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There was no other explanation.
She was pregnant.
Amy went into autopilot. She sat on the edge of the bed. Hands shaking, she picked up the phone and called the main house.
“Good morning, Amy,” Tony’s cheerful voice came over the line. “The usual for you?”
“What?” She couldn’t process the question at first. Her mind was moving too quickly.
“Breakfast,” Tony said. “Do you need eggs and bread for French toast? Isn’t that why you’re calling?” He sounded confused too, and Amy realized her behavior must be worrying to him. She was sure she didn’t sound like herself.
If only she could just pop over to the drugstore, the way she would have done at home! The trouble was, she had no idea where to find the nearest drugstore, and she wouldn’t be able to get there without help. She was going to have to ask someone to assist her with this.
And she needed it to happen privately. Who could she trust not to talk to Adriano?
“Can I speak with Claudia?” she asked. The chef was the only female employee in the house. This wasn’t her responsibility—Amy was supposed to be asking Tony to help her when she needed things from the outside, and she knew it—but a woman would understand the situation best. If there was anyone who would protect Amy’s secret, it would be Claudia.
Tony didn’t argue. “I’ll get her for you,” he said, sounding curious but not suspicious.
A moment later, Amy heard Claudia’s voice on the line. “Is this about eggs?”
Amy let out a burst of hysterical laughter. “In a way,” she said. “Can you come over to the guest cottage? I need to speak with you face-to-face.”
* * *
An hour later, Claudia had gone out to the drugstore and had returned with a bag full of purchases.
“Mr. Canali won’t check the receipts,” she said. “He never does.” She had insisted on paying with the staff credit account rather than using Amy’s own credit card. “But I paid at the self-checkout, like you asked me to, and I bought all the extra things you wanted too. And here is the receipt.” She showed Amy. The line item indicating that a pregnancy test had been purchased was shortened—it only showed a few letters. No one would be able to tell what she’d bought unless they did some serious research.
“I’m sorry for being so paranoid,” Amy said. “I know it’s ridiculous.”
“No, I don’t think it is,” Claudia said. “You don’t have anything to worry about, but in your shoes I think I would be worried just the same.” She hesitated. “Would you like me to stay or go?”
“Would you stay?” Amy asked. “I know you and I don’t really know each other that well, but I’d rather not be alone when I find this out.”
“Of course,” Claudia said. “I just can’t believe—you and the boss!”
Amy groaned. “Don’t make me feel worse.”
“I don’t mean to!” Claudia assured her. “It would be good news, wouldn’t it? We all know Mr. Canali is trying to pursue having a baby. Or is this not something you would want for yourself?”
Amy buried her face in her hands.
“I’m sorry,” Claudia said contritely. “These are very personal questions. I shouldn’t be asking.”
“No, it isn’t that,” Amy said. “To tell you the truth, I’m glad to have someone to talk to. I hope you don’t feel like I’m crossing any boundaries—I know this is your workplace, and maybe you don’t want to talk about your boss like this…”
“No, don’t be silly,” Claudia said. “Have you been wanting a child yourself?”
Amy shook her head. “It wasn’t something I was thinking about right now,” she said. “It was something I would have considered in the future, maybe—in the distant future. I’m so focused on my career at the moment.” She laughed, even though nothing felt funny right now. “My brother’s going to lose his mind. He’s always saying I don’t make time to have a life, that all I do is work and I’m letting the world pass me by… He’s not going to believe this.”
“Will he be supportive?”
“Oh, I know he will be. Mike has always supported me. But he’s definitely going to be shocked.”
“Well,” Claudia said, “if you want the baby, and Mr. Canali wants the baby, then this can only be good news!”
“I don’t know,” Amy said. “He wanted a baby with a surrogate, not with me. I mean…how would we even begin to navigate that situation? A surrogate would have given him full parental rights to the child, and that’s not something I would be prepared to do.” She shivered as a dreadful thought occurred to her. “Do you think he would take me to court? I can’t afford that.”
