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.He and your mother simply withdrew into a shell.I heardyour mother remarried?""Hardy Ingram, the M.P.We've known him for years and years.He's a good man.He'll look after mymother well, but he's no substitute for Dad.He was a one-off.He died too young.These past couple ofyears without him have been sad.My mother couldn't stay on Kooltar.""I can understand that." She didn't say that having her difficult sister-in-law around all the time wouldmake things hard, but instead asked, "Is your aunt still living with you?""Kooltar is her home." Clipped, ready to defend."She should have married.Gone away." Nicole sat in sober judgment."None of your business, Nicole.We couldn't all run."That stung."Now, that was cruel."His hands on the controls clenched, knuckles whitening."Yes, it was.Bloody cruel.I apologize.Yousuffered more than any of us.""I found them.How many hundreds of times have I been back over that horrible day? It's like a videoyou don't know how to stop.""I can understand that.The shock and the grief killed your grandfather.My own father was never thefile:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%2./5%20home%20to%20eden%20TXT/home%20to%20eden.txt (16 of 124)11/05/2010 14:36:04 file:///E|/My%20Library/books/ROMANCE/margaret%20way/koomera%20crossing/5%20home%20to%20eden%20TXT/home%20to%20eden.txtsame after.The way the investigation ended! It as good as left everything up in the air."She looked down at her locked hands.Didn't she live her own life on the brink, just waiting for someoneto shove her off? "I'm sorry, too, Drake.But it was never my fault.""Of course it wasn't!" He gave a grimace of dismay."At the end of the day we were all betrayed.I'vethought hard about this.As I said, I believe your father had nothing to do with what happened.""Then you're the only one." She sighed."If you're right, that leaves the glaring question of who did.What about Heath's alibi? What if the stockman was lying? He left the station not long after andconveniently got killed when his ute ran off an Outback track.That's like having a two-car crash in themiddle of the Simpson Desert.""It was reported, as well, he'd been drinking heavily for days.""Probably had one hell of a guilty conscience.Does your aunt still hate me?"Drake's features tightened."She doesn't hate you, Nicole.""Don't be daft.Of course she does! When it comes to intuition, men aren't half as smart as women.""I'm not about to disagree," he answered."Good.Around you, Callista was always very careful.Brothers and nephews are sacred.To hell with therest of us.She never shared your liking for me, even as a child."He glanced at Nicole through narrowed eyes."Can you imagine how difficult it was for her with you theliving image of your mother?""There are differences," she declared."I'm me.I'll never be unfaithful to my husband.I'll never abandonmy child.Oh, God, Nicole, shut up," she bid herself, shocked at coming so close to condemning hermother."Let it out.""I've had years of letting it out.""Maybe the struggle has been too much.Maybe you have your own secrets you don't want to be known.At least you have a source of release through your paintings.""Yes, maybe.Certainly mine aren't happy paintings, Drake, although critics seem to find them powerful.""I hope I can see them.""Sure, I'll bring some over to the house," she suggested with heavy irony."I just know I'd be welcome.Dear Callista hated my mother long before she hated me.Even as a kid I saw glimpses of it.""The devil you did! Cally was all set to be your mother's maid of honor.""A piece of diplomacy.""You know nothing about it.You weren't around.""Well, you were only a toddler and I could have been already in the womb." Her voice was perfectlycalm, accepting."I was a premature baby.You'd almost believe it, except I was robust from day one.Mymother and I talked a lot, you know.We were very close."The gaze he turned briefly to her was piercing."Are you trying to tell me your mother confessed to youthat Heath Cavanagh wasn't your father?"She stared back, hot color coming into her cheeks
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