Pregnant on the Earl's Doorstep, page 14
‘So what does that make you, exactly?’
Anna’s smile was shark-white, with every bit as much bite, as she took his hand. Her palm felt cool and dry, despite the morning sun, and it slid away from his almost as soon as they touched.
‘It makes me Ryan’s uncle.’ Cal stepped back into the castle, holding the door open for her.
Already she was angling for the story she wanted to write, he realised. She must have been thrilled when Ross had died. An ordinary earl giving a magazine this kind of access was opportunity enough. But a child aristocrat with only an uncle for support, until recently absent? That was far more interesting.
Well, if she was hoping for resentment and jealousy on his part she was out of luck. He’d never wanted to be the Earl of Lengroth for a moment. He just hoped she didn’t find anything more interesting to write about.
‘Come on in,’ he said, as pleasantly as he could. ‘I’ll introduce you to our housekeeper, Mrs Peterson. She’ll show you around the castle and get you settled in your room.’
At the far end of the castle, away from the children and Heather by design, even if it put her rather closer to his office than Cal would have liked.
‘The housekeeper?’ Anna’s perfectly curved eyebrows arched just a little higher. ‘Really, I’d love it if you could show me around yourself, Cal.’
‘Unfortunately I have work to be getting on with. But here’s Mrs Peterson now.’
Right on cue, the housekeeper arrived, resplendent in her best blue suit and pearls.
‘And she’ll introduce me to your niece and nephew?’ Anna pressed.
Cal shook his head. ‘I’m afraid the children are out on a day trip with their nanny. You’ll meet them at dinner.’
A look of annoyance flashed across Anna’s face.
Cal couldn’t really blame her—but that didn’t mean he was going to change his tactics. He and Heather had a plan, developed in the dark of night, curled up together in his bed. It was simple. Keep the reporter as far away from the children—and from Heather—for as much of her visit as possible. Mrs Peterson would handle the history of the castle and the family and so on, using the usual sanitised version, and Cal would do a proper interview—enough to keep her happy.
They’d fulfil the letter of the contract, but not the spirit. Because there was no way in hell Cal was allowing his nephew and niece to be exploited in some gossip magazine, however high-class the editor insisted it was.
And he wasn’t letting Anna Jenkins find out about Heather and the baby, either.
Not if he could help it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘HOW’S IT GONE TODAY?’ Heather asked, slipping into Cal’s office late on Thursday night.
His eyes widened. ‘You shouldn’t be here!’
Dropping into the chair opposite him, Heather rolled her eyes. ‘Anna’s already gone to bed for the night. Annoyed, according to Mrs Peterson. I do worry that if we frustrate her too much she’ll go digging around for a scandal just to get back at us.’
For four days now Heather had kept the kids as far away from the castle as possible. There’d been picnics and day trips and long hikes—even a train ride into the city for the day. Anna had tried to suggest she accompany them on that one, but Cal had put on his best aristocratic voice and said, ‘I thought you were here to cover life in the castle, Anna?’ and that had been that.
Even Heather had been able to sense the journalist’s annoyance although, as per the plan, she’d only seen her at breakfast and dinner each day. The children had stayed on their best behaviour for meals, answered Anna’s questions in boring monotones, and basically helped create the impression that life at Lengroth Castle was nothing to write home about.
It was working, and Heather was glad.
But that did mean she’d barely seen Cal alone since the night she’d spent in his bed, and she missed him. More than she’d thought possible given that they were still living in the same castle.
‘We just can’t risk getting caught now, Heather. Not when we’re so close to getting this over and done with.’
‘I know,’ Heather replied. ‘I just...needed to see you.’
‘I know the feeling,’ Cal said, giving her a wry smile that reassured her he was suffering every bit as much as she was.
‘I’ll just sit here,’ Heather promised. ‘With a whole desk between us, getting into no trouble at all. We can talk about the children’s educational progress, if you like.’
‘Okay.’ Cal sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. ‘What have they learned this week?’
‘Basically nothing—because we’ve been here there and everywhere, staying out of Anna’s way.’
‘Right. So we’re done with that topic, then?’
Heather sighed. ‘Cal...’
‘I know. I know. I just... If you stay, I’m going to kiss you. I won’t be able to help it. You’re the ultimate temptation, and you know how bad the men in my family are at resisting that.’
‘I do,’ Heather agreed. ‘But would it really be all that bad if you kissed me right now?’
She licked her lips. Her insides felt warmer just thinking about it. As if her blood was heating up inside her veins.
Cal’s amber eyes darkened, and she knew he felt the same.
‘Maybe not,’ he said. ‘But I wouldn’t be able to stop at kissing you—you know that.’
‘No?’ Heather smiled dangerously. She knew this was a game they could ill afford to be playing right now, but maybe Cal wasn’t the only one who had a problem with temptation. ‘What else would you need to do?’
‘Need is the right word,’ Cal said, shifting in his seat. ‘Because I need you so much right now, Heather. I need you naked on my desk. I need your skin against mine. I need you in my arms. I need—’
‘I need you inside me again,’ Heather interrupted, and Cal let out an honest-to-God growl at her words and got to his feet.
