Page 46 of Love in the Wild

“I have the ginkgo leaf necklace. The one Amelia wore.” She unclasped it from her neck. “I can send you a picture. Her initials are engraved on the back.”

“Quite a few people knew about that necklace. She wore it every day. You could have faked a necklace just like that.” His tone was dismissive.

“And the signet ring, the one that belonged to your brother—”

“Anothereasy replication. The ring is a family heirloom, one well recorded. Many people knew what it looked like.” Cameron’s tone was hardening, more than two decades of anger and pain building behind his voice. But until he believed her about the plane, he would not believe the news about Thorne. That gave her a sudden idea.

“I haveThe Jungle Alphabet, the book Thorne had with him, along with a photo that was tucked inside.” She took the weathered book from her bag, having managed to clean it early that morning at Bwanbale’s house. “And I have Jacob’s journal from the cockpit. Please, let me text you a few pictures. Then call me back at this number. I have so much to share with you. I have the answers you need.”

“Very well, but don’t expect a call back. If you contact me again without permission, I will find out exactly who you are and you will face the consequences.”

“I understand, Lord Somerset.”

Cameron hung up, and Eden retrieved the alphabet book, the necklace, the ring, and the journal, as well as the family photo of Thorne with his parents. She took close-up pictures of each of the items, then sent the pictures to Cameron’s cell number. She anxiously waited.

After a few minutes, her phone rang.

“Hello?”

She heard nothing for a moment, then a world-weary sigh, as if he expected to be disappointed once again but had just enough hope left in him to try one more time.

“I’m listening, Ms. Matthews. Tell me everything.”

11

The moment Eden’s phone rang, she’d felt like a plucked string on a violin, vibrating with tension. But when he’d asked for her to tell him everything, that tension had ebbed away. Hebelievedher.

“First of all, you should know that you can contact the US Embassy in Kampala to confirm my story. They’re following up on everything I’m about to tell you.”

“Very well, I’m sure I will. Proceed.”

“I was hiking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a group of tourists to see the gorillas. Our group went deep into the jungle and found the gorillas. But shortly after that .. .” She took a deep breath and once again relived that horrible day. A lump formed in her throat as she struggled to retell these memories.

“Ms. Matthews, you need not share the details if it pains you,” Cameron said in a gentlemanly tone that reminded her of Thorne.

“No, I’m afraid I have to.” She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes before she continued. “I was about to be shot, but a man rescued me. He literally came out of the jungle and killed the poachers with his bare hands. I thought he might kill me too, but he helped me instead. He took me to his home in the jungle.” She had to avoid some of the details; otherwise, her story would sound too fantastic to be believed. “When I had recovered, he took me to what he calledthe white rock. But it wasn’t a rock—it was a plane. The door was open, and when I went inside I found two sets of remains. One bore a signet ring and the other a ginkgo leaf necklace. I found the alphabet book on the floor, with the photo of your brother and his family tucked inside.” She paused, trying to decide how best to continue.

“And the journal?” Cameron questioned.

“That was in the cockpit.”

“You mentioned two bodies. There should have been a third, the pilot. And a small toddler’s body. Did you see either of those?” His tone was quiet, and Eden could hear his heartbreak.

“No. The pilot died in the crash. Your brother buried him. According to the journal, Jacob and Amelia lived for a couple of weeks in the wreck, waiting for rescue. As for the child ...” Eden closed her eyes. “Lord Somerset, the man who rescued me, the man who showed me the plane ... is your nephew. He survived.”

“Thorne!” Cameron uttered the name hoarsely, as if he suddenly was disgusted. “Ms. Matthews, now I know you’re lying. A toddler could not survive alone in the jungle.”

“He wasn’t alone. He was taken in by a family of gorillas.”

“A family of gorillas? You must think me mad to think I’ll believethat.”

“I have pictures of him.” From the laptop, she forwarded him one of Thorne facing her, smiling at the camera, but the line had already disconnected. Cameron Haywood hadn’t believed her—at least not about the most important part of all of this.

Eden had hoped to put these two broken family members back together, and she had failed. She had silently vowed that she would repay Thorne for saving her life, and the most important way would have been reuniting him with his family. That was the part that hurt most. The taste of defeat left her empty and cold inside. She’d been so hopeful, so sure that if he just looked at that picture of Thorne, he would have to believe her.

Eden closed the laptop and started to pack. Cara had texted her to let her know that her luggage had been picked up from the hotel in Mbarara and was now at her new room in Kampala. She would leave for the hotel straightaway and take a few more days to figure things out. She needed time to think about Thorne and what she should do next.

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