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A shadow fell across the doorway.

And for a moment, one precious and fragile moment, I met his eyes, and I felt that thread pull tight between us. For a moment we were husband and wife again and the rest of it was a nightmare.

“Are you in labor?”

Was it my imagination or was he breathing heavily?

This was my chance. My chance to convince him.

“Running to greet me?” he bit out before I could say anything. “Trying to convince me you still love me? That you’re still a faithful wife?”

“Of course I still love you, Étienne!” I cried, desperation and hope warring inside me. “It doesn’t matter what happens, I’ll always love you!”

I fell into his arms and he didn’t stop me, as I landed on his chest, his heartbeat pounding in my ear, not caring that my belly was bumping into him, that there wasn’t any room with how swollen and big I was.

He smelled so delicious, so perfect, that I could only hold him tight, and whisper, in a voice that was breaking with emotion,

“I love you so much, please believe that I have always been faithful to you! Take me back home, please don’t leave me here!”

Étienne tipped my chin up so he could look directly into my eyes. His were coal-black, darker than anything, framed with those dark lashes and brows, the strong slash of a mouth.

“No matter what happened, you’d love me?”

“Yes, yes,” I cried eagerly.

For a moment he said nothing, his big hands spanning my face, pressing into my flesh.

Then he snorted, and those hard hands were on my arms, unwinding them, and carefully, firmly, setting me aside.

“Your lips are full of lies. I can’t believe anything you say. You aren’t even in labor. That was a bunch of bullshit.”

“Please, I have proof! It was the only way I could get you here, get you to listen to me!”

“Don't listen to her,” Placidie put in as she and Faustine came up on the porch. “She's just trying to manipulate you.”

“Hear her out,” Hugo said and Étienne’s lips curled up as he saw his brother.

“Stay out of this. If I want input on how to handle my own wife, I’ll ask.”

“You're a fool,” Hugo said, straightening up to his full height. “Hot-headed, barbaric Frenchman. You’re so anxious to get the Bastides involved in a family feud you don’t realize you’re the one being manipulated.”

I squeaked as Étienne crossed the deck in two strides, his hands around his brother’s throat.

“Shut your mouth about things you don’t understand.”

“Please, listen!” I begged, trying to get in between the two of them. “Your whole family hates me! Your Mme even admitted that she didn’t want us to get married. The whole thing was a setup.”

Étienne shoved his brother away, and his distance was like a physical punishment, like my energy was all getting drained out of me, like my essence was getting leeched out and spilling onto the ground.

I needed him to pull me out of this nightmare.

“It’s true I married you over the objections of my family. And how have you repaid me, Léonie?”

He pointed at my belly.

“Are you going to tell me who you let in your cunt?”

“Nobody, I swear no one! You have to believe me! Someone else must have messed with the test!”