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‘Supposing it doesn’t fit me?’
‘Then we’ll get it altered.’ He looked levelly at her. ‘Are you going to try it on?’
She swallowed hard. ‘Theo, I need think about this.’ She closed the box and handed it back to him.
‘You don’t like the ring?’
‘I like the ring. I love the ring.’ She dragged in a breath. ‘But…my world’s suddenly been turned upside down. I need some space, some time to think about this.’
He drew her hand up to his lips, kissed each finger in turn. ‘All right. I’m not going to bully you into anything. But you know where I am if you want anything.’
‘All I want to do right now is go home—to my home,’ she emphasised, ‘and get some sleep.’
‘Have you eaten tonight?’
‘You just said you weren’t going to bully me.’
‘I’m not bullying you,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m concerned. How pregnant are you?’
‘It’s really early days. I only realised and did the test, a couple of days ago. I’d say about…’ She shrugged. ‘Five weeks.’
He nodded. ‘So morning sickness has probably just started—not that it’s necessarily mornings only. Try some dry crackers or sipping flat ginger beer.’
‘As an obstetrician,’ she reminded him, ‘I know that.’
‘I know you do.’ He smiled wryly. ‘Force of habit. OK. I’m not going to nag. But you need to look after yourself.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘Or, better still, let me look after you.’
‘Theo,’ she warned, ‘you’re bullying.’
‘I’m concerned about you, matia mou. You and the baby.’ He stood up and drew her to her feet. ‘Come on. I’ll walk you home. Have an early night, sleep on it, and we can talk again tomorrow. Or if you wake up at stupid o’clock tonight and want to talk, you know my number.’ He delivered her to her front door. Much as he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her stupid, kiss all her fears away, he knew it was a bad idea. If he rushed her now, when she had time to catch her breath she’d resent him for it. So instead he reined himself back. Kissed her chastely on the cheek. And suppressed the urge to pick her up and carry her back to his own house.
Theo wanted to marry her.
In her heart of hearts, Madison knew that was exactly what she wanted, too.
So why wasn’t she excited and happy and wanting to shout the news from the rooftops? Why couldn’t she make the fear go away—the fear that it would all go wrong?
After an hour of feeling more and more miserable, she texted Katrina. Diffidently, because she didn’t want her to worry. But, lord, she needed to talk to someone about this. Someone close to her.
If you’re not busy, do you want to come over for a cup of tea?
The answer came back almost immediately. On my way.
‘Maddie? What’s happened?’ Katrina asked as Madison opened the door a little later. ‘You look terrible.’
Maddie led her into the living room and slumped into one of the chairs ‘Everything’s going wrong. Theo just asked me to move in with him and get married.’
Katrina frowned. ‘And that’s wrong how, exactly?’
‘I’m pregnant.’
‘Hang on. Backtrack a bit. You’re pregnant so he asked you to marry him?’ Katrina’s eyes widened. ‘I’m going to be an auntie? How pregnant? When did you find out?’
‘Sort of, yes, not very and the other day.’ Madison answered the questions rapidly in order.
‘Define “sort of”.’
‘He bought the ring before he knew about the baby,’ Madison admitted.
‘What ring?’ Katrina looked pointedly at Madison’s left hand.
‘I gave it back to him.’
‘Maddie, why? You love him.’
Madison sighed. ‘Exactly. I’m not so sure he loves me.’
‘You just told me he bought you the ring before you told him about the baby. So he must love you, or he wouldn’t have wanted to marry you.’
‘But he didn’t say the words, Kat. And he’s still got that brick wall up between us.’
‘And you don’t have a brick wall there, too?’ Katrina asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’re looking for reasons to reject Theo—because you’re scared that if you do get married to him it’ll end up as much a mistake as your marriage to Harry.’
Madison sighed. ‘Maybe.’
‘There’s no maybe about it, hon,’ Katrina said. ‘Look, I know he hasn’t said the words, but he loves you. Give the landlord your notice and move in with Theo. What have you got to lose? And don’t say your heart—because you’ve lost that to him already. Give it a try,’ she urged. ‘So when do I get to meet my niece or nephew?’
