Gabrielle could read the astonishment, the recognition in Leo’s face. ‘So you do accept it? That you’re my father?’
‘I suppose it’s a possibility. Why didn’t she tell me?’
‘She said she didn’t know until she was back in France. She said she was going to write to you, but she decided there was no point. That it would have been a mess. You and she weren’t in love.’
Leo said nothing for some moments, staring at the photo, astounded by this revelation. Finally he asked, ‘What happened?’
‘When she found out she was pregnant, she moved back with her parents. A few years later my grandfather died, and the year after that, my grandmother. She sold their house and moved back to England. She’d always loved London. She made a living doing a little modelling work, some acting. Then she met my stepfather. I have two stepbrothers. My stepfather’s pretty wealthy. I love him to bits, but I’ve always known he’s not my real father.’ She stared down at her hands, spreading them out in her lap. ‘When I was a kid it never occurred to me to wonder who you were. I had a very happy life. Then about a few years ago I got curious, the way teenagers do, and started asking my mother questions. She told me what she knew, which wasn’t much.’ Leo looked at her quizzically, and again she shrugged. ‘Your name, that you were a lawyer, or had been when she met you. That you were very good-looking, funny.’ Gabrielle smiled. ‘When she talked about you, I got the impression she’d liked you a lot. So I wanted to find you.’
‘Why now? Why not sooner?’ He gazed at her, the reality only just sinking in that this creature in the leather jacket and Ugg boots, sitting opposite him and sipping Coke, was part of him. His daughter.
‘I was only seventeen, for heaven’s sake. I didn’t know how to do it. Anyway, I was frightened. Frightened you might not be interested. Or that I might not like you.’ She threw herself back in her chair, letting out a long breath. ‘You don’t know what the past few weeks have been like, watching you, hanging about, trying to get up the courage to say something. But here I am.’
‘Yes,’ murmured Leo. ‘Here you are.’ He gazed at her, still trying to fathom his feelings. ‘So,’ he said after a moment, ‘tell me about yourself. You’re a barrister?’
‘Not yet. I’m in pupillage, Fox Buildings.’
‘Criminal law? Interesting choice.’
‘I certainly didn’t want to do the kind of thing you do. Commercial law is so-o-o boring!’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I went to see you in court a couple of weeks ago—’
‘I saw you sitting at the back. I wondered who you were.’
‘—and I can’t tell you how dreary it was.’
‘Sorry about that. Not spine-tingling drama, admittedly. But it has its moments. I’m afraid criminal law is often dirty work for poor rewards.’
‘How do you know?’
‘I spent five weeks sitting as a criminal judge in the Crown Court. Part of my training to become a High Court judge.’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t mind. It’s what interests me.’
‘Fair enough. I happen to find ships and other people’s money rather riveting.’
Gabrielle nodded. ‘You earn a fair bit, don’t you? This house, and everything.’
Leo drained his whisky. ‘How much do you know about me? Beyond what your mother’s told you.’
‘Not much. But more than you do about me.’ She smiled and drained the remnants of her Coke. It was a bewitching smile, lighting up her young face, enlivening her blue eyes. Eyes, Leo realised, which were exactly like his own. He felt his heart dip unexpectedly. ‘We should get to know one another,’ she added.
‘I would like that. I would also like to speak to your mother at some point.’
‘Why?’
‘Obvious reasons. I feel I’ve shirked my responsibilities.’
Gabrielle narrowed her eyes, then cracked the empty Coke tin between her fingers and shook her head. ‘You want to check my story. You can call her if you want.’ She searched in her bag for pen and paper. ‘Here’s her number. I’m sure she’d like to hear from you. I’ll give you my mobile number while I’m at it.’ She put the piece of paper next to her crumpled Coke can. ‘I feel weird, now I’ve actually done it. Met you, I mean. Spoken to you. It’s been haunting me for months. And now it’s done …’
‘A bit of an anticlimax?’
‘Just different to what I expected. I thought it would be more dramatic. Emotional.’