Rebecca Winters - Pregnancy Proposals - The Duke's Baby

When she awoke, she couldn’t believe it was midmorning already. Lance had already gone. Knowing he’d been with her all night must have been the reason she’d slept longer than usual.

The absence of nausea prompted her to take her pills. She wanted this feeling of well-being to continue.

As she started across the room there was a rap on the door. “Andrea?” Lance’s deep voice permeated to her insides. “Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“I brought you breakfast.”

He shouldn’t have. “I don’t need waiting on.”

“What if I like doing it?”

“Then I’m very grateful, but I need to shower first.”

“Go ahead. I’ll bring the tray in and wait for you.”

“Okay. I’ll hurry.”

Excitement welled up in her that he was going to show her his mother’s house today. It would be her baby’s home. Her home with Lance.

Three weeks from now and she wouldn’t have to see Corinne again except on the chance meeting at the château. In the meantime she and Lance would be occupied getting ready to be parents.

She grabbed a blouse to wear with her skirt before scurrying into the bathroom to shower and dress. He was going to get tired of seeing her in the same outfit. When they went to Rennes today, she would ask him to take her to a store where she could buy some loose fitting outfits.

After brushing her hair, she let it hang free from a side part. After applying lotion she was ready.

He’d put the tray on the bed. Cold cereal and grapefruit. “This looks good.”

“So do you,” he murmured, eyeing her thoroughly.

He did, too, but she refrained from telling him and started to eat.

This morning he’d donned a light blue suit with a darker blue shirt. No tie. With that burnished skin and blue eyes hot enough to cut steel, she wouldn’t be surprised if the women in town formed lines just to get a look at him.

“Thanks to your presence throughout the night, I slept well.”

“Your body next to mine had the same effect on me. It must be comforting for the baby to be all snug inside you.”

A section of grapefruit caught in her throat before going down. “The problem is, one of these days soon I’m afraid I won’t be able to say the same thing. But I’m not complaining.”

“I’ll give you back rubs. Maybe that will help.”

No. All that would do was arouse certain longings better kept at bay. After their conversation last night, she was a mass of feelings and emotions spiraling out of control.

“Are you the kind of woman who wants to have the baby the natural way?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m a coward and plan to avail myself of the latest epidural.”

“That means no Lamaze class for me?”

“Would you want to do that?”

He studied her over the rim of his coffee cup. “I want to do anything that helps me feel closer to the baby.”

“You can come to all my doctor appointments. I’ll be getting the ultrasound next month.”

“I was already planning on it. Needless to say I’ll be driving you to the hospital when your time comes. I’ve never seen a baby born. Giles and his wife had a little girl last year. He said it was the greatest experience of his life. I’ve envied him that.”

Her heart told her this wasn’t an act on Lance’s part. Having been denied the possibility of creating a child from his own body, he was willing to do whatever it took to be a part of her pregnancy. Andrea was one person who understood that need.

With the last bite of cereal gone, she went over to the dresser where she kept her purse. Reaching for her lipstick she said, “Did you happen to see Corinne while you were downstairs?”

“No. Papa said she had breakfast with him before going for a horseback ride.”

“Does she do a lot of riding?”

“From what I understand.”

“How’s your father this morning?”

“Euphoric. I left him on the phone with Helene.”

“Did he say anything about Corinne?”

“No.”

Her anxious eyes flicked to his. “It’s like waiting for a time bomb we didn’t set to go off.”

Lance nodded grimly. “Papa would like to drive to the house with us, but the doctor says he has to stay in for a couple of more days.”

“There’ll be time enough for that when he’s all better.”

“That’s what I told him. Shall we go?”

He opened the door for her, then followed with the tray. They’d almost reached the foyer when she heard his cell phone ring. She noticed him check the caller ID before he clicked on.

She might not be able to understand French, but the violence of his expression needed no translation.

“What’s happened?” she asked the second he rang off.

There was a white ring around his mouth. “That was the groomsman. Corinne took Tonnerre without permission. He went after her on another horse.

“It seems she tried to jump the fountain, but didn’t succeed. She took a nasty fall and appears concussed, but Tonnerre’s front legs are broken. He’s in agony.”

That meant his beautiful horse would have to be put down.

“Go, Lance—” she cried. “I’ll phone for an ambulance.”

He handed her the tray and his cell phone. “Dial 112. Tell them to come to the Fountain of Youth in the forest. They’ll understand.”

Her heart went with him as he disappeared down the hall toward the kitchen. Poor Tonnerre. He’d carried both her and Lance when she’d been ill. It was going to kill him to have to put his animal out of its misery, but he had no other choice.

In the next instant she set the tray on the nearest credenza and called the emergency number. After getting the details, they said they were on their way.

“Andrea?”

She looked up to discover Geoff standing on the first landing.

“Henri told me Corinne had an accident on one of the horses. Is she all right?”

“The groomsman said he thought she’d be fine. Lance went to see about her.” Andrea hurried up the stairs and walked him back to his suite. They sat down opposite each other in the sitting room.

“I’m relieved he’s with her.”

“He’ll take care of everything. It’s good we hadn’t left for town yet.”

“She’s an excellent rider. I can’t imagine what happened.”

“We’ll find out soon enough. Shall I ask Brigitte to bring you some tea while we wait to hear?”

Andrea didn’t dare tell him the truth. She’d let his son explain. Thanks to Henri’s discretion, Geoff didn’t appear too upset.

“No, no. As long as we’re alone for a minute, I want to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

For the first time since she’d known him, Geoff seemed hesitant.

“When you’ve been a mother for a number of years, you’ll understand better what I’m about to say to you.”

“Go on,” she urged gently.

“Our children mean everything to us. We know their joys and their fears. We know what makes them happy. We know what brings them pain.

“Choosing you for his wife has made Lance happy, and that makes me happy. But Corinne is devastated. She fell in love with him when she first met him. There’s been no one else for her.”

“He told me he suspected as much,” she admitted.

“That’s good. There should be no secrets between the two of you. Corinne has always felt rejected. I’ve tried everything to help her feel secure, but nothing can completely make up for a bad mother and an absentee father.”

“You’re right.”

He lifted his hands. “It’s no one’s fault, and I’m not trying to hurt you. Heaven knows it’s been difficult for Lance who didn’t ask for any of this.”

He looked at her with a hint of pleading. She sensed he was going to beg them to postpone the wedding for an indefinite period.