Part 17 (2/2)
Although my timing may have been bad, my intention wasn't.
”Probably it doesn't matter, Mrs. Kenwood,” I said gently. ”I hope it doesn't. But Destiny has to be the one to decide. I'm only the messenger, and I promised to get her as much information about her past as I could. I hope you understand.”
She started to cry again, tears that fell slowly.
”It wasn't fair. I was afraid to tell you because I thought she wouldn't care about us, that all she'd want was her real family. It's important that she knows how special she was to us.”
”She does know,” I rea.s.sured her, hoping to stop the tears. ”She wouldn't trade the other night for the world.”
”It was a splendid evening, wasn't it?” She smiled weakly.
”It was,” I agreed.
The clock chimed, and I jumped from my seat when I saw what time it was.
”I have to be going now.”
”So soon?”
”I'm afraid so. I have a call to make, and then I've got to catch Destiny as soon as she gets home from work.”
”Be gentle with her,” she ordered.
”I will. And I'm sorry for bursting in on you like that. Sometimes my temper gets the best of me.”
”It's refres.h.i.+ng to meet one as forthright as you, Kristin, even if it can be disturbing.”
”Thanks.” There was a compliment in there somewhere.
”Drive carefully.”
”I will.”
”Call me soon. I'd like to have you girls over for dinner again sometime... if you'll still come.”
”We will,” I promised for both of us, hoping I'd be able to make good on the promise.
The second I got home, before I could even take off my coat, I called Benjamin Greaves.
Fortunately, most of the fight was gone from me by the time he came to the phone.
”h.e.l.lo, Kristin.”
”Hi. Listen, I have to ask you something. And I need the truth. No bulls.h.i.+t, okay?”
”You don't waste words, do you? What can I do for you?”
”Did you know Destiny was adopted?” I tried to sound stern and accusing but came off sounding weak and petulant.
His hearty laughter just about damaged my eardrum.
”That's a good one, Kristin. I enjoy your sense of humor.”
”I'm serious.”
”Of course I knew she was adopted. I adopted her now, didn't I?” He laughed again.
I couldn't tell if he was toying with me, or if he really didn't know. Gamely, I plunged forward.
”Not by you.” I hesitated. ”Did you know the Kenwoods adopted her, that Barbara and Peter weren't Destiny's natural parents?”
There was no laughter this time.
”That's a sick joke,” he said fiercely.
”I'm not joking. One of Barbara's friends, a Lydia Barton, let it slip when I was interviewing her, and then Marie Kenwood confirmed it an hour ago. The Kenwoods adopted her when she was a week old.”
”Why wasn't I told?” he shouted.
”I don't know. Mrs. Kenwood a.s.sumed you knew, and she a.s.sumed you told me, which of course, you didn't.”
”I never knew!” The anguish in his voice was now equal to the anger. ”Good Lord, what will I tell Liz? This will kill her. She's had enough trouble trying to contend with Barbara Kenwood's image and now this. It will devastate her.” He sounded more like her husband than her ex-husband.
”No offense, but my main concern right now is Destiny.”
”Of course. Of course. I can't even think about what this will mean to her. She's seemed so peaceful lately, especially after she met her grandmother. Or the woman she thought was her grandmother. I can't even think of ita”another mother. My G.o.d, another father!”
”Please don't say anything to Destiny. I'm going to try to call her as soon as we're done here, but in case I can't reach her, please wait to talk to her.”
”You're not honestly thinking of telling her now, are you?”
Suddenly, I was the target of his anger. aI am.a ”Don't!” His tone was menacing.
”I have to.”
”You can't! Haven't you done enough?”
”No,” I said in a quiet, angry voice. ”There will be no more secrets! There's no point in them.”
”I hope someday you can forgive yourself for what you're about to do to my daughter,” he retorted.
And then there was a dial tone.
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