Yes."
Good."
Grabbing her shoulder bag and dark gla.s.ses, Sophie left the building via a back entrance and made her way to the restaurant. She fought to suppress the happy memories of that night Logan had picked her up from work. She refused to think about the intimacy they"d shared.
Hi Sophie." Daphne was waiting for her just inside the entrance to the restaurant, and she looked agitated.
Sophie removed her dark gla.s.ses and gave a wave of acknowledgement to the owner of the restaurant, who hovered at the bar. What"s up, Daphne?"
Come and sit down, and I"ll explain."
Walking behind the older woman, Sophie"s steps slowed as she saw where they were headed.
Melissa!"
What was Logan"s sister doing here with Daphne?
Sit down, Sophie," Daphne instructed.
She took her seat with grave misgivings. Okay, what"s going on?"
You told me Logan was tied up with Charlotte and that"s why he didn"t make it to Rigby"s funeral. I thought that was terrible, but I was too caught up in my own grief to think hard on it. Since when have you started lying to me, young lady?" Daphne demanded with an accusing glare. Logan"s told me the truth, and there"s a lot of truth you need to hear from me and Melissa as well."
Logan had no right to approach you!"
He had every right, because he"s doing everything he can to fight for you and make you listen to him," Melissa told her angrily, and you won"t give him a fair hearing."
If Logan had been there right now, Sophie would"ve given him a piece of her mind, but there was no point in taking her frustration out on his two gullible messengers. I"m sorry you"ve both been dragged into this. Melissa, I have nothing against you, but your brother has used me in a power play for Carlisle Mining, and as soon as this court case is over for Charlotte, I"ll be filing for a divorce and challenging Rigby"s will."
No!" both women said in unison.
Logan asked me to give this to you." Daphne took a large envelope out of her handbag.
Anxiety clawed at Sophie"s gut as she opened the envelope and took out the doc.u.ment. Her eyes widened. Half expecting to be served with divorce papers, she knew a crazy sense of relief. The legal doc.u.ment she stared at outlined Logan"s refusal to purchase the shares Rigby had offered him in his will. It waived all his rights to the shares and a.s.signed them to Sophie. Furthermore, the deed to the diamond mine he"d bought from Rigby was written out in her name, and all the shares he"d bought in Carlisle Mining had been transferred into her name.
There was another envelope within the paperwork. The smaller one had her name in bold, masculine handwriting.
Reaching for it with trembling fingers, she tore it open and unfolded the paper, aware that the other two women were watching her every move.
Dear Sophie, I"ve told you that I never wanted your grandfather"s shares and didn"t set out to marry you with anything related to Carlisle Mining in mind. I hope that by waiving the rights to purchase Rigby"s shares and a.s.signing those rights to you, you will believe me. He"d spoken to me in pa.s.sing about giving me the right to purchase his shares, but I had no idea he"d already written his will to that effect.
I didn"t use my relationship with you to purchase Rigby"s diamond mines. That was a business proposition, and it was a fair deal. I no longer want those mines as your belief that I used you to further myself in business has tainted them. I have signed them over to you.
You and you alone are worth far more than those diamond mines, Sophie.
Starting to buy shares in Carlisle Mining, even contemplating using that as leverage to have you marry me, was a decision I will regret to my dying day.
All that was between us was real. I wouldn"t have married anyone but you, because you are the woman I desire. I married you because I wanted to, even though I tried to tell myself and you that it was for Charlotte"s sake.
I miss you far more than I can express and I beg you to see me, to let me explain something to you that I"ve only just realised. My feelings for you...
Feelings? What feelings, Logan?
My feelings for you don"t excuse my behaviour, but I desperately need to speak with you.
Please call me, Sophie. Please forgive me, for you complete me. You are the other half of my whole - the better half, and without you my life is incomplete.
Love Logan Love Logan? Did he really mean it?
She looked up at Daphne and Melissa. They couldn"t answer whether or not Logan spoke the truth about his feelings.
