Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

S ibby listened to Maeve's story.

She took in the details about the quaint bakeshop, the wedding cake, the late-night visit from a prince bearing an expensive bottle of wine and the indiscretion that followed. Maeve wasn't proud of herself; she was more embarrassed and ashamed than anything else. She wasn't sorry that she had her precious daughter, however. She was just mortified that she'd gotten so drunk on wine and the closeness to royalty that had allowed herself to be seduced by this near mythical figure. He was just a man, after all. And not a particularly good lover, either, although that detail, she kept to herself.

"You're telling me that your real name is Maeve Byrne. Plus, the man who is sixth in line to the throne is Daisy's father. Do I have that right?"

"Yes. After his older brother and that man's four sons, Daisy's father is sixth in line to the crown."

"Let me get that right. This little girl in your arms is seventh in line to the throne… she could be the Queen of England someday? C'mon. It sounds like something I'd read in a supermarket tabloid. I mean, this kind of thing just doesn't happen." She paused and then said, "Wait. Is she a princess?"

Maeve pointed her chin at a sleeping Daisy. "Yes, I suppose so, but she'll never claim the title. The Firm – that's how they refer to the royals where I come from – will want Daisy eliminated. There can be no trace of royal blood left on the outside of the family. That's why I ran."

"It's pretty unbelievable," Sibby said softly.

"It's part of the reason that I'm glad I did the DNA test. It's like an insurance policy. Aside from proving to you and the rest of the family once and for all that I am Daisy's mother, not some child abductor, it is undeniable evidence. If I can't get away from them at least I can try and get the test to someone who matters, someone who will protect Daisy from them."

"Who would that be?"

"The very people who if they had this information would make it public. The British press."

"Now I know you're crazy. Even I know that the British press is ruthless. They'll destroy you and your daughter. You'll never have a private moment again."

"It's a small sacrifice if I know that it will keep Daisy alive."

Sibby sat up straighter then. "What if you just run? Change your identity, go somewhere they can't find you?"

"Didn't I do that already? Where did it get me? I pulled you and everyone you hold dearest in grave danger. No. There's no more running away. It just won't work."

"That's because you were on your own in a foreign country. Now you have us. If we all put our heads together, I'm sure…"

"No, Sibby, no. I can't let your family do that. I've taken advantage of you for too long already."

Maeve felt Sibby's stare and felt pinned in place. She knew what was coming next.

"Tell me that you haven't fallen in love with my brother. How are you going to turn your back on him now?"

"I have to, Sibby!" Maeve said, this time not able to stop the tears from forming. "And my love for him is the reason that I have to go."

"Oh, please! Stop being such a martyr and lose the self-pity. You need us, you need Kyle's help. Plus, the two of you belong together. I see it in his face every time he looks at you. He's madly in love with you."

Maeve felt her heart skip a beat at Sibby's words. She knew how he felt about her. She felt the same way about him. She just hadn't realized that the rest of his family had seen it too.

"I don't want him to get hurt, or…" Maeve whispered, unable to finish her thought. It was unspeakable.

"He can handle it. He's a big boy and he's been through much worse. Plus, I can't imagine he's going to sit back and let you walk out the door alone. I mean, do you truly know him at all? No way that's going to happen."

Deep down, Maeve knew that Sibby was right. She felt relief and then felt terrible for feeling that way – she didn't deserve Kyle, his protection, or his love. "All I can say, Sibby, is that I will love him for the rest of my days, whether we are together or apart. And that's the truth."

Sibby reached out then with her free hand and laced Maeve's fingers with her own. "I'm proud to know you, Maeve. Proud to call you my sister."

"It's mutual, Sibby."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. They both heard Kyle's voice at the same time.

"Wellfleet, Mia. Wellfleet. Open up. It's okay, just a false alarm."

"Why is he telling us the name of this town? Has he lost his mind?" Sibby remarked.

"No. It's our password to let me know that it's okay to unlock the door." She quickly stood and turned the deadbolt. Nothing could have surprised her more than seeing Kyle standing there with another man.

