Read Online Grapes of Wrath (Billionaires' Secrets Book 2) by Jennifer Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Lewis
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Susannah whispered.
“Yes. And she got pregnant. At which point he told her to get rid of it or he was done with her.”
Susannah winced.
Amado blew out a hard breath and shook his head. “Of course she couldn’t do that. She was raised Catholic.” Pain tightened the lines of his face. “And she didn’t dare tell her father. So she stayed in New York. She went through the pregnancy alone, and had the baby by herself.”
He turned and paced along the length of the terrace. His broad shoulders pulled the cloth of his shirt taut. “She died giving birth, just as her own mother had done eighteen years earlier.”
“Oh, no.” Susannah felt tears spring to her eyes.
“She died alone, afraid to seek help in a strange country where she had no true friends.” The horror of the situation was written all over his face. “And because her lover had abandoned her.”
He laid a fist on the terrace wall. Tension hardened every muscle in his body. “Someone, a neighbor, heard her—she must have been in terrible pain. They called an ambulance that was able to save the baby, but it was already too late for Marisa.”
His chest rose and fell beneath his shirt. Fresh tears glittered in his eyes. “They found her address in Argentina somewhere in her possessions and called Ignacio to the hospital to claim the baby.” He stared at her. “They’d already called Tarrant Hardcastle and he disavowed all responsibility.”
“That’s terrible.” Susannah could barely manage to get out the words. They were so inadequate to the horror of the situation. It was hard to imagine even Tarrant Hardcastle being cold and cruel enough to abandon a tiny, helpless, motherless baby.
It dawned on her like a clap of thunder that Amado was that baby.
Hot tears rolled over her cheeks.
Amado frowned. “Why are you crying? Surely you knew all this.”
“I didn’t know anything.” The words came out on a whine. “I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe that Tarrant...” A sob cracked her voice.
“My real father .” He blew out a snort of disgust. “I curse the ground he walks on.”
“I don’t blame you.” Susannah bit her lip. How on earth could she convince Amado to come back to New York with her now? She didn’t even want to.
He inhaled deeply. “So Ignacio brought me back to Tierra de Oro. He didn’t want me to suffer the shame of illegitimacy so he quickly married his longtime housekeeper, Clara. They told people Marisa had died in a car accident.”
“I see.” That explained how Clara came into the picture. “I’d think people would put two and two together, what with Marisa suddenly disappearing and a new baby arriving.”
“My father said they pretended to have married earlier, but kept it secret because of the scandal of him marrying a servant.” He snorted. “Substituting a petty piece of gossip for a real one.”
He shook his head, looking out at the mountains. “Who knows, maybe everyone around here has known for years. But I didn’t.” He tapped his fist to his chest. “Thirty years on this earth, and it never crossed my mind that I was anyone but the son of Clara and Ignacio Alvarez.”
“Your father, I mean, Ignacio, told you all this?” If it was awkward for her to figure out what to call him, she could barely imagine how Amado must feel.
“Yes. And I got angry. Very angry.” He fixed his gaze on the horizon. “How could he lie to me for so long?” The question rang with his pain and confusion.
Susannah wished she could think of something to say but her brain still buzzed with amazement at the strange situation.
He blew out a long breath. “And now he’s ridden off into the hills and Clara is inconsolable.”
Susannah was sweating inside her thin dress. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
Amado turned to her with a fierce expression. “Why should you be sorry? You’re just doing your job.” Anger curled in his voice, but once he looked at her, his gaze softened.
Her
“Yes. And she got pregnant. At which point he told her to get rid of it or he was done with her.”
Susannah winced.
Amado blew out a hard breath and shook his head. “Of course she couldn’t do that. She was raised Catholic.” Pain tightened the lines of his face. “And she didn’t dare tell her father. So she stayed in New York. She went through the pregnancy alone, and had the baby by herself.”
He turned and paced along the length of the terrace. His broad shoulders pulled the cloth of his shirt taut. “She died giving birth, just as her own mother had done eighteen years earlier.”
“Oh, no.” Susannah felt tears spring to her eyes.
“She died alone, afraid to seek help in a strange country where she had no true friends.” The horror of the situation was written all over his face. “And because her lover had abandoned her.”
He laid a fist on the terrace wall. Tension hardened every muscle in his body. “Someone, a neighbor, heard her—she must have been in terrible pain. They called an ambulance that was able to save the baby, but it was already too late for Marisa.”
His chest rose and fell beneath his shirt. Fresh tears glittered in his eyes. “They found her address in Argentina somewhere in her possessions and called Ignacio to the hospital to claim the baby.” He stared at her. “They’d already called Tarrant Hardcastle and he disavowed all responsibility.”
“That’s terrible.” Susannah could barely manage to get out the words. They were so inadequate to the horror of the situation. It was hard to imagine even Tarrant Hardcastle being cold and cruel enough to abandon a tiny, helpless, motherless baby.
It dawned on her like a clap of thunder that Amado was that baby.
Hot tears rolled over her cheeks.
Amado frowned. “Why are you crying? Surely you knew all this.”
“I didn’t know anything.” The words came out on a whine. “I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe that Tarrant...” A sob cracked her voice.
“My real father .” He blew out a snort of disgust. “I curse the ground he walks on.”
“I don’t blame you.” Susannah bit her lip. How on earth could she convince Amado to come back to New York with her now? She didn’t even want to.
He inhaled deeply. “So Ignacio brought me back to Tierra de Oro. He didn’t want me to suffer the shame of illegitimacy so he quickly married his longtime housekeeper, Clara. They told people Marisa had died in a car accident.”
“I see.” That explained how Clara came into the picture. “I’d think people would put two and two together, what with Marisa suddenly disappearing and a new baby arriving.”
“My father said they pretended to have married earlier, but kept it secret because of the scandal of him marrying a servant.” He snorted. “Substituting a petty piece of gossip for a real one.”
He shook his head, looking out at the mountains. “Who knows, maybe everyone around here has known for years. But I didn’t.” He tapped his fist to his chest. “Thirty years on this earth, and it never crossed my mind that I was anyone but the son of Clara and Ignacio Alvarez.”
“Your father, I mean, Ignacio, told you all this?” If it was awkward for her to figure out what to call him, she could barely imagine how Amado must feel.
“Yes. And I got angry. Very angry.” He fixed his gaze on the horizon. “How could he lie to me for so long?” The question rang with his pain and confusion.
Susannah wished she could think of something to say but her brain still buzzed with amazement at the strange situation.
He blew out a long breath. “And now he’s ridden off into the hills and Clara is inconsolable.”
Susannah was sweating inside her thin dress. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
Amado turned to her with a fierce expression. “Why should you be sorry? You’re just doing your job.” Anger curled in his voice, but once he looked at her, his gaze softened.
Her
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