Secrets Read Online Free Page B

Bryan.
    Lucien
immediately stood to refill his coffee, and Bryan’s smile seemed to
light the room when he spied her.
    “Morning,” he
grinned as he got up to kiss his wife. “Coffee?” he challenged with
a little snicker.
    “I’d love one!”
Sonya met his challenge with a lift of her eyebrows and nodded her
thanks as Bryan handed her a cup of Madame Lalonde’s strong
coffee.
    “So,” Sonya
began, “what were you two discussing when I came in? It looked
pretty intense.”
    “Soccer, what
else?” Lucien shrugged and lifted his hands in a very Gallic
gesture.
    While she
wasn’t about to argue with Lucien, Sony knew very well that Bryan
didn’t follow soccer. Her radar was fully engaged. Something was
off.
    Not much
conversation took place during breakfast, after which, Bryan
confirmed their lunch reservations and busied himself enough with
either Lucien or Madame Lalonde, and it prevented Sonya from
questioning Bryan about a number of things that were puzzling
her.
    It was obvious
to her that Bryan was aware he would be queried and was avoiding
that particular discussion. He had been successful in that regard,
as Lucien decided to drive them to the café and dropped them
off, instead of their planned walk. Sonya decided that their chat
could wait until they were alone in their room that night.

CHAPTER 6
    The café was lovely, as Bryan predicted. They were seated, and ordered wine
while waiting for their lunch companions to arrive. Sonya found it
very amusing to watch the attention of the women in the café zoom in to appreciate her cousin, Mike, as he strode across the
floor to greet them. And she couldn’t blame them.
    He was very
blonde, a tall and toned man, dressed in casual clothes that
emphasized his body and his good looks. Sonya hadn’t had much time
to spend with Mike at their wedding, so she was looking forward to
catching up on the news with him.
    “How’s your
mother?” she asked politely, knowing that he had just been in
Holland to visit his mother. Ilsa had returned to her native
Holland after her husband, Mike & John’s father, had been
killed. “Did you enjoy your visit?”
    Mike’s face
hardened and his smile faded. “Not so much, I’m afraid. Do you
remember what John revealed in July about how Steven Hunter’s
mother had not been truthful with him about his biological
father?”
    Sonya nodded.
That revelation had added a new member to their family. And that
man, her newly found cousin, was Steve Hunter, John and Mike’s half
brother.
    “Well, I had a
heart-to-heart with my mother while I was there. She had a little
secret of her own, which Air Marshall Blackburn was going to let
out whether or not she wanted it to, hence her honesty at this
time. It seems that while John and I have the same mother, we do
not have the same father.” He took a swig of his wine, throwing it
back without tasting it, his anger obviously bubbling just under
the surface.
    Trying not to
gasp, Sonya placed her hand gently over his. “I am so sorry, Mike!
Is there anything that we can do for you?” she asked with
compassion.
    Shaking his
head, Mike took another mouthful of his wine, this time savouring
its flavour a little. “I have an extremely good idea of what Steve
went through now. It’s like the person that you are somehow, has
been taken away from you, and you don’t know who or what you
are.”
    “No question,
our mothers were cut from the same cloth. No small wonder that they
have remained friends for so many years. I’m amazed that they kept
these secrets for so long, to be honest. But, sadly, there is
nothing that anyone else can do.”
    “So what’s the
next step?” Sonya inquired kindly. “Do you have any idea who your
father is? Could Ilsa at least tell you that?”
    An interesting
look crossed Mike’s face as he answered. “In all probability, it’s
Steve’s stepfather, Air Marshall Blackburn. At least that’s what my
mother said, not that I believe a word that she says