Page 70 of The Secrets of the Tea Garden
‘My poor sweetie,’ she crooned, putting her arms about her.
Adela moved out of Sam’s hold and clung to her old friend and confidante.
‘I can’t bear it!’ Adela cried.
‘You have to, dear girl,’ said Josey fatalistically. ‘There was only a very slim chance you were ever going to find him.’
Adela pulled away. ‘I don’t accept that. I know I’ll find him one day – all my instincts tell me I will. Lexy’s going to help me.’
Sam stared at her, baffled. ‘My darling, haven’t you put yourself through enough already?’
She felt sudden anger towards him. ‘The feelings I have for John Wesley will never go away,’ Adela said in distress. ‘Can’t you understand that?’
His face went rigid. ‘Isn’t it enough that we have each other?’
‘No!’ Adela cried. ‘It’s like half of me is missing.’
Sam gave her a harrowed look. ‘Then I don’t know how to help you.’
Adela watched helplessly as he turned and strode from the room.
‘Oh, Adela,’ Josey said with a reproachful look, ‘don’t take it out on poor Sam.’
Adela felt turned to stone. She couldn’t move or speak. She heard Sam retreat down the hallway and the front door bang shut behind him. She wished she had the strength and compassion to go after him but even if she did, she could not think of any words that would comfort him.
At that moment, the only person she wanted was the one she couldn’t have: the beautiful baby boy with the palest brown skin and the shock of black hair who she had cast away to strangers when she had been young and foolish.
