The President's Daughter - Mariah Stewart [72]
“Anyway, after college, I went right to Arizona to attend graduate school. Blythe went to Europe for six months, then decided to live in D.C. Her father was Ambassador to Belgium and kept an apartment there.”
“How did she meet President Hayward?”
“She first met him at a reception that she attended with her father. Their paths crossed several times after that, when she’d been invited to attend a dinner in honor of a Belgian artist after her father had returned to Brussels. After that, I’m not really certain how the relationship progressed. I do know that over the following year or so Blythe attended a lot of White House functions as the date of the President’s best friend. A man named Miles Kendall.”
“That name is familiar.” Dina frowned.
“He’s been in the news. He died recently.” Jude rubbed her temples. “Simon Keller had met with Miles while beginning the research for his book on Hayward. Miles was suffering from Alzheimer’s. He apparently told Simon about the affair.”
“And told him that Blythe had had Graham’s child?”
Jude shook her head, “I’m not certain that he hadn’t figured that out for himself.”
“How?”
“He’d paid a visit to Blythe’s sister, who’d apparently shown him photos of Blythe. When he came here seeking information about Blythe’s affair with Hayward, I don’t think he had any idea that there had been a child.”
“Then how did he know?”
“I think he knew as soon as he saw you that you were Blythe’s child. You look so much like your mother, Dina.”
Dina winced at the reference.
“I’m sorry, honey, but anyone who knew Blythe would know whose daughter you really are.”
“Then how did you think you could hide it?”
“Here, in this small town, the chances of running into anyone who had known Blythe Pierce were pretty remote.”
“That’s why you didn’t want me to go to school so close to D.C.,” Dina said.
Jude nodded.
“How did Simon find you?”
“Blythe’s sister told him where I was.”
“Does she know about me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would she tell him where to find you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.”
“Have you asked her?”
“No. It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch. We had a disagreement some years ago.”
“Why?”
“Because Betsy wanted . . . to be a bigger part of your life than I felt she should be. She wanted you to know your Pierce relatives, but I resisted. I said that I was afraid that the situation would be too confusing to you as a child. You’d wonder what your connection was to Betsy. But looking back, I think the real reason was that I was selfish and shortsighted and utterly wrong. I knew that eventually I’d have to tell you everything, but I just kept putting it off and putting it off. . . .” Jude spread her hands helplessly before her. “I’ve always thought of you as mine, Dina. I can’t help it. I know that someone else gave birth to you, but I’ve always felt in my heart that you were mine. I’m sorry. I know it’s not a good-enough reason to have kept you from your . . . blood relatives . . . all these years. But I loved you so much, wanted so much for it to be true—”
“I can’t hear any more.” Dina clapped her hands over her ears. “I just can’t hear any more of this.”
“Dina . . .” Jude rose to follow her.
“Don’t.” Dina held up a hand as if to keep Jude away. “I need to go. I need to get out of here.”
Dina fled through the gate that stood between the garage and the house.
“Dina . . .” Jude called from the gate.
Dina was halfway down the driveway when she stopped and looked back to ask, “Did she name me, or did you?”
Jude leaned against the gate and held on to it for support.
“She did,” Jude whispered. “It was her grandmother’s name.”
Dina turned and ran, trying to escape from words she could no longer bear to hear and a reality she could not comprehend.
A tearful Jude let her go, knowing that all she could do was pray that once the shock had passed Dina would forgive her. And that someday maybe she’d be back.
Not true, not true, not true, not true, not true . . .
The words echoed over