‘That’s my problem to worry about.’ He shifted on the bench, and as she caught a trace of his scent she tried not to inhale deeply.
‘With the issue my parents have family parties would be a nightmare.’
‘But manageable.’
‘Do you have an answer for everything?’
‘Not everything.’
‘But most things.’
He gave her the glimmer of a smile. ‘Do you have any other arguments to put forward?’
‘No,’ she said a little dazedly as she thought about it. ‘I appear to have run out.’
‘And?’
She tilted her head and stared at him, noting the dark intensity of his eyes, the set of his jaw, and wondering about both. ‘You really want this, don’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘For the same reasons you do.’
Hmm. She doubted that, but she was hardly going to probe further. If she did then she’d have to go into her reasons, which she suspected went a lot deeper than the effect of a wall of paintings and an ultrasound.
But whatever his reasons, and however surreal today had been, however they were going to figure it all out, she knew what she wanted beyond the shadow of a doubt. And so, with her heart hammering, she took a deep breath and said, ‘Then I guess we’re going to be parents.’
TEN
‘You’re pregnant?’
At the volume of her brother’s voice and the sudden hush that fell over the tapas bar where she, her brother and her sister-in-law were having supper and a catch-up for the first time since the happy couple had been back in London Celia winced. ‘Not sure they heard you in the kitchen, Dan,’ she muttered. ‘Would you mind keeping it down a bit?’
‘Yes, I bloody well would,’ he said hotly. ‘We’ve been here for over an hour, and you didn’t think to mention it?’
She put down her fork, arched an eyebrow and shot him a look. ‘And interrupt the fascinating and lengthy tales of your adventures on honeymoon?’
‘You did go on a bit, Dan,’ murmured Zoe, picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip.
Celia grinned. ‘To tell you the truth, I loved hearing about what you got up to,’ she said. ‘Especially the bit where you got chased by a herd of angry alpacas. That’s definitely one to bring out at your diamond wedding anniversary. And anyway, I’m mentioning it now.’
Dan frowned. ‘How pregnant are you?’
‘Twelve weeks, give or take a day or two.’ She’d had the scan yesterday and when she’d seen those tiny little hands and feet and then been told that everything was progressing as it should had felt a mixture of relief, excitement and terror.
Marcus had been there too, the first time she’d seen him since they’d reversed their decision about the abortion. He’d sat next to her, asking questions and squeezing her hand and for a split second she’d felt this deep, deep longing that they were together. For each other, not just the baby. Which didn’t make any sense whatsoever because they hadn’t seen each other for four weeks and for all she knew he’d bedded half of London in that time. And while she knew that it was undoubtedly down to hormones, all in all it had been a rather peculiar, faintly unsettling quarter of an hour.
‘Congratulations,’ said Zoe, beaming.
‘Thank you.’
Dan shot his wife a look. ‘Why don’t you sound as surprised as I am by this?’ he asked suspiciously. ‘Did you know? Two months in and do we already have secrets?’
Zoe shook her head and patted him on the arm. ‘Calm down, Dan. Of course I didn’t know. But when a woman declines alcohol and avoids the prawns it doesn’t take a genius to work it out.’ Then she shot him a wicked smile. ‘And you might as well get used to the secrets thing because I have loads. You might even like some of them.’
&nbs