Nathan winced. He was lost for words, for an adequate reply.
Sasha stepped in, trying to retrieve the situation. ‘I’m your pretend mother, Matt. I love being your pretend mother, but Elizabeth is your real mother.’
‘No, she’s not,’ Matt cried, and shook his head in adamant rejection.
Elizabeth’s arms dropped to her sides. ‘Let the boy go,’ she said, and promptly cast aside any pretence of a maternal role. ‘I merely wanted to see what he looks like. He takes after you, Nathan. Nothing of me there at all. What a pity. A fine-looking boy apart from that. He’ll photograph well.’
Nathan struggled to his feet. ‘Can’t we try...?’
‘No. It’s years before he becomes a voter,’ Elizabeth said, as coldly practical as ever. ‘Then he may comprehend my real worth.’
Again Nathan’s jaw tightened, but he swiftly unlocked it to attend to his son. ‘Do you want to go back to Marion, Matt?’
The boy fled the room without a backward glance. Nathan heaved a sigh and closed the door before turning to face Elizabeth again, his face etched in stoic resignation.
‘Now let’s get down to business,’ Elizabeth said crisply. ‘Do you want to marry me and keep the child, Nathan? Or do you want to lose a battle on the front page of the newspapers, as well as in the courtroom? What’s your choice?’
When needs must, Sasha thought. The situation was very clear to her now. If Nathan Parnell was married to another woman, and they had a good, stable, old-fashioned, permanent relationship, the child’s welfare would best be served, in the eyes of the court, by leaving custody as it was, with the father who could offer his son a secure family life. Visiting rights would go to Elizabeth, but Sasha had seen enough. The visiting rights would never be exercised.
‘Come, Nathan, the decision does not call for deep reflection,’ Elizabeth snapped impatiently. ‘Make up your mind.’
His lips compressed. Sasha could feel his hatred of the decision facing him, yet, knowing his love for his son, she was also intensely aware of the sense of inevitability hanging over it.
Elizabeth, scenting victory, could not resist one more shaft. ‘And you can throw this presumptuous hussy out of here today,’ she said with a contemptuous toss of her hand at Sasha. ‘I wish to occupy your bed tonight. See if you are still as expert as you once were.’
Manhood...fatherhood...she was taking him for everything. And Sasha knew Nathan would sacrifice it all to safeguard his son. The distaste on his face at this very moment would be swallowed. Whatever he had to do, no matter how dreadful it would be, he would do it for love of Matt. A rock. A protector.
His lips parted to form one word.
Sasha got in first. She did not recognise her own voice. It issued forth like the disembodied utterance of a spirit from another world.
‘Mr Parnell does not have a choice.’
For the first time Elizabeth looked discomposed. She had been hanging on Nathan’s word, already tasting her malicious triumphant success, knowing how he had been going to answer.
‘Rubbish!’ she hurled at Sasha, furious at the interruption. ‘Everyone has choices.’
‘Not in this case,’ Sasha said with quiet determination. ‘As a man of honour, Mr Parnell is already committed to a different future. He has asked me to marry him. And my answer...’
She felt him look at her. She looked at him and felt a wild sense of exultation as she saw the light of salvation in his eyes, the incredible reality of a miracle that he’d been given no reason to expect or hope for.
On a bursting wave of adrenaline, Sasha walked towards him. ‘My absolute and unequivocal answer...’ her voice gathered an evangelical passion ‘...is yes. I will marry him. Yes. And I’ll stand by his side, in court and out of it, and fight his fights with him, against anyone and anything.’
She stopped in front of him and the admiration in his eyes was all the intoxicant she needed to drive the heady recklessness further. She wheeled to face their mutual enemy. ‘You may not realise it yet, Elizabeth, but you’re a loser. And you’ve just lost everything.’
‘Nathan...’ There was fury and frustration in the demand.
Sasha felt his arm curl around her shoulders, supporting her stand. ‘I have a wife, Elizabeth,’ he said, his voice strong and vibrant. ‘So get the hell out of here. Sasha and I have matters of importance to discuss.’
CHAPTER NINE
SASHA had been so caught up with disposing of Nathan’s ex-wife that she hadn’t stopped to consider the consequences. They came to her hard and fast as Elizabeth Maddox made her final exit from Seagrave Dunworthy’s home. At least, Sasha hoped it was the final exit.
She was beginning to realise what an incredibly reckless thing she’d done in committing herself to a marriage she didn’t want. It could ruin her life. And Bonnie’s. Nathan Parnell might be the sexiest man she had ever met, but however expert he was in bed, it wouldn’t make up for a loveless relationship. On top of that, she would be trapped into staying with it by Matt, who wanted her to be his mother.
As the front door closed behind Elizabeth Maddox, the arm around Sasha’s shoulders felt more like a prison bar than a source of comfort. ‘I need to sit down, Nathan,’ she said, but what she really needed was space and distance between them so she could start getting things in perspective.
Without a word he led her to one of the chesterfield lounges flanking the fireplace. She sank onto the soft down cushions and let Bonnie slide to her lap. The scene with Elizabeth had been harrowing and Sasha felt drained of initiative. Yet whatever she now said to Nathan Parnell was probably going to be the most important conversation of her life.