‘You are going to be the death of me,’ he said as he circled the desk and pulled her up out of her chair and into his arms—just where she wanted to be.
‘Not just yet,’ Heather said with a grin. ‘I’ve got plans for you first.’
‘Your room?’ Cal asked.
‘My room,’ Heather confirmed. She was furthest away from Anna, and overwhelming lust hadn’t completely dulled her good sense. ‘Now.’
It had just made her ignore it for a little while.
* * *
One more day. Tomorrow morning Anna would be on her way and the castle would be theirs again.
Theirs.
Not just his, or Ryan and Daisy’s, but Heather’s, too. Almost like a home.
When had that happened?
Long before he’d first taken Heather to bed, he knew. She belonged here—with them. The ‘in his arms’ part was purely for his benefit. And hers, he thought, smirking as he remembered leaving her breathless in bed that morning as he’d crept back to his own room before the rest of the castle awoke.
Heather might not stay for ever, but for now...she was everything he needed. Until the absurd levels of passion between them cooled he had to find a way to keep her at Lengroth. Otherwise he was honestly afraid he might go insane with want and need.
They were risking a lot, he knew. This last week had given him a far greater understanding of his ancestors than he’d ever expected to have. He’d always avoided any kind of personal risk—even the sort of risk Ross had apparently been addicted to as he’d gambled away his inheritance. But now... His whole world could go up in flames and as long as he could have Heather with him he wouldn’t care.
He almost didn’t recognise the person he’d become in the last six weeks. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like him.
‘You’re in a good mood this morning.’
Anna’s sharp tones rang through the corridor and Cal looked up suddenly to find her standing in his way.
‘It’s a beautiful day,’ Cal said, before glancing out of the window to see that rain clouds were gathering. Summer in Scotland. He supposed they’d been lucky to get away with as much good weather as they’d had that week. It would make it trickier for Heather to get the kids out of the castle today, though.
Anna followed his gaze to the window. ‘I suppose summer means something rather different in Scotland to the rest of the country,’ she said scathingly.
‘You must be in a good mood, too,’ Cal replied, falling into step with her as they headed for the dining room. ‘You get to go home tomorrow.’
That was putting him in a very good mood, anyway.
‘And leave all this splendour?’ Anna replied, waving an arm towards the long dining table, loaded with Ryan’s favourite sugary cereals and half a pain au chocolat left on Daisy’s plate.
‘Not what you expected from an earl’s castle, huh?’ Cal asked, hiding a smile.
Anna smiled back, but there was no warmth in it. ‘Not exactly. I would like to get one last interview with you and the children before I leave, however.’
Cal glanced up to see Heather coming in from the kitchen. Meeting her eye, he knew she’d heard Anna’s question. She gave a small, reluctant nod.
‘I’m sure that can be arranged,’ he told Anna, hoping she hadn’t clocked the exchange. ‘As long as I’m in the room with the children.’
‘Of course.’ Anna smiled sweetly, then made her way to a seat at the far end of the table.
Heather, Cal noticed, didn’t look at all reassured by her promise.
‘So, Heather, what do you and the children have planned for today?’
Heather met his eye before answering. He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, rather than an I want to ravish you on the breakfast table smile, but really it could have gone either way.
‘Since it looks like it’s going to be a soggy day out there, I think we’ll work on our history projects in the schoolroom today.’
‘They’re studying the Second World War,’ Cal put in, as Daisy and Ryan both groaned in unison. He silenced them with a glare.
‘You take a strong interest in your niece and nephew’s education, then?’ Anna commented, looking between them.
‘Of course,’ Cal said, surprised. ‘And Miss Reid is excellent at keeping me updated on their progress.’
‘I’m sure she is.’
Anna gave Heather a speculative look, and Cal suddenly regretted drawing attention to her. Still, they were nearly out of the woods. Just one more day and then Anna would be back on the early train to London, and he and Heather could sit down and figure out what happened next.
Preferably naked.
* * *
Heather was halfway through gluing a cardboard evacuee’s suitcase together, while Ryan held the sides and Daisy found vital things to put in it when it was dry, when Mrs Peterson knocked on the schoolroom door.
‘Miss Reid?’
The housekeeper had the same, slightly disapproving look on her face that she’d had ever since Heather had arrived at Lengroth Castle. The only slight consolation was that the look Mrs Peterson gave Anna Jenkins was even more scathing.
‘Mr Bryce is looking for you.’
‘He is?’ Heather got to her feet. ‘Keep holding that, Ryan, I’ll be back in a moment.’
What on earth could Cal want? They’d agreed that they needed to stay away from each other as much as possible during the day while Anna was roaming the castle. At night it was a different matter. The only person likely to see Heather then was apparently the Lengroth ghost—and even she’d been absent since that first night Heather had spent with Cal.
Heather knocked on the office door lightly, then let herself in.
Cal looked up from his computer screen with surprise. ‘Heather! What’s wrong? Do you need something?’
