Betrayal (59 page)

Murder was wrong, he accepted that, but he was strong enough to cope with his memories, and such was the happiness that Lisa and the family brought him that the times when he actually remembered were few and fleeting. Despite everything he considered himself a most fortunate and privileged man.

Epilogue

Every year, on the anniversary of his death, Lisa ordered a bunch of red roses to be placed on the grave of Mike Brooks. Mike, who had sacrificed his life so that she and the children could be free to live theirs. She only hoped that somehow he knew what happiness he'd allowed into their lives.

Out of all the deaths during her years in England, his was the greatest tragedy but with her newfound maturity she finally understood and accepted that he had been content to die for a love that would never be returned.

When she and Renato named their youngest son Michael, they did it in honour of the young man who'd made it all possible, a tangible gesture of their gratitude.

Even if Mike didn't know, the roses brought comfort in the early years to his mother who had never understood why her son died but studied the unsigned card that bore the same inscription every year and was happy, believing that there had been a special girl in his life. A worthy girl who kept his memory alive.

It was such a lovely inscription on every card, beautiful in its simplicity. It read:

' Your love was the greatest love of all'
.

About the Author

Margaret Kirby is the pseudonym of a successful author.
Betrayal
is the first novel she has written under this name and introduces an original and unusual talent.