sir,” she said, wondering if he intended to try to stir her sympathy. Questions swirled through her thoughts and curiosity about Matt plagued her. Why was he silent? Was he hoping his father would drive her away?
Duke Ransome turned to face her and his gaze chilled her. “There’s no love between you and Matt because a week ago you didn’t know each other and I know you haven’t fallen in love in the short time you’ve known each other. Matt is not in love, I’m sure.”
“No, sir. We haven’t fallen in love,” she admitted. “But we think we have a good arrangement.”
“Maybe I can give you a better one than Matt can. I don’t want you messing up my son’s life. And that’s what you’ll do.” She started to speak, but he raised his hand.
“Hear me out. Give us Jeff’s baby. You’re a beautiful woman and you’ll fall in love again. You can have a lot more babies. Give us Jeff’s baby and I’ll deposit in your account a half of a million dollars to let us have the baby and you get out of Matt’s life permanently. You can add this amount to what Matt has offered and you can keep the ring he’s given you. In total, my proposition, plus Matt’s offer and his ring will be well over half a million.”
Stunned, Olivia stared at him. After surprise shook her, her mind began to function. “Thank you for your generous offer, but my answer is no.”
Duke’s eyes narrowed. “Did you hear how much I’m willing to give you? You can’t turn down that much money.”
“I can and I have,” she said quietly. Matt’s arm curved around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze.
“You haven’t even thought it over,” Duke said, scowling at her.
“I’ve kept quiet, Dad, to hear your offer, as well as to hear Olivia’s response,” Matt said in a firm voice. “Just now Olivia refused you. That’s what I wanted to hear. She’s honest and true and up-front about all of this. You and Jeff have both underestimated her and misjudged her just as I did before I met her. In my judgement of her, I was off a country mile and you’re even more mistaken about her. Just as Jeff was. Jeff couldn’t see beyond a desirable woman.”
“Dammit! Neither can you!” Duke snapped, his voice rising. “Don’t be taken in again. You married a woman who couldn’t wait to dump you. You don’t know anything about women, Matt. Stop interfering here.”
“I’m not interfering. Olivia just refused your offer.”
“You don’t think this baby needs its mother?” Olivia asked, her anger increasing by the second.
“No,” Duke replied, his attention shifting back to her. “We’ll make up for that. My children grew up without their mother and they turned out fine.”
“Perhaps they did,” Olivia replied. “From what I knew, as charming as he was, Jeff cared about no one but himself.” She glanced at Matt who gazed back with an unfathomable expression. “Matt is cynical and talks about his sister and brother being wild,” she continued and turned to face Duke again. “All of your children might have benefited from a mother’s influence.”
“By any standards my family is a fine one,” Duke said, and his face flushed a deeper red. His anger was palpable. Olivia regretted she was the cause of it, but she wasn’t intimidated by Duke Ransome and she had no intention of giving up her baby for any amount.
“I didn’t say they weren’t a fine family, Mr. Ransome. I just think a mother might have had an additional positive impact on them. My baby is going to have its mother. Your family puts too high a priority on material things.” She tried to bank her own smoldering anger and think clearly because she was making monumental decisions about her future and her baby’s and she didn’t want to make the wrong choice in an emotional, knee-jerk reaction.
“I think that’s a bit difficult to accept coming from a person with your background and your demands on my son. You can’t tell me money means nothing to you,” Duke said, gruffly.
Matt stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s enough, Dad. A week from Saturday Olivia and I intend to marry. We’re working out a good arrangement that will give our baby a father and a mother and a family and financial support.”
“Financial support! Like hell!” Duke’s fiery gaze bored into Olivia. The room snapped with tension, yet she felt insulated, certain about what she wanted and reassured by Matt’s stand against his father.
“The tramp will take you for as much as she can get!” Duke exclaimed, still staring at Olivia.
“Tramp?” Matt put his hands on his hips, clenching his fists and taking a step toward his father. “I don’t think so,” he said in a chilling tone that made Olivia draw a deep breath. “She turned down your offer of half a million dollars—that’s no tramp after money, Dad, and you better face the truth. She’s going to be the mother of your first grandchild. You owe Olivia an apology.”
“Matt, please,” Olivia said, standing and placing her hand on Matt’s arm. “I don’t want to cause a rift between father and son.”
“Like hell you don’t,” Duke snapped. “In your lifetime you’ll never have such wealth as I’m offering. If you marry my son, you won’t be able to touch the Ransome money. Matt will see to that.”
“I’m not after cash. There are other things in life that are important.”
“I think you’re after the Ransome fortune and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from getting a dime of it.”
Olivia could feel the waves of anger emanating from Duke. His fists were clenched, and his face flushed a deeper red.
“Dad, you’re on dangerous ground—” Matt said, stopping when she squeezed his arm.
“Wait, Matt,” she said and turned to his father. “Mr. Ransome, it’s not the Ransome money that I’m after. I’d like my baby to be part of this family that he or she belongs to by blood, although after the past few minutes, I am having second thoughts about that. From what I know so far, Matt is an honorable man. I would like a father for my child. My baby is a Ransome, therefore, I would like my baby to have the benefits of being a Ransome, but not at a price that will compromise his or her life in any manner. Frankly, you, sir, make me want to walk out of the door and never look back. Your son, on the other hand, has accepted my proposition for a marriage of convenience that will give our baby opportunities beyond anything I can ever offer.”
“Damn straight, you little—”
“Dad!” Matt snapped in a tough, determined voice as he stepped forward with clenched fists. “Apologize to the woman I intend to marry and to the woman who is the mother of your grandson! You damn well apologize or you’ll never know this child. I’ll cut you off right here and now.”
“Matt. Don’t!” Olivia stepped in front of Matt, placing herself between the two angry men. “Stop this! Don’t let me tear apart your family,” she urged. Her heart pounded and she was cold with worry, wondering if Matt even saw her or knew she was in front of him. His blue eyes flashed with fire and his chest heaved.
“Get
