My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer Page A

shoulder, seemingly lost in thought. “I did as he commanded. I kept silent. For seventeen years, I kept silent . . .”
    Then he spun, facing Glenn. Not even a flicker of a glance found Isabelle. His voice rose. “But no longer. My parents are gone. I have no need to continue the charade. I won’t continue it. Isabelle is not my sister. And that is the untarnished truth.”
    Isabelle remained in the chair, deliberately keeping her face clear of all expression while underneath her stomach churned at the bitterness she’d witnessed. Standing beside her chair, Glenn placed his hand under her elbow and drew her to her feet.
    Glenn lifted the packet. “Very well.” Quirking one brow, he added, “Of course, you won’t mind if I have this all substantiated by legal authorities?”
    Randolph offered an arrogant shrug. “As I told you earlier, feel free to share those documents with anyone you choose. I have nothing to lose . . . except a sister .” The last word hung in the air like a bad stench.
    Glenn tucked the packet beneath his arm. He escorted Isabelle to the doorway of the den, but before leaving the room he paused and turned back. “You do realize one thing, Randolph . . .”
    Isabelle held her breath, wondering what Glenn would say in parting. Randolph’s brows pulled down into a scowl, which Glenn seemed to find more amusing than threatening. With a smile, he said, “Even if Isabelle is not your biological sister, the law does recognize adoption as binding. You can disown her as your sister, but she can’t be disowned as your father’s heir.”
    A sly smile crept up Randolph’s cheeks. “Oh, certainly I’m aware of the legalities of adoption. We’ll see how cocky you are when you’ve finished with the legal authorities. My parents never adopted her. They simply expected everyone to believe she was their own.”
    Glenn’s fingers clamped around Isabelle’s elbow, and he propelled her from the house, hissing through clenched teeth, “I’m taking you back to the house. I’ll go see my family lawyer. We’ll get to the bottom of this!”
    His ominous tone made her glad Glenn was on her side of this issue.
    “Duped . . . We have been unequivocally duped!”
    The rancor in Glenn’s tone caused Isabelle’s heart to beat at twice its normal rhythm. She had paced beside the parlor window for almost four hours, waiting for his return—and her vindication. When the Heaton carriage had pulled up, she’d rushed to meet Glenn at the door, but he’d pushed past her as if she didn’t exist and charged straight to his father’s den. Although he hadn’t invited her to join them, she had crept down the hallway and now stood outside the pocket doors, listening, her pounding heartbeat nearly covering the men’s voices.
    “How could we have been so stupid?”
    “For what reason would we have checked into Standler’s background?” Mr. Heaton sounded more perplexed than angry. “When the man approached me and suggested a union between you and Isabelle, he sounded like any other loving father, interested in pursuing the best position for a beloved daughter.”
    “And I eagerly entered into the bargain, fully anticipating all I would gain from the dealing.” His words held an undertone of bitterness. “What if the Standlers hadn’t perished in that paddleboat accident? What if Isabelle and I had exchanged wedding vows prior to their demise? Reginald would have given Isabelle’s share of his estate to us as a wedding gift, foster child or not.”
    His tone rose in volume as Isabelle shrank against the wall. Had his interest in her been a farce? Her breath came in little huffs, her chest heaving, as she battled to accept the words pouring from the man she thought she loved. The man who claimed to love her.
    “I could be in possession of that wealth right now were it not for bad timing. But as it stands, I can’t possibly follow through on our plans.” His regret-laden sigh brought tears to Isabelle’s