The Stranger I Married

Chapter 31: Arabella

As they climbed, Catherine began pointing out the photographs displayed along the wall.

"These have been here for years. Some of them are older than Alex."

Eve slowed to look at one of the photographs. It showed a much younger Edward standing beside a beautiful dark-haired woman. They were both laughing, caught in an unguarded moment. The frame was silver, slightly tarnished with age, and the photograph itself had the soft, warm tones of an older print.

"Is that Arabella?"

Catherine smiled. "Yes. That was taken not long after they married. They were still living in London then."

Eve looked at the photograph again. "She was beautiful."

"She was." There was warmth in Catherine's voice. "Arabella came from an old family. The Beaumonts had owned this ranch for generations, long before Edward ever became the man everyone knows today."

She paused beside the photograph, her expression softening.

"When Edward went to London, he was young and determined to make something of himself. He joined a company owned by Arabella's uncle and quickly began making a name for himself there. He was already developing technology that attracted attention, and her uncle recognised that Edward had something special."

Eve studied the photograph—the way Edward looked at Arabella, the ease between them. "So that's how they met?"

Catherine nodded. "Arabella was visiting her family in London at the time. They met at a social event, and apparently that was all it took." She smiled. "They fell in love almost immediately."

"Almost immediately?"

"Edward was twenty-three and Arabella was twenty. She knew she would eventually have to return home, but neither of them wanted to walk away from what had started between them. They married within a few months."

Eve laughed softly. "That sounds familiar."

Catherine looked at her, her smile widening. "It does, doesn't it?"

They continued along the corridor, Catherine pausing beside another photograph. This one showed Edward and Arabella in London, standing in front of a grand building. Edward looked younger, but there was already something unmistakable about him—the same quiet confidence, the same steady presence.

"After they married, they stayed in London," Catherine said. "Edward was doing well with the company, and Arabella settled into life there with him. She had grown up with wealth and privilege, but she was never the sort of woman who needed to be surrounded by it. She wanted to be with Edward, and he was building his future there."

Eve stepped closer to the photograph. Edward stood beside Arabella, one hand resting lightly at her waist, both of them smiling at the camera.

"They look happy," Eve said.

"They were." Catherine's smile softened. "Edward was still working for the company at the time, but he had begun developing his own ideas. He wasn't satisfied with simply doing what was expected of him. He could see where technology was going, long before most people were willing to believe it."

"What happened?"

"His ideas began attracting attention. Some of the technology he developed changed the direction of the company, and Edward started to realize that he could build something much bigger." Catherine paused, her voice carrying a hint of pride. "He saved every bit of money he could. Eventually, he had enough to make an offer for the company."

Eve looked surprised. "He bought it?"

"Yes." Catherine smiled. "Arabella's family trusted him, and Edward had already proved what he was capable of. He bought the company from her family and began building it into the business it became."

Eve glanced back at the photographs. "So that's how it all started."

"That was the beginning." Catherine's expression carried a quiet pride. "Edward had the vision, the determination, and the courage to take risks when other people thought he was being reckless. The company grew quickly after that. What began as one business became an entire technology empire."

Eve smiled. "I can see where Alex gets that from."

Catherine laughed softly. "You can."

They continued along the corridor, passing more photographs. Edward and Arabella at a formal event. A younger Michael and Catherine on their wedding day. A small Alex, no more than four, sitting on Edward's lap.

"For many years, Edward and Arabella divided their time between London and Westbridge," Catherine said. "The business kept Edward in London, while the ranch remained part of Arabella's family—the place she had grown up."

Eve glanced toward another photograph. "So they came here often?"

"All the time." Catherine smiled. "Arabella never wanted to lose her connection to the ranch. It was home to her, no matter how much time they spent in London."

She paused beside a photograph of Arabella alone, standing in the garden, her dark hair catching the light. "Then, about twenty years ago, Arabella's parents died. The ranch became hers. She was their only child, so there was no question that it would eventually pass to her."

Edward's voice came from behind them, warm and steady. "I decided it was time to move the company's headquarters to Westbridge. By then, the business had grown enormously, and I had the resources to make the move without compromising what I had built."

Eve turned to look at him. He had followed them up the stairs, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm.

"So you came back here permanently?"

"Yes." Edward nodded. "Westbridge became our home. We still travelled to London when business required it, but this became our life."

Eve looked at the photograph of Arabella in the garden. "Was that difficult for her?"

Edward was quiet for a moment. Then he stepped closer, looking at the photograph with her.

"Not at all." His voice was softer now. "I think she was happy to be home. The ranch had always meant more to her than simply owning a beautiful property. It was where she had grown up, where her parents had lived, where so many of her memories were."

He paused, his gaze still on the photograph.

"And eventually, it became home to me in a way I don't think I ever expected."

