The Heart of Deception

Chapter 23

The magnificent scenery slipped by unnoticed as if the silver-grey Mercedes was running on autopilot. Before they knew it, they were home. Lauren immediately recognised her father’s vehicle as they approached the house

“That’s Felix,” she exclaimed, slamming on the brakes. “That’s my father’s car.”

Helen grinned. “So, your father also gives inanimate objects names, does he?”

“Oh Helen!” Lauren’s face was suddenly pale. “Dad’s not due back until mid-January at least. Something dreadful must have happened. I can feel it.”

Panic gripped her. “Max. Something’s happened to Max.” She grappled to release her safety belt with numb fingers.

“Please God, let Max be all right,” she prayed, as she flung the car door open, and ran up the stairs two at a time.

She careened through the open front doors, and headed to the formal lounge where she heard low male voices. When she burst into the room, she practically ran straight into her father’s arms.

“Lauren!” Michael’s voice filled with a mixture of joy and anguish. He lifted her up in a bear hug, burying his face in her hair.

“Daddy, what happened? Is Max all right? Where is he?”

She pushed at his shoulders, and looked up into his face. To her surprise, her father was smiling, with tears pouring down his face. He looked haggard. For once, he actually looked old enough to be her father. His big hands framed her face, while his eyes flicked over her with disbelief.

“Max is fine. Or rather, he will be. He broke his leg, and both arms, when he fell from a ledge. He didn’t fancy his chances in any of the hospitals over there, so we had him medivacced home.” He shook his head impatiently. “You know what he’s like. Right now, he has nurses rallying around him, like bees around a honey comb.”

Lauren closed her eyes, waiting for the sense of relief to flow over her. But, it didn’t. Something sinister had happened. She just knew it. A feeling of dread was still gnawing away inside her.

Realisation suddenly hit her. Her father had been relieved to find her at Canoorah, instead of her sister. Diane! Something must have happened to her twin. Her father had come to announce a tragedy. She was sure of it.

“Daddy?” Tears blurred her vision, as she searched his face for anything that would set her mind at ease.

The big Scotsman shook his head slowly, and gathered her back up in his arms. “I’m sorry sweetheart. She had an accident,” he whispered hoarsely, kissing her gently on the forehead. He rocked slowly from side to side, trying to comfort his remaining child. “She was killed saving the life of a wee boy.”

Michael’s expression suddenly froze. The colour drained from his face again, accentuating the dark rings beneath his bloodshot eyes. He abruptly held her at arms' length, his wary eyes flicked from hers to Kurt and back again.

“Oh, Lauren! What have you done?” His voice was almost inaudible, his fingers gripping her shoulders. “If Diane was in London pretending to be you, what have you been doing here?”

Lauren froze. For the first time she realised that they weren’t alone. Kurt was behind her. She could feel the disbelief and anger emanating from him. She wasn’t sure how she would have gone about telling him, but this was certainly not how it should have happened.

Fear gripped her heart as she turned to face the man she had been deceiving. She felt the blood drain from her cheeks, as she realised all hope of acceptance and forgiveness was gone. She had lost him, for good.