AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Money talks, she thought in wry acceptance, grateful that she hadn’t blurted that provocative belief out loud. But Circe had received instant access to treatment and now Claire would not have to await a medical appointment in the normal way. That was the privileged world that Raif lived in, a world that operated, it seemed, on the power of wealth and influence. But his attitude was not what she had expected in any way. She had thought he might be angry, even denying any knowledge of her or implying that perhaps the child could not be his. She had been prepared for the worst reactions and the unkindest suggestions, yet she had been absolutely wrong. The discovery shook her.
‘We will have a late lunch now,’ Raif continued smoothly.
‘I thought you’d be angry, that...er...somehow you’d blame me for this development,’ Claire heard herself admit in a strained undertone.
‘What use would anger be to us now?’ Raif quipped as he held the door open for her to pass by him. ‘One man’s adversity is another man’s opportunity.’
‘That’s a truly mature outlook you have,’ she remarked, walking into a dining room with a smartly set table. ‘You know... I could have made us lunch.’
‘Eileen would have been offended. She owned her own restaurant before she came to work here. She’s more of a caretaker than a housekeeper as I only occasionally use the house. She found full-time retirement boring,’ he explained.
‘You employ a lot of people.’
‘Yes. And I’m always surrounded and rarely alone,’ he agreed comfortably. ‘I have learned to adapt to that. When I was a boy, though, I hated it.’
Claire sighed as a colourful salad was set in front of her. ‘And I ruined your moment of escape on the beach.’
‘In return you gave me an exceptional experience.’
Claire went pink and studied him anxiously. ‘You don’t have to put on a front about how you really feel about this. I can take the truth. I thought you’d blame me.’
‘Why would I blame you? We took the risk together and it was a risk too far,’ Raif conceded. ‘But neither one of us was in the mood to be sensible and weigh the potential consequences.’
The light meal was exactly what her too sensitive tummy needed. Raif received a call, which he stepped out of the room to take. He reappeared with a smile.
‘Circe has come around from the surgery and is doing well. I can take you back to spend a few minutes with her before we go for our appointment.’
Claire stood, wreathed in smiles, her relief written across her face.
Raif’s own mood had lightened considerably with that news. Her suspicion, however, that he was putting on a front had been perfectly correct. While he preferred honesty, diplomacy had taught him that honesty was not always wise in sensitive circumstances. He did not blame her, he blamed himself much more. He was older, more sophisticated and he had known that she was vulnerable in her grief.
If he had not been able to walk away, he should have simply acted like a friend and given her the company she needed. He should have withstood her appeal, stood firm against that outrageously seductive sense of intimacy that he had never felt with a woman before. Now they were both trapped in a bind that would inevitably force them into marriage. He saw no other possible way to extricate them both with the credit that would also give their child what he or she deserved.
They left the villa in the same limousine and returned to the veterinary surgery. Raif stood by while Claire gently stroked her bleary-eyed pet, who now had a cast enclosing one leg. A sleepy tail moved lethargically in acknowledgement.
‘The vet said that she’s a young cat and should heal well but that there is still a risk of seizures from the head injury, so it would be best if she remains here until she is stronger.’
‘There’s going to be the most ginormous bill for her treatment—’ Claire began, stricken, back in the limousine.
‘Claire...we have more important matters to worry about than that,’ Raif pointed out drily. ‘I wish it had been possible to punish the woman who hurt her, but I do believe it was an unfortunate accident. She didn’t mean to hurt the animal, only to get it away from her. And in any case, the gossip will cause her a good deal of embarrassment.’
Her brow furrowed. ‘Gossip?’
‘Too many people witnessed the incident for it to remain unreported. She’s a celebrity and someone will talk about it and rumours travel. Many people like animals and many will judge her for the injury she caused to your pet.’
Claire said nothing because she felt responsible for what had happened, feeling that she should have known better than to let the confident, independent Circe roam as she pleased on the luxury boat.
They were ushered into a private waiting room at the obstetrician’s surgery. She was taken off first for a blood test and a preliminary examination with Mr Laurent. They waited for a little while before both being invited back in to see the older man again. He confirmed her pregnancy and offered her an ultrasound.
‘Is there anything that can actually be seen this early?’ Raif asked with a frown.
‘You’ll be surprised. Do you want to know the gender?’
‘Yes.’ Claire got up on the examination couch and the ultrasound technician helped her bare her stomach, which was relatively easy with the stretchy waistband of the trousers she wore.
‘I’ll be able to forward the blood-test results to you within a couple of days and that will tell you whether you’re having a girl or a boy,’ Mr Laurent informed them.
Raif refused a seat and hovered tautly beside her as the wand was moved over her tummy.