Eve glanced at him. He was still looking at the photograph, his expression unreadable. But there was something in his eyes—a quiet sadness, a lingering love—that made her throat tighten.

She looked away, giving him a moment.

Edward turned from the photograph. He looked at Eve for a long moment—something unreadable in his expression—then nodded, almost to himself.

"I'll leave you to settle in," he said. "I'll see you at dinner."

He turned and descended the stairs, his footsteps fading on the old wood.

Catherine watched him go, then looked back at Eve with a small smile.

"Come," she said. "Your room is just here."

She opened the door at the end of the hall and stepped aside, letting Eve enter first.

The room was beautiful—soft blue walls, white linens on a large bed, windows that looked out over the gardens. The last light of the fading sun filtered through the glass, casting everything in a warm golden glow. A vase of fresh flowers sat on the windowsill, and a small fire crackled in the fireplace.

Eve noticed the personal touches. A worn leather armchair by the window. Books stacked on the nightstand. A photograph on the dresser—Alex and a younger boy she didn't recognize, both of them laughing, covered in mud.

His room. His space. His history.

And Catherine had put her in it.

"I hope you'll be comfortable," Catherine said. "If you need anything—"

"It's perfect," Eve said, and meant it. "Thank you."

For a moment, they stood quietly.

Then Catherine moved closer.

"Alex is my only child."

Eve turned toward her.

"I always wanted a daughter. I loved having my boy, and I wouldn't change being his mother for anything in the world, but there was always a little part of me that wondered what it would have been like to have a girl."

She gave a small laugh. "I imagined the conversations we'd have, shopping together, choosing dresses, talking about life. All those silly little things mothers imagine."

Eve smiled. "I think most mothers do."

"Probably." Catherine looked down for a moment before continuing. "When Alex brought Victoria into our lives, I accepted her because she was important to him. I wanted him to be happy, and I never wanted him to feel that he had to choose between the woman he loved and his family."

Eve listened quietly.

"But Victoria was never comfortable with us in the way you are." Catherine's voice remained gentle. She moved to the window, looking out at the gardens. "She was polite and always pleasant, but she never liked being hugged. If I tried to hug her, she would become uncomfortable, so eventually I stopped trying."

She paused, her fingers resting on the windowsill.

"She also never really enjoyed coming to the ranch. She preferred staying at the estate in Westbridge, where she felt more at ease."

She turned back to Eve. "I never blamed her for it. People are simply different."

Eve nodded. "I understand."

Catherine smiled faintly. "But then you arrived." Something in her expression changed. "And I could immediately see that you were different. You seem comfortable with who you are. You don't seem to need to measure yourself against anyone or worry about whether you're saying or doing the right thing."

Eve looked at her quietly.

Catherine smiled. "You simply walked through that door and were yourself. You accepted Dad's hug without hesitation, you hugged me back, and you spoke to everyone as though you had nothing to prove."

Her voice softened. "There was something so natural about you, Eve. I noticed it almost immediately."

Eve smiled. "I didn't really think about it. You were all so welcoming."

"And that's exactly what I mean." Catherine's eyes began to glisten. "You didn't stand there wondering whether you belonged. You simply let us welcome you."

She gave a small, emotional laugh. "And somewhere in those first few minutes, I found myself thinking that perhaps Alex had finally brought home the daughter I had always wished for."

Tears gathered in Catherine's eyes. She quickly dabbed them away with her fingertips and laughed softly at herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to become emotional."

Eve crossed to her without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around Catherine.

Catherine went still for a moment. Then she hugged Eve tightly.

Eve rested her cheek against her shoulder. She could feel Catherine's heart beating—fast, unsteady—and something in her chest shifted. This woman had welcomed her without conditions. Had called her family before she'd even walked through the door.

"You don't have to be sorry, Mom."

Catherine's arms tightened around her. For several seconds neither woman spoke. Catherine closed her eyes, and a wave of happiness swept through her. She had imagined having a daughter for so many years, but she had never imagined that hearing one simple word could affect her so deeply.

When they finally drew apart, Catherine looked at Eve through slightly tearful eyes.

"I am so happy."

Eve smiled. "I am also happy, Mom."

Catherine laughed through the emotion and reached for her again, pulling Eve into another warm embrace.

"Oh, sweetheart."

Eve smiled. "I think I'm going to like having a second mom."

They stood together for another moment before Catherine drew back. She touched Eve's cheek—a brief, maternal gesture—and smiled.

"I'll let you settle in. Dinner's in an hour. Nothing formal—just family."

Eve nodded. "I'll be ready."

Catherine squeezed her hand once more, then turned toward the door.

She had barely taken a step when a voice came from the doorway.

"I was wondering how long the two of you were planning to keep me out of this."