It was her brother, Finn.

If she hadn't been holding the still sleeping Daisy, Maeve knew she would have fainted. The sight of her beloved brother was so shocking that at first, she thought he was an illusion, an effect of that long-healed concussion she'd gotten from the car accident that led her into Kyle's arms.

"Finn?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't easy, dearie. And these chaps almost shot me as I was trying to see if I'd located your hideaway."

"It wasn't that close, I promise," Kyle said. "We did have our guns drawn but Finn was trespassing on private property, after all."

"Nearly had a heart attack, I did. But you look good, Maeve. I can tell these people have taken good care of you and the babe."

"Maeve?" Colleen questioned as stepped closer and listened to the conversation between this stranger and Mia.

"C'mon, Mom. Let's leave them alone for a minute. We'll go upstairs and I'll explain everything to you. Or at least everything I know." Sibby led her mother and the boys out of the safe room.

Maeve turned to her brother. "I had an accident, Finn. I couldn't remember who I was or where I was going," she said quietly.

"I know. Kyle here filled me in. But Maeve. We must go. The Firm is on to ya. They aren't too far behind me now. They'll be cresting that hill by sunrise, I'm sure of it. Say your goodbyes and let's be off."

Kyle stepped between them. "Not so fast. There's no guarantee that whomever these goons are, they won't find you. They've tracked Maeve down before."

Finn let out a slow breath. "I hear you and I can appreciate your concern. But I've got this now. I'm going to take my sister and my niece and get them to the safe house in Port Hope, right over the border into Canada. That's where Maeve was headed when she had the accident. I have a network of people who can provide her with a new identity and a place to regroup and start over again."

"Right. Just like you provided her with the name Mia Sawyer. One click, and I was able to find out that the real Mia Sawyer was already dead. Not a great system you've got going there, Finn."

Her brother took a step closer to Kyle. "Listen. She's my blood. I'll take care of her and the baby from here on out."

"No. No, Finn, you won't." Maeve wasn't sure where her courage came from, but she was determined not to let either man make this decision for her. "And Kyle, while you know how much I appreciate all that you and your family has already done for me, I can't allow you to continue to put them in the line of fire. I have a different plan in mind."

"You can't just leave, Maeve," Kyle implored. "Those men will be on you in a minute."

"I don't plan on going anywhere, at least not right yet. I have an idea, but it will require time on the phone informing some of the people who need to be brought up to speed on everything that's happened to me since that night the prince showed up at my shop after closing. Once I'm done, I'll get out of your hair, Kyle. You need to go back to the life you had before me. You deserve to get your badge back and return to doing what you love. And I need to move forward as well, if not for me, then for my daughter. I'll clear our names and be done with it, once and for all."

He didn't get a chance to respond before she turned back to Finn and said, "Give me some time. I'm going to fix this, I promise."

Four hours later, as the sun was beginning to rise over the beach outside the office windows, Maeve sat, surrounded by notes she'd taken during her phone conversations, grateful for the time difference between Massachusetts and London. Even though the day was just beginning here, it was already in full swing across the pond, and she was dizzy from all that she had learned in a short while. She had made her way up through the hierarchy of the British press, reaching out first to a reviewer who had said some kind words about her bakery years before and publishing her thoughts in "The Daily Mail." From there, and with the promise of a twelve-hour lead time for her to file her own exclusive story, that reporter gave her the numbers of editors at both "The Sun" and "The Daily Telegraph." Finally, she was able to make contact with someone who could put her in touch with "The Guardian." Maeve felt confident that her story would be told with accuracy once she could provide these sources with the DNA test results. After that, the world would know the truth and she'd be in the clear.

Now all she wanted was a cup of tea before Daisy woke up; Maeve knew that there was no chance of getting any sleep now, not that she'd be able to close her eyes anyway. Too much had been left unsaid between Kyle and herself; she knew that she'd need to have a conversation with him as soon as they could grab a minute alone. Maybe there was a chance for them when this was over, after the story broke.

Or maybe he'd no longer want to be exposed and in the middle of the media circus that was about to be her life…