Free The Firebrand Who Unlocked His Heart by Anne Fraser

with her and the man she married when our divorce came through. Eleanor and David separated when Harry was nine. That was when she decided to bring him back.’
    That made it worse. Couldn’t Daniel see? Not only was Harry in an unfamiliar place, but he’d also been separated from the man who he’d known as his father for most of his life. Although it explained why Daniel didn’t seem to know his son very well, there was something that didn’t quite add up.
    ‘But you visited Harry in Buenos Aires?’
    Daniel’s jaw clenched. ‘No.’
    ‘Why not?’
    Daniel expelled a breath. ‘I guess there is no reason why I shouldn’t tell you. In fact, it may help.’ He paused. ‘Eleanor and I married when we were both very young—too young. She was eighteen and I was nineteen. Our parents tried to stop us, but we were in love, or so we thought, and the more they tried to stop us the more determined we were. At first we were happy. We had a flat in London and used the house in Dorset that we’re going to now at weekends. My father’s disapproval didn’t extend to cutting me off from the family money. Not that it would have made a difference if he had. To cut a long story short, I was ambitious. Soon I was working every hour I could and only coming home late at night. I even worked weekends. Eleanor started spending more and more time in Dorset. She met someone there and asked me for a divorce. She told me she was pregnant by him, so I didn’t stand in her way.’
    ‘But Harry, he looks like you.’
    A shadow crossed Daniel’s face. ‘That would be because he is my son. I didn’t find that out until Eleanor and her new partner split. Up until then she’d led me to believe that Harry was David’s child. But if I had had any doubts she was telling me the truth, the moment she showed me a picture of Harry I knew he was mine.’
    That explained a hell of a lot. No wonder Daniel knew so little about his son. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’
    ‘I dislike talking about my personal life.’
    ‘But this is relevant!’
    ‘And how is my personal life relevant?’
    ‘Because anything that affects my patient is important. I need to understand the family dynamics. It can make a huge difference to a patient’s outcome.’ She tried to keep the exasperation from her voice. She took a deep breath. ‘Why did Eleanor wait so long to tell you Harry was yours?’
    ‘Because she would have known I would have foughttooth and nail to stop her leaving the country, if I’d known she was pregnant with my child. I suspect she only told me when she did, because she didn’t want Harry to miss out on his inheritance.’
    ‘So Harry didn’t know you were his father until a couple of years ago?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘That must have been difficult—for both of you.’
    ‘When I found out I was furious with Eleanor for keeping him away from me.’ His expression darkened. ‘All those years. Wasted.’
    ‘How did Harry feel when he found out you were his father and not the man he called Dad?’
    ‘Angry. Resentful. Mixed up, I guess. I tried to get to know him, but—’ He broke off and shook his head.
    ‘He did come to Carrington Hall to stay, though. He must have wanted to get to know you, too.’
    ‘He came twice. Then he made excuses not to come.’
    ‘Why did he stop?’
    ‘I don’t know. He just did. Maybe he was bored. Maybe he preferred to be in Dorset with his mother—he wouldn’t say. I didn’t think it was fair to make him come when he didn’t want to.’ His voice was casual but there was an undercurrent of something Colleen couldn’t quite place. Regret? Hurt? Bewilderment?
    ‘Didn’t you miss him when he stopped coming? I mean, you could have gone to see him—or taken him out for the day.’
    Daniel’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and the temperature in the car dropped a couple of degrees. ‘I think you’re overstepping the mark, don’t you?’ he said finally. ‘I’ve told you