Pregnancy Proposals: The Duke's Baby. Rebecca Winters
doesn’t want anything about the room to get in print.”
“I don’t blame him. In my opinion those paintings constitute some of France’s greatest art treasures. If the public knew about them, he’d be hounded to death.”
“It’s good you understand.”
“Of course. I feel privileged to be allowed to stay in there.”
“You have no idea how fortunate you are.”
Uh-oh. The other woman’s comment had a territorial sound to it.
“How long before you return to the States?”
The burning question was finally out.
“I’m not sure.”
“You don’t need to get back to your job?”
“If by that you mean do I work at Yale University? The answer is no. After teaching classes, my husband would come home and I’d help him do his research on the computer.”
“What will you do now?”
“Andrea’s going to have her hands full from here on out.”
The deep masculine voice could only belong to one person. She hadn’t heard Lance enter the library.
Corinne swung around. “Chéri—“ she cried with uninhibited longing. “I heard you were back!”
“Bonjour, Corinne.” He shut the doors behind him, but made no advance toward her. “I’m glad to see you two have already met. It saves me having to find you in order to make introductions.”
“Mrs. Fallon and I were just getting acquainted.” She hurried toward him, and grasped his arm. “Now that you’re here, let’s go somewhere private. It’s been forever since I last saw you, and we have so much to catch up on.”
“We can do that later. Right now I have something important to tell you.”
“Not in front of your father’s guest surely,” she pleaded in a hushed tone, but Andrea heard her.
“This involves Andrea. It can’t wait.”
At this point Corinne’s head jerked around. Her eyes stared at Andrea as if she were some kind of alien. “What could she possibly have to do with us?”
“Since you became my stepsister ten years ago, and we’re family so to speak, I would say quite a lot.”
Andrea was coming to know Lance’s moods. Right now his features had taken on a faintly chiseled cast. She was reminded of that night in the forest when he’d ordered her off the property. It sent a shiver down her spine.
The other woman looked less sure of herself. “Lance—I don’t understand you.”
“Then let me enlighten you.”
He removed Corinne’s hand from his arm and crossed the expanse to reach Andrea. “I told you I’d be in to remind you to take your pill,” he said to her sotto voice.
“I would have taken it when we went into lunch.”
To her surprise he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his hard physique.
“Corinne?” he addressed the woman standing there like a piece of petrified wood. “You might as well hear our news now.”
“What news?”
“I’m in love and have found the woman I’m going to marry.”
It was a good thing Lance was holding on to Andrea, otherwise she would have collapsed in a heap.
“If Papa continues to improve, we’re hoping to be married within three weeks time.”
Corinne’s face lost color. “Married—”
Lance hugged Andrea tighter. Looking down at her he said, “It happened so fast we can hardly believe it either can we, mon amour. I never believed in the coup de foudre. Not until I met you. It was love at first sight.”
He lowered his head and kissed her hard on her astonished mouth before turning to Corinne. “I know you’ll be happy for us, but I have to ask you a favor. Papa doesn’t know yet. We’re going to tell him at lunch.”
His smooth shaven jaw brushed against Andrea’s cheek. Despite the chaos of her emotions, the feel of his skin sent a curling warmth through her body.
“I’d like the two of you to become good friends. In the meantime I hope you’ll forgive me for interrupting, but something has come up. I need to talk to Andrea alone.”
He grasped her hand and started walking toward the door. Corinne stared at Lance in anguish before leaving the room ahead of them. She disappeared down the hall with her suit jacket flapping.
Lance headed for the staircase. He tightened his grip, letting Andrea know he had no intention of allowing her to break free until they’d reached the third floor.
ANDREA walked in her room ahead of Lance. After shutting the door, he leaned against it while she went over to the bedside table and took another pill with a glass of water.
“You deserve an explanation for what happened just now, and you’ll get it. Just hear me out before you consign me to hell for a second time.”
She rubbed her forehead where she could feel a headache coming on. “I’m listening.”
He began pacing, then stopped. “I had no idea Corinne had arrived. Thank God Henri told me he saw her head for the library. I had to get you out of there fast. There was only one way to do it. For once I was able to strike the death blow before she could see it coming.”
Andrea swung around. “It was a death blow to her,” her voice throbbed. “I’ve never seen anyone so crushed in my life. By now she has probably run to your father and told him everything.”
A cruel smile broke out on his lips. Only moments ago she’d felt them on hers and was still weaving from the effect.
“She would like to, but she won’t dare because she’s unsure of her ground at the moment.”
Andrea’s temper flared. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten I’m a guest in your father’s home. He has allowed me to sleep in this incredible room and use his library. Even if I’ve agreed to marry you, for you to draw me into some kind of intrigue that involves your stepsister is hardly the way to repay him.”
“Have no fear. He knows you’re the innocent here. My issue with her goes back years.”
Their eyes met. His had darkened until there was no more blue left to be seen.
“Lance—”
“Do me a favor and sit down while I talk to you?” he said emotionally. “After your emergency visit to the clinic the other day, this is all you need to suffer a relapse. If anything happened to the baby because of me—”
The fear in his eyes and voice drove her to obey his suggestion. In truth, since the ugly confrontation with Corinne, she felt drained.
After she sat back against the pillows, he leaned over to ease her legs onto the bed. Every touch increased her awareness of him.
Like before, he drew the chair close to the bed and sat down. She watched him run a hand through his hair in a gesture that could have meant resignation or defeat. Andrea had the impression he was tired, as if he’d been wrestling with the same nightmare for years.
It brought out her compassion, a reaction she fought against, yet she doubted he was aware of its effect on her.
His