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And she didn’t, he realised. Because this was just who she was—open and honest and without guile or lies. No wonder he hadn’t got a clue what to make of her.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘What matters is that you’re staying and that you’ll get the kids ready for school in time.’
He needed to focus on the important stuff, the big picture—not get carried away trying to make sense of his brother’s one-night stand. Like getting the kids out of the castle. And keeping that damn reporter from Elite magazine away from Lengroth altogether.
His conversation with the editor had not been encouraging; apparently she was sending over a copy of the contract for Cal’s lawyers to look at. And she’d made it very clear that he did not want to be found in breach of it...
He shook away that concern for another time and turned his attention back to Heather. But she just added another layer to the issue. The last thing he needed was a reporter staying at the castle alongside the woman who was carrying the late Earl’s illegitimate child.
‘Are you okay?’ Heather asked, with genuine concern in her voice. ‘You’re kind of...staring.’
He looked away. Quickly. ‘Sorry. Just...lots on my mind. Picking up all the loose threads after Ross... You know...’
‘Of course.’ Heather got quickly and neatly to her feet. ‘I’ll leave you to it. I need to get to bed if I’m going to start teaching the children tomorrow.’
She smoothed down the sundress she was wearing under a chunky knitted cardigan. She wasn’t showing at all yet, Cal realised. Would she be by the end of the summer? He didn’t know. If she was nearly twelve weeks, as she said, then she’d be four and half months by September.
Halfway through, he thought. Hopefully by then he’d have some idea of what to do about her and the baby. But for now...
‘I’ll arrange for laptops for all three of you. And I’ll get a credit card for you, linked to the castle account. You’ll be able to order whatever clothes you need, teaching supplies...that sort of thing.’
‘Thank you.’ Heather’s wide smile was grateful. ‘That would be wonderful.’
He’d set a generous limit on the card, Cal decided as she left the room. See how close she came to reaching it. If she did—well, who wouldn’t make the most of that opportunity? And if she didn’t...maybe she really was different from the other people in his life.
Either way, the children would be out of his hair and someone else’s problem. That was what really mattered.
* * *
Heather was awoken early the next morning, before the sun had even crept over the hills, by the sound of shrieking. High-pitched, ear-ringing, brain-hurting, shrieking.
She blinked, trying to remember where she was, what was happening, who could be screaming...
Daisy.
Throwing the covers aside, she raced to the doorway that led to the hall, then down the short distance to the children’s rooms.
The stone floors of the castle were freezing under her bare feet, even in summer. Heather didn’t care. She burst into Daisy’s room and found Ryan already there, huddled in a heap at the end of her bed, his hands over his ears.
‘Daisy. Daisy.’
It wasn’t good to wake a dreamer. Or was that a sleepwalker? Either way, Heather knew she had to do it. She gave the girl a small shake on her shoulder. Then a harder one.
Daisy’s eyes popped open. ‘You shouldn’t be in my room after lights out,’ she said, for all the world as if she’d just awoken from a restful nap.
Heather shared a quick glance with Ryan, who just shrugged. ‘She always does this.’
Does what? Heather wondered. Scream, dream or pretend it never happened?
‘You were screaming,’ Heather said soothingly. ‘Did you have a bad dream?’
‘No,’ Daisy said sharply, but Heather would have known it was a lie even without the shrieking. Her eyes were wide and terrified, red and raw around the edges.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Heather asked.
Daisy rolled over to face the wall, pulled the blanket up to her chin and stubbornly shut her eyes. ‘I want to go back to sleep. Alone.’