He loves you, Sophie," Melissa declared. He"s been a wreck since you sent him away. I"ve never seen him so lost."
Summoning every bit of fort.i.tude she had, Sophie pushed the words from her heart. She wasn"t sure she could trust Logan, but she had trusted her grandfather, and she"d struggled to come to terms with his will, which she believed had betrayed her. If Daphne was up to championing Logan"s cause, then she must now be up to tackling the question Sophie needed to ask - whether or not Logan had prompted Rigby"s decision to change his will.
Please talk to Logan, Sophie," Melissa entreated.
Sophie felt her lips twist. Ignoring Melissa"s plea she addressed Daphne. I don"t understand why Grandfather would do this to me. He tutored me all my life to take over Carlisle, then he wanted to take that away from me right at the end?"
Rigby was worried about you, Sophie," Daphne began, her voice fatigued. Don"t think for a moment he"d lost faith in your ability to run the company, because that simply wasn"t the case." She sighed. Just after he met Logan and negotiated the deal for the diamond mine - a deal that was more than fair, by the way - he got the news that his cancer had spread to other organs, and that the prognosis wasn"t good. He knew you had only just met Logan, and he was worried in case you two had struck some sort of deal to try to please him and satisfy the court for Logan"s custody case."
Sophie"s lips parted in disbelief.
I know that was how it started on surface level," Melissa said, but I know my brother. No amount of bullying on my part would"ve convinced him to give up his bachelor status and take a gamble on marriage if he didn"t feel strongly enough about you that he thought it would work."
Shaking her head sadly, Sophie was horrified to feel tears p.r.i.c.king at her eyes. I represented a way into Carlisle Mining."
Oh please!" Melissa exclaimed in exasperation. My brother didn"t need to marry you for that. He"s rich enough to buy out your grandfather"s company a couple of times over, and your grandfather had actually approached him years ago to be business partners! Logan doesn"t need you or anyone else for an entry into the business world."
That"s true," Daphne said. Sophie, Rigby told me that he made an offer to Logan to be MD because he was concerned you were taking on the responsibility of the company for his sake, and weren"t following the path your life might be meant to take. Logan refused him outright, but by that stage Rigby had already seen his solicitor and set the wheels in motion to add that into his will."
What?"
It"s true." Daphne"s expression was stern, as if she were rebuking a child. Logan didn"t want to take the MD away from you and told Rigby that he should speak with you."
My brother never contemplated buying the shares Rigby had offered. This knee-jerk reaction of yours, thinking that he was pursuing Carlisle rather than you, is exactly what Logan was afraid of."
The reason Rigby brought Logan into the will with the share purchase was also to stop Felix trying to challenge your right to the shares," Daphne said. He wanted to make it very clear to the board members that he had faith in Logan. It hit him that it may be possible for you to have children one day, and that if your husband was MD you"d feel happier about leaving the company in his hands to dedicate yourself to family."
Scrubbing her overflowing tears away with the backs of her hands, Sophie looked at Daphne. He should"ve spoken to me and found out what I wanted."
You"re right," Daphne said. But that wasn"t Rigby"s way. I loved him dearly but he wasn"t perfect, and right to the end he had absolute conviction that he knew what would be best for everyone. He always acted out of love and did what he thought was in the best interests of those he loved."
It was true. Her grandfather had been an arrogant old tyc.o.o.n in many ways, but he"d never stopped being a loving, family man.
Logan"s the best brother a girl could have," Melissa told her with a small smile. He may not be perfect but he loves you so much, I just know he"s going to make you the best husband if you"ll give him a chance."
There was so much earnestness in Melissa"s eyes, willing Sophie to trust Logan.
Rigby believed the same thing," Daphne said. The turning point for your grandfather came when you called on Logan to help you straighten out Felix"s mess. Rigby took that as a sign that you truly loved Logan."
But Logan doesn"t love me," Sophie protested, shaking her head. He told me he didn"t believe in love, and that he"d never love me."
