“According to the papers, he was cleared by Anna…Sheridan, is it? Who is somehow related to your father’s…latest child?” A wry smile tipped Matt’s lips as he glanced across the console at Paige. “You better fill me in so I don’t accidentally offend anyone.”
She laughed. “I doubt they offend easily, but of course I’ll tell you. Anna Sheridan is the sister of Alyssa Sheridan, who was my father’s last, uh, mistress. Alyssa died shortly after their baby was born, about two years ago. Anna is raising Jack and is staying at The Vines to escape the media glare.”
“And she was Grant’s alibi?”
“Yes, Anna was with Grant the night of the murder, so he was cleared by the police. And now, as you know, they are focusing on the blackmail leads.” Her voice dropped a bit. “But getting nowhere.”
“Do you have any personal theories about what happened?”
She shook her head. “You know, a lot of people hated my father. Within my family and outside of it. I mean, I loved him and tried to see him in the best possible light, but even that wasn’t easy at times.”
He heard the pain that caught in her throat. “You’re doing the right thing to try and mend the fences, Paige. There’s nothing you can do about the past, but plenty you can do about the future.”
She smiled gratefully at the words. “I’m just one voice. And the youngest, at that,” she laughed quickly. “Unless you count little Jack. I doubt he gets a vote.”
“Will Jack be at the house today?”
She shrugged. “I hope so. I’ve wanted to meet him for a long time. Of course, I’m not sure how I’ll feel about a child who is…my brother.”
He gave her a surprised look. “Why’s that? I’m sure you’d be a terrific big sister.”
She didn’t answer for a moment as she gazed out the window. “I don’t know. He’ll be…a constant reminder of my father’s inability to…”
Matt’s chest tightened at her words. Spencer Ashton was another man who couldn’t win the body vs. brain challenge. “To control himself?” he finished for her.
“That’s one diplomatic way of putting it.”
“What matters, Paige, is how you handle the situation,” he told her, placing a comforting hand over hers. “You can’t control how the other members of your family think and act—but you can control how you respond to them. And by going there to extend the proverbial olive branch, I think you’re doing the right thing.”
He took his eyes off the road just long enough to see the warmth back in her gaze. “Thanks, Matt. Spoken like a real friend.”
A friend. Exactly what he wanted to be. “Hey, I’m happy to help you out by coming with you on the mission.”
She narrowed her eyes teasingly. “I thought this had something do with getting your wish.”
“That, too,” he assured her. And just to up the ante a little bit more, he weaved his fingers through hers and held her hand until he had to shift gears.
When Jillian Ashton-Benedict descended the winding staircase into the foyer of The Vines to greet them, Paige was struck once again by how lovely her half sister was. Tall, slender and as graceful as her mother, Caroline, Jillian gave Paige a sense of reassurance and alliance that she’d never felt in the presence of her other half siblings.
Perhaps it was because Paige was the youngest in her family and Jillian was the youngest in hers. As the “babies” they tried harder.
“Hello, Paige. It’s so good to see you.” Jillian reached out to take both of Paige’s hands, erasing the awkward question of whether they would hug like sisters or shake hands like casual acquaintances.
“This is Matt Camberlane,” Paige said quickly. She’d mentioned that Matt would be with her when she’d chatted with Jillian last night. If her half sister recognized the entrepreneur’s well-known name, or if she was intrigued by the relationship between them, she was far too ladylike to let on. This was due, no doubt, to the fine influence of Caroline Sheppard, who, Paige sadly had to admit, landed a few steps higher on the class ladder than her own mother, Lilah.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Matt,” Jillian said warmly, shaking his hand. “I’m so glad you could come.” She guided them past the stairs into the formal living room, an oversize room filled with antiques but just as cheerful and welcoming as the whole French country-style home.
“I hope you’ll have the opportunity to meet my stepdaughter, Rachel,” Jillian said. “My mother has taken her down to the stables to ride this morning, but they’ll be back for lunch. Can you join us?”
Did Caroline want her to? Certainly Paige’s mother would never have extended an invitation to a member of her husband’s “other family” for lunch. The memory of how Lilah practically threw Mercedes and Jillian out of their house when they’d made a sympathy call after her father had died still burned in Paige’s mind. At the time Paige had been so upset over the murder and loss of her father, that she hadn’t done anything to stop her mother’s over-the-top reaction.
But the scene remained vivid in her memory, and inwardly Paige cringed with embarrassment. Yet here was Jillian, five months later, graciously inviting her to lunch.
“We can do that,” Matt offered, taking the responsibility from Paige’s shoulders. As they sat on a pale celery-green silk sofa, she flashed him a grateful look for the support.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Paige agreed. “We don’t want to be a bother.”
Jillian waved a hand and took a seat in a chair directly across from Paige. “Not at all. It’s a gorgeous day. We’ll have lunch on the lanai. Mercedes isn’t here today, but I’m sure Anna can join us after she gets Jack down for a nap. Grant usually stops in the house midday.”
“And Cole and Eli?” Paige’s stomach tightened at the possibility of having lunch with the half brothers who hated her.
“They are busy at the winery,” Jillian said quickly.
“Have they changed their minds about contesting the will?” Paige asked, deciding it was better to have the issue in the open, rather than dancing around what they were all thinking.
Jillian shrugged a narrow shoulder, and a burst of hope spurted through Paige. “Everything is in limbo, as you know, while the police try to solve this murder. Until they do, the will is in probate and contesting it is a moot point.”
Paige nodded slowly. Did that mean they might not contest the will? She wasn’t sure how far to push the point. “So, otherwise, how are your brothers doing?”
“This is a difficult time for everyone,” Jillian said. “Eli and Cole have both found love and a sense of peace in their lives, and for that I am eternally grateful.”
“But they aren’t at peace where their father is concerned,” Paige suggested.
“Lucas Sheppard is our father,” Jillian responded, the first hint of an edge in her voice. “In every way but name.”
“I know he is,” Paige said. Everyone knew her father had refused to let Lucas adopt Spencer’s four children. For no reason, as far as Paige could figure out, other than spite. Spencer certainly didn’t care about them—he never spoke to them, saw them or showed any interest in their lives after he left Caroline and married Lilah.
Another wave of distaste rolled through Paige, as she felt nothing but shame for the mistakes and bad judgment made by some of the people she truly loved.
“And Mercedes?” she asked, thinking of the luncheon she’d shared with Mercedes over a month ago. At the time, the woman had been tight with bitterness, but she’d since married and progressed nicely with her pregnancy. “How is she feeling?”