his little fingers splayed like a starfish. “Poor mite, he’s exhausted himself.”
“I’ll take him to the clinic tomorrow if he’s still fussing. Can he be teething already?” Quinn asked.
“Isn’t it too early? He’s not even three months old yet.”
“My mum said I had two teeth by the time I was four months,” Quinn said proudly.
“You always were an overachiever,” Gabe joked.
“I wonder if Quentin’s teeth came in early as well.”
“And I can guess what else you wonder,” Gabe replied. “You wonder if she is able to see into the past, like you and Brett.”
“Yes, I do. Would the fact that we are twins not practically guarantee psychic ability?”
“You’re not identical.”
“No, but Brett is only my half-brother and he’s possessed of the same gift. And she was mad for history, Jesse Holt said,” Quinn said wistfully.
“That doesn’t mean she can see it.”
“No, I don’t suppose it does. Oh, Gabe, what I wouldn’t give to meet her. It’s been months since I found out about Quentin and we are no closer to finding out where she is,” Quinn lamented.
“That’s not strictly true. Several months ago, all you knew was that you had a twin sister. As of this week, you know you are fraternal twins and you can account for her whereabouts up to the age of twenty-one. I’d say that’s progress.”
“But there are no new leads. ”
“Leave it to Drew Camden; he’s the detective.”
“He hasn’t phoned.”
“He will.” Gabe carefully lowered the sleeping child into his cot and covered him with the fleecy yellow blanket. “He’s out for the count.”
“Let’s go to sleep. I’m knackered.”
“You go to bed. I’m not ready. I think I’ll watch something on television. I just need a little time to decompress.”
“Gabe, did something happen at work?”
“I had a bit of a run-in with Luke this afternoon. Nothing worth talking about.”
“What sort of run-in?” Quinn asked, instantly alert.
Luke had returned from the U.S. and was now teaching at the institute.
He’d applied for several grants, but none had come through yet, according to Gabe, so it seemed he’d be a permanent fixture at the institute for the foreseeable future.
Quinn hadn’t seen Luke since his aborted attempt at winning her back in New Orleans, but Luke had emailed her when Alex was born, offering his congratulations.
Their history was still fairly fresh, and Luke’s email had smacked of regret and resentment against Gabe. Quinn had deleted it without replying.
“There’d been several complaints from female staff regarding Luke’s behavior. I had to give him an official warning.”
“What has he done exactly?” Quinn asked, curious.
Luke had always been easygoing and charming, which had attracted her twenty-two-year-old self to him instead of to Gabe, who’d been serious and intense, and not remotely interested in playing games.
Luke knew how to make a woman feel attractive and desired, but he could also be a bit cruel and demeaning when he didn’t get his way .
“He’s made several inappropriate comments. Of course, it’s his word against that of his accusers, and I must admit that Inga Sorenson can be a tad oversensitive at times. She nearly bit Monty’s head off when he called her ‘dear.’ Called it sexual harassment.”
“Monty calls everyone ‘dear.’ He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know, but Inga sees an insult behind every bush.”
“What exactly did Luke say to her?”
“He told her she’d make one hell of a sexy Viking, had she been born a few centuries earlier.”
“Some would see that as a compliment, but I can understand why Inga would find it offensive. Luke has no business speaking to her that way in a professional setting.”
“She felt insulted by the comment.”
“Who’s the other woman?”
“Monica Fielding,” Gabe replied with a sigh of frustration.
Things with Monica were never easy. Monica and Quinn had never got on, and Monica had done her best to discredit Quinn’s findings due to professional jealousy and a desire to publicly humiliate her.
Quinn strongly suspected that she’d even trolled her online.
Since Quinn was no longer teaching at the institute, Monica seemed to have turned her resentment to Gabe, who had inadvertently tipped her off that her husband was having an affair, a development that had led to their separation.
“Monica? But Monica and Luke are great friends. What could he have said to her to cause offense?”
Gabe leaned against the doorjamb, hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Monica and her husband have started couples counselling in an effort to save their marriage. Monica is convinced a reconciliation is imminent because Mark is a changed man.”
“Where does Luke come into this?” Quinn asked. She actually missed office gossip sometimes. It made for much better drama than anything on the telly.
“Luke, being the good friend that he is, told her that had she been a better lover, her husband wouldn’t have strayed, and that unless she learned some new tricks, Mark would wander off again in pursuit of something more exciting than their Saturday night missionary.”
“What a wanker!”
“Monica filed a formal sexual harassment complaint.”
“What did Luke have to say for himself?”
“He laughed it off. Said it was a joke between friends and he never expected her to take offense. He’d offered to teach her the aforementioned ‘new tricks’ out of the goodness of his heart to help her save her marriage.”
“Well, I would think she’s feeling a bit insecure at the moment, given her husband’s infidelity. Luke’s comments must have hit a sore spot.”
“Men rarely stray because their wives are not satisfying them in bed. They stray for other reasons,” Gabe said with a shrug.
“Such as?” Quinn asked, eyebrows raised. “Do enlighten me, so that I know what to look out for.”
She tried to keep her tone light, afraid that Gabe would see how the conversation affected her.
Luke had cheated on her repeatedly, and she’d been none the wiser.
It wasn’t until he left her for a beautiful American student, Ashley Gallagher, that Quinn had realized their relationship wasn’t nearly as solid as she’d believed it to be.
Had she been a boring shag? Did Gabe think so too?
Was that why he felt the urge to change things up?
Quinn’s belly twisted with worry at the possibility.
“They just fall out of love. They want freedom, excitement, and the thrill of the chase. It’s not that the sex is better with someone else, it’s just newer.
” Gabe walked over to the bed and leaned down to give Quinn a lingering kiss.
His gaze was soft and reassuring. He wasn’t as oblivious to her feelings as she sometimes imagined.
“I love you, Quinn. I have always loved you, and I will love you till the day I die. You never have to worry about me straying. I’m a one-woman man, unlike Luke, who’s always on the prowl. ”
Quinn wrapped her arms around Gabe’s neck and kissed him back. She’d thought she loved Luke once, but having been with Gabe taught her the true meaning of love and partnership. Losing him would be like losing herself. She’d never survive.
“Come to bed,” she whispered as she began to unbuckle his belt. “I’m up for anything you like.”
Gabe’s immediate reaction was answer enough.