great-aunt was in a room overlooking a trickling fountain adorned with cupids and dolphins, the sound of wind chimes signalling the movement of the summer breeze across the exquisite garden.
Mia looked at the emaciated figure lying on the bed, the sunken eyes closed, the hollow papery cheeks speaking of a life long lived and now coming to its inevitable end.
Her heart contracted painfully as she glanced up at Bryn. His expression, unguarded for a fraction of a second revealed the depth of his emotions at the loss he must soon face.
‘Aunt Aggie,’ he said softly, taking his great-aunt’s hand in his.
Mia watched as the old woman’s eyes opened and gradually focused.
‘Oh, darling…you caught me napping.’ She struggled upright with Bryn’s gentle, solicitous help and met Mia’s clear grey gaze at the end of the bed. ‘Come here, my dear, and let me look at you. My eyes are not as good as they used to be.’
Mia stepped forward and took the thin hand that had reached for hers. ‘Hello.’
‘My, oh, my, but you’re gorgeous,’ Agnes said. ‘One of the nurses brought in the papers this morning but you are even more beautiful than the photographs in them.’
‘Thank you,’ Mia said shyly.
Agnes smiled. ‘You are just as I hoped Bryn’s future wife would be.’
‘I—I am?’
‘Yes, indeed. I so wanted him to find someone genuine. You have a big heart; I can see it in those big grey eyes of yours. You are perfect for him.’
Mia felt the daggers of guilt prod at her sharply. She could barely stand to look into the old woman’s eyes in case she saw the truth about her relationship with her great-nephew.
‘I—I’m glad you think so…’ she said, lowering her gaze and hating herself for yet another lie as she added, ‘He’s perfect for me too.’
‘I knew it would be this way. His parents were the same, you know. When my nephew first met Bryn’s mother it was love at first sight.’ The old woman gave a sad little sigh. ‘But they didn’t get the chance to live the life they should have had together…’
Mia could sense Bryn’s discomfiture at his great-aunt’s disclosure and her heart went out to him again for what he must have suffered. She felt uncomfortable with the way she had judged him so rashly; it didn’t seem right to have written him off as a self-serving playboy, given what he’d been through. No wonder he lived life so shallowly when life had let him down so early.
‘It was a long time ago,’ he inserted gruffly.
‘I know, darling, but now that I am facing…well, you know what I’m facing…I can’t help feeling that I could have done more for you.’
‘That’s totally ridiculous and you know it,’ he said. ‘You’ve been the most wonderful support. I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian.’
‘But I wasn’t the real thing, was I?’ Agnes said. ‘I was just a substitute for the real thing. I could never be enough. I could never be your parents, no matter how much I tried to be.’
‘Please don’t say that…’ Bryn said, squeezing her hand gently.
‘Darling, darling boy,’ Agnes sighed and, giving his hand an affectionate pat, turned her head to Mia. ‘You will have to take over from me, sweet child, and love him when I’m gone. It won’t be long now…’
Mia swallowed the solid lump of emotion in her throat. She could feel the sting of tears at the backs of her eyes and her chest felt as if someone had clamped it in a vice. Guilt assailed her and passed over her skin like a scalding burn.
‘I will love him…for you and for me…’ she said softly. ‘He’s a wonderful man…’
‘I’m so very glad you think so,’ Agnes said through misty eyes. ‘Very few people know the real Bryn, but I can rest in peace now that I know he has found someone who loves him for who he really is. It’s not easy being in the public eye, but then you’d know all about that, being an actor yourself.’
‘I’m not a very good one, I’m afraid…’ Mia said with downcast eyes.
‘Your modesty is delightful,’ Agnes said. ‘But perhaps Bryn was right when he wrote that review, although he was a very naughty boy to put it quite the way he did.’ She sent her great-nephew a mock-reproving glance before turning back to Mia. ‘You were miscast. You have a delightful air of innocence about you which is so rare these days.’
Mia wondered just how innocent Bryn’s great-aunt would consider her if she knew what was really going on between her and Bryn.
‘We mustn’t tire you,’ Bryn said to his great-aunt. ‘We’ll leave you to rest for now. I’ll pop by again later.’
‘Thank you, darling.’ Agnes took Mia’s hand again and gave it a tiny squeeze. ‘You probably haven’t even had time to discuss when you’re getting married but personally I’m not a great believer in long engagements. In this day and age, when practically everyone is cohabiting, what is the point? Besides, I haven’t got much time left. It would be a dream come true to see my Bryn happily married. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I do so want to be there on your special day if it’s at all possible.’
‘I want you to be there too,’ Mia said, swiping at an escaping tear.
Bryn slipped his arm around her waist and drew her closer as he addressed his great-aunt. ‘We’ll let you know as soon as we have a date set.’
‘Thank you, darling…I’m sorry to be such a bother.’
Bryn stooped down to kiss his great-aunt’s cheek. ‘You could never be a bother. Now, have a good rest and I’ll see you later.’
Mia slipped out of Bryn’s embrace to kiss his elderly relative, her eyes bright with tears as she straightened. ‘It was lovely to meet you.’
‘You have made me so very happy,’ Agnes said. ‘I cannot think of a more wonderful partner for Bryn.’
Mia was blubbering uncontrollably by the time they got back to where Bryn had parked his car. She began to hunt for a tissue when he pressed a clean white handkerchief into her hand, his expression thoughtful as his dark blue eyes met her streaming ones.
‘I’m sorry…’ she choked out. ‘I just can’t help it…’
‘It’s all right,’ he said and drew her up against him, his hand going to the back of her head to bring her head to his chest.
‘It’s just so sad…’ she sniffed. ‘I don’t know how you can bear it…it reminds me of when my granny died…I still feel emotional every time I see someone with grey hair and it’s been seven years.’
Bryn kept stroking his fingers through her hair, his chest feeling a little strange as he breathed in the fragrance of her light but unforgettable perfume.
Mia lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen and her bottom lip still trembling with emotion.
