unfeeling bastard, but does that make him any different from Leon?"
The question lay there like a gauntlet thrown into the silence, a challenge Veronica wasn't prepared to touch.
"And if I were you, Ricki, I'd be very concerned. If Jordan survives, will he suffer the same fate?"
Veronica took a slow, hurting breath, hand clenched tightly. The silence in the room suddenly so intense, the squabbling of brightly coloured parrots in the trees outside the window could be clearly heard.
"I go by my given name now, Veronica." She lifted her chin, shoulders straight. "Jordan isn't my concern, Sonia. I relinquished my rights."
The words hurt, but they needed to be said.
Every moment since her arrival here had only served to reinforce Kathleen's words. Jordan was not her child, had never been her child since the day she'd given him to Leon and Julia. And this was an acknowledgement far too long in coming.
"Veronica?" Sonia raised one well-shaped eyebrow. "What brought that about?"
"Could it be that the entire Karvasis family killed off the naïve, gullible Ricki?"
Dull colour ran up under Sonia's fair skin. "Are you lumping me in with them?"
Memories of her previous encounter with this woman surfaced and with it a quirk of black humour. What was it Kathleen always said? If the cap fits, wear it.
"Why are you here?" Veronica was suddenly impatient with this woman and whatever agenda she was peddling.
"I thought when he adopted Jordan Leon would butt out of my life. What a joke!" Sonia gave an inelegant snort and paced in front of the window. "Now, I've a new man in my life. José wants us to marry, and me and the children go and live with him in Argentina."
"And?"
"Leon won't have a bar of it." Sonia's pacing grew more frantic. "It'll do Andreas good to leave Melbourne and the toxic taint surrounding his father's name."
Veronica frowned. "And what has this to do with me?"
Sonia stared at her, expression arrested. "You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?" Apprehension leaked through Veronica's astonishment.
Sonia laughed, shaking her head. "And you said naïve, gullible Ricki Langdon was dead?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." Veronica wondered if this was how Alice felt after she'd fallen down the rabbit hole.
"That's what's so funny. Don't you know Leon has you in his sights to replace his darling Julia? Can you persuade Leon to be reasonable? So José and I can marry?"
She wants me to plead her case with Leon. Veronica's patience evaporated.
Sonia, like every other Karvasis, was a user. How she dreamed up this ludicrous idea was anyone's guess.
As if I can persuade Leon to do anything.
Chapter Five
V eronica dozed in the recliner, exhausted after the physical endurance test.
"How are you feeling?" A nurse placed a parcel on the table beside her chair.
Veronica grimaced. "I had no idea I was so unfit."
The nurse chuckled. "Scary isn't it? Here's a delivery to cheer you up."
Intrigued, Veronica sat up. The parcel was light and odd shaped. Surprise gifts were few and far between and she savoured the moment. Why was Leon sending her gifts? Veronica opened the attached card. The childish writing set her heart thudding.
Veronica.
Dad helped me choose a gift to thank you for your help.
Jordan.
It was too much. Leon didn't play fair! Veronica held a trembling hand to her cheek. When had the Karvasis family ever played fair?
This gift was Leon's idea. Jordan couldn't leave his hospital bed. She opened the parcel and the breath caught in her throat.
Nestled in tissue, a silver mouse, bright ruby eyes in an inquisitive face peeping from a hole in the base of a tree trunk. The tiny animal was perfect in every delicate detail. She loved it, ran a finger over its surface and turned it up and found hall marks. It was an antique and she knew it was no junk shop find.
With a hollow, sinking
The question lay there like a gauntlet thrown into the silence, a challenge Veronica wasn't prepared to touch.
"And if I were you, Ricki, I'd be very concerned. If Jordan survives, will he suffer the same fate?"
Veronica took a slow, hurting breath, hand clenched tightly. The silence in the room suddenly so intense, the squabbling of brightly coloured parrots in the trees outside the window could be clearly heard.
"I go by my given name now, Veronica." She lifted her chin, shoulders straight. "Jordan isn't my concern, Sonia. I relinquished my rights."
The words hurt, but they needed to be said.
Every moment since her arrival here had only served to reinforce Kathleen's words. Jordan was not her child, had never been her child since the day she'd given him to Leon and Julia. And this was an acknowledgement far too long in coming.
"Veronica?" Sonia raised one well-shaped eyebrow. "What brought that about?"
"Could it be that the entire Karvasis family killed off the naïve, gullible Ricki?"
Dull colour ran up under Sonia's fair skin. "Are you lumping me in with them?"
Memories of her previous encounter with this woman surfaced and with it a quirk of black humour. What was it Kathleen always said? If the cap fits, wear it.
"Why are you here?" Veronica was suddenly impatient with this woman and whatever agenda she was peddling.
"I thought when he adopted Jordan Leon would butt out of my life. What a joke!" Sonia gave an inelegant snort and paced in front of the window. "Now, I've a new man in my life. José wants us to marry, and me and the children go and live with him in Argentina."
"And?"
"Leon won't have a bar of it." Sonia's pacing grew more frantic. "It'll do Andreas good to leave Melbourne and the toxic taint surrounding his father's name."
Veronica frowned. "And what has this to do with me?"
Sonia stared at her, expression arrested. "You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?" Apprehension leaked through Veronica's astonishment.
Sonia laughed, shaking her head. "And you said naïve, gullible Ricki Langdon was dead?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." Veronica wondered if this was how Alice felt after she'd fallen down the rabbit hole.
"That's what's so funny. Don't you know Leon has you in his sights to replace his darling Julia? Can you persuade Leon to be reasonable? So José and I can marry?"
She wants me to plead her case with Leon. Veronica's patience evaporated.
Sonia, like every other Karvasis, was a user. How she dreamed up this ludicrous idea was anyone's guess.
As if I can persuade Leon to do anything.
Chapter Five
V eronica dozed in the recliner, exhausted after the physical endurance test.
"How are you feeling?" A nurse placed a parcel on the table beside her chair.
Veronica grimaced. "I had no idea I was so unfit."
The nurse chuckled. "Scary isn't it? Here's a delivery to cheer you up."
Intrigued, Veronica sat up. The parcel was light and odd shaped. Surprise gifts were few and far between and she savoured the moment. Why was Leon sending her gifts? Veronica opened the attached card. The childish writing set her heart thudding.
Veronica.
Dad helped me choose a gift to thank you for your help.
Jordan.
It was too much. Leon didn't play fair! Veronica held a trembling hand to her cheek. When had the Karvasis family ever played fair?
This gift was Leon's idea. Jordan couldn't leave his hospital bed. She opened the parcel and the breath caught in her throat.
Nestled in tissue, a silver mouse, bright ruby eyes in an inquisitive face peeping from a hole in the base of a tree trunk. The tiny animal was perfect in every delicate detail. She loved it, ran a finger over its surface and turned it up and found hall marks. It was an antique and she knew it was no junk shop find.
With a hollow, sinking
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