Megan sat on the settee, with her legs resting on the footstool. She closed her eyes, then quickly opened them again. She felt a huge kick and then her baby moving inside her. Lifting up her top, she revealed her swollen stomach. She watched in wonder as a small lump poked up from the bare skin.
Tobias walked into the room. ‘Look,’ she whispered to him. Tobias rushed forward and knelt down to see. His eyes homed in on their baby’s movements.
‘It’s amazing, isn’t it?’ He stroked his hand over her belly. This was his, all he could think about; how important family really was. Since reading his father’s diaries he could think of nothing else. The more he considered what he had uncovered, the more sense it made. With reluctance, he had to admit, at least to himself, the similarity between himself and Marcus. It all seemed so obvious in hindsight, but then wasn’t it always easy to be wise after the event? Even so, Marcus’ intentions – if indeed he had any kind of plan – would determine what happened next. It was all so unsettling, and yet the underlying issue remained steadfast: blood was thicker than water, and if they truly were brothers, it must be acknowledged.
He’d had to tell Megan and Finula of his findings, but not Sebastian just yet. The one person he’d have loved to be able to talk to was his father. Tobias was resolute that he had not known about Anne Devlin’s pregnancy. His father had been many things – frivolous, with no business sense, maybe – but he had a kind, generous heart and loved his family unconditionally. Tobias refused to believe he would knowingly have let Anne bring his firstborn child into the world without ever recognising him. It was important to Tobias to defend his father as he wasn’t here to do it in person. His mind spun with all the implications.
‘You OK?’ Megan touched the side of his face. It troubled her to see him so tense, obviously contemplating the recent revelation.
Whilst Finula had assured them of her discretion, Megan couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for it all to come tumbling out into the open. Would there be yet more press intrusion? Tobias had been plagued by the media all his life. For the first time, she felt a sense of foreboding for her unborn child, the future heir.