Lena was grateful she was sitting down. She couldn’t have been more surprised than if Gage had told her that he could fly. How in the world had they kept their sibling connection a secret? Both Matt and Gage had regularly been a source of media attention since NST Technology was formed. Lena had never once heard a breath of gossip or speculation until Elise had entered the picture.

"I don’t know what to say." Lena stumbled over her words. "I’m completely…how did you…I mean…"

Gage took pity on her and waited patiently while Lena overcame her initial shock.

"What is this all about?" she finally managed to ask.

Gage maintained an inscrutable expression as he spoke. His tone was void of emotion. It was as though he was reciting a litany of verse that he had memorized as a small boy.

"Are you sure you want to hear this old family laundry?" Gage asked. He slid his hands through his hair. "Our public image is more interesting than the real thing."

"Gage," Lena began. "Your family business is your own. Only tell me what you feel comfortable disclosing."

The corner of his lips raised in a compulsory smile. "As they say, the cat’s already out of the bag…with you anyway," he mumbled.

Lena felt a twinge of inexplicable discomfort at his remark. His comment would suppose that he didn’t completely trust her with his family secret. She scolded herself not to read too much into what he had said. His willingness to bring up the issue was evidence enough that he at least trusted her a little.

"Matt and I haven’t know about our connection very long. However, we chose to keep our sibling relationship a secret," Gage said nonchalantly. "As for our parents, we don’t come from what you might call a conventional family. My father was from the old school that a woman’s place was in the home. He worked a lot and mother fulfilled the role of a society wife and ran the household."

"That’s not so surprising," Lena commented. "Many women stayed home and raised families at that time."

"Maybe," Gage agreed, "But mother made the mistake of spending too much time with one of the men from the Country club."

"Your mother had an affair?" Lena asked cautiously. "If your father worked a lot, maybe your mother felt lonely."  

Although Gage attempted to appear disinterested, she sensed this was a painful subject to him.

"Perhaps.  The problem with her indiscretion is that it left her pregnant with another man’s child," Gage said with a hint of regret. "From what I’ve been told, my father was enraged with my mother. He wouldn’t accept the child. Mother went on an extended visit to Europe just before her pregnancy began to show. After she had Matt, my parents arranged for my Aunt and her husband to adopt Matt since they couldn't have children."

"That is too bizarre," Lena said. She searched Gage’s face. "Why didn’t your parents just get a divorce?"

Gage gave a derisive chuckle. "You didn’t know my father. His position in Society and the business community wouldn’t allow him to divorce my mother. But, he wouldn’t let her keep Matt.  The problem was that mother demanded that Matt not be sent away.  Having him appear to be my adopted cousin seemed the best alternative."

"Well, it doesn’t seem right to make the sons suffer for the sins of the mother," she said sympathetically.

Gage a deep breath as he considered the past. "My Aunt and Uncle treated Matt very well, and they visited often. It was only after my father died that mother told Matt and I the truth."

"You and Matt must have been shocked," Lena said.

Foreign Affair - 40  >>>