“You couldn’t… I never knew.”
“No,” Marie continued. “We didn’t discuss it publically. It took a long time for me to accept that I wouldn’t be able to give Theo the family he desperately wanted. And a longer time still to do the right thing and set him free. But don’t you see, Elena? He’s going to have a baby. And I would bet every last penny I own that he’s planning on raising it with me.”
*
The lighting was strangely eerie when Imogen burst out of Claridge’s ten minutes later. She’d had to endure several more minutes of anguishing conversation and then she’d had to wait to regain the ability to use her legs. But finally, she was able to think clearly.
And none of her thoughts led her in a good direction.
She pushed aside memories of how good it felt to be held by Theo.
She pushed aside memories of his beautiful face, his genuine eyes, his sweet laugh.
And she forced herself to look at the situation without the veil of her own love.
To see the facts as an outsider might.
They had slept together at her instigation.
He’d sneaked out while she’d slept, leaving no way for her to contact him.
He hadn’t even remembered her and he’d been dismissive and disinterested. Hell, he’d flat out told her he wasn’t interested in being with her!
Until she’d told him about the baby.
Imogen’s heart twisted and she lifted a hand, calling a cab. She could almost have felt sorry for him, if what Marie said was true. And it must have been; why would she lie? They’d been married and couldn’t have children. And Theo wanted a child. Imogen experienced a bolt of sympathy for the other woman – how awful to have wanted children, to have tried for children, and then accepted it would never happen. To have loved someone so much – as Marie had loved Theo – that you gave up on your own happiness to ensure theirs.
And now they could have their cake and eat it too!
With Imogen’s baby.
“Where to?” The driver asked, his eyes meeting hers in the rear-view mirror. And even in her angst-filled state, she knew he was worried she was about to have the baby. She didn’t care.
“I don’t mind.”
“What’s that, love?”
“Just take me… take me…” where? “Knightsbridge,” she said finally. “Harrods.”
She settled back in the cab and watched as he beetled towards Park Lane. She swept her eyes shut but it couldn’t block out the realities that were finally shifting around her.
He’d been an impeccable support to her during the pregnancy, but hadn’t he manipulated it perfectly so she was absolutely under his control? She was living with him. Not working. Dependent on him in every way. And he’d set up their baby’s nursery in his own home, so that it was a foregone conclusion that the baby would be in his apartment.
What if Marie and Elena were right? Once he had the baby, what then?
An image of Theo and Marie raising her child turned her blood to ice. How happy that would make Elena!
A part of her wondered if she was being unreasonable; judging him too rashly. But, no. It all made sense. Besides, the other women could have had no way of knowing she was in the cubicle, overhearing every awful, awful word. Should she call Theo and confront him with what she’d heard?
What for? A voice angrily jeered in her mind. So that he could lie and make her feel silly for doubting him? So that he could trick her some more, make her think she was truly in love with him?
“Oh, God,” she groaned softly. But not softly enough. The driver’s eyes flicked to hers once more.
“Y’all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she lied, reaching for her phone and pulling it out of her bag.
She is normal. Is it over yet? I miss you.