Daphne let out a snort of disbelief. Blind Freddy could see he loves you, Sophie. Rigby certainly saw it, or he"d never have sanctioned your marriage. He knew that it was going to work between you. When Logan stayed back at the office with you to sort through all the evidence against Felix, Rigby called his solicitor and changed his will. That night was the first time you"d ever accepted help from anyone, and Logan was standing by you, rather than dropping you like a hot potato at the first whiff of scandal."
I have something here that Logan asked me to give you," Melissa told her, reaching down to the side of the table. He would"ve given it to you himself, but your security team hasn"t let him anywhere near you."
When Melissa raised her arm, Sophie"s jaw dropped wide open. Although she knew she gasped in a most unattractive manner, she simply couldn"t jolt herself out of her utter dismay because Melissa held out a single long-stemmed rose. The most wondrous emotion burst inside her like the popping of a champagne cork because the rose was red.
Melissa said, Logan told me that this would tell you all he hadn"t been able to put into words."
Staring at the exquisite deep red petals of the flower, Sophie finally said, He really loves me?"
Daphne clicked her tongue against her palate. Yes, you great goose, that"s what we"ve been sitting here trying to tell you!"
Will you let him love you, Sophie?" Melissa asked.
Yes. Oh, yes." Sophie reached out for the rose, pushed back her chair and stood up.
Where are you going?" Daphne inquired with an arched eyebrow.
I have my own message for Logan, but it"s one that needs to be delivered personally."
He"ll be at the court hearing," Melissa called after her.
I know."
Wait for us!" Daphne cried.
Chapter 22.
The custody hearing was not going as smoothly as Logan had expected. Incredibly, Thea Winston"s lawyers were still fighting to have custody awarded to her permanently. They had to be delusional if they thought that was going to happen after her negligence. His lawyers had annihilated her on the stand, and there was no way she"d even get visitation rights, but the woman was so resentful that Logan was applying for custody, she"d evidently instructed her lawyers to sling any mud they could, and hope that some of it stuck.
All that his own counsel had warned him about was mentioned - the many women he"d had in his life, the trips to Africa, which had placed his life on the line. Now Thea"s lawyer was in the middle of a speech suggesting that Logan"s recent marriage was simply a smokescreen so he could claim he"d settled down. Unsurprisingly, they"d seized on his absence from Rigby"s funeral, and had suggested his marriage to Sophie was a sham or one that was already cracking. Thankfully they could accuse all they liked in regard to that, but they couldn"t prove a thing. Sophie had at least agreed not to file for a divorce until after he"d won custody.
His stomach plummeted at the thought of divorce. He still hoped Sophie would give him another chance. Would his belated gesture be enough to convince her of his true feelings? He cursed the knowledge that he"d been such an obtuse fool, denying his feelings for Sophie all this time instead of embracing them. All he could do was hope that it wasn"t too late because living without her each day had been as colourless as watching a black-and-white film.
d.a.m.n Rigby for a.s.signing him the purchase right of the shares in his will! The old man had acted on that so quickly, and without Logan"s agreement. Why had he done it?
But all the blame wasn"t to be placed at Rigby"s door. Logan knew he"d hammered the first nail into his coffin when he"d had the ridiculous and unreasonable idea that he should buy up the Carlisle shares.
Over the last few days he"d taken a good, hard look at why he"d done that. He hadn"t liked the realisation that he"d been desperate to win Sophie as his wife at any cost. It was a mark of his dysfunctional personal relationships that he"d denied his love for Sophie to himself and to her, and had made a complete mess of things. If she"d give him a second chance, he"d make it up to her.
An article clerk pa.s.sed a note to Logan"s lawyer. It provided a momentary distraction for Logan, before the heaviness of his heart consumed him again.
A tap on his shoulder and he turned around to see that Melissa and Daphne had both slipped into the seats behind him. His sister held her thumb up and Daphne smiled, but he frowned in incomprehension. Sophie wasn"t with them so why were they looking so positive?
