Robyn Donald - The Royal House of Niroli - Innocent Mistresses

She was impressed, though not by the value of his possessions, she was genuinely interested. He watched her dip her head to examine a jade ornament more closely.

‘Do you like it?’ She was trailing her forefinger across the back of a Ming-dynasty horse. It was priceless, but, of course, she couldn’t know that. It had a finely carved saddle with elaborate fringing, and was an outstanding example of some ancient artisan’s skill. There was no chance he could give it to her, but he’d seen pictures of it in the palace gift store. ‘I’m sure we can find you a postcard in the shop.’

The look she gave him was pure ice. A postcard in exchange for sex—was that what she thought? He brought the shutters down. He couldn’t risk antagonising her until he found out what she was doing in Niroli.

She didn’t want a trip to the gift shop as a reward for being a good girl, and she felt like telling Nico to get over himself. She wanted to tell him that his fabulous wealth would pale in the face of her news, but when he eased his collar and moved restlessly she knew he was uncomfortable in a room with overdressed windows and silk-draped walls, and felt some sympathy for him. Her first impression of the décor had been good, but on closer inspection Carrie thought it cloying and could see why it wouldn’t suit Nico. The palace might be his family home, but Nico was a free spirit. Niroli was too small an island to contain him, and his decision to leave the country as a youth to make his way in London was certainly no mystery to her now. She was beginning to understand him, which gave her courage. ‘This isn’t easy for me, Nico.’

‘Try me,’ he prompted.

‘When I left the office, I had no idea that …’ He nodded encouragement. ‘I had no idea that I was pregnant.’

‘What?’

He sounded and looked incredulous. ‘I’m pregnant,’ she said again, telling him the news in a soft, happy voice. The idea was still new to her, still surrounded by its own little aura of light.

It took her a moment to realise how quiet the room had become, and then Nico said evenly, ‘What’s that got to do with me?’

Her tongue froze, and at the very moment when she should have been at her most eloquent she saw his mouth begin to curve with contempt. ‘E-everything,’ she managed to stutter, feeling in that moment as if she had been sucked into outer space where there was no warmth, no air, no comfort for her anywhere.

‘What do you mean, Carrie? “Everything?”’

‘I mean, you’re the father of my baby, Nico—’

‘What?’ he exploded. His voice had gone instantly cold and, shaking his head, he turned away.

‘Nico, I swear—’

‘You swear?’ He turned back, head down, eyes full of a terrifying emotion she’d never seen before. She reached out to him, but he pulled away.

She was a liar. Carrie was a liar. She had reminded him in the cruellest way possible that he was infertile and could never have the family he longed for. Emotion swirled inside him, threatening to erupt. It escaped in words, harsh, ugly words: ‘I’m not the father of your baby, Carrie.’

He wasn’t prepared for the pain he felt saying that—the pain of knowing the child she carried couldn’t be his. It was unbearable, excruciating; he couldn’t bear to think of her with some other man. ‘We had sex,’ he said cruelly, instinct driving him to hurt as much as she had hurt him. ‘We had sex, and that was all—’

‘It wasn’t just sex to me, Nico.’

How could she think him so gullible? She asked too much. The travesty of wanting something so badly only to have it delivered to him twisted and spoiled …’If it wasn’t sex what was it?’ The ferocity in his voice shocked him and he didn’t know if he could control the rage building inside him. If he couldn’t then he must end this now. ‘Did you think I would go down on bended knee the next morning and propose marriage to you?’ His eyes, his voice couldn’t have been harder.

‘Please, Nico—’

‘Don’t touch me!’ He shook her off. ‘You wanted sex every bit as much as I did and we both knew what we were doing. You hadn’t been drinking; I’d been watching you, so don’t go down that road. Sex that night had nothing to do with love, or long-term commitment, and I never let you think that once, did I?’

She couldn’t argue with him. She was too stunned, too sick inside to know how to answer him.

‘I’ll write you a cheque now if that’s what it takes to get you off my back.’

Nico’s cruel words forced Carrie to face the truth. Her child had been conceived in a ferment of lust, and her baby’s father couldn’t stand the sight of her. But she loved him. She still loved him. She always would.

‘Let’s stop playing games, Carrie.’

Something was nagging at her, something wasn’t right. Nico was so sure of himself, so very sure …

‘I don’t know who you’ve been with, or why he won’t support you, but if you’ve come here out of desperation just tell me how much you want.’

Carrie was stunned. She couldn’t believe what Nico was thinking. ‘I don’t want your money.’

‘Then, what do you want?’

‘I want nothing for myself. All I ask is that you acknowledge our child—’

‘Our child? I don’t have a child! And as for you?’ His stare lingered on her still-flat stomach. ‘How do I know you’re even pregnant?’ His gaze flashed up, demanding an answer.

‘Do you think I’d lie about something like this?’

‘How do I know what to think? You sneak into the palace like a thief—’

‘Don’t turn this into something squalid!’

‘Don’t you!’ Nico warned softly. ‘The Carrie Evans I knew wouldn’t use a child as a bargaining counter.’

‘And I’m not doing that now. Nico, how can you be so sure you’re not the father of my child?’

‘I know I’m not.’ His mouth flattened, telling her that was his final answer.

‘But there’s been no one else,’ Carrie said in confusion. ‘The baby is yours—’

‘No one else?’ Nico cut across her.

His silence now reminded Carrie of the frivolous underwear she had bought on the market, the underwear she had helped him to remove. Surely, he didn’t think …’Nico, please believe me, I was a virgin that night—’

‘A virgin?’ He shook his head grimly. ‘This lie of yours has gone far enough.’ Taking hold of her, he tried to lead her from the room, but she had more strength than he knew.

‘I suggest you leave before I do something I might regret, Carrie.’

‘Like what?’ She refused to move another inch. ‘What would you do, Nico? Would you hit me? Would you force me out of here? Would you strike a pregnant woman?’

The blood drained from his face. ‘I wouldn’t touch anyone in mindless anger.’

‘Just as I wouldn’t lie to you,’ she assured him, holding his gaze, willing him to believe her.

‘You’ve just proved that you would,’ Nico said. Walking to the door, he opened it wide. ‘Now, please leave.’

‘Nico—’

He turned his face away from her as if he couldn’t bear the sight of her a moment longer and his voice when he spoke next was the voice of a stranger. ‘I feel as if I’ve been with a very different woman to the sweet girl I employed. You’re a better actress than I thought, Carrie Evans, and a crueller one, but don’t think you can lay your mistakes at my door.’

‘My baby isn’t a mistake,’ she assured him tensely. ‘The only mistake I made was getting involved with you.’

‘It’s time to accept I’m not the father of your baby.’

‘Nico, you must believe—’

‘I can assure you I’m not. Your plan has badly misfired.’

‘My plan?’ She looked at him in bewilderment, but there was no chance to press him because in her worst nightmare come true Princess Anastasia was bearing down on them.