‘I thought you did.’ Heather frowned. ‘Mrs Peterson said you were looking for me. Which I thought was strange because you knew exactly where I’d be...’
Their eyes met and they both reached the same conclusion at the same time.
‘Anna!’ they said, in unison.
‘Your stupid castle is too big,’ Heather muttered as they hurried down the endless stone-walled corridors back to the schoolroom.
‘Yes, it’s definitely the castle that’s the problem here,’ Cal replied, striding ahead. ‘And it’s not my castle. It’s Ryan’s.’
Ryan.
Ryan and Daisy—who were probably being cornered by that shark of a reporter right now, being asked heaven only knew what about their lives, their family, their parents’ deaths—maybe even Cal and Heather.
Thank goodness they’d held back on telling them about the baby. Heather dreaded to think what Anna would have made of that.
Still, Heather’s heart pounded as they rounded the final corner to the schoolroom and heard Anna’s voice from inside.
‘And how do you both feel about being sent away to boarding school by your uncle so soon after your parents’ deaths?’ she asked, her tone sweet but her words sharp.
Cal pushed past her to get inside, obviously not wanting to hear the answer to that one. But he wasn’t as fast as Ryan’s mouth.
‘We’re not going,’ Ryan said defiantly. ‘Heather would never let Uncle Cal send us away from Lengroth.’
Cal froze in front of her and Heather could almost hear his heart beating too fast, too hard, at his nephew’s words.
‘Do you think your nanny has that sort of influence?’ Anna asked. ‘I thought she was only here for the summer...’
‘Heather’s not just the nanny,’ Daisy replied, her tone scathing. ‘She’s pregnant with Daddy’s baby. And Uncle Cal is in love with her.’
‘So she’s going to stay for ever and we’ll all be a family again!’ Ryan shouted. ‘You’ll see!’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
RYAN PUSHED PAST Anna and ran out through the schoolroom doorway—and barrelled right into Cal, who pulled him into a hug, holding the boy’s trembling body against his chest.
Behind him, Heather slumped back against the wall, and he didn’t need to look at her to know that she had to be looking as stunned as he felt.
How did they find out about the baby?
A question for later. Once he’d dealt with the enormous problem directly at hand.
‘I think it’s time you left Lengroth Castle, Miss Jenkins,’ he said over Ryan’s head, his tone icy.
In one short minute Daisy and Ryan had destroyed generations worth of the careful deceit and lies protecting the Bryce family’s reputation. All the work he’d been doing to keep Ross’s infidelities and gambling a secret was pointless now.
But, worst of all, they’d exposed Heather to gossip and scandal, too.
‘My train isn’t until tomorrow,’ Anna said.
‘It’s a long walk to the station,’ Cal replied. ‘Go. Now.’
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, and whatever she saw in his expression obviously convinced her, because she scuttled past him down the corridor. He’d have to deal with her again eventually, Cal knew—if only to find out what and when her magazine would be printing in order to do some damage limitation. But that would have to wait.
First he needed to take care of Daisy and Ryan. And Heather.
He glanced over his shoulder, looking for a moment of solidarity with Heather before he dealt with the children, but she was gone. The corridor was empty. And Cal felt a sneaking feeling of dread working its way towards his heart.
‘Uncle Cal is in love with her!’
That was what Ryan had said. Obviously that was crazy, but did Heather know that?
‘Uncle Cal?’ Daisy’s voice wobbled as she spoke, and Cal spun back to face her. ‘Are we in trouble?’
Time slowed and stilled as his niece’s question echoed in his brain. He knew instantly what his father’s reaction would have been—and his father’s father’s. He’d lived it once. Never on this scale, but with an unguarded comment at a dinner party that had resulted in a broken arm, or a conversation with Harry at school that had ended with Cal being thrashed after someone had started asking questions.
He could never know how Ross might have handled this moment with his children. But he knew how he wanted to handle it. And he knew why.
He looked between Daisy and Ryan and realised that whatever happened next it had all been worth it. Because right now, in this moment, he found himself reaching for a truth he’d believed would always be beyond him.
He wasn’t angry. He didn’t want to shout. Even with everything that was at stake his only concern was protecting the children.
Because he loved them.
Against all the odds, he loved them.
‘You’re not in trouble, either of you.’ He held an arm out towards Daisy and pulled her into his embrace along with her brother. ‘I want to talk to you about what you both said, but I promise you this—you’re not in trouble. I love you both, and nothing either one of you could ever do could possibly change that.’
The force of his words filled him as his niece and nephew clung to his shirt, which was suddenly suspiciously damp in places. Daisy would never admit to crying, but Cal didn’t need her to. He’d done what he’d thought was impossible.
He, a Bryce male, had found a way to love his children—his, now Ross was gone. And his in his heart.
He wouldn’t inflict the cycle of lies and secrets upon Daisy and Ryan. They’d spoken the truth—however they’d learned it—or the truth as they saw it. He couldn’t be angry with them for that, whatever the consequences.
Heather had been right when she’d told him that it wasn’t the scandal and people’s actions that hurt the most. It was the secrets and the lies people told to keep their misdeeds from seeing the light of the day.
