I was just about to start reading it when my auntie barged through the door. “Have you seen it?”
“Good morning to you,” I smiled.
Sitting down opposite my desk, Trudy studied the paper in my hand. “I see you already have.”
“I was actually just about to start reading it.”
I could see she looked disgusted as she shook her head. “I had no idea he was doing this. Can you imagine if he had come here?” She smiled and shook her head again.
At least then, one of my questions had been answered. I knew this was Luca’s doing, and I knew he would do his utmost to keep me from being involved.
“The papers have got pictures of him on a bed with another lady on top. You probably shouldn’t see that. They’ve pixelated her face, but you can clearly see it’s him.”
I tried to stifle my laugh, but it was just too much. Trudy snapped her head to me in shock. “Why are you finding this whole thing so funny? Did you know about this before the papers printed it this morning?” Raising my eyebrows, I just shrugged my shoulders.
“Hold on a sec; give me that newspaper.”
I did as instructed and watched as she frantically turned the papers to the offending picture.
Seeing it again, I turned my head in disgust. I still felt nauseous every time I thought about that day.
“This room, it looks awfully like—”
I watched as it began to dawn on my aunt what had really occurred. Scrunching the paper on her lap, she looked down to the floor. “I’m so sorry, Clara.”
“Don’t be. I’ve put it to bed now and moved on with my life. Excuse the pun.” I laughed sarcastically.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sighed. “I just didn’t want to cause you any unnecessary upset. You’ve had enough on your plate without this.”
“But it’s all over the papers. I would have known about it eventually.”
“I had nothing to do with that,” I said, pointing towards the newspaper.
Trudy frowned, but then her face relaxed once she realised what must have happened. “Oh.” Sighing somewhat, she smiled and faced me. “He loves you very much.”
Smiling right back at her, I knew she never had to tell me; I knew that all too well myself. “I know.”
She looked down at my hand and spied my ring. “When did that happen?”
I pulled my hand up to my face and smiled. “He asked me a couple of days ago, but it wasn’t really official until this morning. I was actually going to call you before you barged in here.”
Getting teary, she stood up and waved for me to come to her. I dutifully did as I was told and wrapped my arms around the woman who I had always thought of as my mother.
“I’m so happy for you. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve it—more than anything.”
“I only wish I could do the same for you.”
She shook her head and pulled me out of her arms. “Don’t be so silly. I’m too old for that kind of thing anymore.”
I made a tutting sound. “Don’t be so silly. You’re never too old for romance. You just haven’t met the right man yet.”
Seeing her sadness, I felt like an idiot for blurting my mouth like that. She had met the right man—only to have him ripped away from her. I would be absolutely devastated beyond words if anything happened to Luca.
“I’m sorry, Trudy. That was insensitive of me. Do you forgive me?”
She gripped my arms with a smile. “There’s nothing to forgive. I know you’re only thinking about my happiness, and I really appreciate that.”
“Can I take you to lunch? I would really love to.”
Her smile grew wider. “I would love to.”
I had a brilliant time with my aunt. Tony took us in the car to a quaint little French restaurant about five miles away from The Castle. We sat and chewed the fat for a little while, talking about The Castle and its future plans.
Despite enjoying myself with Trudy, I couldn’t seem shake this feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was like I was missing something, but I didn’t know what. I tried to ignore it, but it was there no matter what I did.
Once I was done, I came back to an air of excitement when Melinda realised she was actually in the newspapers—without everyone really knowing it was her of course.
She oohed and aahed, asking me if I was okay with seeing my father again and making sure I was still okay with her. As if I would ever not be. Melinda didn’t have a clue who he was. As far as she was aware, he was just another horny client out to get his sexual fix. I would never hold that against her. It did, on the other hand, make me think about The Castle. Everything that had happened since the engagement and my father coming here and tainting the place just brought it to the forefront.