The senior counsel for Thea moved and stood directly in front of Logan. The barrister said, If Mr Jackson"s wife supported his application for custody and was prepared to be the mother-figure in Charlotte"s life, she would surely have made the time to be here today. Mrs Jackson"s failure to appear suggests to me that either she does not support this application for custody or that Charlotte will always come second to her corporate responsibilities."
Logan only just refrained from rising to his feet and telling the barrister exactly where he could go. It was a mark of Sophie"s compa.s.sion for Charlotte that she"d been prepared to appear today to testify that Logan would provide his G.o.ddaughter with a loving and stable environment. His lawyers were aware of their estrangement and hadn"t wanted to risk that information leaking out, so they"d declined Sophie"s offer. Logan could understand their points of view, but at least if Sophie had testified he might"ve had the chance to see her without being rebuffed by security guards. He might"ve been able to persuade her to listen to him.
Your Honour." Logan"s lawyer stood. My esteemed colleague is wrong." Thea"s barrister"s eyes narrowed. My client"s wife is here and is very happy to appear before the court today."
What? Logan sat forward in his seat, and tried to keep the surprise from his features as there was a general murmur of interest around the packed courtroom.
With your permission we would like to call Mrs Jackson to the stand," his lawyer continued.
Her appearance is not on the list," Thea"s lawyer protested. If she"s to be called to the stand, I would like first right to question her."
I have no objection, Your Honour," Logan"s counsel replied.
This is unusual, but if both parties are in agreement I see no reason not to allow it," the judge announced. If this custody application is successful, Mrs Jackson will be a primary caregiver for Charlotte, therefore I welcome the chance to hear from her."
Logan managed to catch his lawyer"s eye. The man reached into his pocket discreetly, took out the piece of paper that had been pa.s.sed to him just a little earlier and handed it to Logan. A message advised that Sophie had arrived at the courthouse, and was pleading to take the stand on Logan"s behalf. She"d given her a.s.surance that she would in no way be a hostile witness and that her estrangement from Logan would not come to light.
Logan didn"t think for a second that she was planning on sabotaging his case, but last time they"d spoken, she"d been so definite she never wanted to see him again. He looked back at the two women sitting behind him, and this time they both smiled broadly at him. His heart lifted in the hope that Sophie had listened to them and was doing this for him as well as for Charlotte.
A hum of comments rippled through the court as Sophie entered the room and was sworn in. The second he saw her, he knew she was thinner. Weight loss was hardly surprising given all the stress she"d been under, and he wished he"d been there to support her through all the ordeals she"d had to face. Although she was thinner, she was still the epitome of all that was cla.s.sy and beautiful, carrying herself with quiet confidence.
Logan looked at her with absolute yearning. Desire ran thick through his veins, but it wasn"t desire borne of s.e.xual longing. It was the throb of emotional desire heavy with the desperate need to put things right between them - to have Sophie listen to him, forgive him, and come back to him. He"d been such a fool. As soon as this was over, he"d go to her again and insist she give them another chance. He simply couldn"t let her go.
Thea"s barrister wasted no time launching his attack. Would you state your relationship to Mr Jackson?"
I"m his wife."
His wife."
There was cynicism and disbelief in the lawyer"s tone, and Logan"s mouth tightened.
Yes."
That word was uttered with such conviction Logan found himself hanging onto it, desperate for Sophie to look at him directly so he could look into her eyes and see whether their marriage meant more to her than their legal status. If she were just pretending for Charlotte"s sake, it would be the worst form of torture for him.
How long have you been married?" The question was drawled out, the lawyer"s att.i.tude so smug and superior Logan wanted to deck him.
We were married the weekend before last."
Very recently." The lawyer tilted his head and said with a frown. I remember seeing it reported in the newspaper. I recall some of the guests who attended being interviewed and saying that your wedding was a surprise, even to both of you."
Sophie inclined her head. My grandfather was seriously ill. He knew there was a possibility he wouldn"t..." Her voice hitched with emotion.