‘Don’t bother to answer that,’ she dismissed disgustedly. ‘I know that’s what you think. Well, do you want to know what I think?’ Her eyes flashed like molten gold.
Nick felt some of his own anger draining out of him as he took in all her outraged indignation. She really was a beautiful young woman. A woman who would be even more beautiful as her pregnancy developed. Nick knew from when Sally had been expecting Luke that pregnant women seemed to take on a beauty all their own, glowing from the inside rather than out.
A glowingly pregnant Hebe was going to be a sight to behold.
‘Yes,’ he answered briskly, moving to one of the armchairs to sit down and look up at her. ‘I would be very interested to hear what you think.’
‘I’ll bet!’ Hebe scorned. ‘You don’t seem to have taken too much notice of what I’ve had to say so far!’ She looked pointedly at the shattered bathroom door.
Couldn’t she see that was because he had been in shock himself? Because he couldn’t believe—hadn’t dared to hope—despite what he had said to the contrary, that Hebe really could be pregnant with their child.
He had loved being a father to Luke, and had been devastated when his son had died so tragically, so suddenly. He had felt totally bereft. Now, it seemed, he was to be given a second chance at fatherhood. With Hebe. He had never thought about having another child after Luke, but now the opportunity had presented itself he found he wanted this baby more than anything else in the world.
It was just going to take a little getting used to…
‘I’m listening now, Hebe,’ he assured her gruffly.
She would just bet he was. Waiting to hear her make demands, no doubt. To try and blackmail him out of some of the Cavendish fortune!
Well he was going to be disappointed.
She drew in a deep breath. ‘This is my baby, Nick—’
‘And mine,’ he put in quietly.
‘But you can’t be sure of that, can you?’ she taunted, pacing the room restlessly as she looked at him. ‘How do you know, how can you be sure, I haven’t been with another man in the last six weeks?’ she challenged.
He didn’t move, but a nerve began to pulse just below his jaw. ‘Have you?’
‘No, I haven’t, damn you!’ she denied furiously. ‘But there’s no way you can be sure—absolutely sure—is there?’ she taunted.
He continued to look at her for several long, breathless seconds, and then he nodded. ‘A doctor will be able to confirm just how pregnant you are.’
Hebe looked at him, frowning, but his expression was so inscrutable it was impossible to read any emotion behind those blue eyes. ‘And you will accept that?’
His eyes narrowed on her probingly. ‘If you insist we can have tests done too,’ he finally murmured softly.
‘If I insist…?’ she prompted suspiciously.
‘Hebe, once this baby is established as mine, that’s exactly what it will be!’ he grated harshly.
She gave a disbelieving shake of her head. ‘Are you saying you would take this baby away from me?’
‘I’m not saying that at all.’ He shrugged. ‘Although, obviously that will ultimately be your decision.’
‘I don’t understand you!’ she muttered emotionally.
‘It’s quite simple, Hebe. If you want to get your hands on “all that lovely Cavendish money” then you will also have to accept that I come along with it,’ he bit out decisively.
Hebe stopped her pacing to stare at him incredulously. ‘But I don’t want your money,’ she finally burst out forcefully. ‘I’m not interested in it. Or you!’
‘Methinks you doth protest too much,’ he taunted.
‘I’m not protesting at all,’ she snapped, stung by his mockery. ‘I’m stating a fact.’
‘A fact, Hebe, the bottom line, is I now have a responsibility to you and the baby,’ he shrugged.
A responsibility? Was that what she had become?
After years of independence, of paying her own way, was that was she was going to be reduced to?
No, she wouldn’t become that! No matter how difficult going it alone was going to be, she wouldn’t become that…
She gave a firm shake of her head. ‘I don’t need or want your help, thank you,’ she told him stiffly.
‘Haven’t you understood yet, Hebe?’ Nick ground out fiercely. ‘I’m not asking, I’m telling you how it’s going to be!’
Hebe raised her head to look at him numbly. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Simply that I am going to marry you, Hebe,’ he told her grimly. ‘Just as quickly as the arrangements can be made!’
Nick was going to marry her?
He couldn’t be serious!
CHAPTER FIVE
NICK watched Hebe’s face suffuse with a look of horror as the full realisation of what he had just said hit her.
Not exactly a flattering response to a proposal of marriage!
Certainly not the response he had been expecting.
Most women he knew, in Hebe’s position, would have jumped at the idea of marrying him.
Hebe just looked as if he had dealt her another insult!
Unless he was just meant to think she was horrified at the suggestion?
He tried to force this idea from his mind. If the two of them were to be married and have a child together, there had to be some sort of common ground for them other than the baby. It would be a disaster otherwise—their marriage just a battleground. Even if they were going to be marrying for reasons other than love.
‘Oh, come on, Hebe,’ he chided tauntingly. ‘It won’t be so bad. You won’t have to work any more. You can spend as much of that Cavendish money as you like redecorating my apartments, if they don’t suit.’ Looking round at this apartment at its warmth and homeliness, he had a feeling that the chrome and leather décor in his own homes wouldn’t be what Hebe would choose at all. ‘Or we could buy a house,’ he suggested, as the thought occurred to him. ‘It would probably be better for the baby if it had a garden to play in—’
‘Stop, Nick!’ she cut in forcefully. ‘Just stop! I am not going to marry you—’
‘Oh yes, you are,’ Nick assured her softly.
‘No. I’m. Not,’ she said firmly.
