Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
A few hours later, they were wrapped in each other’s arms at the top of the lighthouse under the starlit sky. Dilly couldn’t stop smiling. This morning her heart had felt like it had shattered into many pieces; now, miraculously, it had been put back together. The night was clear, and the stars shimmered above them like tiny diamonds, casting a soft glow over the makeshift bed they’d set up, which was surrounded by snacks and drinks. ‘This is what you call a proper sleepover,’ Dilly giggled as Max pulled her in closer, squashing a bag of crisps. She still couldn’t believe that just a few hours earlier he had been standing on a rock, signalling his feelings with semaphore flags.
‘How did you get the flags and when did you learn to use the flags?’ Dilly asked, still amazed by the effort he had put in.
Max grinned. ‘As soon as we saw them in the lighthouse, I Googled away and managed to buy a set from the internet then I started learning the different letters. I planned to signal to you every morning when you moved in.’
‘How romantic!’ Dilly exclaimed.
‘How mad do you think your dad will be at me for going AWOL today?’ Max asked, sounding a little concerned.
‘As long as you’re back at work tomorrow, I think he’ll just be relieved.’
Dilly’s expression turned serious. ‘We do have a lot to talk about,’ she said softly.
Max nodded. ‘I know, I just didn’t want to spoil the moment.’
‘Can we talk about it now though? I don’t want to fall asleep and have the conversation still hanging over us by the time you go to work tomorrow.’
Max squeezed her tightly. ‘Who is the father of the babies?’
The question hung in the air for a split second whilst Dilly considered which version of events to share with him.
‘Giles Fox,’ she replied, opting for the truth. She leaned over to her bag, which was resting on top of the wicker basket.
‘Why do I recognise that name?’
‘He’s been in the news recently.’ She handed Max the folded-up article that she’d torn out of the newspaper. Max slowly took his arm from around her and read it.
‘And this is the father of the twins?’ Max asked, still looking over the article.
‘Yes, unfortunately,’ Dilly replied. ‘He handpicked me as a mark for one of his schemes, making me fall in love with him so I would willingly hand over my inheritance money.’
‘How did he even know you had any?’
‘My mother and Anton’s deaths were covered in the newspaper – you saw it yourself – and the article linked them to me, an up-and-coming artist from Puffin Island. He walked into the gallery, pretending he worked for a celebrity who’d fallen in love with my art. His plan was to sweep me off my feet and make me fall in love with him, and he was convincing, let me tell you. Soon we were talking about starting a family, buying a house together… At the same time, he was in the process of buying a property in the South of France.’
Max looked thoughtful. ‘Let me guess, he suddenly had a cash-flow problem… that old scam?’
Dilly nodded. ‘Exactly that. He said his money was tied up in bonds and it was taking too long to release and the buyer had decided to pull out if the contracts weren’t signed by the end of the week. He was pushing me and pushing me to transfer him the money, as he didn’t want to lose the property. It was then I got a feeling that something wasn’t right, so I hesitated and he suddenly began to get agitated, which was out of character. Up until that point, he’d been gentle, loving, caring… It was a complete 360. He tried to make me feel guilty, saying that because of me he was going to lose the house, and he walked out in a rage. Whilst he was gone, I got the strong feeling he was hiding things so I quickly checked the pockets of his suits and found the article about my mother’s death and my estimated inheritance. It really hurt that someone could try to scam me that way. Using my feelings to try and manipulate me into doing what they wanted. I still can’t get over how someone can sleep with someone when they actually have no feelings towards that person at all.’
‘Unfortunately, it’s what they do, and they are bloody good at it. We both clearly chose the wrong partners.’
‘At least now he’s been caught.’
‘And he’s in prison,’ added Max.
‘Thankfully, yes. And it looks like he won’t be out for a very long time, which, of course, I’m pleased about.’ Dilly placed her hand protectively over her belly. ‘I did think about a termination, especially for our sake, but then I was in the ambulance and the thought of losing my baby nearly killed me.’
Max looked confused. ‘What do you mean?’
‘When you told me about Lydia…’ Dilly paused. ‘You said you didn’t want to raise another man’s child. And now I’m going to have two of those.’
Max looked towards her and pushed his fringe out of his eyes, showing more of his face, which was tanned from the sun. Shaking his head slowly in disbelief, he smiled, sending a swarm of fireflies swirling at top speed around her stomach. He reached out, gently taking her hand. ‘Dilly, believe me when I say that you are nothing like Lydia and this is a totally different situation. She lied to me and cheated on me for years, and I’m not sure if it was ever love I felt for her. You’re a kind, gentle, loving soul, whereas she was the queen of manipulation. I would never bring up another man’s child with her .’
‘And me?’
‘I’m sitting here, aren’t I? I’ve just taken my life into my own hands by jumping off a rock and swimming to the jetty. I don’t even like the water!’
Dilly giggled. ‘All those tourists were cheering you on.’
‘I do have a question though… Are you going to tell Giles about the twins?’
‘I’ve thought about that a lot, too, and the answer is no. I’d have concerns about the safety of my children. Our relationship was over before he went to prison and I don’t think it’s beneficial to the twins to know a man like him is their father. I don’t want any stigma attached to them as they grow up. How do you feel about it?’
Max took a moment. ‘I think you’re the mother and you know what’s best to do. I’ll support you, whatever you decide.’
‘But how do you feel knowing that I’m pregnant by another man? Will your feelings change towards me once they’re here?’ Dilly took a breath. ‘I vowed, after Giles, that it would be a long time before I gave any man the time of day again?—’
‘But I’m not just any man,’ Max interrupted. ‘We go back a long way and I think the best relationships are those made from friendship and shared history… And the mutual love of art helps,’ he added with a smile.
‘I agree, but this isn’t going to be an easy journey. I don’t want to get close to you and then wake up to find you’ve gone as it’s all got too much. And I know this is extremely early days, but?—’
‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Max took hold of her hands, his thumbs brushing over her knuckles. ‘We can do this… together. I’ve loved you in secret for many years already and my feelings aren’t going to change. I didn’t run because I don’t care for you, I ran because I panicked. I thought this would be your chance to start a family with the father and, as much as I want you to be happy, I couldn’t have watched that happen; it would have been too painful for me. But when I received your voicemails, I knew this was our chance. I don’t see this as you bringing his children into the world, I see this as you bringing our new family together. It’s not about who their biological father is, it’s about who loves them and is there for them. Dilly, I want to be that person, if you’ll let me.’
Dilly couldn’t speak through all the happy tears that were rolling down her face. His acceptance and willingness to step up and be there for her meant the world.
‘Yes,’ she whispered, leaning in and kissing him.