Page 16 of Surrender

“Don’t tell your mother, but I have chocolate.”

The sound of Percy Rockwood’s voice made Genevieve jump as her father interrupted her thoughts. Turning away from the window she saw her adoptive father walking toward her with a conspiratorial smile on his face. Unable to refrain from smiling back, Genevieve shook her head.

“I won’t, but you know she’ll find out,” she teased with quiet amusement.

“True, and I’ll be sure to save some for her. She loves chocolate almost as much as you do.” Percy Rockwood’s mischievous expression made her laugh in spite of her gloomy mood.

As her father reached her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. When she’d first arrived at Green Hill House more than thirteen years ago, she’d shied away from her father’s affectionate behavior. But over time, she’d learned to trust him and welcome his hugs of love, reassurance, and praise. The same was true of her uncles and cousins. Now, as Percy Rockwood wrapped his arm about her waist, she pressed her head against his solid shoulder and allowed him to guide her toward one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.

Sinking into a large, wing-back chair, she accepted a piece of the Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar her father offered her. As she bit into the candy, she savored the sweet treat and stared into the fire.

“Your mother and I are worried about you,” her father said softly. Startled, she turned her head to stare at him in confused puzzlement.

“Why?”

“Because you’ve not allowed yourself to grieve for Peter.”

“That’s not true,” Genevieve said with a shake of her head. “I’ve grieved in my own way.”

“By being the rock everyone clings to when they’re feeling the pain of Peter’s loss?”

“I feel their pain, because it’s mine.”

“And yet I know you and Theo have been affected more than the rest of the family.”

“I think our grief is far less than what you and Mama must be feeling,” she whispered, trying to push an image of Theo out of her head. Pain slid across her father’s handsome, distinguished features.

“Losing Peter is still painful…but your mother and I…we found comfort when the an dara sealladh allowed me to speak with your brother.”

Percy Rockwood grew silent as he rested his head against the back of his chair and stared into the blaze crackling in the fireplace. The fact that Peter had shown himself to her father, not long after his death, had surprised no one. Like several other members of the Rockwood clan, her father possessed the gift of sight.

While the an dara sealladh was primarily found among the women of her adopted family, Percy Rockwood, like her cousin Jamie, was the exception, and her father’s gift was almost as strong as his sisters.

Although her parents had chosen not to tell anyone the details about her father’s vision, Percy Rockwood had reassured the family that Peter was at peace. It was at that moment Genevieve had envied her father’s gift of the an dara sealladh, which had permitted her parents the chance to talk to Peter after his death.

Genevieve had wanted to hear and see her brother for herself. She wanted one last day with him. She wanted to visit the cnoc beag with him and listen to his calm voice telling her everything would be all right. But she was happy for her parents, and the small gift they’d been given. Although they still grieved for Peter, their sorrow now seemed more bittersweet than crippling.

Out of the corner of her eye, Genevieve studied her father. He looked as if he’d aged ten years overnight. Percy Rockwood had always looked so young and vital, his spirits always optimistic and cheerful. He’d always say there was a logical solution to every problem, but Peter’s death had shaken him deeply.

An image of her mother filled her head. For the first time, she realized her mother had seemed to have aged too. The instant she acknowledged the physical toll her parents had paid over the past three months, Genevieve’s heart tightened with pain and sorrow.

The grief her parents were experiencing over her brother’s death was a warning. It made her realize how important it was to be even more cautious in her work for the Crown. Even though Genevieve had dismissed Wills’s concern the other night, she’d been forced to admit to herself how close Scully had come to killing her. The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for inflicting more pain on her parents.

“You rode out to the croft yesterday afternoon.”

Percy Rockwood’s quiet words were an observation, not a question. Caught off guard, Genevieve’s body grew taut with trepidation. Dear God, had Theo gone to her father even though he’d said he wouldn’t. No, her father would have said something the minute he entered the library.

Had his gift of sight told him of her need to escape, or had he been shown something more troubling? Even without the an dara sealladh, her father’s intuitive nature was powerful. He always seemed to know when his wife or children were troubled or unhappy.

Over the years, she’d grown accustomed to him appearing at her side precisely when she was at her darkest. He excelled at comforting her and making her smile even when she didn’t feel like it. With as much nonchalance as she could muster, she reached out for the bar of chocolate her father had laid on the table between them. Genevieve didn’t look at him as she snapped off a small triangle of the candy and rolled her shoulders in a nonchalant manner.

“Yes, I needed someplace quiet where I could think for a little while. You know how noisy the abbey can be.” Genevieve bit into the chocolate, still staring at the fire. She didn’t say anything for a long moment before she frowned in puzzlement and turned her head to look at him. “How did you know I went to the croft?”

“Your Uncle Sebastian said Theo mentioned finding you there while he was out riding.”

“Oh,” she murmured, turning back toward the fire.

Uncertainty and an icy fear chilled her blood. She didn’t know whether to be relieved Theo had simply said he’d seen her at the croft or be worried he might have said something to raise Uncle Sebastian’s curiosity. If her uncle thought something was amiss, the Rockwoods patriarch wouldn’t hesitate to share his concerns with her father.