Sidonie’s chin lifted imperceptibly.
‘She was avaricious and selfish. No one knows that better than me and my aunt. And my stepfather, who stood by her despite the public humiliation she put him through. She put us all through hell when she ended up being prosecuted, and yet my stepfather never once let me feel anything less than his own child. She was put in jail for two years when I was eight years old. I had to endure taunts at school every day, because we couldn’t afford to move until she was released from prison.’
Sidonie’s voice shook with passion.
‘I spent my whole life dreading someone finding out about her past. That’s why I don’t talk about it. But I am not her, and you had no right to assume I was like her—no matter what evidence you thought you had...’
She recalled one of the things he’d hurled at her. ‘Not even the fact that I told you I liked jewellery. I’m a woman, Alexio. A lot of women like glittery shiny things. It doesn’t mean we’re all inveterate gold-diggers.’
Alexio stood up too, and immediately a flare of awareness made Sidonie take a step back. His eyes flashed at her movement and something tightened between them.
His mouth was a grim line. ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t give you the chance to tell me this, for misjudging you and for leaving you to go through what you have for the past few months. You should never have had to deal with this on your own...’
The lines of his face grew stark and his voice roughened.
‘But I’m not sorry you’re pregnant. I want this baby too.’
He came closer and everything in Sidonie tightened with anticipation. She tried to ignore it.
Heavily, Alexio continued, ‘I should tell you why I jumped to such conclusions. My mother was the most cynical person I’ve ever known. She taught me not to trust at an early age, and the world and my peers have only confirmed her lesson. I’m used to lovers as cynical as I have become. You were so different from anyone I’ve ever met before...’
His words resounded in Sidonie’s head, shocking her. She felt weakened by this mutual confessional. The hard knot of tension and pain inside her felt as if it was dissolving, treacherously.
Alexio went on. ‘My parents’ marriage was not happy. It was sterile, loveless. I told you why I decided to break with my father...but there’s more to it than that. Once he beat my mother. I rushed in to stop him, to protect her, but she put me out of the room and went back in and closed the door, shutting me out.’
Alexio’s mouth twisted.
‘She didn’t want or need my protection—not even then... And that’s why I wanted nothing more to do with my father.’
Sidonie’s heart clenched. She felt increasingly vulnerable and was aware that only inches separated them now. When had they even moved that close?
Alexio’s hand closed around one upper arm, warm against her bare skin, setting off a chain reaction.
‘I’m sorry, Sidonie. Truly.’
Something moved between them. Something fragile and yet something very earthy too.
But Sidonie was reeling. It was too much. She pulled her arm free and said weakly, ‘I’m tired now. I should go to bed.’
Alexio just looked at her in the soft glow of the lamps. ‘Yes.’