Secrets (19 page)

“I can help!”
Jake exclaimed. “No one knew Ivan better than I! We were two farm
kids without anyone else around. There wasn’t much that we didn’t
know about each other. Where is Steve? He and I need to talk!” With
that, Jake got up from his seat and strode across the room.

“Is he always
that decisive?” BB asked with a lift of one white eyebrow.

“Oh yes,” his
wife of fifty plus years declared. “It’s one of the reasons that I
fell in love with him! Mind you, I decided that we would marry when
I was about eight, so I had to have a great deal of patience!”
Willi giggled and lifted her wine in a salute to BB, and perhaps to
all of them.

“Are you
intimidated?” a soft voice asked in her ear.

“
Absolument
non! C’est charment
,” Mimi replied quietly, hazel eyes
sparkling as she surveyed the room. “Such a big family, Steven!
What you will do with all of them?” she asked.

Steve heaved a
big sigh. “I still don’t know,” he replied honestly. “This is the
third ‘family’ gathering that I have attended and I still have no
idea. I belong, I guess.”

He lifted his
hand before Mimi spoke. “It’s not their fault. Absolutely everyone
has welcomed me with open arms. I am the one holding back, and I
don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m having trouble believing in
what appears to be the truth after being lied to all of my life.
Maybe, it’s because my father is dead and I can’t speak to him. I
really don’t know.”

Mimi slid her
hand softly across his cheek. “You will come to understand. Time,
Chéri
, time.”

“Perhaps, I can
help a little,” Jake interrupted. “Ivan was my only brother. I am
going to hijack Steve from you for a few minutes, Mimi, if I may.
I’d like to help him get to know his father from the person that
knew him the very best.”

Mimi smiled as
Steve lifted his eyebrows and followed his uncle out of the room.
She had encountered many different people in many different
situations during her life as a spy and this was as interesting an
array of personalities as she had encountered.

Of course, when
Steven had confided in her the results of his and John’s DNA tests,
she had done her research. She felt that she was almost intimately
knowledgeable about every person in this house. Being a spy did
have its privileges, she admitted to herself, as she glanced around
the room.

The oldest
female cousin, Susan, came into her vision. Small and curvy, with
golden red curly hair, a savvy business-woman, successfully in
business with her husband. An ex-federal employee with all the
diplomatic clearances that had been required for the Department of
Foreign Affairs. She had a young daughter. Check.

Susan’s husband
came along and gave her a sneaky little butt embrace. Happily
married, she thought. Same diplomatic clearances as his wife when
they both worked for the government. Check.

Next the
cousin, James and his wife Martine, here from Ontario specifically
to meet BB and to connect with Steven. Both were accountants with a
chartered, bonded firm. Check.

Ah, Peter and
his wife, Linda. They ran the family firm together until recently,
when Sonya had joined the company full time after earning her
degree in Business. Linda now chose to work part time if needed.
All references indicated an above board, well run-company.
Check.

Sara and John.
Investigation unnecessary. This had already been done by both
Steven and BB. Check.

Sonya and Bryan
had both proven their worth in Paris. Hell of a way to honeymoon,
she thought.

The elderly
aunt and uncle, Willi and Jake. Salt of the earth people, who had
earned their way in the world. She had to admire them. They had
succeeded in a tough world and come through the other side.
Obviously, Jake wanted and needed his brother’s son to understand
and to know his father. This man had her undivided admiration.
Check.

“A penny for
your thoughts,” Sonya whispered into Mimi’s ear. They had gotten to
know each other somewhat better in Paris, and on the trip from
Paris to Calgary in BB’s jet.

“A penny?” Mimi
asked, her brow furrowing in puzzlement.

Sonya’s
laughter tinkled. “Not a French saying?” she continued. “It means,
what are you thinking?”

“Ah,” Mimi
smiled. “Not much,
Chérie
. I was think that your Uncle Jake
is very nice man. He take Steven to talk about his father.”

“Uncle Jake is
one of a kind. If anyone can help Steve understand his father, he
can. That was very nice of him, but very typical,” Sonya declared.
“So, are you a little intimidated with all of the cousins?”

Mimi’s laugh
was almost as musical as her Parisian accent. “Not at all! I have
face many difficult people, and your family are very nice.”

“Yeah, we are,”
thought Sonya. But it was lovely to hear.

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