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pushed her but he maintained she lost her
footing and fell. A cursory investigation proved little and the incident was
deemed an accident. Soon after, Leo, Colin and Anna moved into Beacon, where,
after a barely discreet interval, Anna and Leo were quietly married. I was born
a year later and became Leo’s pet.
    “Your mother, Suzanna, was very good for Leo,” Giles continued.
“She was a delicate, shy little thing who depended on him for everything. Leo
loved her like no one else. I think it was she who helped him find a heart.
Before Anna, he was a cold and ruthless person.” He glanced at me, noting my
frown. “No, I don’t believe he killed her. If Carmen was going to push him to
the point of murder, it would’ve happened long before then.”
    He grimaced, then bent over to pick up a smooth, pearly
stone, turning it over between his fingers. “I witnessed a few of her tantrums.
She could be malicious, even using Colin as leverage against him.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Giles tossed the stone out into the surf. “It’s not
important. I just wanted you to know your father changed after he found Anna
and he never lost that goodness. When your mother died, I thought he’d go to
pieces.”
    “I remember,” I murmured.
    It was a silly accident. Mother was never the superb
equestrian Leo was. They went out riding together one morning while I stayed
behind under Martha’s supervision. I was playing in the sand on the beach,
building my own scale model of Beacon, when I looked up to see Leo carrying my
mother’s limp body in his arms. I remember he was crying and I knew she was
dead. It was a painful memory.
    I loved my mother but her love for Leo was so intense there
was little room for anyone else. I missed her when she was gone but grieved for
Leo even more. He began to drink and Giles, the only person he allowed near,
sat with him for hours, afraid to leave him alone. It was arranged that Colin
and I should attend boarding schools. What else could be done? Leo was
certainly unable to take up our rearing on his own in his state of mind.
    “I think the only thing that saved your father in the end,
Suzanna, was the realization you still needed him. The fact that you were a
part of Anna and a product of their love for each other became his lifeline and
gave him the will to go on.”
    I winced, remembering the naked hurt in Leo’s eyes when I
turned down his offer to help with my writing career.
    “This will is a product of Leo’s need to secure your future
and what he thought would ensure your happiness,” Giles continued.
    “How could he possibly believe that forcing me to marry
Grant would make me happy?” I demanded. “Especially when he knew Grant and I
barely get along as it is. I wonder if he understood me at all, or if I was
just another pawn in his game?” Grant’s words, spoken from my lips! It grated
to believe they could be true.
    I didn’t want to believe that Leo could be so heartless but
there was no other way to describe it. Deep down, I sensed there was a Leo
Dirkston I never knew—an entity quite different from the father figure he
presented to me. Someone who’d accept help from criminals or take over small
businesses with no thought for the struggling individuals he was ruining. Worst
of all, someone who could, without scruples, use a woman’s love as a stepping
stone to power.
    Giles touched my arm with sympathy. “I know it’s hard for
you to understand but just remember, Leo loved you more than anything on this
earth. In his day, marriages were arranged as a matter of course and children
were content to have the decision taken out of their hands. He would never do
anything he thought might hurt you. He did what he felt was best for you.”
    I didn’t reply. Nothing anyone could say would diminish my
sense of betrayal and disillusionment.
    “Don’t try to solve anything right now, my dear. You’re
tired and I’m sure things will look clearer in the morning. Let’s go back