Epilogue
12 months later, New Year’s Eve, Bannock House
I t does come in very handy, having a talented and tenacious journalist as my husband.
In the court case for Corrie, he helped prove that three high-profile names in the entertainment and fashion industry recruited her to blackmail Ezra, in order to prevent their dubious activities from the past being exposed. These were individuals who Ezra had named and shamed in his autobiography, for failing to provide safe and sanitary working conditions in the fashion business, as well as a sleazy casting couch producer and a predatory film director.
Brad Janson was also proved to have arranged for the movie script to have been “stolen” and Ezra implicated. Brad’s reputation in Hollywood was now in tatters.
As soon as Zach got signed off from the legal department, he published his story about Sir Clifford Bain and then handed over all his evidence to the police, which led to Sir Clifford being arrested, charged, and eventually convicted.
And the phone hacking scandal at Stargazer , which Zach was investigating, hit the headlines six months ago. The magazine faces closure and there will be prosecutions of certain members of staff, as well as management who knew about the unsavoury practices but did nothing to stop it.
Ezra gave Zach an exclusive interview earlier this year, talking about his career and becoming a father later on in life. Gorgeous photos of a proud Ezra with Caroline and Laura accompanied the piece.
Zach felt like he’d turned a corner and got his life and reputation back.
I glowed as my husband’s warm, dark eyes glittered my way in the Great Hall, which was decorated with two Christmas trees and an extravagant ribboned garland wound around the ornate stair banister.
“Here’s the thing,” he started, pulling me back to the present. “There’s an Italian family in Glasgow who’ve got in contact with me.” He lowered his voice. “They were in possession of a sketch book, which it’s claimed belonged to Sandro Botticelli.”
“THE Botticelli?” I gasped. “As in The Birth of Venus ?”
“The very one.”
“So where is it?”
Zach looked excited. “That’s the question. They believe a rival business associate has managed to acquire it and has taken it back to Florence, where Botticelli is from.”
“Oh,” I exclaimed, clasping my hands together in front of my cream woollen shift dress. “That sounds like a juicy story for you.”
Zach grinned down at me. “It is. The Bianchi family are desperate for the sketch book to be found. Mrs Bianchi’s elderly mother’s health isn’t at its best.”
I frowned. “Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that.”
There was a dramatic pause. “Bailey, the family would like me to travel to Florence and find the sketchbook on their behalf. It would make a great story for The Glasgow Independent , especially now I’ve been promoted to News Editor.”
I gave a brief, small smile in my brother’s direction, but he was too preoccupied flirting with Mrs Bamber’s attractive, redheaded nephew. When Marcus saw me looking over at him, he flashed me the widest smile. Thank goodness he was moving forward with his life.
I turned back to look up at Zach. To my surprise, he was shaking his head.
“No, forget I said anything.”
“What? It sounds like a great story.”
He squeezed my hand. I could feel the gentle coolness of his gold wedding band press against my skin.
“No. Forget it. It’s a wonderful human-interest story, but I’ll send one of the team.” His smile softened further at me. “I think we need to concentrate on each other for a while, and there will always be another story to chase. I keep forgetting I’m an editor now, not a roving reporter.” He pulled a sarcastic face. “Sorry. I can’t switch off, can I?”
I stroked Zach’s hand. “You’re a wonderful journalist and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” I eyed him again. “Are you sure you don’t want to follow up this story?”
“One hundred per cent sure.”
Zach had done some digging on Declan and discovered he’d checked himself into rehab after finally hitting rock bottom. I was glad he was getting help, and hopefully some therapy too. It seemed like he was trying to turn his life around, and I found I was glad about this. I really had moved on, and just wanted to look to the future, not the past.
I rubbed Zach’s hand. I could still see the excitement about the Italian story mirrored in his melting, dark eyes.
“Well, I think you should go for it. For this story in Italy.”
Zach opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him with a kiss.
“Perhaps we could spend some time in Italy. We could call it a babymoon…” I said, my hand drifting down to my stomach.
“What’s a babymoon?”
Zach’s attention shot from where my hand was resting on my belly to my face. He broke into a huge, lopsided grin. “Are you…?”
I leant up and planted a kiss on his mouth. “Yep. One last adventure, before we book some ante-natal classes. What do you think?”
“I think, Lady Bailey, that I have the best wife in the world.”
“I think you do too…” I laughed and kissed him again.
Finally, I felt like I could trust in the future. Our future.